ICE HOCKEY
Pay dispute shutters tourney
The Swedish Ice Hockey Federation has canceled the Four Nations women’s tournament in November because it cannot guarantee its players’ participation due to an ongoing pay dispute. The federation on Friday announced the decision, saying that uncertainty regarding their players’ status has made it difficult for the three other competing nations to make travel plans. Sweden’s top players are boycotting their national team over pay and working conditions. The players last month also skipped a Five Nations tournament in Finland and have yet to agree a new contract with the federation.
GOLF
Chappell joins 59 club
Kevin Chappell on Friday made a scintillating return to the US PGA Tour, joining one of golf’s most exclusive clubs by firing an 11-under-par 59 in the second round of the Greenbrier. Chappell, who had back surgery 10 months ago and is playing his first tour event since November last year, posted just the 11th sub-60 round on the US PGA Tour. He had a chance to join Jim Furyk as the only players to card a 58 on tour, but his birdie putt at the ninth curled left at the hole. “Ten months ago I was on the couch and couldn’t walk,” he said, his voice breaking. Chappell’s 11 birdies included a record-equaling nine in a row.
TENNIS
Clijsters, Golovin to return
Belgium’s Kim Clijsters and France’s Tatiana Golovin are to return to the sport, they said in surprise announcements on Thursday and Friday. Seven years after retiring from tennis a second time, Clijsters is attempting another comeback at age 36. The former No. 1 and four-time major champion said she is planning to return next year, although she is not yet ready to say exactly when, where or how often she will compete. Golovin is also to return, despite having retired 11 years ago. The 31-year-old former world No. 12 was forced to retire aged 20 due to lower back inflammation. “The goal was to be ready early next year, but things are going fast and now I plan to resume perhaps by mid-October,” she said.
TENNIS
Big hitters to join ATP Cup
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are among the top 10 who are to play for their nations at the new ATP Cup in Australia in January, organizers said yesterday. Andy Murray will also compete, with his protected No. 2 ranking giving Britain entry to the tournament, even though they are outside of the 24-team qualifying cut. In total, 27 of the world’s top 30 male players have committed to the event, which is to see nations split into six groups, with eight teams emerging from the round-robin stage to compete in the knockout phase.
SOCCER
Aluko decries racist reviews
England star Eni Aluko has condemned Amazon for not removing racist reviews of her memoir posted on the online retailer’s Web site. Of the 31 reviews on Amazon’s UK site, 27 gave They Don’t Teach This a one-star rating. The book details the discrimination Aluko faced during her England career. Customers have used the platform to call the book “anti-white racist drivel” and “fiction.” Aluko, who is black, and her publishers have asked Amazon to delete the racist reviews, but they remained on the site on Friday night. Aluko said the reviews were “clearly motivated by tribalism, bitterness and hatred,” and wrote in a column for the Guardian that “sometimes the law is the only solution.”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two