CYCLING
Giro to cross iconic bridge
Budapest’s oldest bridge is to be crossed by riders on the first stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia after its use was originally ruled out because of planned renovation works. A statement said that race organizers had reached an agreement with the city government to include the iconic Szechenyi Chain Bridge for stage one, an 8.6km individual time trial. The bridge across the Danube was completed in 1849 and remains one of the city’s most visible landmarks, although increased traffic means major work is required. It is the 14th time the Giro has started outside Italy, but the first time an eastern European city is to host. After the initial time trial, there would be two further stages in Hungary before the race switches back to Italy. The Giro begins on May 9.
CRICKET
India win World Cup opener
Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav yesterday bowled India to an upset 17-run win over defending champions Australia in the opening game of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup in Sydney. India were restricted to 132-4 off their 20 overs and a half-century from Australian opener Alyssa Healy appeared to have the hosts on track for victory. However, the dangerous Yadav took 4-19 to halt their momentum, with Australia all out for 115 with one ball to spare.
FOOTBALL
Owners approve new CBA
NFL owners on Thursday accepted the terms of a proposed new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), with the lone hurdle remaining being a vote of approval by the players. The NFL released a statement indicating that the owners have approved the negotiated terms of the deal. The current agreement was ratified in 2011 and is to expire following the 2020-2021 season. “Following more than 10 months of intensive and thorough negotiations, the NFL players and clubs have jointly developed a comprehensive set of new and revised terms that will transform the future of the game .... and ensure that the NFL’s second century is even better and more exciting for the fans,” the league said in a statement. If approved by the players, the new deal could reportedly go into effect in time for the new season, which begins on March 18.
RUGBY UNION
Crusaders crush Highlanders
Reigning champions Canterbury Crusaders yesterday celebrated 25 years in Super Rugby with a 33-13 demolition of the Highlanders in Christchurch, New Zealand. The 10-time title winners chose this week to celebrate the Southern Hemisphere competition’s silver jubilee, inviting more than 200 former players to a post-match function in their hometown. The current players turned on the style as their predecessors looked on, scoring five tries to two as they bossed the South Island derby. The Crusaders scored four first-half tries in front of an ecstatic home crowd, capitalizing on some woeful Highlanders defense. The visitors’ task was made more difficult when Shannon Frizzell was sin-binned early after the break for a tip-tackle on Braydon Ennor. The Highlanders lifted and were rewarded with a try to Jona Nareki, but Sione Havili put the result beyond doubt when he crossed the line with six minutes left on the clock.
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minutes sealed the team’s fate in the third round of qualifiers. While acknowledging that the defeat, Taiwan’s sixth in Group D, was disappointing, head coach Matt Ross said he saw reasons to stay positive about the team’s development. “There were lots of positive signs in terms of the
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also secured their places at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the Middle East, sealed their first appearance at the finals in 40 years and are to play in Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi
“I don’t remember the moment, but ever since I was a kid, that’s the first thing I loved,” two-time NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas said of his lifelong romance with basketball. However, that journey unfolded against the limitations of his size in a game where height often dictates opportunity — a reality he confronted throughout his career. At 175cm, Thomas is less than 2cm taller than the average Taiwanese adult male, while NBA players during his career stood at about 200cm on average. Compared with the NBA’s average career length of less than five years, Thomas’ 13-season career stands out as
Dakar and Rabat have longstanding ties, but relations have been strained since the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, which Senegal won in mid-January before being stripped of the title, which was transferred to Morocco. Now, the AFCON trophy is something of a thorn in the two countries’ sides. On Rue Mohamed V, the street where Moroccan vendors are based in the Senegalese capital, a police van is parked. “The police have been on high alert since the Confederation of African Football [CAF] decided to award the title to Morocco, but there have been no incidents,” a local resident said.
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