■ Speedskating
Tuitert, Friesinger win
Mark Tuitert of the Netherlands and Anni Friesinger of Germany each won their 500m races Friday at the European Speedskating Champion-ships in Heerenveen, Netherlands. Tuitert finished the men's race in 36.08 seconds, ahead of two-time Olympic champion Jochem Uytdehaage of the Netherlands at 36:40. Jan Friesinger of Germany was third at 36.43. In the 5,000m, Eskil Ervik of Norway beat Carl Verheijen of the Netherlands by nearly a second, finishing first in 6:23.40. Sven Kramer of the Netherlands, an 18-year-old newcomer, finished third while setting a youth world record in 6:24.29. In the women's 500, Friesinger won in 39.36, .34 seconds ahead of countrywoman Daniela Anschutz. Nicola Meyer of Italy was third at 39.95. The men will race the 1,500m, while the women compete in the 1,500m and 3,000m today.
■ Baseball
MLB to give US$1 million
Major League Baseball's 30 teams and the players' association will combine to donate US$1 million to tsunami relief efforts. In addition, the New York Yankees will donate US$1 million from the proceeds of their season opener against the Boston Red Sox on April 3. "As a social institution, major league baseball has a responsibility to help those in our communities and, in this case, the global community," commissioner Bud Selig said. "The horrific tsunami that devastated large areas of South Asia took an enormous human toll that is incomprehen-sible to those of us who watched the aftermath from the comfort of our homes. We hope that this contribution will be of help to those in need as they go about the difficult work of rebuilding their lives and communities," union head Donald Fehr said.
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
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli yesterday vowed to “keep raising the bar” after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings. The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China, and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell. Mercedes are struggling to
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
Teng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. He pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as Houston scored 11 runs during his outing to snatch an 11-9 comeback victory. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. “It’s my first time pitching for the Astros, so
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