■ Hong Kong
Excitement killing Chinese
At least six people have dropped dead of excitement or stress after watching late-night World Cup matches in China, a news report said yesterday. One 43-year-old woman with a history of high blood pressure reportedly dropped dead in Zhejiang Province after becoming highly excited during the South Korea versus Togo clash last Wednesday morning. Other soccer-related deaths have been reported in Changsha, Zhuhai and Wenzhou, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
■ Fans
Police investigate fan beating
Police said they are investigating whether five officers used excessive force on a man whom they allegedly hit and kicked at the German capital's World Cup fan center. The officers hit the man in the face early on Sunday and kicked him in the stomach before leaving him, according to a police report. The 21-year-old was treated for stomach pain before being released from the hospital. "The force was extreme, which is why they are under investigation," police spokesman Michael Merkle said. The man, whom police would not identify, was reportedly drunk and refused to leave Berlin's Fan Mile, where hundreds of thousands have gathered to watch World Cup games on big screens. He then cursed the officers, witnesses told police.
■ Bangladesh
Politicians to break for Cup
The speaker of the parliament may cut sessions short so that soccer-crazy politicians can follow the World Cup on television. "I shall consider [the proposal] so that members can watch the World Cup matches," acting speaker Akhtar Hamid Siddiki told the house while presiding over a session on Sunday night. The acting speaker had been responding to a plea by a treasury bench member who said most of his colleagues in parliament were eager to see matches of their favorite teams. Brazil was playing Australia in Germany when parliament was in session on Sunday.
■ Team news
It's up to Jurgen, says DFB
Whether Jurgen Klinsmann stays on as German coach after the World Cup is down to him alone, the German Football Federation (DFB) said on Sunday. "An extension of his contract just depends on him," said DFB co-chairman Theo Zwanziger. "If we go out of the tournament to a big opponent in the second round it won't throw everything into doubt. But I know that Klinsmann's criteria [for staying] are higher than my own," Zwanziger admitted. Klinsmann is looking for at least a place in the last eight, which is what 1990 winning coach Franz Beckenbauer has also defined as the minimum target.
■ Player Awards
Arabs can receive awards
Saudi Arabia players will accept being named man of the match after their soccer federation secured a pledge from FIFA not to mention the sponsor of the award, US beer maker Anheuser-Busch. "If any Saudi player is named player of the match, he'll accept that title, as long as the sponsor of the award is not mentioned and the award is not given to the player," said Abdullah al-Dabal, a senior Saudi soccer federation official.
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Belgian partner Elise Mertens on Monday notched up their first win in the doubles group stage of the WTA Finals in Riyadh to keep their semi-final hopes alive, while Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russian partner Veronika Kudermetova were aiming to record their first victory after press time last night. Third seeds Hsieh and Mertens came back from a disheartening opening-day loss to Australia’s Ellen Perez and Nicole Melichar-Martinez to defeat top seeds Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok and Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, the women’s doubles world No. 3 and 4 respectively. The 6-1, 6-3 victory at King Saud University Indoor Arena
Taiwan’s top table tennis player Lin Yun-ju made his debut in the US professional table tennis scene by taking on a new role as a team’s co-owner. On Wednesday, Major League Table Tennis (MLTT), founded in September last year, announced on its official Web site that Lin had become part of the ownership group of the Princeton Revolution, one of the league’s eight teams. MLTT chief executive officer Flint Lane described Lin’s investment as “another great milestone for table tennis in America,” saying that the league’s “commitment to growth and innovation is drawing attention from the best in the sport, and we’re
Coco Gauff of the US on Friday defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to set up a showdown with Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the final of the WTA Finals, while in the doubles, Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching was eliminated. Gauff generated six break points to Belarusian Sabalenka’s four and built on early momentum in the opening set’s tiebreak that she carried through to the second set. She is the youngest player at 20 to make the final at the WTA Finals since Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki in 2010. Zheng earlier defeated Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 7-5 to book
Atalanta BC brought Serie A leaders SSC Napoli down to earth with a bump with a 3-0 victory on Sunday as Ademola Lookman grabbed two goals. Napoli were hoping to open up a substantial lead at the top before, but Atalanta stunned the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium as they decisively ended the home side’s unbeaten run that stretched back to Aug. 18. Inter then closed the gap with a 1-0 victory over Venezia to end the weekend just a point behind Napoli. Lookman pounced first in the 10th minute when Marten de Roon’s header fell for the London-born Nigerian international