■ BOXING.
Thai boxer challenges Sosa
Thai boxer Noknoi Kratingdaenggym will challenge World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight champion Edgar Sosa of Mexico in June, his promoters said yesterday in Bangkok. The 22-year-old Noknoi, who holds the WBC light flyweight youth title, will take part in his first senior title challenge fight against Sosa on June 7 at the Arena Mexico in Mexico City. Petchyindee Boxing Promotion chairman Virat Vachirarattanawong said it will be a good opportunity for the Thai boxer, who will face a tough opponent in the current titleholder. “Noknoi is ready to challenge the title — it is not easy to beat Sosa but we are ready,” he said in a statement.
■ FIELD HOCKEY
Antilles surprise India
India’s hopes of qualifying for the women’s field hockey tournament at the Beijing Olympics suffered a setback in a surprise 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands Antilles in Kazan, Russia, on Sunday. The result means that Netherlands Antilles now have two wins from their first two matches, keeping them on track for a possible appearance in Sunday’s Olympic qualifier final. India need to win their last three group matches to be sure of a final birth. The Caribbean side took the lead after an India penalty corner broke down. Netherlands Antilles stormed forward with Clair Visser scoring in the bottom corner. India levelled in the second half through the impressive Rani Devi who picked the ball up on the left and fired the ball across the goalkeeper into the far corner.
■ BADMINTON
Jonassen wins men’s final
Kenneth Jonassen won an all-Danish men’s final and Xu Huaiwen of Germany captured the women’s singles title at the European Badminton Championships in Herning, Denmark, on Sunday. The top-seeded Jonassen beat Joachim Persson 21-13, 21-16 for his first European singles title. Jonassen set the early pace and was in control of the final from the start. Xu came from one set down to beat Tine Rasmussen of Denmark 12-21, 21-12, 21-17 for her second straight women’s championship.
■ CYCLING
Cunego wins Amstel Gold
Italy’s Damiano Cunego of Lampre took over the lead in the ProTour competition on Sunday after winning the Amstel Gold Race in Maastricht, Netherlands. He beat Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck and Alejandro Valverde of Spain in an uphill sprint at the end of the 257.4km race. Cunego got 40 points for his win after scoring 33 in the recent Tour of the Basque Country stage race and leads the individual ProTour standings with 73 points. Early ProTour leader Andrei Grepiel of Germany did not ride the Amstel Gold Race and slipped to second with 62 points. Tour of the Basque Country winner Alberto Contador is third with 58 points.
■ RUGBY
Louden to leave Australia
NSW Waratahs’ attack coach Todd Louden will leave Australia after this year’s Super 14 season to become head coach of Japanese club Ricoh, reports said in Sydney, Australia, yesterday. In signing with the Tokyo side for almost US$552,000 a year over two seasons, Louden has knocked back a lucrative offer from an English club, and opted against applying for the Waratahs’ head coach job, The Sydney Morning Herald said. Louden was touted as a favorite for the Waratahs’ position, to be vacated at the end of the Super 14 series next month by Ewen McKenzie, whose contract will not be renewed.
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback,” saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tie-breaker, but won six straight points to reach her eighth semi-final of the season. “Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.” “I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down
The Canterbury Crusaders edged the Waikato Chiefs 16-12 in an intense Super Rugby Pacific final battle in Christchurch yesterday to claim their 15th title in 30 years of the Southern Hemisphere competition. Hooker Codie Taylor scored a try and Rivez Reihana contributed 11 points from the kicking tee as the most dominant team in Super Rugby history extended their perfect home playoff record to 32 successive matches since 1998. The Chiefs, who were looking for a first title since 2013, scored first-half tries through George Dyer and Shaun Stevenson, but were unable to register a point after the break and fell to
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