■FIELD HOCKEY
Kiwis qualify for World Cup
The New Zealand men’s hockey team capped a successful weekend for the South Pacific nation yesterday when they joined their soccer counterparts as World Cup qualifiers. New Zealand booked their ticket to February’s hockey World Cup tournament in India when they came from behind to beat Malaysia 2-1 in the final of the qualifying tournament in the southern New Zealand city of Invercargill. Malaysia took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute when Razie Abd Rahim found the net from a penalty corner. It was the first time in the tournament New Zealand had trailed and it took until late in the second half before they were able to draw level and then take the lead. The tournament’s top scorer Andy Hayward provided both goals with drag flicks from penalty corners, the first in the 57th minute and again three minutes later. New Zealand coach Shane McLeod said his squad had watched and been inspired by the soccer win. “All sports get motivated by the success of others, I think it assisted us with our campaign,” he said.
■RUGBY LEAGUE
England coach resigns
England coach Tony Smith announced yesterday he was standing down with immediate effect. The decision came after Saturday’s Four Nations final defeat to Australia in Leeds. But the Australian-born coach said the crushing 46-16 defeat had no bearing on his decision. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’m stepping down ... even if we had won last night I’d still have stepped down.” He said he made the decision largely for family reasons but will help the Rugby Football League find a successor. “I have greatly enjoyed my time as national coach and wish the team all the best in the future,” Smith said.
■CRICKET
Sri Lanka receive boost
Sri Lanka’s hopes of winning their first ever Test on Indian soil were given a huge lift yesterday when Tillakaratne Dilshan was declared fit to play after an ankle injury. The dashing batsman twisted an ankle in Mumbai last week and was not available for the three-day tour opener against the Indian board president’s XI. But Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said Dilshan was certain to take his place at the top of the order in the first match of the three-Test series starting today. “Dilshan is fully fit and will play,” Sangakkara told reporters. “He went well at practice today and looked in good touch.” Dilshan has enjoyed a successful run over the past 12 months, scoring 910 runs in nine Tests at an average of 65.00 with a best of 162 against Bangladesh. Sri Lanka are brimming with confidence after back-to-back series wins at home against Pakistan and New Zealand, which lifted them to the No. 2 spot in the Test rankings behind South Africa.
■VOLLEYBALL
Italy beat Japan to win Cup
European champions Italy captured their first World Grand Champions Cup women’s volleyball tournament when they defeated Japan to complete a clean sweep yesterday. With a 32-30, 25-22, 24-26, 25-18 win, Italy ended the six-team round robin competition with five straight wins against no defeats, beating defending champions Brazil into second place. The Brazilians, who also finished runners-up to Italy in the 2007 World Cup, outgunned Asian champions Thailand 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 earlier in the day for a 4-1 win-loss record. The Dominican Republic, the winners over South Korea 25-17, 25-18, 25-22, were third with a 3-2 record, followed by Japan with 2-3, South Korea with 1-4 and Thailand with 0-5.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
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