BASEBALL
Taiwan knocked out of LLWS
Pan Yi-an scattered nine hits over five innings and added a solo homer in the sixth to lead Langley, British Columbia, to a 5-3 win on Monday over Greater Kaoshiung to advance at the Little League World Series (LLWS) in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Langley became the first Canadian team to defeat a team from Taiwan in the World Series after 16 straight losses. With the game tied, Connor McCreath scored the go-ahead run in the fourth after singling. McCreath was sacrificed to second and later came around to score on an error. Taiwan had two chances to tie late, but had a runner called out in the fourth for sliding head first into home, which is against Little League rules. Pan tagged a runner out at home to end the bottom of the fifth.
GOLF
Holmes prepares for surgery
J.B. Holmes has withdrawn from The Barclays as he prepares to have brain surgery. Holmes has been diagnosed with structural defects in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance. He has been dealing with vertigo-like symptoms since May and has gone to several specialists. Doctors discovered last week he has Chiari malformations. Holmes is to have the operation on Thursday next week at the Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He said brain surgery sounds scary, but it’s a low-risk procedure and he should be able to return to competition about three months after the surgery.
ATHLETICS
Gabriel named IAAF chief
Experienced administrator Essar Gabriel has been named the new general secretary of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), replacing the retiring Pierre Weiss, the governing body said yesterday. Gabriel is a former director-general of the organizing committee for the 2003 Paris World Championships and was responsible for organizing the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last year.
GOLF
Victorian Open to be joint
In what organizers are claiming to be a first for Australian professional golf, the men’s and women’s Victorian Open championships will be jointly played next year with both titles culminating at the same course and with equal prize money on Jan. 8. The men’s state championship will be played over 72 holes from Jan. 5 and the women’s tournament will be over 54 holes from Jan. 8. Cuts will be made ahead of the weekend, with the final two rounds of each tournament being held be at the Spring Valley course. A seeded draw will apply for the final day, with men’s and women’s groups alternately commencing rounds so that the leading group of men and the leading group of women will be last to start play from the first tee.
SOCCER
Colombia coach resigns
Colombian soccer officials have started their search for a new national coach after the resignation of Hernan Dario Gomez, who acknowledged he struck a woman in a bar. Gomez announced his resignation two weeks ago following the incident, but said late on Sunday he would leave despite suggestions the Colombia federation might not accept his departure. The Colombians Football Federation said on Monday it had started to search for a replacement ahead of South American qualifying for the World Cup starting in the next few months. Several possible replacements have been reported, including Gerardo Martino, who resigned recently after leading Paraguay to last year’s World Cup.
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38