BOXING
Aoh edges Italy’s Boschiero
Japan’s Takahiro Aoh defeated the previously unbeaten Devis Boschiero of Italy by a split points decision to successfully defend his WBC super featherweight title on Sunday in Tokyo. Two judges scored it 115-113 in favor of the defending champion, while one judge counted it 116-113 for the Italian. Boschiero tried to make it a brawl and fight at close range, as Aoh attempted to pick him off and targeted the feisty Italian’s stomach. It was the 27-year-old Aoh’s second defense since winning the title in November last year, stretching his record to 22 wins including 10 KOs, against two defeats and a draw. For Boschiero, 30, ranked eighth in the WBC, it was his first defeat after 29 wins, including 14 KOs and a draw. Third ranked Shinsuke Yamanaka of Japan defeated second ranked Christian Esquivel of Mexico by technical knockout 1 minute, 28 seconds into the 11th round to become the new WBC bantamweight champion.
Photo: Reuters
ICE HOCKEY
Blues send Payne packing
The St Louis Blues fired head coach Davis Payne after a slow start to the NHL season and replaced him with Ken Hitchcock, the team said on Sunday. Payne, the first coaching casualty of the young season, was relieved of his duties after leading St Louis to a 6-7 record that left them 13th in the 15-team Western Conference. The Blues failed to make the playoffs since he took over as coach during the 2009-2010 season. Hitchcock, who was coach of the Dallas Stars when they won a Stanley Cup in 1999 and an assistant with Canada when they won gold medals at the 2002 and last year’s Olympics, agreed to a contract through the 2012-2013 season. The 59-year-old last coached in the NHL for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2009-2010 season and has coached more than 1,000 games with Dallas, Philadelphia and Columbus.
TENNIS
Del Potro pulls out of Paris
Juan Martin del Potro’s hopes of making the ATP Tour finals are over after the Argentine announced on Sunday he was pulling out of this week’s Paris Masters. “I felt pain in my right shoulder in Valencia and it hurt more and more as matches went on,” the injury-prone Del Potro said in a statement released by Paris organizers. “I must now think about rest.” The Tour finals in London between Nov. 20 and Nov. 27 bring together the eight best players in the world. Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and David Ferrer have qualified with the Paris Masters a last chance for others to join them.
SKIING
Vonn attends school dance
Superstar US skier Lindsey Vonn never got a chance to go to her high-school homecoming dance, so she could not resist saying yes to a second chance. During a visit to a Vail skiing academy on Friday, one of the students worked up the courage to ask Vonn to go with him to the homecoming dance that night and she gladly accepted. Vonn’s 15-year-old fan, Parker McDonald, got the thrill of his young life when she agreed to the impromptu date. “Growing up I never got the chance to go to a school dance so I am excited,” said Vonn, who posted pictures of the two together at the dance on her social networking Facebook site.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
VALUABLE POINT: Relegation-threatened Valencia snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw at CA Osasuna thanks to a remarkable backheel volley by Umar Sadiq Barcelona on Sunday secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Real Sociedad to move back top of La Liga. Aritz Elustondo’s early red card gave Hansi Flick’s side a comfortable afternoon, with Gerard Martin, Marc Casado, Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski on the score sheet. Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday to temporarily knock the Catalans from their perch, while Real Madrid, third, lost at Real Betis Balompie. Flick was able to rotate his side a little ahead of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 visit to face SL Benfica tomorrow and still move one point above Atletico. “There were a lot of things that
Former Australian motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer Ryan Peake, who served a lengthy jail term for assault, yesterday produced a “life-changing” maiden win to qualify for The Open Championship. Peake held his nerve for a one-stroke victory at the New Zealand Open, earning him a berth at the major in Portrush, Northern Ireland, in July, pending clearance to travel as a convicted criminal. The 31-year-old from Perth celebrated animatedly and was showered with champagne by friends on the 18th green of the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown after a redemption story rarely seen in the refined sport of golf. Peake held back tears as he
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