SOCCER
Lee spot-kick rescues point
Taiwan captain Lee Meng-chian scored a penalty 10 minutes from time against hosts Myanmar to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw in Group A of AFC Challenge Cup qualifying on Monday. With group favorites India making it two wins out of two with a 4-0 win over Guam in the earlier match, the pressure was on the hosts and they looked to be heading for the win they needed when forward Soe Kyaw Kyaw found the back of the net in the 18th minute. However, in the 80th minute the referee awarded Taiwan a penalty, which was successfully converted by Lee to earn Taiwan their first point of the tournament being held at the Yangon Youth Training Center. Taiwan face Guam today in their final group match.
CRICKET
India crush Australia
India won the second Test against Australia in Hyderabad yesterday by an innings and 135 runs, with Ravichandran Ashwin taking 5-53 as Australia were bowled out for 131 in their second innings. “India deserve a lot of credit,” Australia captain Michael Clarke said. “They outplayed us in every facet of the game. There is no doubt we have a lot of work to do. In all facets of the game. There will certainly be no stone left unturned. The batsmen haven’t put enough runs on, and there is no excuse for that. There will be no break between the Test matches. There will be a lot of hard work, I can assure you. You don’t get better sitting on the couch. We have had guys get in and out without making big scores. That’s unacceptable.” The third Test starts on Thursday next week.
BASKETBALL
Lin to play in Philippines
Taiwanese-American NBA star Jeremy Lin and the Houston Rockets are set to face the Indiana Pacers in a pre-season game in the Philippines in October, according to a report on Monday. Neither club nor the NBA has commented on the report, but NBA Philippines Facebook and Twitter accounts have posted messages with the league logo and the phrase “Big Things Are Coming,” with an announcement date of yesterday. The same logo is also found on the Web site of the Mall of Asia arena, where InterAKTV reported the first-ever NBA pre-season exhibition game will match the Rockets and Pacers on Oct. 10. Basketball is popular in the Philippines and Filipino fans have had a taste of NBA talent as recently as 2011 when Kobe Bryant and other top players were there while the league was shut down in a money dispute between players and club owners. No NBA club has played in the Philippines since the Washington Bullets toured Asia in 1979.
TRIATHLON
Alcatraz competitor dies
For the first time in its 33-year history, a participant in the world-renowned “Escape from Alcatraz” triathlon has died. The death of Ross Ehlinger, 46, on Sunday during the swimming portion of the event — held in a frigid San Francisco Bay amid 1.8m swells and a powerful outgoing tide — raised questions about what effect the tough conditions had. This year’s event was held on Sunday rather than in June to accommodate the America’s Cup sailing race. The answer appears to be that the father of three from Austin, Texas, may have had an underlying health problem exposed in an especially grueling triathlon. The San Francisco medical examiner is still investigating the cause of death, but race organizers and a heart surgeon who participated in the race speculated that the attorney succumbed to an underlying health problem, rather than being a victim exclusively of the conditions or drowning.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
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