CRICKET
Windies coach Gibson quits
Ottis Gibson has quit as West Indies coach and will be replaced by Richie Richardson on an interim basis for the home series against Bangladesh, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said. “Today, the West Indies Cricket Board and Mr Ottis Gibson mutually agreed to terminate their association with immediate effect,” the WICB said in a statement. Former captain Richardson, currently the team manager, will take the reins against Bangladesh, with the first one-day international match due to take place yesterday in Grenada. The move follows changes to the national selection panel earlier this month, with former captain Clive Lloyd taking over. Clyde Butts, the previous chairman of the selection panel, and Robert Haynes made way for the new panel members, who also included former fast bowlers Eldine Baptiste and Courtney Walsh. Gibson took over the West Indies coaching job in 2010 after quitting as England’s bowling coach. Despite guiding the team to a maiden World Twenty20 trophy in 2012, they continue to toil in Tests.
TENNIS
Argentina’s Jaite steps down
Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro’s boycott of the Davis Cup team could be at an end after captain Martin Jaite announced on Tuesday he would be stepping down after their playoff with Israel next month. Del Potro, who is presently recovering from wrist surgery and will not be able to try and regain the US Open title he won in 2009, has not played in the Davis Cup for the past two seasons after a falling out. Jaite, who reached a career high No. 10 in the world in 1990, said that he had never intended to stay on past this year. “My objective was to see out my contract,” said the 49-year-old, who has been in charge for three years and guided Argentina to the semi-finals last year.
SOCCER
FIFA to host ethics forum
FIFA is to host a conference on ethical sports leadership organized by the Brussels-based World Forum for Ethics in Business. FIFA president Sepp Blatter is due to open the Sept. 19 meeting which aims to “elaborate on what business and politics can learn from sports.” Taking part are FIFA ethics committee chairmen Michael Garcia and Joachim Eckert, who have investigated widespread allegations of corruption implicating soccer officials and World Cup bidders. Sports stars scheduled to attend include India cricket great Sachin Tendulkar and two-time Olympic figure skating champion Katarina Witt of Germany, the organizers said. Speakers include Transparency International sports adviser Sylvia Schenk and international criminal prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo of Argentina.
CRICKET
Shastri to ‘oversee’ India
India’s cricket chiefs on Tuesday effectively sidelined head coach Duncan Fletcher for the one-day international series against England following their 3-1 defeat in the Test series, placing former all-rounder Ravi Shastri in charge. Shastri, in England as a TV commentator, has been asked to “oversee” the squad for the five-match series as part of a shakeup in which the bowling and fielding coaches have also been ordered to stand aside. “The BCCI [Board of Control for Cricket in India] has decided to avail the services of former India captain Ravi Shastri to oversee and guide the team for the one-day matches against England,” a statement said. “Duncan Fletcher will continue as head coach, while Shastri will be the overall in-charge of cricket affairs of the Indian team.”
Doping fears prevented former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from treating insect bites on the eve of the Australian Open, she said, with players increasingly wary about ingesting contaminated substances. The British player was speaking in the wake of high-profile doping cases involving Iga Swiatak and Jannik Sinner. “I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” the 22-year-old said, recalling an incident on Friday. “I got really badly bitten by, I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she added. The bites “flared up and swelled up really a
The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with several massive wildfires burning across the greater Los Angeles area. The Kings and Flames were scheduled to play on Wednesday night at the Kings’ downtown arena. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers were scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena last night. “Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the Kings said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard working first responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league’s support in keeping our
TWO IN A WEEK: Despite an undefeated start to the year playing alongside Jiang Xinyu of China, Wu Fang-hsien is to play the Australian Open with a Russian partner Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien yesterday triumphed at the Hobart International, winning the women’s doubles title at the US$275,094 outdoor hard-court tournament, while McCartney Kessler lifted the trophy in the women’s singles. Fourth-ranked Wu and partner Jiang Xinyu of China took 1 hour, 15 minutes to defeat Romania’s Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) at the Hobart International Tennis Centre, their second title in a week. Wu and Jiang on Sunday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, beating Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US. Their winning ways continued in Australia as they stretched
EL CLASSICO: La Liga champions Real Madrid would face Barcelona in the Super Cup final tomorrow. Barca secured their final spot after a 2-0 win over Bilbao on Wednesday Real Madrid would chase a record-equaling 14th Spanish Super Cup title in the final against Barcelona after second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped them to a 3-0 win over Mallorca in the semi-finals on Thursday. England midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock after the hour mark with a low shot into the middle of the goal before Mallorca defender Martin Valjent’s own goal doubled the lead in stoppage time followed by a Rodrygo strike from close range. Spanish champions Real are to play Barcelona for the trophy tomorrow after goals by Gavi and Lamine Yamal earned Barca a 2-0 win over
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