RUGBY SEVENS
Taiwan demolished
Taiwan’s Sevens rugby team were demolished in pool play at the Malaysia leg of the Asian Sevens series yesterday, which made for grim prospects at future events, including the Asian Games later this month. Taiwan were shut out 33-0 in their opening game against Singapore, during which they played with six for a period due to a sin-binning, and Japan put them last in the three-team group with a 40-0 hiding. Taiwan are to play the last-place team from Pool A, the Philippines, at 1:28pm today in a Bowl semi-final. The series began in Hong Kong, where Taiwan did not play, and is to have its third leg in China next month, after a tournament as part of the Asian Games, which are to begin on Sept. 19 in Incheon, South Korea.
BOXING
Brook in stable condition
IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook is in a stable condition in hospital after being stabbed in the leg while on holiday in Tenerife on Thursday. England’s Brook, who beat American Shawn Porter on points last month to claim the title, is recovering after an alleged altercation at an apartment complex. He will remain in hospital before returning to his hometown Sheffield tomorrow to begin his rehabilitation. “I was out enjoying a night out before returning home to the UK when I was the victim of an unprovoked attack,” the 28-year-old said in a statement on Friday. His promoter Eddie Hearn had scheduled a homecoming fight against an unnamed opponent on Dec. 6, but said it would be unrealistic to expect Brook, who is unbeaten in 33 professional bouts, to get in the ring.
CYCLING
Navarro wins stage 13
Daniel Navarro of Spain surged forward and hung on to win the 13th stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Friday, while countryman Alberto Contador kept the overall leader’s red jersey. Navarro finished the 189km mountainous ride from Belorado to Obregon two seconds ahead of Daniel Moreno and Wilco Kelderman. Contador fended off several charges by Alejandro Valverde to retain a 20-second overall lead. Rigoberto Uran remained in third, 1:08 behind, and Chris Froome was still 1:20 behind in fourth.
CRICKET
Windies lead first Test
Opener Kraigg Braithwaite’s confident unbeaten 123 led West Indies to 264 for three at the close on the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Kingstown, St Vincent, on Friday. Barbadian Brathwaite shared a commanding 116-run opening partnership with Chris Gayle as the home side made a strong start at Arnos Vale to the two-Test series. Gayle, who has become one of Twenty20 cricket’s leading global players, switched into long-form mode with a patient 64 from 105 balls. The West Indies opening pair looked comfortable against Bangladesh seamers Al-Amin Hossain and Rubel Hossain, reaching 103 without loss by lunch, but the tourists’ spinners slowed them in the afternoon session.
GOLF
Ramsay leads Masters
Richie Ramsay shot a four-under 66 on Friday to lead Ryder Cup rookie Jamie Donaldson by one stroke in the second round of the European Masters in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. The 2012 champion from Scotland had a 12-under total of 128 after starting in morning rain on the 6,848-yard Severiano Ballesteros course in the Swiss Alps. Donaldson had seven birdies and a bogey in his afternoon 64, putting him in good position to follow up his win at the Czech Masters two weeks ago.
BOUNCE BACK: Curry scored 46 points in the Warriors’ victory over the Spurs, after ‘everybody stepped up’ following Tuesday’s blowout loss to Oklahoma City Nikola Jokic scoring 50 or more points had never been enough for the Denver Nuggets to win — until now. Jokic on Wednesday night tied the highest-scoring performance in the NBA this season with 55 points, as the Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 130-116 for their sixth straight victory. The Nuggets were 0-4 in his previous 50-point outbursts. “It’s a good feeling,” the three-time NBA Most Valuable Player said. He equaled Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 55 in a double-overtime game at the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 23. Jokic has been on a roll during Denver’s winning streak. He is the
The tri-nation Twenty20 international series featuring hosts Pakistan, as well as Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, is to be played entirely in Rawalpindi from Tuesday next week, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said yesterday, after this week’s suicide bombing in the capital, Islamabad. The change came after at least eight Sri Lankan players asked to leave over security fears following Tuesday’s bombing that killed 12 people and wounded 27. Their country’s cricket board issued a stern directive to the team to stay put or face consequences. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said the decision to stay was taken after “close consultations” with hosts Pakistan who
France’s Kevin Aymoz snatched the men’s title at Skate America on Saturday, winning his first grand prix title with a battling free skate, while short program leader Kazuki Tomono faltered. It was an emotional triumph for Aymoz, who made his grand prix level debut in 2017, with seven prior podium finishes, but no gold. He had struggled with a painful foot injury since a disappointing 10th-place finish at Skate Canada last month. “It was so difficult,” the 28-year-old said. “After Skate Canada I wanted to give up so much and today I’m here and it’s so beautiful to be with my friends competing
Australian restaurant chain Grill’d has made a cheeky apology for putting a “curse” on Oscar Piastri’s Formula One title hopes with their offer of a free burger for every time the McLaren driver gets on the podium. The Melbourne native has not finished in the top three since the promotion relaunched five races ago, losing the championship lead to teammate Lando Norris and now 24 points behind. Online conspiracy theorists have been quick to put two and two together. The chain’s Piastri 81 Burger debuted ahead of the Australian Grand Prix in March, with his endorsement, and was relaunched in September after he
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