RUGBY UNION
Strawbridge conscious
Waikato Chiefs assistant coach Andrew Strawbridge has woken up and is communicating with his family, but remains in a serious condition in hospital, the Super Rugby team said yesterday. Strawbridge, who is also a technical advisor to the Samoa national rugby team, was admitted to an Apia hospital last week with an infection in his right eye after taking ill on a flight from New Zealand before his condition “deteriorated rapidly.” He arrived back in New Zealand in an air ambulance on Friday last week and was taken to Waikato Hospital in Hamilton, where he had been listed as being in a critical, but stable condition since his arrival. “Andrew Strawbridge is awake and in a serious, stable condition in the Waikato Hospital Intensive Care Unit,” the Chiefs said in a statement. “Despite not being out of the woods yet, Strawbridge has been talking to medical staff and to his wife Laura and sister Susan.” The Chiefs said he had asked his wife to convey his thanks to medical staff in Samoa. The Samoan national side had also sent him a video message from the US, where they are preparing for the Pacific Nations Cup. The 50-year-old Strawbridge had flown to Samoa to help the team prepare to host New Zealand in a one-off test in Apia on Wednesday last week, which the All Blacks won 25-16.
CRICKET
Graft deters JSW entry
India’s JSW Group, a US$11 billion conglomerate with interests ranging from steel to power, is shelving plans to buy a cricket team in the highly profitable Indian Premier League, blaming the “negative aura” of the corruption-hit competition. Some of India’s biggest corporate names are investors in teams competing in what is the world’s most lucrative cricket league — including Reliance Industries, builder GMR Infrastructure, and United Spirits, owned by British beverages group Diageo PLC. Local media had reported that JSW, controlled by billionaire Sajjan Jindal, was in talks with Diageo to buy United Spirits’ stake in Royal Challengers Bangalore in a US$100 million deal. The holding is a relic of the time United Spirits was run by flamboyant liquor baron Vijay Mallya. “I think it’s a no at this point of time, purely based on the whole negative aura that has been generated,” said Parth Jindal, son of Sajjan Jindal and the family member who oversees the conglomerate’s sports interests. “We don’t want our brand to be associated with a league that is so tainted at the moment.”
OLYMPICS
Tokyo stadium costs US$2bn
When the dust settles on the marquee venue for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, it could well be the most expensive sports stadium in the world. The latest cost estimate of ￥252 billion (US$2 billion) would push it beyond the current record-holder, the US$1.6 billion MetLife stadium completed in 2010 for the New York Jets and Giants football teams. What is the money buying? The design of the stadium’s ribbed roof on huge steel arches resembles a bicycle helmet. To support a natural grass field, the roof’s southern end will be translucent to let in sunlight and underground will be soil ventilation and temperature control systems. Movable seats will bring the crowd closer for more intimate events, and this being Japan, the stadium will have earthquake-resistant features. Japan’s new National Stadium will likely to be the most expensive ever built, two sports economists said. The latest estimate was a 55 percent increase over an earlier one of ￥163 billion.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
RSS