GYMNASTICS
Japan overturn China’s run
Kohei Uchimura’s Japan finally toppled China at the world gymnastics championship, but Britain warned they were ready to challenge for Olympic gold after taking men’s team silver. The Japanese scored 270.818 points to take gold after four consecutive silver medals as Britain won their first world men’s team medal with 270.345 and China bronze with 269.959. It ended Olympic champions China’s 12-year domination of the world team event in which they had won six straight titles. The much-hyped clash between the Asian giants failed to ignite Glasgow’s Hydro Arena, with Japan leading out-of-sorts China all the way despite a fall by Uchimura and two by Yusuke Tanaka. Britain showed that they are ready to challenge for Olympic gold after their historic bronze in London 2012 behind China and Japan. “This has definitely thrown a spanner in the works being so close to Rio [de Janeiro],” Britain’s Louis Smith said.
CRICKET
Afghanistan win T20 series
Afghanistan clinched a 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe in their two-match Twenty20 series on Wednesday and dedicated their win to people affected by this week’s earthquake, which rocked their nation and Pakistan. Four days after becoming the first non-Test side to beat a Test-playing nation in a one-day 50-over series, Afghanistan hammered home their superiority with a five-wicket win. They won the first Twenty20 clash at the same Queen’s Sports Club venue by six wickets on Monday. “Our win is dedicated to all quake-smitten people of Afghanistan’s major earthquake,” tweeted Mohammad Nabi, the team’s leading all-rounder in reference to Monday’s magnitude 7.5 quake, which left almost 400 people dead and thousands homeless.
SOCCER
Bologna hire Donadoni
Former Italy coach Roberto Donadoni on Wednesday was named as Bologna’s new manager to succeed Delio Rossi, who was sacked by the Serie A strugglers earlier in the day. Donadoni, 52, penned a two-year deal with Bologna, who are third from bottom with only six points from 10 games after losing 1-0 to Inter on Tuesday. Donadoni won the Champions League three times as a player with AC Milan and has already coached SSC Napoli and Parma in the top flight as well as taking charge of Italy from 2006 to 2008. Rossi was the second top-flight coach to be sacked this season after Fabrizio Castori, who had been in charge of rock-bottom Carpi.
SOCCER
Mascherano banned for two
Barcelona will be able to call on Javier Mascherano for next month’s clash with Real Madrid after the Argentine received just a two-game ban for the red card against Sociedad Deportiva Eibar, the club said on Wednesday. Mascherano was sent off seven minutes from time in Barca’s 3-1 win over the Basque minnows on Sunday by referee Carlos del Cerro Grande for a comment regarding the official’s mother, according to the referee’s report. The former Liverpool man will be absent for tomorrow’s visit to Getafe and a home match against Villarreal on Nov. 8. Mascherano could have been banned for at least four games had the comment been deemed as a grave insult, which would have meant him missing the trip to Madrid on Nov. 21. Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said the club would not appeal the decision, despite vice president Jordi Mestre claiming earlier in the week it was a “moral and legal obligation” to defend their player.
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
‘HIGH STANDARD’: The Thunder are on track for a Finals-Cup double after they scored 22 three-pointers in equaling the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday bagged a 16th straight victory, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to romp into an NBA Cup semi-final clash with the San Antonio Spurs, who stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to lead the reigning NBA champions Thunder, who improved to 24-1 to equal the best 25-game start to a season in league history. They dominated from start to finish to book their place in the final four of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas, where they are tomorrow to take on the Spurs. The New York Knicks and
TOP OF THE TABLE: Evann Guessand put the visitors ahead early in the game and Flavius Daniliuc equalized before Youri Tielemans got the winner in the second half Aston Villa on Thursday extended their winning streak to eight games in all competitions with a 2-1 victory against Basel in the UEFA Europa League to secure at least a playoff spot. Villa were tied with Olympique Lyonnais, who beat Go Ahead Eagles 2-1, and Midtjylland, 1-0 winners over Genk, atop the standings of the second-tier European competition on 15 points with five wins from six games. They have bounced back from a poor start to the season and are third in the Premier League, including a 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal on Saturday. At St Jakob-Park in Basel, summer signing Evann Guessand
Tony Jefferson intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass in overtime to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 22-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday in an NFL thriller between playoff contenders. Justin Herbert, playing a week after surgery on his broken left (non-throwing) hand, withstood a career-high seven sacks to throw for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals, including the 54-yard game winner in overtime. The Chargers defenders forced Hurts to throw four interceptions and surrender a fumble for a career-worst five turnovers as the Eagles fell to 8-5 with a third
RSS