OLYMPICS
Rio stadium goes dark
The track and field stadium for this year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics was without power on Monday, with the city hall and Rio soccer club Botafogo blaming each other for unpaid utility bills. In a statement to The Associated Press, the city hall said Botafogo has been responsible for the utility bills since May last year. However, the club said that the city government owed it money to pay water and electricity bills. The Brazilian newspaper Globoesporte said the unpaid bills totaled 1 million reals (US$250,000). Brazil is in the middle of a deep recession, forcing cutbacks on Olympic organizers.
RUGBY SEVENS
Friend made Aussie coach
Former ACT Brumbies coach Andy Friend has been appointed coach of the Australia rugby sevens team and will guide the side to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The 46-year-old Friend, who has most recently been coaching Suntory Sungoliath in Japan’s Top League, takes over from interim coach Scott Bowen, who has led the side since Welshman Geraint Jones resigned unexpectedly in August. Friend, who has agreed a two-and-half-year contract, said Australia are “capable of beating any side in the world.”
RUGBY UNION
Mitchell to coach US team
Former New Zealand coach John Mitchell has been hired by the US to lead the national team into the 2020 World Cup. USA Rugby on Monday announced that Mitchell had signed a four-year contract with the Eagles. He replaces Mike Tolkin, who left the head coach’s position after the US lost all four pool stage games at the World Cup in England last year. “I see this as a wonderful opportunity to play a key part in inspiring, mentoring, creating confidence and stability in transforming USA Rugby into a strong, globally-competitive unit by the end of 2019,” Mitchell said. Mitchell, a no-nonsense disciplinarian, was All Blacks coach from 2001 to 2003 and England assistant coach from 1997 to 2000.
SOCCER
Rennes down Nice in Cup
Stade Rennais grabbed the final spot available in the round of 32 of the Coupe de France with a 7-6 victory on penalties over fellow first-division side OGC Nice in Nice, France, on Monday. The teams were tied at 2-2 after extra-time and Gelson Fernandes scored the winning penalty. After Alexandre Mendy gave Nice an early lead, Jeremie Boga equalized with eight minutes left at the end of an impressive team move. The visitors then took the lead through Benjamin Andre’s shot in the top corner in extra time, but Nice winger Hatem Ben Arfa put the teams level from the penalty spot. Rennes will play second-tier side Bourg-en-Bresse Peronnas in the next round, which will also feature four matches between Ligue 1 clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain against Toulouse.
TENNIS
Coric and Pavic advance
Croatian players Borna Coric and Ante Pavic each earned three-set wins over Spanish opponents on Monday to reach the second round of the Chennai Open. The eighth-seeded Coric defeated Marcel Granollers 7-6 (7/5), 2-6, 6-4, while Pavic beat Nicolas Almagro 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/1). Also, John Millman of Australia rallied for a 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) win over Evgeny Donskoy of Russia as all three matches on the opening day went to three sets. The 44th-ranked Coric made several forehand errors, but got his game together for his second win over Granollers.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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