SOCCER
West Ham win in new home
The first Premier League game staged at the centerpiece stadium of the London Olympics in 2012 served up some late drama on Sunday, with new tenants West Ham United scoring in the 85th minute to earn a 1-0 win over 10-man Bournemouth. Bournemouth were left a man short after Harry Arter was sent off in the 77th, and West Ham took advantage when winger Michail Antonio met an inviting left-wing cross by Gokhan Tore with a header at the far post. West Ham then needed a reaction save from goalkeeper Adrian followed by a clearance from near the goal line to preserve their first league win at the team’s new home. Sunderland, and their new manager David Moyes, are also looking for their first point after a 2-1 loss to northeast rival Middlesbrough in the other game on Sunday.
SOCCER
PSG start with win over Metz
Layvin Kurzawa, Marco Verratti and Lucas on Sunday scored as Paris Saint-Germain beat newly promoted Metz 3-0 at the Parc des Princes in coach Unai Emery’s first home game in charge. PSG join Olympique Lyonnais and OGC Nice on a maximum six points from two games, but Olympique de Marseille remain without a win after the troubled giants lost 2-1 at En Avant de Guingamp on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, Manchester United star Paul Pogba was in the crowd as AS Saint-Etienne claimed a 3-1 win over Montpellier Herault. At the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, the world’s most expensive player was there to support his brother Florentin, the Guinea defender who turned 26 on Friday last week.
FOOTBALL
NFL changes injury reports
The NFL has opted to drop the “probable” designation in injury reports ahead of games, bringing more clarity to the availability of players and their chances of taking the field, the league announced on Sunday. Under the new guidelines, three classifications are to be used prior to games: “questionable” for those whose availability is uncertain, “doubtful” for those unlikely to play and “out” for those who will definitely not play. Under the changes, if an injured player is certain to play he cannot be placed on the game status report. In addition, a change has been made to the midweek practice report, removing the “out” category. Practice injury report designations are to be limited to “full participation” for players who took 100 percent of their normal reps, “limited participation” and “did not participate.”
RUGBY UNION
Fiji honors coach Ben Ryan
The England-born coach of Fiji’s gold medal-winning rugby sevens team, Ben Ryan, was yesterday awarded one of the Pacific nation’s highest civil honors at a ceremony in the capital, Suva. Fijian President Jioji Konrote made Ryan a Companion of the Order of Fiji, the highest honorary title that can be awarded under the order. Fiji’s players and team managers were made Officers of the Order of Fiji and, with Ryan, were awarded US$30,000 by the Fijian government for winning Fiji’s first Olympic medal. The awards took place at Suva’s packed ANZ National Stadium yesterday, which was made a national holiday in the team’s honor. Fans cheered as Ryan drained a bowl of local beverage kava as part of a traditional ceremony of celebration.
The next generation of running talent takes center stage at today’s Berlin Marathon, in the absence of stars including Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopian world record holder Tigist Assefa. With most of the major marathon stars skipping the event in the wake of the Paris Olympics just more than a month ago, the field is wide open in the men’s and women’s races. Since 2015, Kipchoge has won five times in Berlin, Kenenisa Bekele has won twice and Guye Adola once — with all three missing today. Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie and Ethiopian Tadese Takele are among the favourites for the men, while
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Taiwan’s Tony Wu yesterday beat Mackenzie McDonald of the US to win the Nonthaburi Challenger IV in Thailand, his first challenger victory since 2022. The 26-year-old world No. 315, who won both his qualifiers to advance to the main draw, has been on a hot streak this month, winning his past nine matches, including two that ensured Taiwan’s victory in their Davis Cup World Group I tie. Wu took just more than two hours to top world No. 172 McDonald 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to win his second challenger tournament since the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in 2022. Wu’s Tallahassee win followed two years of
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