CRICKET
Sangakkara exits on high
Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara said he is retiring from first-class cricket at the perfect time after a remarkable English county championship season with Surrey. The 39-year-old left-handed batsman made an unbeaten 35 in his final first-class innings against Lancashire to finish the campaign with eight centuries and 1,491 runs at an average of 106.50. “I’ll miss it terribly, without a doubt, but that’s a good thing,” he told the BBC on Wednesday. “A lot of players walk away bitter and upset and regretting a lot of the things that might have been. I walk away with a few regrets, like anyone would, but I’m absolutely happy with the way I played the game and what I’ve achieved. Sometimes you hold on a bit too long and I always think it’s better to let go a bit sooner than later,” he said. Sangakkara, who quit Test cricket in 2015, is fifth in the list of all-time run scorers.
GOLF
Ko off the pace in N Zealand
Hometown favorite Lydia Ko yesterday finished five off the pace at the LPGA’s New Zealand Women’s Open, as England’s Jodie Ewart Shadoff and Canda’s Brooke Henderson made the most of calm conditions. Ewart Shadoff and Henderson both capitalized on early starts to finish seven-under-par on 65, setting a joint course record at Auckland’s Windross Farm. Ko, 20, the world No. 8, faced more blustery conditions late in the day and carded 70 for a share of 20th. She said her putting let her down, but the defending champion and former world No. 1 remained optimistic about winning the first LPGA event staged in New Zealand.
BASEBALL
Collins faces final games
Terry Collins was a winner in perhaps his final home game as manager of the New York Mets, who on Wednesday beat the Atlanta Braves 7-1, behind rookie pitcher Robert Gsellman. Travis d’Arnaud drove in three runs and pinch-hitter Dominic Smith launched a three-run homer for the Mets, who won their third straight and finished 37-44 at Citi Field in New York this year. They wrap up the season with three games in Philadelphia this weekend. Before the game, Collins joked that this night would feel like any ordinary one in July because of all the unavailable relievers in his banged-up bullpen. The 68-year-old Collins, oldest manager in the majors, has said he has no plans to retire and would like to keep working until age 70.
OLYMPICS
Organizers fix omitted Japan
South Korean organizers of next year’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics corrected a map on their official Web site after Japanese sports officials complained that Japan was missing. The Japan Sports Agency said officials discovered the omission on Wednesday, after receiving a number of calls from the public. The agency demanded a correction via the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Tokyo, agency official Masahide Katsumata said. Katsumata said Japan was not on the map when he checked early on Wednesday. The world map on the “Dream Program” section of the Web site for the next year’s Games has since been corrected. An official from the Pyeongchang organizing committee said Japan’s omission was a “simple mistake” caused by changes in image files when organizers updated the Olympic Web site in February.
MOTHER KNOWS BEST: Warriors’ coach Kerr said his 91-year-old mother criticized him for his attitude toward officials that led to his ejection from Monday’s game Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Wednesday rescued the Oklahoma City Thunder with a game-tying buzzer-beater before finishing with 46 points in a 129-125 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz. The reigning NBA champions looked to be heading for a third straight loss after the Jazz inched into a 114-112 lead following Lauri Markkanen’s layup with just three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. However, NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander drained a superb 13-foot jump shot to tie it up at 114-114 as the buzzer sounded to send the game into overtime. Gilgeous-Alexander then took over in the extra period with nine points as the Western
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt knocked reigning champions Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals on Saturday, while Victor Osimhen starred as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 to set up a clash with hosts Morocco. In Agadir, Morocco, a thrilling last-eight tie saw Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia net in the first half for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh brought the Ivorians back into it. Salah then got Egypt’s third early in the second half and they held on after Guela Doue again reduced the deficit. Egypt is to face Senegal
AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE: Sabalenka aims to follow up with a third Australian Open win, while Taiwanese Joanna Garland claimed a WTA 125 title in Canberra Aryna Sabalenka beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets to reach her third Brisbane International final in a row yesterday, a week ahead of the Australian Open. Sabalenka looked in great touch against the tricky Czech, who had won their last three meetings and went into the match as one of the few players with a winning record over the world No. 1. However, Sabalenka showed her class and power as she broke Muchova once in each set to take the semi-final 6-3, 6-4 in 89 minutes to face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the final. “I struggled against her a couple of times [in
His team were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in agonizing fashion on Tuesday, but the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DR Congo) human statue Michel Kuka Mboladinga would be remembered as the tournament’s most remarkable supporter. The colorfully dressed Kuka has earned fame as the fan who stands completely immobile throughout his team’s games, looking toward the sky with his right arm raised and palm open. He has become a media star and on Tuesday was accompanied by a delegation of several hundred Congolese supporters whose trip to Morocco was paid for by the country’s government. They took their
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