WORLD CUP
FIFA bans ‘sexist’ close-ups
FIFA on Friday said it has issued guidance to TV producers that cameras should not linger on close-up shots of spectators at the World Cup to avoid any “suggestions of sexual connotations.” Soccer’s world governing body said it distributed a statement about its policy to the suppliers of its TV feed before the tournament. It follows questions over the broadcast of images of female fans at matches during the tournament in Russia. There is just one more game left at the World Cup — today’s final between France and Croatia. “We prefer that the coverage avoids exaggerated or extended duration close-ups that could lead to suggestions of sexual connotations or gender bias,” a FIFA spokesman said.
CRICKET
England women miss sweep
Sophie Devine on Friday struck an unbeaten 117 as New Zealand’s White Ferns won the third one-day international at Leicester by four wickets to deny England’s women a 3-0 series clean sweep. Home openers Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont shared a century stand as England threatened a huge total. However, Beaumont’s exit for 53 sparked a collapse and the world champions lost all their wickets for just another 115 runs as they were dismissed for 219, with White Ferns spinner Leigh Kasperek taking five for 39. Devine was in excellent touch as she led New Zealand’s reply, facing 117 balls and ending the match with a six off England quick Katherine Brunt as the visitors won with more than five overs to spare.
RUSSIA
Doping ban dropped for five
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which has banned Russia since 2015, on Friday announced that it had cleared five more athletes from the country to compete under a neutral flag last year. The panel that grants clean competitors neutral status has been operating since the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. With the five additions, the list for this year contains 72 names, but 68 more have been turned down this year, and the IAAF says it has received more than 200 requests since December last year.
UNITED STATES
Pizza dropped from name
The University of Louisville is removing the Papa John’s name from its football stadium. The school is taking action after pizza chain founder John Schnatter reportedly complained that Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Colonel Sanders never faced a backlash for using a racial slur. University president Neeli Bendapudi on Friday announced the change for Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, as the pizza chain said it is removing Schnatter’s image from its marketing. Schnatter had apologized and said he would resign as company chairman after Forbes reported that he used the N-word during a media training session.
ICE HOCKEY
Knights resign goalie Fleury
Marc-Andre Fleury, the Canadian goaltender who backstopped the first-year Vegas Golden Knights on an unlikely run to the National Hockey League Final, agreed on Friday to terms on a three-year contract extention. The 33-year-old goalie, who could have become a free agent next July, will be paid $21 million under the new deal, which starts with the 2019-2010 campaign. “I’m really excited,” Fleury said. “My family and I really love Vegas, the organization, my teammates and I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to keep playing in front of [Golden Knights fans] for another couple years.”
Taiwanese badminton superstar Lee Yang broke down in tears after publicly retiring from the sport on Sunday. The two-time Olympic gold medalist held a retirement ceremony at the Taipei Arena after the final matches of the Taipei Open. Accompanied by friends, family and former badminton partners, Lee burst into tears while watching a video celebrating key moments in his professional sporting career that also featured messages from international players such as Malaysia’s Teo Ee Yi, Hong Kong’s Tang Chun-man, and Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. “I hope that in the future when the world thinks about me, they will
Former Formosa Dreamers player Ilkan Karaman was killed in a traffic accident in Datca, Turkey, Turkish media reported yesterday. He was 34. The former Turkish national team player was reportedly hit by a car, the driver of which was allegedly drunk, while he was standing on a sidewalk, Turkish newspaper Sozcu reported. Karaman and his friends were on their way to the beach town of Dalaman to go scuba diving when they stopped at a gas station to buy gasoline, it reported. Karaman was hit by the car while waiting on a sidewalk as his friends were buying gasoline, it
ANKLE PROBLEM: Taiwan’s Ye Hong-wei and Lee Chia-hsin had a disappointing end to their tournament after an injury forced them out of their mixed doubles semi-final Taiwanese badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying on Friday was knocked out in the women’s singles quarter-finals at her last Taipei Open. The world No. 3 lost 21-18, 16-21, 22-24 to Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia in a match that stretched 68 minutes at the Taipei Arena. Despite her higher ranking, Tai said she was not too sad about the loss, given her struggle with a lingering knee injury. “Wins and losses are just part of the game. Actually, I think I’m going to lose every single match considering my condition now,” said the five-time champion of the Super 300 event, who has announced plans
When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the leader of the organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote. No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) went on without it. What effect the information could have had on Valieva’s case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later
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