GOLF
Smith leads in Australia
Defending champion Cameron Smith held a one-stroke lead over Marc Leishman and fellow Australian Jake McLeod after the second round of the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Pines yesterday. Smith shot a seven-under 65 for a two-round total of nine-under 135. Leishman had his second consecutive 68, while McLeod, a coleader after the first round, shot 70. American Harold Varner III shot his second straight 69 and was three strokes behind.
BASKETBALL
Argentina make US wait
Nicolas Laprovittola scored 17 points and Lucio Redivo added 14 as Argentina shook off a slow start to beat the US 80-63 in a World Cup qualifying game on Thursday. The win put Argentina (8-1) atop Group E qualifying in the Americas region, one game up on the US (7-2) with three contests remaining for both teams. The top three teams in the division are assured of a spot in next year’s World Cup and the US can clinch one with a win tomorrow against Uruguay, who defeated Puerto Rico 64-62 to move into third. The US are using rosters filled primarily by G League players in qualifying because of changes in FIBA rules. NBA players are not available for the qualifying games, although if the team make it to the World Cup in China it will then be NBA stars taking over.
ATHLETICS
Runners face tech check
Facial recognition is to be deployed at a marathon in China tomorrow to crack down on cheating, state media said, after a half-marathon was blighted by widescale flouting of the rules. A half-marathon last weekend in Shenzhen found that 258 runners had cheated, including many who took shortcuts, prompting Chinese authorities to get tough. For tomorrow’s Kunming Marathon, organizers are to use facial recognition to ensure people do not get someone else to run for them. “Competitors must carry a valid ID and carry out verification through the facial-identification system,” Xinhua news agency said.
CRICKET
Debutant makes 76
Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah extended a good start by Shadman Islam on debut to lead Bangladesh to a solid 259-5 against the West Indies on the first day of the second Test yesterday. With the pitch expected to deteriorate, the total already looked daunting for the West Indies, given their vulnerability against quality spin. Shadman made a patient 76 as opener, then captain Shakib held the innings together and established Bangladesh’s dominance in an unbroken 69-run stand with Mahmudullah over the day’s final 23 overs. Shakib was 55 not out and Mahmudullah 31 not out. Shakib opted to bat first as Bangladesh played without a frontline pacer for the first time. On a pitch that had little to offer for the fast bowlers, the West Indies spinners bowled 63 overs. Off-spinner Roston Chase had Soumya Sarkar caught by Shai Hope at slip for 19 to end a 42-run opening partnership. Shadman and Mominul Haque looked untroubled until Haque was out to a loose delivery by fast bowler Kemar Roach on the stroke of lunch. Haque made 29. Shadman then received support from Mohammad Mithun in a 64-run stand before they were both out to leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Robinson Cano spent 17 seasons playing in the MLB in front of all kinds of baseball fans, but he said there is something special about his stint with the Mexican Baseball League’s Diablos Rojos. He is not alone. The league last week opened its 100th season, aiming to keep an impressive growth in attendance that began after the national team’s surprise run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and is already surpassing some first-division soccer clubs. After finishing third in the 2023 tournament, many casual fans, some of them soccer enthusiasts disappointed after Mexico were eliminated in the first round in the 2022
Arne Slot has denied that Darwin Nunez was dropped from Liverpool’s win against West Ham because of a training-ground row with a member of his coaching staff. The Liverpool head coach on Sunday last week said that Nunez was absent from the 2-1 victory at Anfield, having felt unwell during training the day before, although the striker sat behind the substitutes throughout the game. Speculation has been rife that the Uruguay international, whom Slot criticized for his work rate against Wolves and Aston Villa in February, was left out for disciplinary reasons. Asked on Friday to clarify the situation, Slot said: “He
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