OLYMPICS
Cue sports bid for Paris
Billiards and snooker continued their bid to get included in the 2024 Paris Olympics with an exhibition to showcase their sports at the Eiffel Tower on Friday. Leading cue sports players traveled to Paris to press their case to the International Olympic Committee. “Billiards sports are, I believe, the most difficult range of sport in the entire world,” former world snooker champion Shaun Murphy said. The admission process usually takes years and involves massive lobbying to convince committee delegates, and cue sports face an uphill battle, as many believe they do not require enough physical effort. However, supporters believe they have a trump card to play given rising concerns over gender equality, because their sports are among the few that allow men and women to compete against each other. “It’s not about are you a man, are you a woman, are you a young person, are you a senior — we are complete level sports,” Murphy said.
SKIING
Vonn to return for Louise
Lindsey Vonn is probably to delay her retirement to compete at next year’s World Cup stop at Lake Louise in Canada, Vonn said on Friday. She had planned to retire at the end of this season, but her plans have changed after she injured herself in a crash last week. The fall has kept the American out of the season-opening downhill at Lake Louise this weekend. “To miss my favorite stop on the tour is devastating,” she said in a YouTube video. “I’m probably going to have to come back next year and just race Lake Louise.” Vonn, 34, said she hyper-extended a knee, sprained a ligament and sustained a bone bruise, and would probably be able to race in a few weeks.
SOCCER
Villa to join Vissel Kobe
Former Spain and Barcelona striker David Villa yesterday announced that he has signed with the J-League’s Vissel Kobe, joining former teammate Andres Iniesta. Villa tweeted a video showing his successful work with New York City FC before receiving a telephone call that took him to Japan. The 36-year-old forward is the latest high-profile acquisition by Vissel. The outfit acquired Iniesta earlier this year after signing former Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski last year. Villa, the all-time leading goal-scorer in Spanish national team history, joined New York City in 2014 from Atletico Madrid following successful seasons with Barcelona and Valencia.
SOCCER
Fan sparks team punishment
Spartak Moscow is facing punishment from UEFA after a fan ran onto the field during a Europa League game to confront the team captain. The fan ran up to midfielder Denis Glushakov in the 70th minute of Spartak’s game against Rapid Vienna. Glushakov shoved him away before other players and security took the fan off the field. Russian state news agencies have reported the fan was later arrested. UEFA has charged Spartak over the field invasion.
SOCCER
UEFA raises charity funding
UEFA has increased annual funding by more than US$4 million for its children’s charity, and added former world heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko as a trustee. The group on Friday said it more than doubled funding for the UEFA Foundation for Children to 6.8 million euros (US$7.7 million) per year. The foundation has picked 45 new projects to get funding to lift its involvement to more than 100 worldwide. The projects include one in Ukrainian schools with the Klitschko Foundation.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
RSS