SOCCER
Chinese women get boost
The women’s game in China yesterday received a major financial boost after Ant Financial’s Alipay said it would provide 1 billion yuan (US$145.4 million) in funding for a 10-year project. The initiative was being funded primarily by charitable organization the Alipay Foundation and would look to make the sport more accessible to girls and women, Alipay said in a statement. The funds would be allocated to improve the national team setup, youth development, coaching education and the welfare of retired professionals. The women’s team have traditionally been more competitive on the international stage than the men’s side, finishing runners-up at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup and fourth at the 1995 tournament. At the ongoing World Cup in France, China reached the last 16, where they lost 2-0 to Italy. The men’s team have qualified for the World Cup only once, in 2002 when they lost all three games.
OLYMPICS
Second round for tickets
Tokyo organizers are putting “a few hundred thousand” tickets into a lottery next month for Japan residents who were shut out when results of the first lottery were announced last month. The new “second-chance” lottery is being organized on short notice because of unprecedented demand, which is believed to be at least 10 times over supply. Organizing committee spokesman Masa Takaya yesterday said that 3.22 million tickets were sold to residents in the first lottery. More than 90 percent of applicants bought the tickets that they were awarded, he said, adding that only the unsold tickets would be those offered in the next round. Japan residents might get fewer than half of the 7.8 million tickets that organizers say are available for all events. It is a reversal from recent Olympics when tickets were unsold and many events were poorly attended.
FOOTBALL
Dolphins’ Norton loses arm
Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Kendrick Norton has had his arm amputated after a car crash in the early hours of Thursday. Florida police said that the 22-year-old’s Ford F250 overturned after hitting a concrete barrier. His injuries are not considered life-threatening, but his agent said the player had his arm amputated. Norton was drafted by the Carolina Panthers last year after starring for the University of Miami. He joined the Dolphins in December and was competing for a roster spot this off-season.
SOCCER
FIFA rejects criticism
Criticism of FIFA president Gianni Infantino over the handling of sexual abuse investigations was “ill-informed and unjustified,” the governing body said on Thursday after Afghanistan women’s team coach Kelly Lindsey said she was “disgusted” with him. Lindsey had demanded Infantino’s departure, claiming FIFA is not being rigorous enough in pursuing Afghanistan Football Federation officials. FIFA has so far only sanctioned Keramuudin Karim, who was banned for life last month for repeated sexual abuse of female players while president of the federation. FIFA has now disclosed that it is “carefully looking into allegations leveled against additional persons and will not hesitate to take appropriate measures and impose sanctions if justified.”
MEDVEDEV AWAITS: The world No. 1 Spainiard said that he is ‘finding the right shots’ as he pushed his record so far this year to 16 victories and no losses Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday extended his unbeaten season and got revenge over Cameron Norrie to reach the semi-finals at Indian Wells for a fifth straight year. The world No. 1 from Spain emerged from a see-saw battle with 29th-ranked Norrie with a 6-3, 6-4 victory. In the semis tomorrow, he faces Russian Daniil Medvedev, who pushed his own ATP winning streak to eight matches with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over defending champion Jack Draper. World No. 2 Jannik Sinner powered past Learner Tien 6-1, 6-2 to line up a semi-final with fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Arthur Fils. Alcaraz, 22, became
West Ham United on Monday advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out win against Brentford, who paid the price for Dango Ouattara’s spot-kick blunder. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side twice blew the lead as Jarrod Bowen’s double was canceled out by an Igor Thiago brace to force extra-time in the 2-2 draw at the London Stadium, but in the shoot-out, Brentford winger Ouattara attempted a chipped Panenka penalty, but his woeful effort was straight at West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. It was an awful mistake by the Burkina Faso international and West Ham took full advantage. Bowen, Valentin Castellanos, Callum
Thanks to Italy beating Mexico on Wednesday, the US get another chance in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). What looked like a potentially disastrous early exit for US manager Mark DeRosa and his team turned out to be nothing more than substantial worry and significant embarrassment for about 24 hours. It remains to be seen whether the US really want to win badly enough for the reprieve to matter, as if it is just a switch they can flick, but there is little reason for their fans to be optimistic. The team’s attitude and behavior have been all over the place when
Team Taiwan’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) journey ended last night when South Korea beat Australia 7-2 and won the tiebreaker with Australia and Taiwan to advance to the tournament’s quarter-finals in Miami. South Korea earned its spot by scoring a run in the top of the ninth to do just enough under the tiebreaker rules to advance. The result saw Taiwan, South Korea and Australia tied for second in WBC Pool C behind undefeated Japan with 2-2 records. The tiebreaker was determined by dividing a team’s total runs allowed by the total number of defensive outs in games among the tied teams, and
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