SOCCER
‘Player tip-off’ on fixing
La Liga president Javier Tebas on Thursday testified in a match-fixing trial, saying it was a former player who told him a result had been fixed. The case involves a top-tier game between Levante UD and Real Zaragoza at the end of the 2010-2011 season. Prosecutors say there is evidence that 965,000 euros (US$1.07 million at the current exchange rate) was paid to Levante’s players to lose the match in the final round of the season. Zaragoza won 2-1 to secure their spot in the first division. Tebas did not reveal which player made the allegation, but said he played for Zaragoza and did not want to be linked to the investigation out of fear of retaliation from other players.
TENNIS
Osaka fires second coach
Naomi Osaka has sacked her second coach in seven months, splitting with Jermaine Jenkins in the wake of her disappointing US Open title defense. Jenkins, a long-time hitting partner of Venus Williams, replaced Sascha Bajin in February, weeks after Osaka’s Australian Open triumph. “I’m super grateful for the time we spent together and the things I learned on and off the court, but I feel like now is an appropriate time for change,” the Japanese 21-year-old wrote on Twitter. Her early exit from New York has seen her ranking slide to fourth.
FOOTBALL
US$3m for safer helmets
In a quest for a safer helmet, the NFL is starting a US$3 million program aimed at the development of new headgear. Manufacturers, engineers and entrepreneurs are welcome to submit prototypes in the NFL Helmet Challenge, with the goal of reducing head trauma. The league is to provide US$2 million in grant funding to support development, with as much as US$1 million awarded for a prototype that would be used to help reduce concussions. “Helmet technology is advancing at an impressive rate, yet we believe that even more is possible,” NFL executive vice president for health and safety Jeff Miller said in a news release. The challenge is to culminate in May 2021. Participants would have access to the NFL’s video review data on helmet safety, as well as models of modern football helmets.
COACHING
Panel talks women burnout
Female coaches play a key role in inspiring achievement in girls and young women, but their numbers are few and they often burn out and quit, sports leaders said on Thursday. Women coaches need better support to stay in their jobs, said participants at a Beyond Sport conference, held ahead of meetings at the UN this month on development goals. Fewer than one in 10 registered soccer coaches is female, according to FIFA. “We need more women in leadership positions in sport,” said Courtney Levinsohn, founder of Growth Through Sport, an organization that supports girls’ access to sports. Coaches play a formative role in building the confidence of young players and set an example of what leadership looks like, she said. A dearth of female coaches means they struggle with isolation and have to fight negative cultural stereotypes on their own, she added. “You could go months without seeing another female coach,” she said. “You burn out because there’s no collective.”
Inter on Sunday were given a letoff when they snatched a late 1-1 derby draw with AC Milan, while league leaders SSC Napoli were held by a late goal at AS Roma. Reigning champions Inter remain three points behind Napoli, who looked to be heading five clear as they led in Rome until Angelino volleyed in a stunning leveler in the first minute of stoppage-time. Angelino’s strike gave even more significance to Stefan de Vrij’s last-gasp equalizer at the San Siro. The defender forced home Nicola Zalewski’s knockdown just as it looked like Tijjani Reijnders’ opener would be enough for Milan. “I can
Santiago Castro on Tuesday had an immediate impact off the bench as he scored the goal to send Bologna into the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years. Bologna won 1-0 against last year’s runners-up, Atalanta BC, and are to play either holders Juventus or Empoli in the final four. Juventus are to host Empoli in their quarter-final on Feb. 26. The last time Bologna reached the semi-finals was in 1999, when they lost 4-2 to ACF Fiorentina. There were chances for both sides in a high-tempo match in Bergamo, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock 10 minutes from
After nearly six years away from the NBA, New Taipei Kings player Jeremy Lin (林書豪) is set to participate in the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars mini-tournament as the coach of Team G League. The NBA announced Monday (U.S. time) that the Taiwanese-American player will join a trio of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers – Tim Hardaway Sr., Chris Mullin, and Mitch Richmond – as honorary coaches for four teams featuring 28 rising talents. "See you soon in the Bay," Lin wrote in an Instagram story sharing the news. As the All-Star Weekend will take place at
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
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