FORMULA ONE
Mercedes bullies fired
Formula One champions Mercedes have fired four employees and disciplined three others after an enquiry into racist bullying at the team’s factory, British newspapers reported on Saturday. The team of five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who has Caribbean heritage and has spoken out against racism, confirmed in a statement that four individuals had been dismissed. The Aug. 2 dismissals “followed an internal investigation that confirmed breaches of our diversity and equality policy,” the team said in a statement. The Sun newspaper reported there had been a “campaign of racist bullying” against a Muslim employee at the team’s Brackley headquarters.
BOXING
Spence beats Porter
Errol Spence on Saturday successfully defended his IBF belt and seized the WBC title, defeating Shawn Porter by a split decision in a welterweight unification fight. The 29-year-old Spence had to go the 12-round distance for the victory in a close slugfest with two belts on the line in one of the deepest divisions in boxing. “I wanted to show everybody that I can sit there and bang with one of the roughest, toughest fighters in welterweight,” Spence said. “I feel like I am the bigger, stronger and smarter welterweight.” Two judges had Spence winning 116-111 and the third gave it to Porter 115-112.
RUGBY WORLD CUP
Storm menaces schedule
A tropical storm could affect the scheduling of this week’s Rugby World Cup game between France and the US, organisers warned on Sunday. Tropical Storm Mitag could bring high winds and heavy rain to the southern Japanese island of Kyushu on Wednesday, when France play the US in Fukuoka, World Rugby said. “The latest information indicates that the [tropical storm] is moving further away from Japan’s coastline than originally predicted, and the impact risk is reducing,” it said. “However, in the best interests of the teams and the integrity of the tournament, we have informed France and the US of the contingency plans.”
TENNIS
Carreno Busta wins Chengdu
Pablo Carreno Busta yesterday claimed his first ATP title in more than two years after outlasting Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik to win the Chengdu Open. The 28-year-old Carreno Busta collapsed to his knees after prevailing in just over two grueling hours, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3). Ranked 63rd, his last title on the ATP Tour came at Portugal’s Estoril in May 2017.
GOLF
Lin wins in sudden death
China’s Lin Yuxin yesterday played the par-five 18th hole at Sheshan International in Shanghai to perfection in the first sudden-death playoff in the 11-year history of the Asia-Pacific Amateur. His birdie on the second extra hole gave Lin the victory over defending champion Takumi Kanaya of Japan. Lin was fortunate just to get into a playoff. Liu Yung-hua of Taiwan, who was also playing in the final group, had 110 yards to the pin for his third shot and needed a birdie to win. His wedge hit the top of the ridge and spun down the slope to 40 feet, and he three-putted for bogey for a 71 to miss out on the playoff. The 120-man field featured players from 39 countries and territories across the Asia-Pacific region.
Former world No. 2 Paula Badosa has withdrawn from this week’s Wuhan Open, organizers said on Tuesday, amid a racism row over an online photograph. Tournament organizers said the Spaniard had pulled out of the WTA 1000 tournament, citing a gastrointestinal illness, hours before her first-round match against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic. News outlets including Britain’s the Telegraph earlier reported that Badosa had posted a photo on Instagram in which she appeared to imitate a Chinese face by placing chopsticks on the corners of her eyes. The photo was taken last week in a restaurant in Beijing, where she reached the semi-finals of the
Shin Oebori coaches the Fukagawa Hawks youth baseball team in Tokyo, and he is very aware how Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani touches his players. “With Ohtani, the kids think everything is possible,” Oebori said, wrapping up practice yesterday on an all-dirt field set alongside a local Buddhist temple, below an elevated highway, and in the shadow of tall apartment blocks in central Tokyo. “Nothing is impossible with him. A dream is not a dream,” Oebori said, stepping out of the fenced practice field that keeps balls from landing on the temple grounds. None of the players hitting sponge-soft baseball has reached
CRICKET Azhar’s 59 leads Stallions Aashir Azhar’s blazing half-century guided the Taipei Stallions to victory over Taipei Super 11 in the Taiwan Premier League’s Group A at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei yesterday. The Stallions were 102-3 and into the 12th over of 20 when Azhar came to the crease. He hit seven sixes and two fours in the 25 deliveries he faced to push his side to 171-5. Gokul Kumar was the star with the ball for Super 11, taking 3-17. In the reply, Deepak Vishnu outscored Azhar with 77 from 50 balls, but nobody else got past 20 as
‘GLOBAL PRESSURE’: LA’s Dave Roberts said that it was difficult to appreciate the ‘pressure on a global scale’ his starter was under ‘pitching for his country’ The Los Angeles Dodgers shelled out US$1 billion for Japanese talent in the off-season and it is paying off in the MLB playoffs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Friday outdueled Yu Darvish in a historic post-season matchup of Japanese-born starters, while the Dodgers got home runs from Kike Hernandez and Teoscar Hernandez to beat the San Diego Padres 2-0 and advance to the National League Championship Series. “It’s pretty sweet,” a smiling Freddie Freeman said. Yamamoto allowed two hits over five innings for the win, getting pulled after 63 pitches in a decisive Game 5 between heated NL West rivals who were meeting in a
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