SOCCER
PSG jersey funds virus care
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have raised more than 200,000 euros (US$220,156) for local healthcare professionals battling the COVID-19 pandemic with the release of a limited-edition jersey, the Ligue 1 champions have said. The shirt is a replica of PSG’s current home strip, but has the words Tous Unis, or “All Together,” where the main sponsor logo usually sits and features badges pledging support to doctors. All the proceeds are going to Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris. “We cannot be grateful enough for the tremendous and courageous work that healthcare staff are doing every day to deal with this emergency,” PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi said.
NBA
Curry quizzes virus expert
NBA star Stephen Curry on Tuesday took his questions on the pandemic to Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the US National Institutes of Health, in an Instagram conversation that drew almost 50,000 viewers, including former US president Barack Obama. The message from Fauci: “This is serious business.” Fauci said he was hopeful that a vaccine would be available by next winter, but in the meantime social distancing, testing and use of personal protective gear are important measures to protect healthcare providers and those battling the illness. “Vaccines are going to be important for next time around, not for what we’re dealing with now,” he added.
E-SPORTS
NBA player invests in Tribe
Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward is among the early investors in Tribe Gaming. The mobile-focused e-sports organization, which has 15 million subscribers and 67 million monthly views on YouTube, on Thursday announced that it had raised US$1.04 million in its first investment round. “I’ve been an NBA All-Star and made it to the NCAA championship, but I still get a rush when I’m taking down my enemy’s towers in a game of Clash,” Hayward said in a press release. “Tribe is about celebrating mobile gaming, whether it’s by cheering your team on the sidelines or watching your favorite streamers on your couch.” Other initial participants include WWE wrestler Claudio “Cesaro” Castagnoli. “Just a few years ago, mobile games were dismissed as simple puzzles and time-wasters — now mobile has grown into its own ecosystem of complex games and world-class competition,” Tribe founder and CEO Patrick Carney said.
MMA
Champion Jones arrested
UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones has been arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated (DWI) and other offenses after officers heard gunshots and found him in a parked car with a handgun and a half-empty bottle of liquor early on Thursday, Albuquerque police said. The 32-year-old Jones was arrested on suspicion of aggravated DWI, negligent use of firearms, possession of an open container of alcohol and no proof of insurance for a vehicle, police said, adding that Jones was found in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle with the engine running at about 1am. Bernalillo County Jail records indicate that Jones was released after being booked. Jones (26-1) retained his title in February by beating Dominick Reyes by unanimous decision.
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah on Saturday secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia with Luciano Benavides scraping home by two seconds to claim the motorbike title. “We’ve worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it’s there, deep down. We are so happy to win,” al-Attiyah said at the finish. Al-Attiyah, at the wheel of a Dacia, only had to avoid a final day slip-up to top the podium after bringing his career tally of stage wins to 50 on Friday. The 55-year-old, who took clay pigeon shooting bronze at the
The Philadelphia 76ers, fueled by 36 points from Tyrese Maxey and a triple-double from Joel Embiid, on Thursday beat the Houston Rockets 128-122 in an NBA overtime thriller. Cameroonian big man Embiid scored 32 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and handed out 10 assists, posting the ninth triple-double of his career to help the Sixers end the Rockets’ three-game winning streak. Rockets star Kevin Durant scored 36 points and Amen Thompson added 17, but Thompson was scoreless in the fourth quarter. Even so, the Rockets led by nine midway through the final frame, Maxey tying it at 115-115 with 40.1 seconds left. Durant missed a
Tobias Harris on Monday scored 25 points as the Detroit Pistons held off the Boston Celtics to score a 104-103 victory in their top-of-the-table Eastern Conference showdown. Harris was one of four Detroit players to finish in double figures, with Jalen Duren adding 18 points and point guard Cade Cunningham scoring 16 points with 14 assists. The win sees Detroit extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to 31-10, 5.5 games ahead of second-placed Boston, who fell to 26-16 with the defeat. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scoring with 32 points and almost snatched victory in the
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