SOCCER
Germany removes fans
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government on Wednesday ordered the Bundesliga and professional sports in Germany back behind closed doors as part of a string of measures to curb record-high COVID-19 numbers. The latest measures would come into effect from Monday next week until the end of next month after Germany announced a record high of 14,964 new cases in the previous 24 hours. Since the Bundesliga season started in the middle of last month, Germany’s soccer clubs had been allowed to host small numbers of fans for home games, providing each local health authority granted permission.
ICE HOCKEY
AHL pushes season back
The American Hockey League (AHL) is planning to drop the puck on its next season on Feb. 5 in hopes of syncing its schedule with the NHL and attracting fans to arenas for most, if not all, of its 31 teams. AHL president and CEO Scott Howson said that “everything’s on the table” when it comes to divisional alignment, formats and how many games are played, although beginning in early February answers one question after it became unrealistic to start the season on Dec. 4 as initially planned because of the state of the COVID-19 pandemic. “This gives us the best chance to have a significant season with fans in the building and we’ll just see what happens here in the next two months,” Howson said. The AHL is the top minor league affiliate for the NHL, which is targeting a Jan. 1 start for the season.
ATHLETICS
Boston Marathon moved
Next year’s Boston Marathon is to be moved from its traditional slot in April until later because of concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers said on Wednesday. The prestigious event — which was canceled this year for the first time in the race’s 124-year history — is usually held on the third Monday in April, attracting thousands of runners from across the globe. However, the Boston Athletic Association said in a statement that next year’s event would be postponed “until at least the fall of 2021.” No date for the rearranged race was given.
BASKETBALL
NBA revenue plummets 10%
NBA revenue fell 10 percent to US$8.3 billion for this year’s season disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, ESPN reported on Wednesday, saying that the league lost US$800 million in ticket income alone. Citing financial numbers shared with league clubs and obtained by ESPN, the report said the NBA lost US$400 million in sponsorships and merchandise. The cost of a split with China of a long partnership over post on Twitter by then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was put at US$200 million of “net negative impact,” according to the report. Losses would have been much worse had the NBA not completed the season and staged the playoffs in a bubble in Orlando, Florida, sources told ESPN, adding that US$1.5 billion in revenue was recovered by restarting the season even though expenses for the bubble were US$190 million, US$10 million more than first estimated. The details emerged as the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association talk over possible start dates for the next season and financial terms to update the collective bargaining agreement.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care