SOCCER
Maradona autopsy released
Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona did not consume alcohol or illicit narcotics in the days before his death, an autopsy released on Wednesday said. Maradona, who died last month aged 60, had taken seven different medicines to treat depression, anxiety and other ailments, but “there was no presence of [illegal] drugs,” a judicial official said. The autopsy, which was based on blood and urine samples and released by the Buenos Aires Scientific Police, said Maradona had problems with his kidneys, heart and lungs. Investigators are looking into various facets of his death that rocked Argentina and the wider soccer world, and have not ruled out wrongful death. In an angry broadside at her father’s critics, Maradona’s daughter Gianinna said the autopsy showed “a result compatible with cirrhosis of the liver.”
CRICKET
England allowed to fly
The England team would be allowed to fly to Sri Lanka despite flights from Britain being suspended due to a new COVID-19 strain, the island’s cricket authorities said on Wednesday. England are due to arrive in Sri Lanka on Jan. 3 for two Tests — played without spectators — in Galle starting on Jan. 14. Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ashley de Silva said the visitors would be tested for COVID-19 before departure and on arrival, and would also have to undergo quarantine for 10 days in a “bio-secure bubble” on arrival. Sri Lankan civil aviation authorities suspended all direct flights from Britain on Tuesday, but the England team would travel on a chartered flight, he said.
SOCCER
Trippier banned for betting
Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier was on Wednesday banned from soccer for 10 weeks for breaching betting rules in a punishment from the Football Association that applies worldwide. The misconduct, denied by Trippier, happened in July last year — the month the England international left Tottenham Hotspur for Atletico — and was linked to information about his transfer being used for betting. The association said an independent regulatory commission proved four of the breaches, which also saw Trippier fined £70,000 (US$95,167), but dismissed three allegations during a personal hearing. The ban takes effect immediately and will deny Atletico a rightback who has played every minute of the 13 league games so far as they try to stay in first place in La Liga.
ATHLETICS
Thailand to host new races
Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai is to host the inaugural world mountain and trail championships next year, World Athletics said on Wednesday. The championship, which would be staged from Nov. 11 to Nov. 14, would feature vertical uphill mountain races, short and long trail races for senior athletes and the classic mountain races for seniors and under-20s. The new biennial event was announced in 2018 when the World Mountain Running Association, the International Association of Ultrarunners and the International Trail Running Association combined with World Athletics. The governing bodies are hoping to capitalize on the rising popularity of the off-road running events, with the championships giving elite and mass runners an opportunity to compete at the same venue.
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju and Kao Cheng-jui were defeated by their Chinese counterparts 3-0 on Saturday in the men’s doubles final at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash. Lin and Kao received their silver medals after being defeated by third-seeded duo Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin of China 2-11, 4-11, 11-13. The Taiwan pair were left playing catch-up early in the match after the Chinese duo proved unstoppable in the first and second game. Although Lin and Kao picked up their pace in the third game and at one point took a 10-8 lead, they were crucially unable to take
Australia yesterday won two of four races on the first day of the SailGP Sydney event on Sydney Harbour to finish the day atop the points table ahead of Britain and a French team who made an outstanding return after missing the first two events of the season. Australia also had a third and a second placing, finishing the day with 37 points, ahead of Britain with 32 points and France with 27. Britain won the second race of the day and Switzerland, who won the first race, were in fourth place overall. Australia’s prowess in the start box was again the