SOCCER
Players hairdos cause furor
Germany’s hairdressers are unimpressed by the latest trims on show in the Bundesliga, and have asked the German Football Association (DFB) why the players have been taking to the pitch with fresh cuts. Hair salons in Germany have been shut since Dec. 16 last year as part of strict restrictions imposed by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19. In an open letter addressed to DFB president Fritz Keller, the German Hairdresser Association said that the players’ actions encouraged the public to flout health protocols by demanding the same services. “It is with great amazement we noticed that over the last match days of Bundesliga a vast majority of the professional footballers took to the pitch with new haircuts,” the hardressers’ association was quoted as saying by ESPN. “The discontent with the top styled football pros is growing. They lead to customers calling and asking for work on the side, and breaches of the corona regulations like visits at home.”
MOTORSPORT
Price airlifted to hospital
Two-time Dakar motorbike champion Toby Price on Tuesday crashed out of this year’s rally in Saudi Arabia, with the Australian having to be airlifted to hospital after a serious accident as French veteran Stephane Peterhansel took a massive step toward a record 14th title. Peterhansel has one hand on the trophy again after landing his first stage win this year, the Mini driver emerging from the ninth stage Red Sea run over dirt and rocks with a near 18-minute overall lead in the car category. However, the day was marred by Price’s crash which left him dazed after hitting his head. He had started the stage in second place overall, a little over one minute adrift of Chilean leader Jose Ignacio Cornejo Florimo. At the time of his accident Price had actually taken the lead and appeared to be gearing up for a victory.
SWIMMING
Klete Keller spotted at riot
American Klete Keller, who won two Olympic gold medals as a relay teammate of Michael Phelps, was identified as being among the supporters of US President Donald Trump who stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday last week, multiple reports said. Swimming news Web site SwimSwam said in a report that at least a dozen people within the sport identified the towering man wearing a US Olympic team jacket inside the building as Keller after reviewing video and screenshots of the riot. Attempts to reach Keller were unsuccessful. In one of the videos, which was taken by a reporter from conservative news outlet Townhall, a man identified as Keller is seen among the crowd that police officers were trying to push toward the Capitol exits.
SOCCER
Atletico lead by four points
Atletico Madrid on Tuesday extended their lead at the top of La Liga to four points after a 2-0 win over Sevilla that strengthened their title credentials. Goals in each half from Angel Correa and substitute Saul Niguez on a freezing night following historic snowfall in the Spanish capital allowed Diego Simeone’s side to increase the gap between themselves and city rivals Real Madrid. The match at the Wanda Metropolitano was one of three games in hand that Atletico had on Madrid and Barcelona, who sit a further three points back in third. Sevilla remain sixth on 30 points, level with Real Sociedad in fifth.
SWEEP THE LEG: Poirier, determined to best McGregor, after losing to him in 2014, used low calf kicks to throw ‘Notorious’ off his stand-up game, before dropping him American underdog Dustin Poirier yesterday shook up the world of mixed martial arts, beating up the legs of Irish superstar Conor McGregor before knocking him out at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi. “I’m happy, but I’m not surprised. I put in the work,” Poirier said, after the referee stepped in after 2 minutes, 32 seconds of the second round to save McGregor from further damage, after he was dropped by a fierce combination of punches. The 32-year-old Poirier was ranked second in the flyweight division going into the fight, but still rated a heavy underdog by bookmakers to beat his fourth-ranked opponent,
LOOKING TO REPEAT: World No. 7 Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin advanced to the round-of-16 at the Toyota Thailand Open, after winning the Yonex Thailand Open on Sunday Taiwan’s world No. 7 duo yesterday eased past the US’ world No. 37 pairing at the Toyota Thailand Open to reach the round-of-16 in Bangkok. Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin beat Phillip Chew and Ryan Chew 21-14, 21-11 in just 24 minutes. Lee and Wang, who won the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Thailand Open on Sunday, next face the world No. 34 pairing, Canada’s Jason Anthony Ho-Shue and Nyl Yakura. In men’s singles, Taiwan’s world No. 2 Chou Tien-chen again beat Thailand’s world No. 45 Suppanyu Avihingsanon, after edging past the Thai player in the opening round of the Yonex
HOLDING STEADY: Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying pushed past Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung to advance to a quarter-finals match against world No. 10 Michelle Li Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen and Wang Tzu-wei yesterday defeated their respective opponents in the second round of the Toyota Thailand Open, setting them up to face each other today in the quarter-finals. In an early match, world No. 12 Wang took 45 minutes to defeat Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka-long 21-13, 21-11. Last week, the world No. 8 ousted Wang from the Yonex tournament before defeating Chou in the semi-finals. Chou, world No. 2, defeated France’s Brice Leverdez in 48 minutes 21-19, 21-16. In other men’s singles matches, Indonesia’s fifth seed Anthony Ginting suffered an unexpected defeat to Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk-yiu, who moved into
MARIN REMATCH: Tai Tzu-ying saved six game points in her semi-final against Ratchanok Intanon, who went into the match with a superior head-to-head record Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying reached the final of badminton’s Thailand Open yesterday with a three-set win over Ratchanok Intanon, setting up a rematch against Carolina Marin. Tai won 12-21, 21-12, 23-21 in 59 minutes to set up her second final against Marin in two weeks, while Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin advanced to the final in the men’s doubles. However, Chou Tien-chen was eliminated in the semi-finals of the men’s singles. Tai saved six game points in the win against her Thai opponent Intanon, who went into the match with a superior head-to-head record against the Taiwanese world No. 1. Tai’s best streak was a
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