Thu, Dec 02, 2021 page16

• SPORTS BRIEFS

  • Agencies
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  BASEBALL

  ‘Shotime’ term highlighted

  “Shotime,” as baseball star Shohei Ohtani is known in the US, yesterday was named the Japanese “buzzword of the year” after he won one of US baseball’s top awards and lit up his home country. Ohtani, often compared to baseball legend Babe Ruth because of his ability to pitch and hit at an elite level, last month won the Most Valuable Player award for MLB’s American League, becoming the second Japanese player to do so. The MVP award prompted newspapers in Japan to hand out extras and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to tell reporters he felt very proud of Ohtani’s accomplishment. The Japanese government floated the idea of presenting the People’s Honor Award to Ohtani after the baseball award, but the Los Angeles Angels player declined, saying it was still “too early.” Besides “Shotime,” “real two-way player,” used to describe his versatility, was also chosen as this year’s top buzzword by a committee of experts organized by Japanese publishing house Jiyukokuminsha.

  SOCCER

  Gabriel fights off attacker

  Arsenal defender Gabriel fought off an attacker wielding a baseball bat during an attempted robbery at his north London home in August, the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday. Gabriel and a friend were followed home by two men wearing masks and hoods who tried to steal his car, phone and watch, the report said. A video appeared to show one of the attackers lunging at Gabriel with a bat before the Arsenal defender punched him in the face and grappled with him. The attacker, Abderaham Muse, was jailed for five years over one count of robbery and one of possession of an offensive weapon after police traced DNA from his hat, which fell off during the scuffle, the report said. Two accomplices have not been caught. “No injuries were suffered, but a great deal of shock was caused,” prosecutor Martin Lewis told the Harrow Crown Court, the Daily Mail reported. “They happened to pick on two victims who were very fit and able to look after themselves.”

  SOCCER

  Belarusian official detained

  Czech police have detained Belarus Football Federation president Vladimir Bazanov and his wife on suspicion that they breached COVID-19 pandemic rules by not having applied for an exemption to travel restrictions, local media reported on Tuesday. Bazanov had been due to attend a women’s World Cup qualifier between the Czech Republic and Belarus, Denik N reported. The Belarusian Football Federation declined to comment. The game was eventually postponed due to COVID-19 cases identified among the visiting team. Czech police said they could not confirm that Bazanov and his wife had been detained, saying only: “Two foreign nationals were caught who are suspected of having entered the Czech Republic and stayed here in a breach of current safety measures of the Health Ministry.” A spokesman for the Czech Football Association said that its Belarusian counterpart and UEFA had turned to the Czech association for help. Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Eva Davidova said the ministry could not confirm that Bazanov was in the country or whether he had applied for a Czech visa.
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