TENNIS
Raducanu win BBC award
Tennis player Emma Raducanu was on Sunday voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year, receiving British sport’s annual individual accolade as a reward for her remarkable US Open triumph. Raducanu stunned the sporting world in September when she became the first qualifier to win a major after beating Canada’s Leylah Fernandez in the final at Flushing Meadows. The 19-year-old was also the first British woman to claim a major title since Virginia Wade triumphed at Wimbledon in 1977. “I’ve watched Sports Personality of the Year growing up, and it’s an honor to be amongst those past winners,” said Raducanu, who also reached the fourth round at Wimbledon this year on her Grand Slam debut.
ICE HOCKEY
NHL halts cross-border play
The NHL on Sunday suspended all games involving cross-border travel between Canada and the US, putting in doubt players’ ability to participate in the Beijing Olympics. The league was to take a three-week break in February so players could participate in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014, but with close to 40 games postponed due to COVID-19 outbreaks, the league might have to use that time to get the regular season schedule back on track. The league said it expected to make a decision on the Olympics in the coming days. Officials postponed about a dozen cross-border games from yesterday to Thursday on top of two dozen contests already shelved due to COVID-19 concerns.
SOCCER
Racist abuse halts game
A third-division soccer game in Germany was on Sunday abandoned due to racist abuse directed at a visiting player. Referee Nicolas Winter initially stopped the game between hosts MSV Duisburg and Osnabruck in the 35th minute after monkey chants aimed at Osnabruck forward Aaron Opoku. “There was a corner for Osnabruck, and when the player wanted to take it, there were monkey sounds from the stands. He noticed it immediately and so did the assistant. Both of them described it to me,” Winter said. Osnabruck did not want to play on and the game was called off about 10 minutes later. The score at the time was 0-0. “The guy is in bits and everyone — the whole team — is distraught. Honestly, we are too after this incredible incident,” Duisburg press officer Martin Haltermann told Magenta TV. “We’re all pretty speechless at the moment.”
MOTOR RACING
Rosberg team wins E series
Nico Rosberg’s team on Sunday beat Lewis Hamilton’s to become the first champions of the new electric off-road Extreme E series. The contest between the former Formula One teammates and world champions-turned-owners, neither of whom drove, was settled in a final “Jurassic X Prix” in southern England. Rosberg X Racing’s Johan Kristoffersson and Molly Taylor finished fourth in the event won by X44 drivers Sebastien Loeb and Cristina Gutierrez to finish level on points, but ahead 3-1 on wins. JBXE, the team of 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button, finished third overall. “We came into Extreme E to raise awareness of climate change, and promote sustainability, but also as a racing team we want to win and so we will remember this feeling forever,” Rosberg said.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and