RUGBY UNION
Former ’Bok flanker dies
Former Springbok loose-forward Pedrie Wannenburg has been killed in a car accident in Texas, his former South African franchise the Bulls said yesterday. Wannenburg, 41, played 20 times for the ’Boks between 2002 and 2007, and was close to being selected for the World Cup-winning squad in France. He also turned out for Irish side Ulster and French club Castres before settling in the US in 2016. He died when a 16-year-old driver led police on a high-speed chase and crashed into the back of Wannenburg’s car at an intersection, local media reported. His wife and two children were in the vehicle with him, but did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
SOCCER
Women’s sets crowd record
A record 91,648 fans on Friday turned up for a women’s match, as Barcelona beat VfL Wolfsburg 5-1 in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League semi-final at the Camp Nou. The clash broke the previous women’s attendance record set just three weeks ago when 91,553 spectators flocked to the Camp Nou for Barcelona’s showdown with Real Madrid on March 30. “It is something spectacular what happened today and almost a month ago, it leaves us speechless,” midfielder Patri Guijarro said about being cheered on by yet another crowd record. “I think that within days, or even years we will be a little more aware of the magnitude [of what happened], and how special it is to experience a day like this.”
SNOOKER
Pigeon disrupts tournament
A pigeon on Friday caused a bizarre delay midway through Mark Selby’s second-round World Championship match against Yan Bingtao, delighting and amusing the players, officials and the crowd at the Crucible in Sheffield, England. After five frames with Yan leading 3-2, the bird flew toward him before landing on the top cushion and strolling along the match table toward the middle pocket. “There is a pigeon, yes, you heard that correctly, a pigeon in the Crucible Theatre,” John Virgo said while describing the action on BBC. “Absolutely extraordinary... It looked for a moment as though Yan Bingtao had had a towel thrown towards him. It was the arrival of an unwanted feathered friend. Absolutely incredible. We have seen some things at the Crucible before, but we have never seen that. How on earth are they going to get it out?” The pigeon was ushered out of the arena through the players’ entrance, before it was caught by a staff member. “Those pigeons will do anything for a free ticket. This is unbelievable,” former world champion Ken Doherty said while commentating.
FORMULA ONE
Mercedes ‘underperforms’
Mercedes were on Friday shut out of the final phase of qualifying for the first time since 2012, and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said the failure was a collective one. “I think we underperformed as a team today,” said the Briton after qualifying 13th for yesterday’s sprint race in a messy session at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with teammate George Russell faring slightly better in 11th. Hamilton said that Mercedes had arrived with optimism, and recognized the hard work being done back at the factory, but “things just don’t come together.”
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one
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