BADMINTON
Tai eases past first round
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday thrashed her opponent 21-11, 21-8 on the second day of the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur. The world No. 2 took just 24 minutes to beat World No. 46 Sim Yu-jin of South Korea in their round-of-32 match. World No. 4 Chou Tien-chen took significantly longer in his men’s singles match, beating World No. 29 Sameer Verma of India 10-21, 21-12, 21-14 in 52 minutes. Wang Tzu-wei slogged through a 1 hour, 33 minute game to beat Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 16-21, 21-18, 27-25. In the men’s doubles, Chang Ko-chi and Po Li-wei beat China’s He Ji-ting and Zhou Hao-dong 18-21, 21-13, 21-18. In the mixed doubles, Yang Po-hsuan and Hu Ling-fang progressed due to a walkover, while Lee Jhe-huei and Hsu Ya-ching lost their match.
ATHLETICS
Shoes trip up Yulimar Rojas
Venezuelan triple jump world record-holder Yulimar Rojas will not compete in the long jump at this month’s world championships after her qualifying mark of 6.93m was deemed invalid due to unapproved shoes. The back-to-back triple jump world champion surpassed the long jump qualifying standard at the Reunion de Atletismo Ciudad de Guadalajara last month, but was wearing triple jump shoes, which are not allowed in the event, World Athletics said. “Ms Rojas had intended to compete in the long jump after this event, with approved shoes, to qualify for the World Athletics Championships Oregon 2022, but injury prevented this,” World Athletics said in a statement. The approved sole thickness limit for shoes in the long jump is 20mm and for the triple jump is 25mm.
SOCCER
‘Impractical’ scores probed
The Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) has launched an investigation into two first-division matches that finished with scorelines of 91-1 and 95-0, describing them as “impractical” results. The West African country’s soccer governing body said it was investigating officials and players who were involved in the two fixtures, in which Gulf defeated Koquima Lebanon 91-1 and Kahula Rangers beat Lumbenbu United 95-0. The SLFA said it has zero tolerance for match manipulation or anything of the sort. “The general public is therefore assured that the said matter will be thoroughly investigated and anyone found culpable will face the full force of the law,” it said in a statement. If confirmed, the two scorelines would rank among the highest recorded in soccer history. The highest is thought to have occurred in Madagascar in 2002 when AS Adema beat SO l’Emyrne 149-0. The SO l’Emyrne players intentionally scored one own-goal after another in protest against refereeing decisions with which they disagreed.
BASEBALL
Mets mar Scherzer return
The New York Mets on Tuesday wasted a stellar performance by Max Scherzer in his return from an oblique injury, losing 1-0 to the Cincinnati Reds on Mike Moustakas’ game-ending sacrifice fly. Scherzer struck out 11 while pitching six innings of two-hit ball in his first big league start since May 18. Throwing mostly fastballs, Scherzer —who turns 38 in three weeks — allowed only one runner to reach third, and he responded by striking out Matt Reynolds to get out of the second inning.
A seven-year-old horse had to be euthanized on Friday after breaking its back on the final fence of a Grand National steeplechase race that it won despite sustaining the serious injury. It follows the death of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival last month — including one after the prestigious Gold Cup. Gold Dancer was competing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase during Ladies Day at Aintree’s Grand National Festival. The horse managed to cross the finish line approximately four lengths ahead of runner-up Regent’s Stroll. “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after
Hans Niemann declares he would become a “stone cold killer” in a Netflix documentary released on Tuesday about his feud with five-time classical world champion Magnus Carlsen, a pledge that injects new edge into the lingering fallout from the cheating scandal that shook elite chess. “I’m gonna be a stone cold killer the rest of my life,” the US’ Niemann says in the film. “I’m going to become the best player in the world, and no one is going to believe that now, but this clip will play over and over again in 10 years — just wait.” “I just
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Shahzad Khan was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
OBJECTIVE REACHED: ’Now for us, it’s about getting healthy, making sure everybody is ready to go, and we can ramp up,’ the Atlanta Hawks’ C.J. McCollum said after the game The Atlanta Hawks on Friday secured an NBA playoff berth with a 124-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers as the Boston Celtics locked up the Eastern Conference second seed with a lopsided win of their own. C.J. McCollum scored a game-high 29 points for the Hawks, who came into the contest at sixth in the East and still in danger of falling into the play-in tournament that would see the seventh-through 10th-placed teams battle for the last two playoff berths in each conference. Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson scored 18 points apiece, and Dyson Daniels added a triple-double of 13
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