BASKETBALL
Taipei to host tournament
Twelves team from the SBL, T1 League and P.League+ are to face off in a tournament at Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium from Saturday to Sept. 27, following the cancelation of the William Jones Cup over COVID-19 restrictions. The tournament is to feature SBL’s Bank of Taiwan, Taiwan Beer, Yulon Luxgen Dinos and Changhua BLL; T1’s Taiwan Beer Herobears, the CTBC DEA, Taoyuan Leopards, Taichung Suns and Tainan TSG GhostHawks; P.League+’s Hsinchu JKO Lioneers and PLG Rising Stars, a league squad of young and upcoming players; and Taiwan’s national development squad. Following a round-robin six-team group stage, the top four sides from each group would advance to the single-elimination knockout stage, the CTBA said.
SOCCER
Fan killed before match
A 36-year-old man was on Monday night shot dead in Argentina during clashes between rival supporters of the same club before a second-division match, police said. Witnesses said the clash was among supporters of Club Atletico de San Martin in the northwestern city of San Miguel de Tucuman. The fans were heading to the stadium for the top-of-the-table clash against Belgrano, police sources said, quoted by the official Telam news agency. San Martin president Ruben Moisello said the victim was shot in the neck from behind. Police cordoned off the area after the incident, but the match went ahead with San Martin winning 1-0. A suspect has been identified, Tucuman Deputy Police Chief Juan Ibanez said. Also on Monday night, about 15 people were arrested and three police officers injured as angry fans of second-division Nueva Chicago tried to break into the changing rooms after their team’s 3-2 defeat to Almagro.
HOCKEY
Learn French: politicians
Several of Quebec’s major party leaders say new Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki needs to learn French. Coalition Avenir Quebec party leader Francois Legault said the Habs made an “excellent choice,” describing the center as one of the team’s best players, before adding that Suzuki has to learn French. The Canadiens announced the appointment of the 23-year-old Ontario native as the team’s captain on Monday. He has played for the Canadiens for three seasons. Quebec Liberal Party leader Dominique Anglade told reporters it would be a good thing if Suzuki learned French. Parti Quebecois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon described Suzuki as a “very good choice,” but added that it is important for the Habs captain to learn French because the position involves a bond with fans.
SOCCER
Mendy found not guilty
Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy on Tuesday was found not guilty on a charge of rape of a 19-year-old woman. The verdict was given by a jury on the direction of a judge at Chester Crown Court in northwest England. Mendy’s co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, was also cleared of two counts of rape and one of sexual assault against the same woman after the prosecution offered no further evidence against the defendants on those four counts. Mendy still faces seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
A soccer jersey carrying a national map including disputed Western Sahara has become a hot commodity in Morocco after a diplomatic dispute with Algeria. Retailers said RS Berkane jerseys have been flying off the shelves after a Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup match against Algerian club USM Alger was canceled last month over the jerseys. “We are overwhelmed by the influx of messages and requests,” said Brahim Rabii, representative of the official RS Berkane jersey distributor. Algeria broke off diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, partly over the issue of Western Sahara. The former Spanish colony is largely controlled by Morocco, but claimed
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just