CRICKET
Australia dominate in Test
Marnus Labuschagne yesterday cracked a masterful unbeaten 154 while Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith hit 50s as a dominant Australia took control of the opening Test against the West Indies at Perth Stadium. The hosts reached an ominous 293-2 at stumps on day one following captain Pat Cummins’ decision to bat in hot and dry conditions. The total was built off the back of a 142-run stand between Labuschagne and Khawaja, who came together after David Warner was out for five, then an unbeaten 142 with Smith. A focused Labuschagne, who survived chances on 75 and 137, brought up his eighth century in his 29th Test and with the in-form Smith unbeaten on 59 the omens are not good for the visitors, who have failed to win a Test in Australia for 25 years.
RUGBY UNION
White wrongly cleared
Officials on Tuesday said Australia scrumhalf Nic White was wrongly allowed to play on after he was concussed against Ireland this month. White took a blow to the head in the second half at Lansdowne Road on Nov. 19. As he was leaving the field for a head injury assessment (HIA), he stumbled twice. Those stumbles were “Criteria 1” displays of possible concussion and should have automatically resulted in White’s permanent removal from the field. An independent review ordered by the Six Nations said the stumbles were missed. White passed the HIA by the independent match day doctor and returned to play the last 26 minutes. The decision was widely criticized. World Rugby said the report showed that the match day doctor and Wallabies doctor were reviewing video of the head knock and did not see White stumble. Not until after the match when the medical team was made aware of the stumbles was video of that reviewed.
TENNIS
US coaches sanctioned
US coaches Bob Bryan and Mardy Fish have been fined and received suspended bans for breaking betting sponsorship rules, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said on Tuesday. The pair were fined US$10,000 each and received suspended bans of four months after admitting promoting a gaming operator on social media. Because the pair were on the US Davis Cup coaching team this year, they are considered “covered persons” and thereby banned from such activities. Fish, 40, reached a career-high ranking of world No. 7, and won an Olympic silver medal in 2004. Bryan, 44, a top-ranked doubles player with his twin brother, won 23 Grand Slams, including seven mixed doubles.
HOCKEY
Ovechkin surpasses Gretzky
Alex Ovechkin on Tuesday scored twice, passing Wayne Gretzky for the most road goals in NHL history, as the Washington Capitals beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-1. Ovechkin has scored 403 of his 793 career goals away from home. Gretzky holds the overall record with 894. Ovechkin topped Gretzky 11 minutes, 52 seconds into the first period, firing a one-timer from the left circle past Martin to give the Capitals a 2-0 lead with his 13th goal of the season. He got his first of the night 5:35 in, taking the puck off the stick of Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes near the net and batting in a quick shot. It was Ovechkin’s 135th game-opening goal, tying Jaromir Jagr for the most in NHL history.
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or