BASKETBALL
Herobears, Early in dispute
The Taiwan Beer Herobears on Monday fell to third place in the T1 League standings after a devastating 112-75 loss to the New Taipei CTBC DEA without American player Cleanthony Early. The Herobears said it did not play Early after he threatened not to play over an alleged contract dispute. “We would rather lose than be threatened,” Herobears executive Yen Chia-hua wrote on Facebook on Sunday. “Ask him to catch the next flight out [of Taiwan] tomorrow. The US dollars saved will be given to the local players as a bonus.” HeroBears General Manager Ha Hsiao-yuan on Monday said that Early told the organization he had an issue with one of his toes and could not play, but if the details in his contract were changed to reflect a higher pay level then he could play. “We decided that we didn’t want to be blackmailed,” Ha said.
TENNIS
Navratilova has cancer
Tennis great Martina Navratilova on Monday said that she has been diagnosed with throat cancer and breast cancer. In a statement released by her representative, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame said her prognosis is good and she will start treatment this month. “This double whammy is serious but still fixable, and I’m hoping for a favorable outcome,” the 66-year-old Navratilova said. “It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all have I got.” She said she noticed an enlarged lymph node in her neck while attending the season-ending WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in November, and a biopsy showed early stage throat cancer. While Navratilova was undergoing tests on her throat, the unrelated, early stage breast cancer was discovered, she said.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
White, wife strike each other
UFC president Dana White on Monday addressed a video released earlier in the day showing him and his wife apparently striking each other in the face in what appeared to be an altercation in a club in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. TMZ, which released the video, said the altercation took place in a private room during a New Year’s Eve party at El Squid Roe, shortly after midnight. “You’ve heard me say for years: ‘There’s never ever an excuse for a guy to put his hands on a woman,’ and now here I am on TMZ talking about it,” Dana White, 53, told the outlet. He said that alcohol was involved, but that it was not an excuse. “I don’t know why it happened and my wife and I have apologized to each other, we’ve apologized to our kids.”
MOTORSPORTS
Al-Attiyah wins stage 2
Defending champion Nasser Al-Attiyah on Monday thrived by being cautious as many of his rivals suffered on a tricky second stage of the Dakar Rally in northwest Saudi Arabia. Al-Attiyah won the special heading inland from the Red Sea to AlUla in five hours and gained more than five minutes on overall leader Carlos Sainz. French driver Mathieu Serradori deliberately under-inflated his tires for the 430km stony track through canyons, and climbed in the overall standings from 17th to third. He was 25 minutes off the pace. “This ... tastes like a stage victory,” Serradori said.
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
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