BADMINTON
Taiwanese win doubles
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan yesterday defeated compatriots Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin in straight sets to secure the men’s doubles title at the Korea Masters in Gwangju. The world No. 17 duo of Lee Jhe-huei and Yang beat Tokyo Olympic gold-medalists Lee Yang and Wang 21-17, 21-19 in 35 minutes. Taiwanese pairings took the top three spots in men’s doubles, after the world No. 11 team of Lee Yang and Wang defeated Taiwan’s Lee Fang-chi and Lee Fang-jen in their semi-final on Saturday.
SOCCER
Striker dies in Albania
Former Ghana striker Raphael Dwamena on Saturday died after a heart attack during an Albanian league match between KF Egnatia and FK Partizani, the Albanian Football Association said in a statement. “Paramedics on the pitch rushed him to hospital, where he died at the age of 28,” it said. Dwamena earned eight caps for Ghana and was once considered one of the country’s rising stars, but encountered several cardiac problems over the course of his career. In 2017, the attacker was unable to join Brighton & Hove Albion due to these health issues, and he eventually moved to Spain. Four years later, the Ghanaian collapsed during a cup match in Austria between his side Blau-Weiss Linz and Hartberg, but recovered and continued his playing career.
TENNIS
Canada advances to BJK final
Canada on Saturday reached the Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup final for the first time with a thrilling 2-1 win over the Czech Republic, setting up a championship match against Italy. Four-time champions Italy beat Slovenia 2-0 earlier on in Seville, Spain, in the first semi-final, winning both singles rubbers. Canada, who were competing in the semi-finals for the first time in 35 years, knocked out the fancied Czechs, who have won the competition 11 times — behind only record 18-time winners the US.
HORSE RACING
Fire kills dozens of horses
Authorities are investigating the deaths of more than two dozen racehorses in a barn fire at an upstate New York track that they believe was deliberately set. The horses were killed early on Thursday after the barn where they were housed at the Tioga Downs Casino Resort complex was set on fire, New York State Police said in a news release. The track and casino are in Nichols, a town of about 2,500 people near the Pennsylvania border. A 32-year-old Athens, Pennsylvania, man was charged with arson, burglary and other counts. State police said that an investigation revealed that an individual entered the barn and intentionally set a fire, causing thousands of dollars in damage. The agency did not disclose a possible motive. Someone who entered the burning barn to try to save horses sustained second-degree burns, police said.
CRICKET
England knock out Pakistan
England on Saturday sent Pakistan crashing out of the World Cup with a convincing 93-run win as Ben Stokes and David Willey helped their team end their miserable title defense on a high in Kolkata. Stokes, who came out of one-day international retirement for the World Cup, scored 84 while Joe Root hit 60 to lift England to an impressive 337-9 in their 50 overs before Pakistan folded on 244 in 43.3 overs.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Manchester City on Monday completed the signing of left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported ￡31 million (US$41.8 million). The 24-year-old Algeria international has signed a five-year contract and will be available for the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins later this week. Ait-Nouri is expected to be just one of a trio of new City faces for that tournament with deals close to completion for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Olympique Lyonnais playmaker Rayan Cherki. After missing out on a major trophy in the recently completed season for the first time since 2016-2017, City are hoping
Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in has pleaded with South Korea fans to get behind the team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after more boos were aimed at coach Hong Myung-bo despite leading them to qualification. South Korea reached next year’s finals in North America without losing a game, but that does not tell the whole story. The country’s soccer association has been in the firing line, having scrambled about to find a successor after sacking the unpopular Jurgen Klinsmann in February last year. They eventually settled on Hong, the decorated former skipper who had an unsuccessful stint as coach in 2013-2014, during which
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
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