FOOTBALL
Cousins set for move
The first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period was a free-for-all frenzy, with teams making one big move after another, highlighted by Kirk Cousins’ decision to leave the Minnesota Vikings for the Atlanta Falcons. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback and the Falcons agreed on a US$180 million, four-year deal with US$100 million guaranteed and a US$50 million signing bonus, a person with knowledge of the terms said on condition of anonymity because the deal cannot be signed until the new league year begins on today. Other major moves were Saquon Barkley to join the Philadelphia Eagles and Brian Burns is going to the New York Giants.
COMMONWEALTH
Malaysia given incentive
Commonwealth Games chiefs praised Malaysia’s “fantastic track record” after the country said it had been offered £100 million (US$130 million) to host the 2026 edition. The Commonwealth Games Federation is scrambling to find a host after the Australian state of Victoria abruptly pulled out in July last year, citing the cost. On Monday, the Olympic Council of Malaysia said that the federation had “offered Malaysia the opportunity to replace Victoria as hosts of the Commonwealth Games in 2026,” with the offer including “significant financial investment of £100 million to support the local delivery and legacy planning of the 2026 edition.” However, a federation spokesperson indicated that Malaysia was not the only country that could potentially stage the Games, as it was “in advanced, confidential discussions with potential hosts.”
RUGBY UNION
Australia fall to 10th
Australia have fallen to an all-time low of 10th in the world rankings after Italy’s victory over Scotland at the weekend bumped the Azzurri up to ninth. The Wallabies won only two of nine Tests under Eddie Jones last season and crashed out of the pool stage of the Rugby World Cup. The All Blacks remained in third place in the rankings behind world champions South Africa and Ireland, despite England’s Six Nations win over the latter at the weekend.
CRICKET
Rishabh Pant fit for IPL
Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant is fit to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting this month after being seriously hurt in a car crash in 2022, the Board of Control for Cricket wrote on X yesterday. After an extensive 14-month rehab and recovery process, Pant “has now been declared fit as a wicket-keeper batter” for the T20 tournament, it said.
IDITAROD
Two dogs die while racing
Two dogs died over the weekend during Alaska’s annual Iditarod sled dog race, the first deaths during the race in five years. Bog, a two-year-old male on musher Issac Teaford’s team, collapsed on Sunday morning about 60m short of the checkpoint in the village of Nulato, 937km into the race. He died despite a veterinarian performing CPR for about 20 minutes. A second dog, George, a four-year-old male on musher Hunter Keefe’s team, also collapsed and died despite attempts to revive him, a race statement said. George died on the trail about 56km outside the village of Kaltag, which is 1,012km into the race.
Santiago Castro on Tuesday had an immediate impact off the bench as he scored the goal to send Bologna into the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years. Bologna won 1-0 against last year’s runners-up, Atalanta BC, and are to play either holders Juventus or Empoli in the final four. Juventus are to host Empoli in their quarter-final on Feb. 26. The last time Bologna reached the semi-finals was in 1999, when they lost 4-2 to ACF Fiorentina. There were chances for both sides in a high-tempo match in Bergamo, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock 10 minutes from
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning