TABLE TENNIS
Taiwanese pair advance
Taiwanese paddlers Cheng I-ching and Li Yu-jhun yesterday dominated Romania’s Elizabeta Samara and Andreea Dragoman 3-0 to advance to the women’s doubles quarter-finals at the Singapore Smash. The world No. 5 pairing of Cheng and Li handily beat the world No. 20 Romanians 11-4, 11-9, 11-3 in a brisk 14 minutes, 47 seconds. They are next to play the world No. 8 duo of Adina Diaconu of Romania and Maria Xiao of Spain. In the mixed doubles quarter-finals, Taiwan’s Chen Szu-yu and Lin Yun-ju edged Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem 12-10, 10-12, 11-5, 7-11, 11-4. In the men’s singles round-of-32, Taiwanese Kao Chen-jui fell to China’s Wang Chuqin 11-7, 11-6, 11-4, while Taiwan’s Chuang Chih-yuan lost 9-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 to South Korea’s Cho Daeseong. In the women’s singles round-of-32, Chen lost 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 to Japan’s Miwa Harimoto, while Cheng lost 7-11, 11-7, 11-5, 12-10 to South Korea’s Suh Hyowon and Taiwan’s Chien Tung-chuan was defeated 11-5, 11-9, 11-1 by China’s Wang Yidi.
CYCLING
Champion in court over death
Australian former world champion cyclist Rohan Dennis yesterday appeared in court after being charged following the road death of his Olympian wife. Melissa Hoskins, a retired track cyclist who represented Australia at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, died in an Adelaide hospital in late December last year from serious injuries. The bailed Dennis, 33, made no plea when he faced the Adelaide Magistrates Court, which adjourned the case until Aug. 6, court documents said. Following his wife’s death, police charged Dennis with “causing death by dangerous driving” and “driving without due care and endangering life.”
SURFING
Australian to surf for Japan
Australian-born pro surfer Connor O’Leary is off to this summer’s Paris Olympics with Japan having switched allegiances last year to his mother’s homeland. The 30-year-old, who hails from the Sydney suburb of Cronulla, was picked as Japan’s third and final representative in their men’s surfing team for the Games, the Nippon Surfing Association said. O’Leary’s mother, Akemi Karasawa, is a former Japanese surfing champion, while his father is Australian. “So excited to officially announce that I will be representing Japan at the Paris 2024 Olympics!” O’Leary told his 70,000 followers on Instagram. “Tahiti here we come!” He reportedly switched to representing Japan to bolster his chances of getting to the Olympics. “To be able to qualify for Australia would be great as well, but with where I am at in my career, [representing Japan is] such a great way to expand my horizon,” O’Leary told SBS Japanese last year.
SOCCER
Police raid AC Milan office
Italy’s finance police on Tuesday raided the headquarters of AC Milan as part of an investigation into the sale of the Serie A giants to US investment fund RedBird. The club confirmed the raids reported by Italian news agencies ANSA and AGI and said that the team itself was not being investigated, but that current CEO Giorgio Furlani and his predecessor Ivan Gazidis were. The club added that the pair were being probed for “incorrect communication” to supervisory bodies and that Milan were “cooperating fully with the investigative authorities.”
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
RSS