TABLE TENNIS
Taiwanese exit Singapore
Taiwanese paddlers Cheng I-ching and Li Yu-jhun on Saturday crashed out of the women’s doubles final at the Singapore Smash. The world No. 5 pairing, who had together won the women’s doubles title at last year’s WTT Contender Amman title, lost 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 to China’s Chen Meng and Wang Manyu in a just over 20 minutes. In the men’s singles, world No. 8 Lin Yun-ju dragged China’s Liang Jingkun into a six-game match, but ultimately could not overcome the world No. 5 player, losing 9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5 in nearly 56 minutes.
OLYMPICS
Paris to include few Russians
International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice president John Coates is unsure how many Russian athletes are to compete as neutral athletes at the Paris Games, but thinks reports that it might be as few as 40 could be close to the mark. Under sanctions put in place because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the IOC is allowing only some Russian athletes to compete in Paris. “The issue is how many of them are going to be there too, because they’re not going to be in any team sports because they can’t compete as Russia,” Coates said in yesterday’s edition of Sydney’s Daily Telegraph. “And then anyone who is prepared out of the Russian military clubs, they’re not going... I mightn’t be right, but I think that I’ve read something that it might be as little as 40.”
SOCCER
Comments wrong: Hayes
Chelsea women’s manager Emma Hayes said she was wrong to describe intrasquad player relationships as “inappropriate.” On Thursday, Hayes, who is to take over as coach of the US women’s team, said that player-to-player relationships in a team are “ inappropriate “ because they have the potential to create extra challenges to manage. “I didn’t think it was right for me to use the term ‘inappropriate’ for the players,” Hayes said on Friday night after Chelsea beat Arsenal 3-1. Chelsea players Jess Carter and Ann-Katrin Berger are in a relationship. After Hayes’ initial comment, Carter liked a post on X that said it was “beyond bonkers” to bring player relationships into the conversation about player-coach relationships. Hayes said post-match that she spoke to Carter and other players about her choice of words. The manager regretted creating “clickbait headlines” and in that respect, “I let myself down yesterday,” she said.
MOTOR SPORTS
Employee files complaint
The female Red Bull employee at the center of allegations against Christian Horner has lodged an official complaint to Formula One’s governing body, the BBC reported on Saturday. Allegations of inappropriate behavior against Red Bull’s embattled team principal have overshadowed the opening weeks of the the F1 season. Horner was cleared of wrongdoing by an internal investigation by Red Bull’s parent company last month. However, the next day, an anonymous e-mail was sent to F1 staff and media containing alleged messages from Horner to a female member of the team. Red Bull suspended the employee at the center of the allegations, but she has appealed that suspension with Red Bull GmbH.
Andre de Grasse, the reigning Olympic champion in the men’s 200m, and many other top-class international athletes are to showcase their talent in Taipei at the Taiwan Athletics Open early next month, according to the event’s official Web site. The Canadian sprinter, who clocked 19.62 seconds to top the podium in Tokyo in 2021, is to compete at the Taipei Stadium after the two-day event was upgraded to a leg of the World Athletics Continental Tour. The elevated status of the Taiwan Athletics Open means participants can earn more ranking points, making it possible for the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association (CTAA), the
Novak Djokovic on Sunday described his shock third-round elimination from the Internazionali BNL d’Italia by Alejandro Tabilo as “concerning,” two days after he was hit on the head by a bottle, which he said has caused nausea and dizzy spells. Djokovic’s bid for a record-extending 41st Masters 1000 title was ended in just more than an hour by Chilean Tabilo, who is ranked 32nd in the world and claimed his first win over a top-10 opponent, 6-2, 6-3. The 24-time Grand Slam winner said that his subdued performance on a court where he has won six titles might have been due to
Caitlin Clark on Thursday walked into her new home arena with No. 22 shirts and jerseys peppered from floor to ceiling. She left as a first-time WNBA winner. A late-arriving, but louder-than-usual crowd roared during her official introduction to Fever fans and again when Clark made her first basket, a layup with 7 minutes left in the first quarter. The cheers grew when she completed a three-point play a few minutes later and hit a crescendo when she finally made a long three-pointer from the edge of the fieldhouse logo late in the third quarter. Clark successfully navigated the city’s most anticipated rookie
TO REAL MADRID? Kylian Mbappe informed PSG privately in February of his intention to depart when his contract expires, but this was the first time he acknowledged it publicly French soccer player Kylian Mbappe on Friday confirmed that he is to leave French champions Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, with Real Madrid widely expected to be his next destination. The announcement brings an end to a prolific association with his hometown team, which began when he signed from AS Monaco in 2017 in a deal worth 180 million euros (US$194 million). “I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks,” Mbappe, 25, said in a video