TENNIS
Taiwan’s Chan advances
Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching on Tuesday advanced in the women’s doubles at the Charleston Open. Chan and partner Veronika Kudermetova of Russia defeated Russian pair Yana Sizikova and Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-4 in their round-of-16 match to set up a quarter-final against Japanese pair Makoto Ninomiya and Eri Hozumi. That match was to begin after press time last night. Taiwanese Wu Fang-hsien and Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway were eliminated, losing 6-3, 6-2 against Sloane Stephens and Ashlyn Krueger of the US. In the women’s singles at the Family Circle Tennis Center in South Carolina, top seed Jessica Pegula rallied from a set down to beat fellow American Amanda Anisimova 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) in their second-round match.
RUGBY UNION
Whitelock to retire
All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock is to retire from all rugby at the end of the current European season, aged 35 and after a record 153 Tests for New Zealand. Whitelock played his final Test for the All Blacks as a replacement in the Rugby World Cup final in Paris last year. He now plays for French club Pau, but yesterday said that he would quit all rugby when his commitments to the club are complete. “I’ve been having a few conversations with my wife, Hannah, and the kids around what the future looks like for us. And it’s time to finish the playing chapter of rugby,” Whitelock said in a statement. “I think if you talk to anyone who has played for a long time, that desire [to play] never leaves. It’s just that stage of life when you move on. It’s not a decision that we have come to lightly, but it’s the right thing for myself and it’s the right thing for my wife and our three kids, Fred, Iris and Penelope.” Whitelock made his Test debut in 2010 and played at four World Cups, winning in 2011 and 2015.
SOCCER
Indian official suspended
India’s governing body on Tuesday suspended a senior executive member after his arrest for allegedly hitting two female players. Deepak Sharma, executive committee member of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), was arrested and bailed by police over last week’s incident in Goa. “The AIFF executive committee has decided to suspend Mr Deepak Sharma from participating in any football-related activities until further notice,” it said in a statement. Indian media reported that Sharma barged into the room of the two players and assaulted them. He has denied the charges.
COMMONWEALTH
Singapore rules out hosting
Singapore yesterday joined Malaysia in ruling out hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth Games Federation has been scrambling to find a new host after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year because of soaring costs. Malaysia emerged as a possible replacement, but turned down the opportunity last month because of the cost. “Commonwealth Games Singapore and Sport Singapore have studied the feasibility of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games and have decided not to make any bid to host the Games,” the two sports bodies said in a joint statement, giving no more detail. Victoria’s sudden pullout and the lack of an obvious alternative have raised doubts over the future of the Games, which take place every four years.
Taiwan’s participation in the Olympic Games has been a story of politics as much as sports, with the name it has competed under since 1984 — Chinese Taipei — drawing as much attention as its athletes. However, with the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad set to begin in Paris on Friday, the exploits of Taiwan’s athletes past and present who have won 36 medals since the country’s debut in Melbourne in 1956 deserve a nod. Many of Taiwan’s medal winners have gained considerable name recognition, but only two have achieved legendary status — Maysang Kalimud and Chi Cheng, the only medal winners
Shohei Ohtani on Sunday hit a 473-foot (144m) home run as the Los Angeles Dodgers went deep six times in a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, Gavin Lux, Austin Barnes and Jason Heyward also connected as Los Angeles swept the three-game series. “Going into the break, we weren’t playing good baseball, and then to come out fresh against a really good ball club and to play the way we did — the offense came to life,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. It was the 25th time the Dodgers launched at least six homers in a game
Canada women’s soccer coach Bev Priestman on Wednesday said she would step away from the team’s opening game against New Zealand at the Paris Olympics in the wake of a drone scandal. New Zealand complained to the International Olympic Committee’s integrity unit after it said drones were flown over closed practice sessions earlier in the week. As of press time last night, Canada, the defending Olympic champions, were set to open the Paris Games against New Zealand in Saint-Etienne. In the fallout of the complaint, two staff members — assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi — were sent home, the
Conventional wisdom dictates that the average retirement age for elite female players in the intense and physically demanding sport of badminton is well under 30 years old. Five female shuttlers are set to turn that on its head when they make their fourth Olympic appearances at the Paris Games, a feat never accomplished before. Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying, 30, Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon, 29, Belgium’s Lianne Tan, 33, and Hong Kong’s Tse Ying Suet and Canada’s Michelle Li, both 32, are to compete for Olympic glory at Porte de La Chapelle Arena from Saturday to Aug. 5. “These achievements get missed because they’re women,” said