OLYMPICS
Flame departs Greece
The Olympic flame yesterday began its journey to France on board the Belem leaving the Greek port of Piraeus. “The feelings are so exceptional. It’s such an emotion for me,” Tony Estanguet, Paris Olympics chief organizer, told reporters before the departure of the ship. The 19th-century three-masted barque is set to reach Marseille — where a Greek colony was founded in about 600 BC — on May 8.
Photo: AP
OLYMPICS
Thomas Bach backs equity
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach distanced himself from a taboo-busting move from World Athletics’ governing body to offer prize money to gold medalists at this year’s Paris Olympics. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe’s announcement earlier this month that track and field winners at the Paris Games are to receive US$50,000 has sparked mixed reactions. No other sports federation pays prize money at the Olympics. During an interview, Bach said that he thought international sports federations should be focused on reducing inequalities between countries. “The international federations have to treat all their member federations and their athletes on an equal basis and to try to balance this gap between the privileged and the less or under-privileged,” he said.
SOCCER
Leicester City to move up
Leicester City on Friday booked a place in the Premier League after rivals Leeds United crashed to a shock 4-0 defeat against Queens Park Rangers. The result left Leicester City at top of the Championship with 94 points with two games to play, while Leeds remained second on 90, but with just one match left. Third-place Ipswich Town can pip Leeds for the second automatic promotion place as they have 89 points with three matches still to play. They were to play Hull City after press time last night. “It’s not in our hands anymore (automatic promotion), we need to be honest,” Leeds United manager Daniel Farke told the BBC. “The race is not over, if Ipswich win the next two games, then I will say congratulations, but if they don’t win them, then we will have a lot to play for” against Southampton on the final day of the season. “As long as we have a chance, I’m far away from giving up,” he said. “Congratulations to QPR and congratulations to Leicester,” Farke added. “In the first 20 minutes we didn’t do the basics and QPR used this in an effective way to be 2-0 up.” Enzo Maresca’s Foxes achieved promotion at the first time of asking having been relegated from the Premier League last season. Their final two games begin with a trip to Preston North End on Monday, before they round off the season with a home finale against Blackburn Rovers on May 4.
HOMETOWN ZERO: Fans relished the fall of former Brewer-turned-Cubs manager Craig Counsell, as Milwaukee braces to face the Dodgers, who in 2018 denied them a pennant Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy has referred to his team as the “Average Joes,” a nod to their small-market status and lack of big names, but after they beat rivals the Chicago Cubs 3-1 in the decisive fifth game of their National League Division Series (NLDS) on Saturday night, Murphy decided it was time for an upgrade. “You can call them the average Joes, but I say they’re the above-average Joes,” he said. The Brewers relied on contributions from just about every player to get past the Cubs. Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking homer in the fourth inning, and William Contreras and Brice
Mexico’s teenage playmaker Gilberto Mora has lit up the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile as he basks in the limelight afforded by the absences of Barcelona and Real Madrid stars Lamine Yamal and Franco Mastantuono. “I don’t know if I’m the biggest star, and I’m not really interested in that. I think you can always give more,” 16-year-old Mora said before Mexico’s 4-1 win against host nation Chile in the round-of-16 on Tuesday, in which he provided the assist for the opening goal. Next on Mora’s schedule is a quarter-final clash against Argentina this morning Taiwan time, but after
‘SOMETHING SPECIAL’: Nathan Lukes hit a two-run single and Addison Barger had three of Toronto’s 12 hits as the Blue Jays bounced back After taking down the storied New York Yankees in their own ballpark in their American League Division Series on Wednesday, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider was ready to revel in the triumph. “Start spreading the news,” Schneider said while popping a bottle of bubbly to set off the Blue Jays’ jubilant celebration inside their Yankee Stadium clubhouse. With the party under way, the familiar lyrics from Frank Sinatra’s version of New York, New York — the Yankees’ long-time victory anthem — sounded in the background as roaring Toronto players sprayed each other with booze in the Bronx. This time, it was their
‘IT’S BASEBALL’: In just the second error to end a post-season series in the MLB, the Phillies reliever fumbled a comebacker and threw to home, despite the signal Eyes red, Orion Kerkering on Thursday received words of support from his Philadelphia Phillies teammates. “Just keep your head up. It’s an honest mistake. Just, it’s baseball,” he remembered hearing. “You’ll be good for a long time to come,” they added. “It’s not my fault, then. We had opportunities to score,” was the message he kept getting. Kerkering made a wild throw past home plate instead of tossing to first after mishandling Andy Pages’ bases-loaded comebacker with two outs in the 11th inning. Pinch-runner Kim Hye-seong scored and the Phillies were eliminated with a 2-1 loss that gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a
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