BADMINTON
Lin secures Finals berth
Taiwan’s Lin Chun-yi yesterday defeated Li Shifeng of China in straight games at the China Masters in Shenzhen to clinch a spot in the BWF World Tour Finals. The opening round men’s singles match was make or break for Lin, who was ranked No. 9 on the World Tour, and Li, who is eighth. Both needed the victory in the Super 750 event, which is the last tournament for qualification for the Finals. Lin defeated last week’s Kumamoto Masters champion 21-14, 21-19 in 56 minutes. Meanwhile, World No. 9 Taiwanese shuttler Chou Tien-chen crashed out of his opener, losing 21-17, 18-21, 21-13 to Alex Lanier. However, Chou is second in the World Tour rankings and is already guaranteed a spot in December’s Finals in Hangzhou, China.
SOCCER
Report criticizes safety
Professional soccer is failing to apply required safety standards, contravening legal frameworks at both European and global levels, a report published yesterday said. The report by Belgian University Katholieke Universiteit Leuven was commissioned by global soccer players’ union FIFPRO. It is to be submitted as evidence to the joint complaint filed to European anti-trust regulators against FIFA by FIFPRO Europe, European Leagues and La Liga. Elite leagues accused soccer’s world governing body of abuse over the effects of the expanding soccer calendar on player well-being, including decisions around the expanded FIFA Club World Cup next year. The research looked at the job demands and resources in the professional game, particularly the stressors of a high-risk work environment, and examined the legal obligations around health and safety standards. It determined that Occupational Safety and Health standards should apply to the industry, as soccer players are recognized as workers under European and international labor laws.
FOOTBALL
Jets fire GM Douglas
Jets owner Woody Johnson is cleaning house for his woeful New York Jets in what has been a hugely disappointing season. On Tuesday, he fired Joe Douglas as general manager, the latest shakeup for a franchise that had Super Bowl aspirations with a healthy Aaron Rodgers as quarterback, but has limped to a 3-8 start and appears likely to miss the playoffs for a 14th consecutive year. The dismissal of Douglas, who was 30-64 and had no winning seasons in his tenure, came exactly six weeks after Johnson fired Robert Saleh as coach on Oct. 8 after the Jets were 2-3 to open the year.
BOXING
Paul, Tyson fight sets record
Jake Paul’s unanimous decision over Mike Tyson on Saturday was the highest-grossing combat sports event in Texas at US$18.1 million, the promotions company cofounded by Paul said on Tuesday. The eight-round fight at the home of the Dallas Cowboys drew about 72,000 fans and was part of a co-main event that featured Katie Taylor’s latest disputed decision in a super lightweight championship slugfest against Amanda Serrano. The event surpassed Texas’ previous sports combat high of US$9 million set by Canelo Alvarez when he faced Billy Joe Saunders at the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium in 2021, Most Valuable Promotions said.
A runner who stopped during a marathon in China to pose doing the splits and another who hoarded energy gels have been banned for two years, the local athletics association said yesterday. The incidents happened during Sunday’s marathon in Sichuan Province’s Chengdu and were widely shared online. Videos showed a female runner stopping suddenly and dropping to the ground in the splits position, holding up her arms in a heart shape as she apparently posed for a photograph. She “committed obstructive fouls during the race, affecting the safe participation of other runners,” the Sichuan Athletics Association said in a statement, which identified
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli yesterday vowed to “keep raising the bar” after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings. The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China, and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell. Mercedes are struggling to
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah on Tuesday said that he would leave the English club at the end of the Premier League season, marking an earlier-than-planned departure for one of the club’s greatest-ever scorers and soccer’s biggest names. The 33-year-old Egypt forward, who has scored 255 goals in 435 appearances for Liverpool, “reached an agreement” to quit the team a year before his contract was due to expire, the Premier League champions said. Salah’s form has dipped in his ninth year at Anfield, to such an extent that he was dropped for a stretch of games late last year — leading to the
There were some big games to be played yesterday in the NBA, with the Atlanta Hawks to play the Detroit Pistons in a matchup pitting a Hawks team who are rolling against a Pistons team trying to lock up the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed. The Oklahoma City Thunder were to play the Boston Celtics, a showdown featuring the two most recent champions, while the Houston Rockets faced the Minnesota Timberwolves, a game that could factor mightily into Western Conference seeding. Elsewhere, the Washington Wizards were to play the Utah Jazz, with the Wizards on a 16-game slide visiting against a team
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