ICE HOCKEY
Stars fined for practicing
The NHL on Monday fined the Dallas Stars US$100,000 for an optional practice session during the mandatory Christmas break that was attended by several young players. That session, the day after Christmas, contravened a collective bargaining agreement. Any sort of on-ice activity or travel for games is prohibited on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the 26th. Stars coach Pete DeBoer on Saturday said he might have made a mistake by providing ice for players to skate during the break, adding that it was “voluntary ice.”
ATHLETICS
Soccer’s Southgate knighted
Former England soccer manager Gareth Southgate has been knighted in the New Year Honours, while Olympic gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson became a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Southgate, who quit shortly after the UEFA Euro 2024 final in July, becomes the fourth former England manager to receive a knighthood, following in the footsteps of 1966 FIFA World Cup winning handler Alf Ramsey, Walter Winterbottom and Bobby Robson. Meanwhile Gerald Davies, the former Wales and British and Irish Lions wing who subsequently served as president of the Welsh Rugby Union, has also been knighted. Hodgkinson, 22, became an MBE after her triumph in Paris last year made her just the third British woman to claim the Olympic 800m title after Ann Packer in 1964 and Kelly Holmes in 2004. Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who won her first Olympic medal with heptathlon silver in Paris, and three-time medalist Dina Asher-Smith were also made MBEs. Nine-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
YACHTING
Bestaven’s Vendee hopes die
Yannick Bestaven’s defense of his Vendee Globe title ended on Monday because of a catalogue of problems on his boat in what is his final solo race, the visibly emotional French sailor announced. The 52-year-old who won the race in 2021 said in a video he would have liked to have gone round Cape Horn in the best possible conditions, “but the boat and the sea decided otherwise.” Bestaven succeeded in navigating Cape Horn, but at less than 13 knots (24kph) and was lying 11th and about 2,000 nautical miles (3,704km) off race leaders Yoann Richomme and Charlie Dalin. Despite damage to his vessel, Bestaven said he was determined to resume the race and finish it in his own time. “One has to be positive and look to what comes after, to see if Maitre CoQ V is seaworthy after the refitting to resume my journey,” he said.
ATHLETICS
Criminals targeting pros: FBI
The FBI is warning sports leagues about crime organizations targeting professional athletes following a string of burglaries at the homes of prominent NFL and NBA players. The athletes’ homes are targeted due to the perception they might contain high-end goods such as designer handbags, jewelry, watches and cash, the FBI said in a Liaison Information Report obtained by ABC News. The NFL and NBA already have issued security alerts to their players after the break-ins, some of which have come when players were away with their teams for road games. The home of the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic was burglarized on Friday, his business manager said.
Taiwan’s men’s table tennis team won bronze on Saturday at this year’s International Table Tennis Federation World Team Table Tennis Championships in London, matching the country’s best-ever finish at the regular tournament. Consisting of Lin Yun-ju, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7, Feng Yi-hsin, Kuo Guan-hong, Hong Jing-kai and Hsu Hsien-chia, the team won bronze after losing 0-3 to Japan in the semifinals. In the opening match, 24-year-old Lin played the first game against world No. 3 Tomokazu Harimoto 11-5, but ultimately lost the next three closely contested games 9-11, 10-12 and 10-12. Feng then faced world No. 8 Sora Matsushima in
Lin Yun-ju on Thursday handed Taiwan two key victories as they advanced to the semi-finals of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London. The Taiwan men’s table tennis team beat Sweden 3-2 in five singles matches. The 24-year-old Lin, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7 and nicknamed the “Silent Assassin,” opened the tie by defeating world No. 2 Truls Moregard 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 13-11) before clinching the deciding fifth match with a 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-5) win over Anton Kallberg to hand his team the overall victory. Kuo Guan-hong put Taiwan up 2-0 with a 3-2 (4-11, 11-8, 8-11,
Taiwanese fire dancer Yang Li-wei advanced to the final of Britain’s Got Talent this weekend after receiving a Golden Buzzer during her live semi-final performance. Yang, a member of Taiwan’s Coming True Fire Group, awed judges and audiences with a high-intensity fire performance featuring flaming umbrellas, fire swallowing and spinning metal structures balanced with her legs. Judge Simon Cowell praised Yang as a star, while guest judge KSI reacted with amazement before pressing the Golden Buzzer, sending her to the finals. The dance group wrote on social media that the Golden Buzzer was “the highest honor” on the talent show, adding: “Twenty-three years
As Super Rugby fast approaches its playoff season it finds itself racing toward a reckoning with many issues that threaten the southern hemisphere tournament. A group of stakeholders met in the New Zealand city of Christchurch late last month to address problems that are making the future of the 31-year-old competition increasingly tenuous. The discussion was made more urgent by the decision by the owners of Moana Pasifika to fold the Auckland-based club for financial reasons. That followed the closure of the Melbourne Rebels at the end of the 2024 season, likewise because of financial difficulties. Problems addressed included player retention as more
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