CRICKET
Sun Group buys team
The owners of Indian Premier League (IPL) side Sunrisers Hyderabad have paid just over ￡100 million (US$124 million) for full control of the Yorkshire franchise in English cricket’s Hundred competition, the BBC reported on Wednesday. The Sun Group are the third investors into the Hundred from the IPL, but the BBC said it was the first to buy a 100 percent stake in one of the eight franchises with their acquisition of the Northern Superchargers.
Photo: EPA-EFE
TENNIS
Bellucci beats Medvedev
Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci on Wednesday stunned former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in three tough sets to reach the Rotterdam ATP quarter-finals. The 23-year-old left-hander, playing on a career-high ranking of 92, came through 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 to record a first win over a top-10 opponent. “It was a three-hour match and I really enjoyed every moment of it,” Bellucci said. “I really tried to do the best I could. I’m pretty tired, but I’m happy.” He next faces Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece or Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, who were to play after press time last night.
Photo: EPA-EFE
SOCCER
Neymar returns for Santos
Neymar on Wednesday took powerful shots from the edge of the box and ran above his own expectations in 52 minutes on the pitch for Santos in his first game for the Brazilian club since his return last week. Then he hit back at his former Al-Hilal coach, Jorge Jesus, who had cast doubts over Neymar’s form. The 33-year-old striker was not able to cap his night at Vila Belmiro Stadium with a win on his birthday — Santos drew 1-1 with Botafogo Ribeirao Preto, a team fighting relegation in the Sao Paulo state championship. “I need more minutes, more matches. I am not 100 percent, but I didn’t expect to run as much as I did tonight,” said Neymar, who is still recovering from ACL surgery. “I will be much better three, four games from now.” Neymar said his performance was also a response to the negative comments of his former coach. “I knew that I was going to show something different on the pitch,” he told Brazilian channel CazeTV at Vila Belmiro Stadium. “The pitch is the only place where I can defend myself from that criticism, those comments.”
SOCCER
NWSL creates US$5m fund
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) on Wednesday agreed to create a US$5 million fund to compensate players who experienced abuse and continue implementing reforms to resolve investigations launched by attorneys general for New York, Illinois and Washington after players came forward with allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct. Players from across the US top-flight league went public in 2021 with allegations of misconduct by coaches and officials dating back more than 10 years. The attorneys general launched a joint investigation into the allegations in 2022, which they said revealed that the NWSL was “permeated by a culture of abuse.” It also showed some teams did not conduct background checks, which allowed coaches previously terminated for misconduct to be rehired by other teams. “Today is about righting these wrongs and protecting women in sports,” New York Attorney General Letitia James told a news conference.
A seven-year-old horse had to be euthanized on Friday after breaking its back on the final fence of a Grand National steeplechase race that it won despite sustaining the serious injury. It follows the death of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival last month — including one after the prestigious Gold Cup. Gold Dancer was competing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase during Ladies Day at Aintree’s Grand National Festival. The horse managed to cross the finish line approximately four lengths ahead of runner-up Regent’s Stroll. “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after
Hans Niemann declares he would become a “stone cold killer” in a Netflix documentary released on Tuesday about his feud with five-time classical world champion Magnus Carlsen, a pledge that injects new edge into the lingering fallout from the cheating scandal that shook elite chess. “I’m gonna be a stone cold killer the rest of my life,” the US’ Niemann says in the film. “I’m going to become the best player in the world, and no one is going to believe that now, but this clip will play over and over again in 10 years — just wait.” “I just
OBJECTIVE REACHED: ’Now for us, it’s about getting healthy, making sure everybody is ready to go, and we can ramp up,’ the Atlanta Hawks’ C.J. McCollum said after the game The Atlanta Hawks on Friday secured an NBA playoff berth with a 124-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers as the Boston Celtics locked up the Eastern Conference second seed with a lopsided win of their own. C.J. McCollum scored a game-high 29 points for the Hawks, who came into the contest at sixth in the East and still in danger of falling into the play-in tournament that would see the seventh-through 10th-placed teams battle for the last two playoff berths in each conference. Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson scored 18 points apiece, and Dyson Daniels added a triple-double of 13
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Shahzad Khan was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
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