BADMINTON
Taiwan exit in China
Taiwan yesterday were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Sudirman Cup at the Xiamen Fenghuang Gymnasium in China, losing 3-0 to Japan, while hosts China advanced to the semi-finals after beating Malaysia by the same score. Japan took three hours to defeat Taiwan. Hiroki Midorikawa and Arisa Igarashi breezed past Ye Hong-wei and Hu Ling-fang 21-18, 21-18 in the mixed doubles before world No. 16 Koki Watanabe overcame seventh-ranked Chou Tien-chen 21-13, 20-22, 21-14 in the men’s singles and world No. 4 Akane Yamaguchi downed Wei Chi-hsu 21-9 17-21 21-18 in the women’s singles to seal Japan’s sixth straight semi-final appearance. China face Japan in today’s semis at the team tournament, which is held once every two years. The teams in other semi were to be determined by the Denmark-South Korea and Thailand-Indonesia quarters.
Photo: AFP
BASEBALL
Man in critical condition
A man who fell from the 6.4m-high Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park on Wednesday during the MLB game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs was in a critical condition on Thursday morning. Pittsburgh Public Safety, which includes Pittsburgh Police and Emergency Medical Services, wrote on X that the “incident is being treated as accidental in nature.” The man who fell was identified as Kavan Markwood, according to information supplied by the Southern Alleghany School District. District Workforce Development Coordinator Laura Thomson said in a statement that the district is keeping the “former student and standout athlete” in its thoughts and prayers. Thomson’s statement said that Markwood “is best known for his resilience, strength and kindness. He is a friend to all — someone who lifts others up and faces challenges with courage and grace.” Markwood fell onto the warning track in right field just as Pirates star Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double.
Photo: AP
SOCCER
Spain superfan dies
Manuel Caceres, the drum-pounding Spanish superfan known worldwide as “Manolo el del Bombo,” died on Thursday, silencing the rhythmic heartbeat that had accompanied Spanish soccer for more than four decades. He was 76. With his trademark oversized Basque beret and red No. 12 shirt, Caceres became as much a fixture at Spain matches as the players themselves — a percussive national treasure whose relentless drumming provided La Roja’s unofficial soundtrack. “My aim is to retire after 12 [FIFA] World Cups, which will make me 77, if Spain qualify for all of them. I’ll be there even if I have to go with a walking stick,” he told reporters at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Caceres fell two tournaments short of his ambitious goal, attending 10 World Cups, having missed the 2022 showpiece in Qatar. His final appearance came at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium during their UEFA Nations League quarter-final against the Netherlands in March. “I’ve given up everything for football — my businesses and everything — but I’m still alive. I’m happy, I can follow Spain wherever I go. What more could I ask for?” he told reporters at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. “One of our most loyal fans has passed away, someone who was always with us through thick and thin. We know you’ll keep rocking our hearts. Rest in peace, Manolo,” the Spain team wrote on X.
Photo: Reuters
Inter’s defense of their Italian Serie A title was hit with a setback on Sunday as they lost 1-0 at home to AS Roma, while Scott McTominay netted a brace as SSC Napoli beat Torino 2-0 to go top of the table. No fixtures were played on Friday or Saturday because of the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, meaning the full round of Serie A matches took place on Sunday and yesterday. Matias Soule’s first-half strike for Roma knocked Inter off top spot earlier in the day before new Napoli opened up a three-point buffer with victory in Sunday’s
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa yesterday set a women’s only world record of 2 hours, 15 minutes, 50 seconds as she won the London Marathon, while Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe put a star-studded men’s field to the sword. For 28-year-old Assefa it was ample compensation for finishing runner-up in London and the Paris Olympics last year — especially as bitter Dutch rival, the Ethiopia-born Sifan Hassan, finished third. Assefa dropped Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei as the race, played out in blazing sunshine and with thousands lining the route, entered its business end. She came home almost three minutes clear of the Kenyan. Hassan, who beat her in
FOCUS: ‘We came out here with a goal in mind ... to keep our foot on their throat and on their neck, and continue to play 48 minutes of basketball,’ Donovan Mitchell said The Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday thrashed the Miami Heat to cruise into the next round of the NBA playoffs as the Golden State Warriors battled past the Houston Rockets 109-106 to move to the brink of a series victory. After pounding Miami 124-87 in game three on Saturday, No.1 Eastern Conference seeds Cleveland once again piled on the misery for their outclassed opponents with a crushing 138-83 victory to complete a 4-0 series win. The 55-point drubbing was the largest series-clinching victory in NBA playoff history and sets up a series against either the Indiana Pacers or Milwaukee Bucks in
Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds said it felt like an “impossible dream” when fellow Hollywood A-lister Rob McElhenney first floated the idea of buying soccer club Wrexham, along with a pitch for a documentary. The ultimate goal was reaching the Premier League. Four years after they purchased the north Wales outfit, Wrexham are one league away from achieving their lofty goal after a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic on Saturday saw them promoted for a record third consecutive time. “We were standing there doing a press conference four years ago, and said our goal is to make it to the Premier League, and
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