UNIVERSITY GAMES
Event starts in Germany
The Summer World University Games began in Germany on Wednesday, with Taiwanese fencer Chen Yi-tung and tennis player Yang Ya-yi leading their teammates into the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena for the opening ceremony. A total of 196 university athletes from Taiwan are competing at this year’s multisports event, held across the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region through Sunday next week. They are to compete in 15 sports, aiming to surpass their previous medal haul of 10 golds, 17 silvers and 19 bronzes at the 2021 Chengdu Universiade, Taiwan’s university sports federation said. Chen and Yang, serving as flagbearers, drew cheers from the crowd as they led about 91 athletes and support staff into the arena. Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao expressed hope for a strong performance, saying that the whole nation stands firmly behind the athletes. About 8,500 student-athletes and officials from more than 150 countries are competing in 18 sports, the International University Sports Federation said, making this one of the largest multisport events worldwide this year. The event is typically held every two years, although Taiwan was the most host in 2017.
PHoto: CNA
SOCCER
Girelli leads Italy
Cristiana Girelli on Wednesday got the better of Ada Hegerberg to send Italy into the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s European Championship. Girelli’s 90th-minute header, her second goal of the game, sealed a 2-1 win over Norway, whose captain, Hegerberg, had tied the game after missing a penalty. Italy are to return to Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday next week to face either Sweden or England for their first Women’s Euros semi-final since 1997. “It’s something magical. I felt something special since we came to Switzerland,” Girelli said.
Photo: AP
CRICKET
Das hails series success
Bangladesh captain Litton Das on Wednesday said his team’s first-ever T20 series win in Sri Lanka has been “huge” for his leadership and made the cricket-crazy fans back home happy. Bangladesh hammered Sri Lanka by eight wickets in Colombo to clinch the three-match series 2-1 and cap off their tour of the nation on a high. Chasing a modest 133 for victory, Bangladesh rode on opener Tanzid Hasan’s unbeaten 73 to achieve their target with 21 balls to spare at R. Premadasa Stadium. Spinner Mahedi Hasan set up victory with figures of 4-11 to restrict Sri Lanka to 132-7 after the hosts elected to bat first. “It is a proud moment for me as a captain,” Litton said. “I am happy that the fans are also happy seeing us win a T20 series in Sri Lanka.”
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minutes sealed the team’s fate in the third round of qualifiers. While acknowledging that the defeat, Taiwan’s sixth in Group D, was disappointing, head coach Matt Ross said he saw reasons to stay positive about the team’s development. “There were lots of positive signs in terms of the
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
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also secured their places at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the Middle East, sealed their first appearance at the finals in 40 years and are to play in Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi
Teng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. He pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as Houston scored 11 runs during his outing to snatch an 11-9 comeback victory. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. “It’s my first time pitching for the Astros, so
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