PREMIER LEAGUE
Haaland declared fit
Erling Haaland has been declared fit for Manchester City’s game against AFC Bournemouth today. The Norway striker was hurt when colliding with the goalpost late on in City’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa last week and was not in the squad for the midweek game against Swansea City AFC. However, City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed that Haaland was ready to play against Bournemouth at the Etihad. Influential midfielder Rodri is also in contention to play following a hamstring injury. “I think he’ll be ready to help, I don’t know if from the beginning, but hopefully he can be with us,” Guardiola said about Rodri. “He’s been out a few times and we know how important he is for us.”
Photo: AFP
PREMIER LEAGUE
Holiday to have 1 game
The league on Friday said in a statement that this season would have just one match on Dec. 26, the Boxing Day holiday in the UK, breaking from the tradition of a full slate of festive fixtures that fans have long enjoyed. Manchester United are to host Newcastle United in the lone game, for the fewest top-flight fixtures in 43 years on Boxing Day, which falls on a Friday this year. The league cited mounting scheduling pressures linked to the expansion of European club competitions as the key reason for the change. “There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions — which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup,” it said. “With fewer weekends available, fixture planning has become increasingly constrained,” it added.
BUNDESLIGA
Dortmund beat Augsburg
Borussia Dortmund on Friday battled past strugglers Augsburg 1-0 courtesy of forward Serhou Guirassy’s first-half strike, to climb back into second place in the German top-flight league. It was Dortmund’s fourth win in a row across all competitions, lifting them to second place in the league, four points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who were to play later in the weekend. Augsburg, who have now lost six of their nine league games this season, are anchored in 15th place on seven points.
A-LEAGUE
Pearson sets youth record
Sydney defender Willa Pearson yesterday became the youngest player to appear in an A-League women’s or men’s match after making her debut in Sydney’s 2-2 draw with Melbourne City at Leichhardt Oval. At 14 years, 312 days, Pearson eclipsed the previous record set by the Western Sydney Wanderers’ Ischia Brooking, who debuted aged 14 years, 347 days in 2023, and also moved ahead of Matildas captain Sam Kerr, who debuted at the age of 15 in 2008. Kerr held the record for nearly 15 years after making her A-League Women debut for the Perth Glory aged 15 years, 45 days, until Talia Younis broke it in 2023 when she debuted for the Wanderers aged 14 years, 361 days. Pearson, born on Dec. 24, 2010, joined five-time champions Sydney earlier this year. Underscoring the generational span of the competition, her debut came opposite Melissa Barbieri, the league’s oldest player. “I’m knackered [tired] at the moment, but thank you to everybody who believed in me, who gave me the opportunity and I’m so thankful we got a point,” Pearson said.
Taiwan’s men’s basketball team yesterday drained 17 three-pointers in a 91-69 rout of Qatar, advancing to the quarter-finals of the Asian Games in Japan. The lopsided victory was largely powered by the team’s precision long-range shooting. Of the 17 three-pointers, seven came in the opening quarter, giving Taiwan an early 26-12 lead. Boosted by 40 percent shooting from long range, Taiwan also held an edge over Qatar in assists (26-13), committed fewer turnovers (6-14) and steals (9-3). Taiwan shooting guard Lin Ting-chien scored a game-high 21 points, including five three-pointers. Naturalized center Brandon Gilbeck added 12 points, nine rebounds and two steals. With a 2-1
Yu Zidi made history last year aged 12 when she became the youngest-ever medalist at the swimming world championships. Now a teenager, she headlines China’s bid for Asian Games domination and has Olympic glory in her sights. The 13-year-old school girl with a pixie hair cut stunned the sporting world last year with a series of eye-popping times. At the last year’s World Aquatics Championships in Singapore she helped China reach the 4x200m women’s freestyle relay final. She did not swim in the final, but China came third, earning Yu a historic bronze for swimming in the heats. Yu just missed out on
The Hyrox athletics franchise has apologized for allowing an athlete to complete an event in Beijing despite soiling herself midway through, causing an outcry on social media. Posts showed Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk with soiled legs and shoes, continuing to use the mats and equipment at the competition held on Saturday in the Chinese capital. She completed the event without the organizing committee intervening, and went on to win the competition, according to the Hyrox Web site. Users pointed out on social media that other participants had to touch the contaminated mats, handles and running tracks after she had used them, raising concerns
Taiwan’s Chen Zhi-ray and Lin Yu-chieh yesterday won the men's doubles final at the Yonex-Sunrise Vietnam Open badminton tournament, quickly dispatching their Singaporean opponents in straight games. Chen and Lin defeated Singapore's Terry Hee and Howin Wong 21-14, 21-12 in 27 minutes at the Badminton World Federation Super 100 event held at the Nguyen Du Club in Ho Chi Minh City. It was the first time the duo had won a BWF Tour event since they paired up in 2024. Previously, 24-year-old Chen and 26-year-old Lin had claimed top spots in three lower-level tourneys, before notching a breakthrough second-place finish at the
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