SEA GAMES
Cambodia withdraws team
Cambodia yesterday withdrew its team from the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand for safety reasons, as a border conflict between the two neighbors raged for a third day. In a letter to organizers, the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) said it withdrew due to “serious concerns” and requests from families of athletes to allow them to return home. Fighting erupted between the countries on Monday, the second major flare-up between them this year. “NOCC must withdraw all of our delegation and arrange for their prompt return to Cambodia for safety reasons,” the committee said in the letter, released a day after the team attended the opening ceremony of the Games in Bangkok. “The decision was not made lightly,” it said.
Photo: AFP
BASEBALL
Ohtani wins athlete of year
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on Tuesday was named The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for a record-tying fourth time. Ohtani, who also earned the distinction in 2021, 2023 and last year, matched LeBron James, Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong for the most selections since the award was first presented in 1931. Ohtani had been tied for the second-most wins with Michael Jordan, who was honored in 1991, 1992 and 1993. “Receiving this award multiple times is something truly special,” Ohtani said in Japanese in an interview with the AP. The only other baseball player to claim the AP award more than once was another Dodgers ace, Sandy Koufax, in 1963 and 1965.
SOCCER
Norway PM promises booze
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has promised to find a way for fans to enjoy a drink in the pub as they watch their team’s late-night matches in the nation’s first FIFA World Cup appearance in 28 years next summer. Under Norway’s strict rules, pubs screening matches from North America would have to stop serving alcohol long before the final whistle. With Norway kicking off two of their Group I games at midnight and 2am local time, Stoere said a way would be found to keep the fans, and the pubs, happy. “It is a tradition in Norway that people go to pubs to watch matches together and we believe they should be able to do that for the whole match,” he told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “This is something we will find a solution to well before the World Cup starts.”
CHESS
Carlsen wins Tour title
Magnus Carlsen on Tuesday secured the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour title by reaching the semi-finals of the South Africa Finals, clinching the season championship and the US$100,000 bonus prize. The world No. 1, who has given up on becoming classical chess world champion again after relinquishing his crown, endured a bumpy route into the last four. He opened his quarter-final tie against American Fabiano Caruana with a loss after a costly blunder, leaving himself in a must-win situation with the black pieces. Carlsen forced tiebreaks, then won the first blitz game before closing out the match with a second victory. The winner of the final leg of the year would collect US$200,000 in prize money.
The Olympic flame for the Milan Cortina Winter Games landed in Rome on Thursday following a handover in Greece. The flame was carried in a small lantern aboard an ITA Airways flight between the Greek and Italian capitals. Tennis player Jasmine Paolini — an Olympic gold medalist — and local organizing committee president Giovanni Malago carried the flame off the plane. “I feel honored. It’s an incredible emotion,” Paolini said in brief remarks before the lantern was driven away toward the presidential palace. A 63-day torch relay covering 12,000km is to start in Rome today and wind its way through all 110 Italian provinces
The Kashima Antlers won a record-extending ninth Japanese title on the final day of the J. League season yesterday, holding their nerve to beat the Yokohama F. Marinos 2-1. Watched by Brazilian legend and former player Zico, the Antlers went into the game at their packed home stadium with a one-point lead over Kashiwa Reysol in the table. A goal in either half from Brazilian striker Leo Ceara put the Antlers in control, but Yokohama struck in the first of five minutes of second-half injury time to set up a nail-biting finale, with Reysol winning their game 1-0. The Antlers saw out the
Tony Jefferson intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass in overtime to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 22-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday in an NFL thriller between playoff contenders. Justin Herbert, playing a week after surgery on his broken left (non-throwing) hand, withstood a career-high seven sacks to throw for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals, including the 54-yard game winner in overtime. The Chargers defenders forced Hurts to throw four interceptions and surrender a fumble for a career-worst five turnovers as the Eagles fell to 8-5 with a third
ABYSMAL: Wolves have equaled their worst top-flight run since 1981-1982, and they will equal the league’s longest winless start if they fail to win their next two matches Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim on Monday said his team had “improved a lot” after they climbed back into the race to qualify for the UEFA Champions League as Bruno Fernandes inspired a 4-1 rout of woeful Wolverhampton Wanderers. Amorim’s side recovered from their disappointing draw with lowly West Ham United last week thanks to Fernandes’ double and goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount at Molineux. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde had canceled out Fernandes’ opener with Wolves’ first goal in six games in all competitions and their first in the top-flight since Oct. 26. However, Mbeumo, Mount and Fernandes netted after
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