BASEBALL
Kim returns to Braves
Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is returning to the Atlanta Braves, agreeing on Monday to a US$20 million, one-year contract that addressed a major off-season priority for the team. Kim gets a US$4 million raise. He had declined a US$16 million player option from the US$29 million, two-year contract he agreed to in February with the Tampa Bay Rays, a deal that paid him US$13 million. The Braves announced the new deal with Kim on Monday night. The 30-year-old South Korean batted .234 with five homers and 17 RBIs for the Rays and Braves, who claimed him off waivers on Sept. 1. Kim did not make his season debut until July 4 because of right shoulder surgery late last year.
Photo: AP
HORSE RACING
Protester released on bail
A man who ran on to the track during the Hong Kong Cup to call for government resignations over a deadly fire has been released on bail. The 59-year-old on Sunday invaded Sha Tin Racecourse during the HK$40 million (US$5.14 million) race, but was prevented by staff from getting into the path of the horses thundering past, which could have caused carnage. He was holding a banner calling for Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee and Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang to resign following the Wang Fuk Court blaze that killed at least 160 people last month. Video showed the man being tackled to the ground by staff in the middle of the home straight, including the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s official race starter. He was held down to prevent him being trampled as the seven horses in the field galloped past safely near the inside rail, including winner Romantic Warrior, watched by tens of thousands of spectators at the territory’s most prestigious race. He was arrested on suspicion of “disordering public places,” police said, adding that he had been released on bail pending further investigation.
TENNIS
ATP to launch heat policy
The ATP men’s tennis tour is to introduce a new heat policy from next year after a string of retirements due to soaring temperatures and punishing humidity at the Shanghai Masters earlier this season. The move brings the ATP into line with the women’s WTA tour, which has a long-standing policy, and sports such as Formula One, which has its own measures to protect drivers. The ATP on Monday said it was “strengthening protections for players competing in extreme conditions,” with rules based on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature index, which measures air temperature, humidity, wind speed and other factors to estimate heat stress. Under the measures, a player can request a 10-minute cooling break in best-of-three singles matches if the index reaches 30.1°C or higher during the first two sets. Play would be suspended when it exceeds 32.2°C. World No. 2 Jannik Sinner’s Shanghai Masters title defense ended in agony in October when the Italian struggled to walk due to cramp in his right thigh before he retired in the deciding set of his third-round clash with Tallon Griekspoor. At the same event, Novak Djokovic vomited during his encounter with Yannick Hanfmann, while Holger Rune was heard asking an official during a medical timeout in his meeting with Ugo Humbert if players had to “die on court” amid the heat and humidity.
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
‘HIGH STANDARD’: The Thunder are on track for a Finals-Cup double after they scored 22 three-pointers in equaling the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday bagged a 16th straight victory, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to romp into an NBA Cup semi-final clash with the San Antonio Spurs, who stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to lead the reigning NBA champions Thunder, who improved to 24-1 to equal the best 25-game start to a season in league history. They dominated from start to finish to book their place in the final four of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas, where they are tomorrow to take on the Spurs. The New York Knicks and
Italian Luca de Aliprandini described Saturday’s World Cup giant slalom at Val d’Isere as the hardest race of his life, coming two days after his Swiss partner Michelle Gisin suffered a heavy fall in training which required neck surgery. De Aliprandini finished 26th in the men’s event won by Loic Meillard, but the result paled into insignificance with two-time Olympic ski champion Gisin in hospital with injuries to her wrist, knee and cervical spine (neck). “It was Michelle’s wish that I race here. I couldn’t say no to her, but it was the toughest race of my entire life,” an emotional De
TOP OF THE TABLE: Evann Guessand put the visitors ahead early in the game and Flavius Daniliuc equalized before Youri Tielemans got the winner in the second half Aston Villa on Thursday extended their winning streak to eight games in all competitions with a 2-1 victory against Basel in the UEFA Europa League to secure at least a playoff spot. Villa were tied with Olympique Lyonnais, who beat Go Ahead Eagles 2-1, and Midtjylland, 1-0 winners over Genk, atop the standings of the second-tier European competition on 15 points with five wins from six games. They have bounced back from a poor start to the season and are third in the Premier League, including a 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal on Saturday. At St Jakob-Park in Basel, summer signing Evann Guessand
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