CHAMPIONSHIP
Snoop Dogg welcomed
Snoop Dogg on Tuesday was welcomed with a blaze of whirling white towels and a guard of honor in his first visit to Swansea since becoming a co-owner of the Welsh club. The American rapper became a minority shareholder in the Championship club last year alongside other celebrities such as former Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric and US television host Martha Stewart. The 54-year-old had jetted into south Wales fresh from his role as “honorary coach” for the US at the Winter Olympics in Italy. Dressed in the club’s all-white colors, with a Swansea crest on his jacket, dark glasses and a beanie hat, Snoop made a pre-match lap of honor as fans twirled their complimentary towels above their heads — copying a tradition at his favorite NFL franchise, the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, his presence was not enough to inspire the Swans to victory as they needed a stoppage-time equalizer from Liam Cullen to draw 1-1 against Preston North End.
Photo: Reuters
FRIENDLIES
Portugal wary of trip
The Portuguese federation on Tuesday said that it was monitoring the situation in Mexico amid a surge in violence ahead of its friendly against Mexico next month. The federation said it was “closely monitoring the delicate situation currently unfolding in Mexico” following the killing of a drug lord by the Mexican army on Sunday. The killing sparked a surge in violence and put the country on edge. The FIFA World Cup warmup match is scheduled for March 28 at the renovated Azteca Stadium, which is scheduled to host the opening match of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa on June 11. Mexico was to play Iceland in a friendly yesterday in Queretaro, with the Icelandic soccer federation on Tuesday saying that it expected the game to go ahead as planned. The Portuguese federation said it was honored by the invitation to participate in the reopening of the renovated venue, but added that “the recent evolution of events requires continuous evaluation of the conditions” that the national team and its delegation will find.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Fans kept out of Italy
Borussia Dortmund said that some of their fans were not able to attend yesterday’s UEFA Champions League match against Atalanta BC after being denied entry to Italy, while others had been visited by police at their accommodation. “Borussia Dortmund are currently unaware of any detailed background information regarding the measures taken by the authorities,” the club said in a statement. “While Borussia Dortmund understand the need for security-based risk assessments for football matches, the club is more than surprised by the scope and scale of the police measures taken.” Dortmund were leading 2-0 heading into the second-leg match, which began after press time last night.
NO HARD FEELINGS: Taiwan’s Lin Hsiang-ti and Indonesia’s Dhinda Amartya Pratiwi embraced after fighting to a tense and rare 30-29 final game in their Uber Cup match The Taiwanese men’s team on Wednesday fought back from the brink of elimination to defeat Denmark in Group C and advance to the quarter-finals of the Thomas Cup, while the women’s team were to face South Korea after press time last night in the Uber Cup quarter-finals in Horsens, Denmark. In the first match, Taiwan’s top shuttler Chou Tien-chen faced a familiar opponent in world No. 3 Anders Antonsen. It was their 16th head-to-head matchup, with the Dane taking his fourth victory in a row against former world No. 2 Chou, winning 21-14, 13-21, 21-15 in 1 hour, 22 minutes. The
Marta Kostyuk’s maiden WTA 1000 title in Madrid came on Saturday thanks to her power, poise and a pair of unexpected lucky shorts. The world No. 23 beat eighth-ranked Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 7-5 in under 90 minutes to secure the most prestigious trophy of her career, her third professional singles title and second in less than a month after Rouen. Yet as the 23-year-old Ukrainian posed for photographs at the Caja Magica, it was not just the silverware that caught the eye. Held alongside her team and her two dogs, Kostyuk showed off a piece of black men’s underwear, prompting
Throwing more than US$5 billion at a divisive new tour and walking away after five seasons does not look like good business, but LIV Golf was not all bad news for Saudi Arabia. Oil-funded LIV, which poached top stars and sent golf’s establishment into a tailspin, helped push the conservative kingdom into global view — one of its key aims, experts said. The exit, confirmed on Thursday after weeks of speculation, does not signal a flight of Saudi money from sport, even after the Middle East war that sparked Iranian attacks around the Gulf, they said. “Saudi Arabia is not
Anastasia Potapova on Wednesday turned tennis heartbreak into history by becoming the first lucky loser to reach a WTA 1000 semi-final with her thrilling 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 victory over Karolina Pliskova at the Madrid Open, as Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei exited in the women’s doubles quarter-finals. The Russian-born Austrian, who lost in qualifying last week, has capitalized on her unexpected main draw entry and stunned former world No. 1 Pliskova in a roller-coaster clash despite squandering three match points. Potapova’s run has included impressive victories over former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and world No. 2 Elena Rybakina. Asked if she had thought
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