■JUDO
No gold for Japan
Japan suffered an embarrassing world championship wipeout on Sunday when for the first time in 59 years their highly regarded men’s team failed to win a title. Their last hope, double world champion Yasuyuki Muneta, missed out on a medal when he suffered a third round loss to Mongolia’s Gankhuyag Dorjpalam in their over-100kg bout. The defeat completed a miserable downward spiral for Japan’s men’s team who until 1973 won all golds on offer at the world championships. France’s Teddy Riner went on to retain his title in the division, beating Cuba’s Oscar Bryson for gold. Uzbekistan’s Abdullo Tangriev and Lithuania’s Marius Paskevicius both took bronze medals. In the men’s under-100kg category, Kazakhstan’s Maxim Rakov took gold by scoring an ippon success over Dutchman Henk Grol with Japan at least picking up a bronze consolation through Takamasa Anai. Japan’s Maki Tsukada picked up a bronze in the women’s over-78kg division with the title going to Olympic champion Tong Wen of China, who beat Karina Bryant of Britain in the final by ippon.
■FORMULA ONE
FIA probes Alonso ‘incident’
Formula One’s governing body is investigating “alleged incidents” from a previous race, believed to be an accident at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix that helped Fernando Alonso secure victory for Renault. Brazilian TV station Globo reported on Sunday that Nelson Piquet Jr was ordered to crash into a wall at the night race so that teammate Alonso could take advantage of an early pit stop. Piquet Jr crashed heavily on the 13th lap and Alonso’s gamble to run a short 12-lap strategy before pitting paid off as the Spanish driver went on to score an unlikely victory. The FIA would not confirm that it was investigating that particular incident, only “alleged incidents at a previous Formula One world championship event.”
■MOTOGP
Lorenzo back in title chase
Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo claimed his third win of the season at the Indianapolis MotoGP on Sunday after championship leader Valentino Rossi and pole sitter Dani Pedrosa crashed. Lorenzo, winner of two of the first four races, crossed first at the famed Brickyard, 9.43 seconds clear of San Marino’s Alex De Angelis to jump back into the title chase as Yamaha team mate Rossi failed to finish for the first time this season. Rossi began the day with a 50-point advantage over Lorenzo but saw his lead slashed to 25 points with five races to run. The Italian rider’s involvement came to end on lap 9 when he hit the ground while battling Lorenzo for the lead.
■CRICKET
Owners angry over IMG split
High-profile owners of team franchises in the Indian Premier League have reacted furiously to the Indian cricket board’s decision to snap ties with event management company IMG, reports said yesterday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday terminated its contract with the International Management Group which helped it launch the lucrative Twenty20 league last year. Business tycoon Mukesh Ambani and Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, both owners of IPL franchisees, have shot off angry letters to the BCCI. “I am personally shocked at the unilateral decision of doing away with the services of IMG,” the Times of India quoted Ambani, who owns the Mumbai Indians team, as saying in his letter. “It is also worrying to me that such a significant decision in relation to IPL has been taken without even so much as consulting the franchises.”
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
LONG TIME COMING: With the addition of Marcus Smart, the Washington Wizards finally held a team to under 100 points, the last team this season to do so The Detroit Pistons on Monday won their seventh straight game in the NBA with in-form Cade Cunningham making 32 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a 106-97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Pistons, who are in the playoff position, moved to 32-26, their best record at this stage of a season for 17 years. It was an all-round effort from Detroit with Tobias Harris adding 20 points and Jalen Duren making 19 rebounds along with his 12 points. It was a tight contest until Detroit pulled away late in the third quarter to tie their longest winning streak since the 2014-2015
Soccer fans in England and Wales might be allowed to spend more time in pubs if their teams go far at the UEFA European Women’s Championship being held in Switzerland in July. The British government is launching a four-week consultation to discuss whether pubs can extend their opening hours from 11pm to 1am should England or Wales reach the semi-finals or final of Euro 2025. The British secretary of state for the home department has the power to extend licensing hours for occasions of “exceptional international, national or local significance,” the government said on Monday. England’s women’s team — whose players are nicknamed
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