GOLF
Taiwanese slip down field
At the Yeangder Heritage tournament in Miaoli, local players slipped down the leaderboard, with Chan Yih-shin the best-placed Taiwanese in a share of 18th. South Korea’s Chang Yi-keun led alongside Natipong Srithong and Danthai Boonma on six-under. Elsewhere, M.J. Hur had a bogey-free 65 on a blustery, sunny day at Las Colinas Country Club to lead the North Texas LPGA Shootout. Ariya Jutanugarn and Michelle Wie were a stroke back along with Katherine Kirk, Jennifer Song, Park Sung-hyun, Sandra Changkija and Marina Alex. Candie Kung was the best-placed among Taiwanese, shooting a 69 to claim a share of 18th. The rest were over-par, with Hsu Wei-ling shooting a 72, Min Lee and Cheng Ssu-chia 78s and Yani Tseng a 79. Meanwhile, at the Volvo China Open, Taiwan’s Lien Lu-sen was below the projected cut after a four-over 76 left him on 151 overall, well adrift of leader Pablo Larrazabal of Spain on 130 overall.
SOCCER
France probes Cups
French financial prosecutors are investigating the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. A person with direct knowledge of the investigation on Thursday told reporters that France’s financial prosecutor services opened the investigation on grounds of private corruption, criminal association, influence peddling, and benefiting from influence peddling relating to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which were awarded to Russia and Qatar respectively. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case.
CRICKET
Union rejects offer
Australia’s players’ union yesterday rejected a Cricket Australia pay and conditions proposal, saying it was unfair and disrespectful. The governing body put forward an improved offer, but the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) called it a “win” for administrators, but a “loss” for cricket. Cricket Australia offered total potential pay for all players, including guaranteed and performance elements, of A$419 million (US$313 million) over the next five years, an increase of 35 percent. It also plans to more than double elite women players’ pay, giving them the opportunity to pursue a fully professional career at both international and domestic levels. However, the association said the offer compromised Cricket Australia’s “otherwise positive response to the ACA’s calls for gender equity.”
RUGBY UNION
Otago thrash Stormers
The red-hot Otago Highlanders ran in nine tries in a record 57-14 thumping of the South Africa-based Stormers in Dunedin yesterday to secure their fifth straight Super Rugby victory. Winger Patrick Osborne scored two tries and created another for centre Rob Thompson as the home side crossed five times in a first-half blitz. Waisake Naholo and No. 8 Liam Squire also crossed before the break, with winger Naholo adding his second and flanker Dillon Hunt, Greg Pleasants-Tate and his fellow replacement Matt Faddes also scoring in the second half. Highlanders flyhalf Marty Banks missed two conversions, but still contributed 10 points from the boot.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB