SOCCER
Maradona leaves hospital
Argentine great Diego Maradona was released from the hospital after being admitted earlier on Friday with internal bleeding in the stomach, which was discovered during routine examinations, his daughter Dalma said. “For those who were really worried about my dad I can tell you that he is well,” Dalma wrote on Twitter. “He is going home soon.” The 58-year-old was having a routine medical in his homeland before returning to Mexico, where he is coach of second-division side Dorados de Sinaloa, when doctors discovered the problem. However, a source close to the family told reporters that the problem was not serious and that the former Boca Juniors, SSC Napoli and Barcelona midfielder was not in any danger. Another source said that Maradona might have to undergo more tests. The news came just hours after Maradona’s lawyer confirmed that he would coach in Mexico for a second consecutive season. Maradona took over at struggling Dorados de Sinaloa in September and got them into the playoffs, where they lost to Atletico San Luis.
SOCCER
Broke team losing players
Spain’s players’ association on Friday joined the players of second-division team Reus in asking the nation’s soccer federation to postpone their next match because of the club’s critical financial situation. Reus only has 12 players because their former teammates left after not having been paid for more than three months, thereby freeing them from their contracts. US defender Shaq Moore, who was on loan from La Liga’s Levante UD, was one of those who left. Reus last month said that it had found the money to play its players, but four have since left. The players have blamed the situation on majority stakeholder Joan Oliver.
SOCCER
Greek referee strike ends
Greek Super League referees on Friday said that they are ending their strike protesting an attack on one of their colleagues last month. The move came after a meeting representatives of the referees held with government officials, the Hellenic Football Federation and the league in which the referees received assurances for their safety. Greek Cup matches are to resume on Tuesday and the Super League on Saturday after weekend matches were twice postponed.
GOLF
Woodland leads in Hawaii
Gary Woodland on Friday reeled off five successive birdies en route to a second straight 67 that gave him a three-shot lead at the halfway point of the PGA Tour’s Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. After a frustrating front nine, Woodland kicked off his birdie run with a chip-in at the 11th and capped his day with another birdie at the par-five 18th to move to 12-under-par 134 at the Kapalua Plantation course. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy shot a 68 for a share of second place on nine-under alongside Bryson DeChambeau (68) and Kevin Tway (71). Defending champion Dustin Johnson (74) plunged seven shots behind after a round that included a double-bogey at the fourth hole where he incurred a two-stroke penalty for hitting the wrong ball. Woodland said his patience had been tested on a day that started extremely windy. Overnight leader Tway, who shot a 66 on Thursday despite a sinus infection and earache, said he felt much better after sleeping more than 12 hours, although his second round was five shots worse than the first.
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
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