OLYMPICS
No decision on boycott: US
The White House has not made a final decision on whether the US would take part in the 2022 Winter Olympics in China, a spokeswoman for US President Joe Biden said on Thursday, even as some Republicans call for a boycott. Republicans who have called either for a boycott or for the Games to be moved have cited a US designation that the Chinese government was perpetrating genocide against Uighurs in Xinjiang. Speaking to reporters about US participation in the Beijing Olympics, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: “There hasn’t been a final decision made on that and, of course, we would look for guidance from the US Olympic Committee.” Human rights groups have urged the International Olympic Committee to move the Games because of China’s treatment of Uighurs along with other human rights concerns. China denies human rights abuses.
SOCCER
FIFA investigation ends
Franz Beckenbauer and other former German officials cannot be prosecuted over the 2006 World Cup vote-buying scandal because the statute of limitations has expired, FIFA’s ethics committee said on Thursday. FIFA’s internal judiciary said it had determined that the statute of limitation had expired in 2012 for Beckenbauer, and in 2015 for Theo Zwanziger and Horst Schmidt. In March 2016, FIFA’s ethics committee opened formal proceedings against Beckenbauer, who chaired the 2006 World Cup organizing committee, and five others over their roles in the bidding process for the finals. The investigation was prompted by a 2015 report in Der Spiegel that Germany had used a secret fund of 10 million Swiss francs (US$11.1 million at the current exchange rate) to buy votes and obtain the rights to host the competition at the expense of South Africa.
BASKETBALL
Beasley banned over threats
The NBA on Thursday slapped Malik Beasley with a 12-game ban after the Minnesota Timberwolves guard was charged by police in the off-season with threatening someone with violence. Beasley’s suspension starts today when the Timberwolves play the Washington Wizards. The charges stem from an incident that took place at Beasley’s home in Plymouth, Minnesota, in September last year, when he reportedly pointed a rifle at a couple and their daughter. He was charged with threat of violence and minor drug possession in October last year.
SOCCER
Juventus report losses
Italian champions Juventus on Thursday reported losses of 113.7 million euros (US$138.1 million) for the first half of the current financial year, more than double the deficit for the same period the previous season largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest figures compare with losses of 50.3 million euros in the first half of the club’s 2019-2020 financial year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. “The first half of the 2020-2021 financial year was heavily penalized by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent restrictive measures imposed by the authorities,” Juventus said of a season played with matches behind closed doors. The club had reported losses of 89.7 million euros for the 2019-2020 year.
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
HSIEH MAKES QUARTERS: Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens of Belgium won in the women’s doubles and face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin of the US Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff were knocked out of the women’s singles at the Miami Open on Monday, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced in the women’s doubles. Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2, hours after third seed Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Alexandrova beat a top-ranked player for the first time and advanced to face Jessica Pegula, a 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 winner over Emma Navarro, in the quarter-finals. Alexandrova recorded her second win over Swiatek, following a 2021 victory in Melbourne. Swiatek had won their three matches since. “We played quite