MOTORSPORTS
Hydrogen to debut
The 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most famous endurance race, is to be open to hydrogen-powered cars starting in 2026, Pierre Fillon, the president of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, said yesterday. Fillon spoke at Japan’s Fuji Speedway, which is holding a 24-hour race that includes hydrogen power. The vehicles for Le Mans are to include fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines, Fillon said. The Automobile Club de l’Ouest organizes the race in Le Mans, France. “The 24 hours of Le Mans regulations have always advocated for freedom and variety,” Fillon said. “As such, I can officially announce today that both technologies will be accepted and authorized for manufactures which seek to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the hydrogen class.”
SOCCER
Exodus not expected
Juergen Klopp said he would personally drive any of his players to another club if they wished to leave Liverpool after the Premier League side failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Liverpool will finish the season in fifth place regardless of the outcome of their final game today against Southhampton and other results, qualifying for the Europa League, but missing out on Europe’s top competition for the first time since Klopp’s first full season at the Anfield club. Mohamed Salah said he was “totally devastated” that Liverpool had failed to secure Champions League qualification, but Klopp said there were no concerns about the frustrated forward’s future at the club. “No worries [about Salah’s future]... Obviously Mo loves being here and Mo was part of it. He said apologies for what ‘we’ did, not apologies for ‘what the other guys did, but I had to go with them.’ Not at all, it’s all fine,” Klopp said. “If a player would come to me and say: ‘Oh we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, I have to leave,’ I would drive him to the other club myself. I would take the key and say: ‘Come in the car, where do you want to go? I’ll drive you.’”
SOCCER
Cologne ban suspended
Cologne’s one-year transfer ban imposed by FIFA was provisionally suspended on Friday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as it considers an appeal lodged by the club, the Bundesliga outfit said in a statement. Cologne were banned from signing players for next season after the world governing body accused the club of encouraging Slovenian 17-year-old Jaka Cuber Potocnik to break his contract with Olimpija Ljubljana and join them in January last year. A FIFA tribunal had fined Cologne 51,750 euros (US$57,000), banned them from signing new players in the next two transfer windows.
BOXING
Tyson Fury sends contract
Britain’s WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on Friday said that a contract had been sent to compatriot Anthony Joshua for a Wembley Stadium showdown in September. Fury called off a proposed bout with two-time world champion Joshua, 33, in September last year, saying his countryman had not signed the contract before the deadline. “Its a fight that everyone wants to see, including myself,” Fury said on Instagram. “This time I’m not gonna make a million vids & keep putting pressure on.”
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
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
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