BASEBALL
Ohtani cramps again
For the second game in a row on Friday, Shohei Ohtani added to his major league-leading home run total, then later exited early due to cramps. He was to be re-evaluated yesterday, but is not expected to land on the injured list, Los Angeles Angels manager Phil Nevin said after the game. The Friday cramping was in Ohtani’s legs, Nevin said. Ohtani hit his 39th long ball of the season in the first inning of Los Angeles’ 4-1 loss to the host Toronto Blue Jays. In the second game of a Thursday doubleheader at Detroit, Ohtani homered twice, but then left because of cramps.
TENNIS
Prague refuses players entry
An unnamed Russian tennis player, arriving to play in qualifying for the WTA Prague Open, was refused entry, the Czech Ministry of the Interior tweeted on X on Friday. It said that police in Prague “checking a Russian citizen at the airport found reasons to end her temporary stay. She has already left the Czech Republic.” Czech officials added that no other Russian and Belarusian players would travel to the country “according to the information available.” Czech news agency CTK reported that three Russian players had been scheduled to take part in tournament qualifying this weekend. Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Czech government last month banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing on Czech territory. The WTA said that the actions of the Czech authorities contravened its policy.
SOCCER
Juventus barred from Europa
Juventus were on Friday kicked out of next season’s UEFA Europa Conference League for breaching financial fair play rules, UEFA said. The Italian giants were also fined 20 million euros (US$22.1 million) with half that amount suspended. “Juventus violated UEFA’s regulatory framework … and it was decided to exclude Juventus from the 2023/24 UEFA men’s club competition,” UEFA said in a statement. Juventus said in a statement that they would not appeal the sanction.
FENCING
IOC backs Ukrainian
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Friday awarded Ukrainian fencer Olha Kharlan a place in next year’s Paris Olympics after she was disqualified at the world championships for refusing to shake the hand of her Russian opponent. The International Fencing Federation (FIE) also said it was reinstating Kharlan, allowing her to take part in the team competition at the world championships in Milan. Kharlan, the first fencer to face a Russian or Belarusian since the former’s invasion of Ukraine, won 15-7 against Russia’s Anna Smirnova on Thursday. The 32-year-old four-time Olympic medalist refused Smirnova’s handshake afterward, instead offering her sabre to tap blades. Kharlan was disqualified, saying afterward that FIE president Emmanuel Katsiadakis had even assured her that it was “possible” not to shake hands and offer a touch of her blade. On Friday, IOC president Thomas Bach, a former Olympic fencer himself, sent Kharlan a letter saying the she would be guaranteed a place at next year’s Olympics in Paris regardless of whether she gained the qualification points.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
Former Australian motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer Ryan Peake, who served a lengthy jail term for assault, yesterday produced a “life-changing” maiden win to qualify for The Open Championship. Peake held his nerve for a one-stroke victory at the New Zealand Open, earning him a berth at the major in Portrush, Northern Ireland, in July, pending clearance to travel as a convicted criminal. The 31-year-old from Perth celebrated animatedly and was showered with champagne by friends on the 18th green of the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown after a redemption story rarely seen in the refined sport of golf. Peake held back tears as he
MILWAUKEE PREVAIL: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points as the Bucks withstood Nikola Jokic’s 27th triple-double of the season to beat the Nuggets Golden State star Stephen Curry on Thursday drilled 12 three-pointers in a scintillating 56-point display that carried the Warriors to a 121-115 victory over the Orlando Magic. Curry’s explosive performance helped the Warriors dig themselves out of a 17-point hole, with the point guard signaling the start of the fightback with a three-pointer from beyond the half-court line to end the first half that pulled the Warriors within 66-52 at the break. In the third quarter, he single-handedly outscored the Magic with 22 points to Orlando’s 21. The four-time NBA champion finished two three-pointers shy of former teammate Klay Thompson’s record for most
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