OLYMPICS
IOC head coy about staying
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach yesterday refused to rule out standing again as several members called for a change of rules that would let him extend his time in office. The 69-year-old German was first elected for an eight-year term in 2013 and re-elected for a four-year spell in 2021. Several countries called for Bach to continue past 2025 during the opening day of the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, in which he announced plans to look at creating an eSports Games. Bach responded by saying he was “loyal to the Olympic Charter,” but did not rule out agreeing to an amendment that would allow him to run again.
SOCCER
Sheikh withdraws United bid
Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has withdrawn a bid to buy Manchester United, a source close to the deal said on Saturday. United announced nearly a year ago that they were exploring “strategic alternatives to enhance the club’s growth,” with a full sale one of the options. Sheikh Jassim and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe were the front-runners after several rounds of bidding earlier this year, but the process has stalled in the past few months despite the anger of supporters towards current owners, the Glazer family. The Daily Mail reported that Ratcliffe is set to secure a 25 percent stake in the club for about ￡1.5 billion (US$1.82 billion).
ICE HOCKEY
Pens win in late surge
Evgeni Malkin on Saturday had a goal and an assist during a five-goal third-period surge, with the Pittsburgh Penguins beating the Calgary Flames 5-2. Malkin tied Alexander Mogilny for third-most goals in NHL history among Russian-born players. Malkin, who scored his 473rd career goal, trails only Sergei Fedorov (483) and Alex Ovechkin (822). Malkin and the Penguins admittedly are not happy after their run of 16 consecutive playoff appearances ended last spring. “I want to win. I want to play hard,” Malkin said. “We don’t like to miss the playoffs. These points are the same two points in March or February.”
FOOTBALL
Kittle fined for T-shirt
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle has been fined more than US$13,000 by the NFL for wearing a profane T-shirt about the Dallas Cowboys. Kittle wore a T-shirt under his uniform last Sunday night that presumably read “Fuck Dallas,” but most of the first word was hidden by white tape. He exposed it to the national television audience after a touchdown run in the fourth quarter by Jordan Mason. The league on Saturday announced that Kittle was fined US$13,659 for the infraction. Kittle said earlier in the week that he expected to be fined, but said it would be worth the penalty. “One-hundred percent,” he said. “I’d do it again.”
SOCCER
Fireworks halt PSG match
A French women’s league match between Paris Saint-Germain and Reims was abandoned on Saturday after a torrent of fireworks were launched onto the pitch. Players hurried toward the dressing rooms at the start of the second half as tens of fireworks rained down from outside the stadium. The referee called the game off with the score 0-0.
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
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
The San Francisco Giants signed 18-year-old Taiwanese pitcher Yang Nien-hsi (陽念希) to a contract worth a total of US$500,000 (NT $16.39 million). At a press event in Taipei on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Giants’ Pacific Rim Area scout Evan Hsueh (薛奕煌) presented Yang with a Giants jersey to celebrate the signing. The deal consisted of a contract worth US$450,000 plus a US$50,000 scholarship bonus. Yang, who stands at 188 centimeters tall and weighs 85 kilograms, is of Indigenous Amis descent. With his fastest pitch clocking in at 150 kilometers per hour, Yang had been on Hsueh’s radar since playing in the HuaNan Cup
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
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