CRICKET
Marlon Samuels banned
Former West Indies all-rounder Marlon Samuels has been banned from all cricket for six years for breaching four counts of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption code while playing in a limited-overs competition in the United Arab Emirates. The charges against Samuels, who has not played for the West Indies since 2018, relate to the T10 League in Abu Dhabi, the ICC said when the charges were laid in 2021. Samuels in August was found guilty of failing to disclose “the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit” that could bring him into disrepute, as well as the receipt of hospitality worth US$750 or more. The ICC also said that Samuels failed to cooperate with an anti-corruption official and concealed information that might have been relevant to the investigation.
RUGBY UNION
O’Mahony steps down
Ireland flanker Peter O’Mahony has stepped down as Munster captain after a decade in the role, the club said on Wednesday. The 34-year-old has been at Munster since 2010 and first captained them in 2011 on his 12th appearance for the club. He became the skipper full-time in 2013. “I can remember the day I was asked to be captain like it was yesterday,” O’Mahony said in a statement. “From that day to this it’s been an utter privilege and has never been something I’ve taken for granted. However, having given a huge amount of thought to it, I think it is the right time to step back from the role to share my experiences and give the same guidance that I received when I took on the role.”
SOCCER
Player’s release sought
South Korea coach Jurgen Klinsmann has called on the Chinese government to release World Cup midfielder Son Jun-ho in time for Christmas. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May said that the 31-year-old had been detained “on suspicion of accepting bribes by non-state employees.” Son had been with Chinese Super League side Shandong Taishan since 2021 and played in three of his country’s four games at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year. “Now we have only one wish for Christmas,” Klinsmann told reporters after landing in South Korea following Tuesday’s 3-0 World Cup qualifying win away in China. “That is to get Son Jun-ho released because until today, they have not proven anything that he did wrong. So we hope that the Chinese government will release him, hopefully before Christmas, to see his family.”
SOCCER
Stephen Kenny’s time ends
Stephen Kenny’s three years as Republic of Ireland manager is over after The Football Association of Ireland bosses said that his contract would not be renewed. The 52-year-old’s departure was widely expected having failed to guide the team to the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, winning only two of their eight games in qualifying Group B. Association chief executive officer Jonathan Hill thanked Kenny for working “tirelessly to create the right environment to support the development of our senior men’s team.” Hill added: “Stephen has also overseen an important period of transition for our senior men’s national team and has given debuts to a significant number of new and younger players.”
OFFENSE SHINES: First baseman Pan Chie-kai hit a solo homer in the fifth inning as all 10 batters Taiwan used contributed at least one hit toward their team total of 14 One day after their first shutout loss at the WBSC Premier12, Taiwan yesterday bounced back with a commanding 8-2 victory over the US, keeping their hopes for a spot in tomorrow’s final alive. The win in the Super Round marked Taiwan’s first triumph over the US at a top-tier international baseball tournament since 2003. Their previous win over the US was at the 2003 Baseball World Cup, with only one win in the previous 10 matchups since 1999. Yesterday’s game was tightly contested through the first six innings, with the margin never exceeding two runs. However, the tide turned in the top of
“Please love us. Please cheer us on. We have been working hard. Do not give up on us.” Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien’s heartfelt plea echoed across the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 tournament after a historic victory. Rather than boasting, Chen was making an earnest appeal after leading Taiwan to a 4-0 victory over Japan to claim their first major international baseball title at the senior level. Chen’s decisive three-run homer in the fifth inning and his Premier12 leading .632 batting average secured him the Premier12’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. He was also named one of the tournament’s outstanding defensive players
WELL-AGED: Although the youngest team in the tournament, Taiwan featured several veteran stars, including Sunday’s home-run hero Chen Chieh-hsien “I will never forget today,” veteran Taiwanese pitcher Chen Kuan-yu said after Taiwan on Sunday night blanked Japan to secure their first ever gold in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 championship. Chen, who at 34 is the oldest member on the team, said Taiwan “made every difficult step to come to today’s victory. I will never forget today.” Taiwan made history when they won their first gold medal of the Premier12 tournament, beating Japan in a 4-0 shutout victory in the final at the Tokyo Dome. It was a jaw-dropping victory for many baseball commentators who went into the game with
Nikola Jokic on Saturday scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to spark the Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102, continuing their dominance of the NBA rivalry, while Scotty Pippen Jr scored a career-best 30 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Chicago Bulls, 142-131. The Nuggets won for the 13th time in the past 14 contests against the Lakers, including ousting the Lakers in the playoffs the past two seasons. Serbian star Jokic failed to achieve his sixth consecutive triple-double, managing only eight assists, but his effort was plenty as Michael Porter Jr added 24 points and 11
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