TUG-OF-WAR
Taiwan wins golds
Taiwan on Sunday proved their dominance at the Taipei International Indoor Tug of War Invitation Tournament, clinching golds in the men’s and women’s categories. The women’s team, which won the World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Northern Ireland earlier this year, beat South Korea in the 540kg final. The men’s team upset Thailand to seize victory in the 600kg final, said the Chinese Taipei Tug of War Association, the event organizer, which is also to host the World Indoor Tug of War Championships in 2026. Eleven teams from seven countries are competing in the invitational, including the Japan, the US, Vietnam and Malaysia. The event, which started on Friday, ends today.
BADMINTON
Taiwan’s Chi wins in India
Taiwan’s world No. 48 Chi Yu-jen on Sunday defeated Japan’s world No. 12 Kenta Nishimoto to win the men’s singles final of the Syed Modi India International in Lucknow, in what was likely the biggest win of his career. In a grueling 79-minute match, the 26-year-old Taiwanese came back from a 20-22 loss in the opening game to eke out a victory over Nishimoto, winning the final games 21-12, 21-17. The HSBC BWF World Tour Finals in India begin on Wednesday next week.
SNOOKER
O’Sullivan oldest UK champ
Ronnie O’Sullivan on Sunday became the oldest UK champion as he secured a 10-7 victory over China’s Ding Junhui to claim a record-extending eighth title in York. The career of seven-time world champion O’Sullivan, who turns 48 today, has come full circle after he was the youngest player to win the UK Championship in 1993 at 17. “I always keep beating myself up because of the age thing. I keep thinking at some point you have to stop winning, but I am doing all right and I will keep on going until the wheels fall off,” O’Sullivan, known as “The Rocket,” told the BBC.
RUGBY UNION
Coombs has dementia
Former Wales forward Andrew Coombs on Sunday said he has been diagnosed with dementia and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The 39-year-old, who won the Six Nations with Wales in 2013, is one of 295 former players suing World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union over neurological injuries, alleging they failed to put in place reasonable measures to protect the health and safety of players. Coombs, who retired in 2016 due to a knee injury, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he was experiencing CTE symptoms for nearly four years before being diagnosed eight months ago. “The diagnosis was a heartbreaking one, but it answered many questions that had been lingering in my mind,” he said. “I do question those who were responsible for managing the health risks associated with repetitive head collisions and concussions.”
ATHLETICS
Gold Coast drops bid
Australia’s Gold Coast has dropped its bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing a lack of government support. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate had floated holding a “streamlined” Games with Western Australia state capital Perth, but conceded the vision did not “align” with state and federal governments. “We did our best and that’s all people can expect,” Tate said in a statement.
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
When Wang Tao ran away from home aged 17 to become a professional wrestler, he knew it would be a hard slog to succeed in China’s passionate but underdeveloped scene. Years later, he has endured family disapproval, countless side gigs and thousands of hours of brutal training to become China’s “Belt and Road Champion” — but the struggle is far from over. Despite a promising potential domestic market, the Chinese pro wrestling community has been battling for recognition and financial stability for decades. “I have done all kinds of jobs [on the side]... Because in the end, it is very
No team in the CPBL can surpass the Taipei Dome attendance record set by the CTBC Brothers, except when the Brothers team up with Taiwanese rock band Mayday. A record-high 40,000 fans turned out at the indoor baseball venue on Saturday for Brothers veteran Chou Szu-chi’s first farewell game, which was followed by a mini post-game concert featuring Mayday. This broke the previous CPBL record of 34,506 set by the Brothers in early last month, when K-pop singer Hyuna performed after the game, and the dome’s overall record of 37,890 set in early March, which featured the Brothers and the
With a quivering finger, England Subbuteo veteran Rudi Peterschinigg conceded the free-kick that sent his country’s World Cup quarter-final into extra-time before smashing his plastic goalkeeper on the floor in frustration. In the genteel southern English town of Tunbridge Wells, 300 elite players have gathered to play the game they love. “I won’t say this is the best weekend I’ve ever had in my life, but it’s certainly in the top two,” said Hughie Best, 58, who flew in from Perth, Australia, to compete and commentate at the event. Tunbridge Wells is the “spiritual home” of Subbuteo, which was invented there in 1946