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.
“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
Major League Baseball (MLB) star Shohei Ohtani wants his former interpreter to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of baseball cards he says were fraudulently bought using his money. The Los Angeles Dodgers star is also requesting Ippei Mizuhara, who previously pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud for stealing nearly US$17 million from the unsuspecting athlete, return signed collectible baseball cards depicting Ohtani that were in Mizuhara’s “unauthorized and wrongful possession,” court documents filed on Tuesday said. The legal filing alleges Mizuhara accessed Ohtani’s bank account beginning in about November 2021, changing his security protocols so that he
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