GOLF
Pan grabs third in Mexico
Taiwan’s C.T. Pan on Sunday overcame a slow start at the Mexico Open to tie for third place in Vallarta. The 32-year-old — who turned professional in 2015 and won his maiden, and only, PGA Tour title in 2019 — shot a six-under-par 65 in the fourth round to finish alongside Germany’s Stephan Jaeger and American Justin Lower with a 14-under 270. Pan had eight birdies in the final round, helping to make up for a level opener, which he followed with two four-under-par rounds to stay in contention. American rookie Jake Knapp won his first Tour title, finishing 19-under par, despite an even final round.
SOCCER
Shinji Okazaki to retire
Former Japan international Shinji Okazaki, who won the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016, yesterday announced that he would retire at the end of the season. The hard-working forward played a key role as the Foxes upset the odds to win their first league title, making 36 Premier League appearances and scoring five goals in the 2015-16 season. The 37-year-old also finished as Japan’s all-time third-highest scorer with 50 goals in 119 appearances. “I have decided to retire at the end of the season,” Okazaki wrote on Instagram. “I have given everything as a football player but I have realised that my body is worn out and I am reaching my physical limit.” He is currently at Belgian side Sint-Truiden, after playing for several Spanish clubs following his Leicester exit in 2019. He has struggled with injury this season and has not played since December last year.
SOCCER
Honduras striker in coma
Honduras striker Alberth Elis remained in an induced coma on Sunday after a serious head injury, with his French club FC Girondins de Bordeaux saying it was “impossible” to comment on his vital signs. Elis, 28, was knocked unconscious just 40 seconds into Saturday’s Ligue 2 game against En Avant Guingamp when he met a cross and collided with the head of defender Donatien Gomis. Although Gomis recovered quickly, Elis was treated for several minutes on the pitch before being sent to a hospital where he underwent surgery on Saturday evening. “Alberth Elis suffered a head trauma which led to him being placed in an induced coma,” Bordeaux said in a statement. “We will follow the evolution of his state of health in the hospital in the coming days.”
GOLF
Englishman’s fortunes turn
Only a week after he was delivering groceries to make ends meet, the 2,930th-ranked golfer Joe Dean on Sunday finished tied for second at the Kenya Open to earn himself more than US$200,000 and a huge shot of confidence for the future. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” the Englishman said. “It’s what people dream of, it’s what I’ve been aiming to do for a long time.” Dean shot a four-under 67, including five birdies, to share second place with Spaniard Nacho Elvira, two shots behind tournament winner Darius Van Driel. The 29-year-old Dean had to go back to working for a British supermarket chain after he missed the cut in Doha earlier this month. “I’ve never been one of the most overconfident people. Coming into this week was a bit daunting,” he said. “Luckily, I managed to get over that quickly and figure out how to get around the golf course.”
‘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