BADMINTON
Taiwan’s Wang exits Madrid
Taiwanese shuttler Wang Tzu-wei on Saturday crashed out of the men’s singles semi-finals at the Madrid Spain Masters, losing to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew 21-13, 8-21, 21-13. World No. 24 Wang was flying high early last month when he defeated world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the French Open. His loss on Saturday came shortly after Taiwan’s top player Chou Tien-chen fell to France’s Toma Junior Popov 21-15, 20-22, 21-18. The world No. 39 Taiwanese duo of Chang Ching-hui and Yang Ching-tun were dominated 21-11, 21-9 to Japan’s Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakaishi in the women’s doubles. Compatriots Lee Chia-hsin and Teng Chun-hsun suffered a similar defeat, losing 21-12, 21-7 to Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi.
HORSE RACING
Macau holds final race
After more than 40 years, Macau on Saturday hosted its final races, bringing an end to the sport in the territory famous for its massive casinos. In January, the government said it would terminate its contract with the Macau Jockey Club this month. Gamblers congregated in the half-full stands and placed their final bets. Some tourists also visited the track. Mai Wan-zun, a student from mainland China in Macao, said she wanted to get a taste of the atmosphere. “We could come to see horse racing here in Macau, but not in mainland China,” she said. Helena Chong, a Macao resident, decided to visit the race course for the first and last time to see what it was all about. “It’s a pity to see the end of all this gambling and entertainment,” she said.
OLYMPICS
Russians not welcome: mayor
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Saturday said that Russian and Belarusian athletes “were not welcome” at the Olympics being staged in the French capital this year. “I want to tell Russian and Belarusian athletes that they are not welcome in Paris and to tell Ukrainian athletes and all the Ukrainian people that we support them very strongly,” Hidalgo said in a video posted by Ukrainian YouTube channel, United News. Hidalgo made her comments on a trip to Kyiv where she visited a training center for Ukrainian athletes. Russian athletes can compete in the Paris Olympics, which run from July 26 until Aug. 11, but only as neutrals.
BOXING
Fundora unifies world titles
American southpaw Sebastian Fundora on Saturday stunned previously unbeaten Australian Tim Tszyu to unify the WBO junior middleweight title and the vacant WBC crown in a bout that became a bloody spectacle. After a strong start, Tszyu struck his head accidentally on the left elbow of the 1.97m challenger in the second round, sustaining a deep bleeding gash above his forehand. Judges scored the fight 116-112 and 115-113 for Fundora and 116-112 for Tszyu, giving the US fighter a split decision victory. “I’m just happy Tim Tszyu gave me the opportunity and I made it a dream come true,” Fundora said. Tszyu said the blood affected his effort. “I couldn’t see,” Tszyu said. “But all credit belongs to the man who won. These things happen. The momentum was rolling. I was swinging hard. Then boom, you’re blinded.”
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
The Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) is considering reducing its pitch clock by two seconds to help players better adjust to the rules applied at the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The proposal aims to shorten the pitch timer from 25 seconds to 23 seconds with the bases empty, and from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on base. Currently, the WBC mandates that pitchers deliver a pitch every 18 seconds with the bases empty and 15 seconds with runners on base. The issue was raised during a pre-season CPBL managers’ meeting on Tuesday by Rakuten Monkeys bench and batting
‘SETTING THE TONE’: Donovan Mitchell said that their determination to dominate had nothing to do with past results, but was about a potential post-season clash The Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday boosted their NBA-best record with a 142-105 romp past the New York Knicks, tightening their grip on the Eastern Conference lead with an all-around dominant display. Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points to lead six Cavs players to score in double figures, connecting on five of seven three-pointers as Cleveland drilled 19 from beyond the arc. “I think the biggest thing was just try to set the tone early,” Mitchell said, adding that the determination to dominate had nothing to do with the Knicks’ first-round playoff win over the Cavs two seasons ago and everything to do with
BELGIANS ADVANCE: Club Brugge gave Atalanta a lesson in efficiency, as Gian Piero Gasperini’s team had 29 efforts at goal, compared with seven from the visitors Seldom has a player’s sending off had such an influence on a game. AC Milan was to left rue Theo Hernandez’s second yellow card — for diving — as Feyenoord advanced to the UEFA Champions League last 16 at the former European champion’s expense with a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their playoff on Tuesday, giving the Dutch team a 2-1 win on aggregate. Bayern Munich, Club Brugge and Benfica also won their playoffs, eliminating Celtic, UEFA Europa League winner Atalanta BC and French team AS Monaco respectively. “In soccer everything changes in a second,” said Milan forward
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