SOCCER
Croatian violence slammed
The Croatian Football Federation on Wednesday condemned violence that followed Dinamo Zagreb’s 1-0 win over Hadjuk Split in the Croatia Cup semi-finals. Spectators invaded the pitch after the final whistle and violence spilled out in and around the stadium. Local media said that 51 people were detained by police, while eight officers were injured in clashes with fans. The federation said in a statement that it condemned any form of violence in soccer. “We share the deep disappointment of the football community due to the unfortunate scenes that followed last night’s match, and we hope that each individual involved in the riots will be held accountable in accordance with the law,” it said.
Photo: AFP
TENNIS
Chan Hao-ching eliminated
Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching on Thursday was eliminated at the Charleston Open, exiting in the women’s doubles quarter-finals. Makoto Ninomiya and Eri Hozumi of Japan def Chan and partner Veronika Kudermetova of Russia 6-4, 0-6, 10-5 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in South Carolina.
OLYMPICS
Diver falls at ceremony
French Olympic diver Alexis Jandard on Thursday said he was glad to have brought a smile to people’s faces after an embarrassing fall during the inauguration ceremony for an Olympic aquatics center that was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron. Jandard slipped on a board just as he was about to dive alongside two other divers, before awkwardly bouncing off the board and into the water. In an Instagram story, the 26-year-old posted a photograph of himself with scrapes on his back. “I’m fine. I didn’t hurt myself, unfortunately these things happen,” Jandard told RMC Sport. “It happened at a time when I wasn’t expecting it at all. I’ve broken boards before, but the board had never broken me before. Now it has. I would have preferred this ceremony to have gone well from start to finish. There was that little hitch. If it made people smile a little, so much the better,” he said. “We know our sport. We know what it entails. We know that these things can happen... It had to happen in front of the president and the whole of France. I think we chose the right moment.”
BOXING
Ali’s shorts under hammer
The shorts worn by Muhammad Ali in his legendary “Thrilla in Manila” boxing match are up for grabs at Sotheby’s in New York. Bids — including the latest for US$3.8 million — have been rolling in since late March for the Everlast-brand shorts, which are white with black stripes and are signed by Ali. The auction is open until Friday next week. Sotheby’s said that, as of Thursday, the minimum price agreed to by the seller of Ali’s shorts had not yet been reached. Sotheby’s estimates the shorts could eventually fetch US$4 million to US$6 million. The 1975 fight against Joe Frazier was held in the Philippines. It went to 14 rounds before Frazier’s coach threw in the towel. Ali died in 2016.
‘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