SOCCER
Malaysian player in ICU
A Malaysian national team player who was the victim of an acid attack yesterday remained in an intensive care unit (ICU) with fourth-degree burns that would require more surgery, local media reported. Faisal Halim sustained burns on the neck, shoulder, hands and chest in Petaling Jaya, outside the capital, Kuala Lumpur, over the weekend. Nicknamed “Mickey”, the 26-year-old plays on the right wing for Selangor Football Club and Malaysia. “After the first surgery, the specialist doctors found that it was not second-degree burns, but fourth-degree burns,” state news agency Bernama quoted Selangor Football Association deputy president Shahril Mokhtar as saying, adding that he would need at least two more surgeries. Selangor State Police Chief Hussein Omar Khan told reporters that investigations over the motive for the attack continued and that two suspects had been arrested.
WEIGHTLIFTING
European champ killed in war
Two-time European weightlifting champion Oleksandr Pielieshenko died on the front line in the war in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Olympic Committee said on Monday. Pielieshenko “died in the war with the enemy” on Sunday, the committee wrote on Telegram. He was 30. He joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the first days of Russia’s invasion, it added. Pielieshenko came back from a doping suspension in 2013-2015 to win the 2016 European under-85kg division by 1kg. He retained the title in 2017 in Croatia. “War takes the best of us. This is a very heavy loss for the entire weightlifting community of Ukraine. Heroes do not die,” National coach Viktor Slobodianiuk wrote on Facebook. More than 400 Ukrainian athletes and officials have been killed in the war.
SOCCER
Halt games, Brazil clubs say
Three top-tier clubs on Monday urged the Brazilian Football Federation to suspend national league matches for the next 20 days because of serious flooding. Internacional, Gremio and Juventude are based in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which has been devastated by floods since last week. Authorities say at least 83 people have been killed over the past seven days in the region and another 111 are reported missing. “The absolute priority at this moment is to support thousands of people who have been hit,” Internacional said in a statement. “We ask for understanding, solidarity, empathy and support at such a delicate an extraordinary moment.” The federation said it would consider the request.
BASEBALL
Phillies sweep Giants
Zack Wheeler on Monday struck out 11 in seven innings, Bryce Harper hit a three-run homer and Kyle Schwarber added a solo shot to help the Philadelphia Phillies complete a four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants with a 6-1 win. Harper went deep off Giants rookie Mason Black, spoiling the major league debut of the Giants right-hander, who pitched into the fifth inning against the team he grew up rooting for. “I hope he enjoyed it with his family and his teammates and everything else, because you only get one debut,” Harper said. The win was the major league-leading Phillies (25-11) sixth consecutive victory.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
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
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
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