GOLF
Taiwan’s Chien finishes 4th
Taiwan’s Chien Pei-yun on Sunday finished with an eight-under-par 280 to tie for fourth at the LPGA Founders Cup in Clifton, New Jersey, her best performance so far this year. The 33-year-old narrowly missed a third-place finish with two birdies in the fourth round, but a bogey on the 13th hole left her with just a one-under-par 71. Tied with Chinese duo Yin Ruoning and Lin Xiyi, Chien earned a US$127,984 payday in the tournament. Her previous best finish this year was in March, when she tied for 13th place with Yin and Sweden’s Linn Grant at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore. At the Founders Cup, Rose Zhang of the US rattled off four birdies in her final five holes to card a six-under-par 66 to finish 24-under to claim her second professional title.
Photo: AP
RUGBY UNION
Cane to retire from Test play
New Zealand captain Sam Cane is to retire from Test rugby at the end of this year, the side said yesterday, calling time on a World Cup-winning 12-year international career. “Having played 95 Tests — 27 as captain — the 32-year-old has decided to focus on spending more time with family and sign a long-term contract with Suntory Goliath in Tokyo,” New Zealand Rugby said in a statement. His retirement is not a complete surprise, as the All Blacks have not played since South Africa beat them in the World Cup last year and Cane was already on a sabbatical in Japan. Cane said the prospect of a three-year deal with the high-spending Tokyo club was too good to pass up. “I had to weigh up everything and, in the end, with a young family, it seemed like the best decision to help set up our future,” he said. Cane won the World Cup in 2015 with New Zealand and has twice been on Super Rugby championship-winning sides with the Waikato Chiefs.
SOCCER
Enrique bemoans loss
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique on Sunday said that matches with celebrations often end badly after his side fell 3-1 to Toulouse ahead of lifting their Ligue 1 trophy in front of fans. Despite their semi-final Champions League loss against Borussia Dortmund last week, fans at the Parc des Princes were thrilled as PSG clinched their record-extending 12th league title two weeks ago. However, Toulouse spoiled the party by handing the champions only their second league defeat of the season. “Matches with celebrations usually end badly, that’s my experience as a professional,” former Barcelona coach Enrique told reporters. “Toulouse were better with and without the ball, they were better from start to finish. There is little to say. I’m a bit disappointed.” PSG fans also paid tribute and bid farewell to the club’s all-time top scorer Kylian Mbappe after the France captain on Friday confirmed he would leave the club at the end of the season. “The fans have paid Mbappe the tribute he deserved, he is a club legend despite his youth,” the Spaniard said. “He still has a couple of games left with us, but I wish him the best of luck with his career.”
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday poured in 35 points as the Thunder grabbed a bounce-back 118-108 victory in Portland to push their NBA-best record to 37-8. The Thunder, surprised by the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, fended off a late surge from the Trail Blazers to snap their four-game winning streak. Jalen Williams scored 24 points and Isaiah Joe added 16 off the bench. Center Isaiah Hartenstein, back after a five-game absence with a calf injury, added 14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a big block. The Western Conference leaders were under pressure late as Portland, trailing by 15 heading
Sumo is walking a “tightrope” as it prepares to stage events outside Japan for the first time in 20 years while also trying to preserve its ancient traditions, experts say. The sport is to hold exhibition tournaments in London in October and in Paris in June next year, the first time the Japan Sumo Association has been abroad since Las Vegas in 2005. Sports such as soccer, baseball and football play domestic games overseas in a bid to gain new fans in emerging markets. John Gunning, a former amateur sumo wrestler who commentates on the sport in English on Japanese television, says its
Cole Perfetti on Friday scored three goals for his first NHL hat-trick as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Utah Hockey Club 5-2. Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and two assists to reach 500 points for his career, while David Gustafsson also scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck had 17 saves. Barrett Hayton and Nick Schmaltz scored for Utah, while Connor Ingram stopped 25 shots. Perfetti gave Winnipeg a 3-2 lead when he lifted the puck over a fallen Ingram on a pass from Vladislav Namestnikov 5 minutes, 51 seconds into the third period. Ehlers stole the puck at his own blue line and raced down
RSS