BODYBUILDING
Taiwanese wins in China
Chen Hsueh-lin this week won a gold medal at Mr Universe China, emerging as the best-performing Taiwanese in the three-day tournament. Chen triumphed in the men’s masters category, which features competitors older than 40, while compatriot Wu Chin-lung placed third. Chen also won bronze in men’s bodybuilding, while Hsu Feng-shuo, who finished fourth in that category, was also the runner-up in men’s classic bodybuilding. The international championship, organized by the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation, was held at the Western China International Expo City in Chengdu from Wednesday to Friday.
SOCCER
Acid attack victim discharged
A top Malaysian soccer player who sustained severe burns in an acid attack was discharged yesterday from a hospital where he had undergone multiple surgeries, the CEO of his club said. Selangor FC and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim sustained burns on the neck, shoulder, hands and chest in the assault at a shopping mall outside the capital, Kuala Lumpur, on May 5. Faisal’s case was the most high-profile of separate crimes committed against four top-flight Malaysian players this month, which are not believed to be linked but have nonetheless shocked and angered the nation.
BASKETBALL
Clark wins first WNBA game
Women’s basketball sensation Caitlin Clark on Friday drilled a dagger three-pointer to help the Indiana Fever notch their first win of her debut WNBA season, 78-73 over the Los Angeles Sparks. Clark, whose record-setting exploits in collegiate basketball brought unprecedented attention to the women’s game, has struggled since Indiana made her the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. She endured another tough shooting night on Friday, but finished with her first WNBA double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
SOCCER
Barcelona fires Xavi
Barcelona on Friday sacked coach Xavi Hernandez after the Catalan giants failed to win a trophy this season, but just weeks after he and club president Joan Laporta agreed he would stay in the post. Xavi would take charge of the team’s final La Liga match today at Sevilla before departing. Former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Hansi Flick is heavily tipped to replace Xavi. “It’s never easy to leave the club of your life, but I am very proud,” Xavi wrote in an open letter published on social media. “From Sunday I will be just one more Barca fan, in the stands, whether it’s the Olympic Stadium or in a few months in the new Camp Nou. Because before being a player or a coach, I am a fan of Barcelona and I only want the best for the club, who will always have me at their disposal.”
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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