BASKETBALL
Taiwan A stay unbeaten
Taiwan A yesterday beat Malaysia Harimau 86-66 to maintain their unbeaten run at the William Jones Cup. Taiwan A led 21-8 after the first quarter at the Sinjhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City and 45-31 at halftime on their way to making their record 5-0, the same record as Strong Group Athletics. Taiwan A won the third quarter 21-15 and drew the fourth 20-20. In other games yesterday, Strong Group Athletics pulled away in the third quarter to beat US-based Future Sports 112-90. Chris McCullough had 24 points, 18 rebounds and seven assists for Strong Group Athletics, while Demetrius Thomas led the way for Future Sports, who had a 56-60 lead at halftime. In the second game, the United Arab Emirates beat the Australia-based BSBL Guardians 100-93. In the third game, Taiwan B lost to Ukraine 77-50.
Photo: CNA
MOTORSPORTS
Magnussen to leave seat
Danish Formula One driver Kevin Magnussen is to leave his Haas race seat at the end of the season and could then take an unspecified role with the US-owned team, they said yesterday. Esteban Ocon is strongly tipped to come in next year, with the Frenchman’s departure from Renault-owned Alpine already announced, alongside British rookie Oliver Bearman. “I’d like to thank Kevin for everything he’s given us as a team, both on and off the track. He’s truly been a bedrock of our driver line up over the years,” Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu said in a statement. “Nobody’s driven more races for us and we’ve had some memorable highlights together... With Kevin’s special relationship with the team, I’m hoping we can find a way to keep working together in some capacity.”
VOLLEYBALL
Australian body apologizes
Volleyball Australia yesterday issued a public apology for creating an “environment of fear” between 1997 and 2005 that saw some players self-harm and others turn to substance abuse. Former athletes with the Australian indoor women’s team, some as young as 14, were subjected to punitive training methods and body-shaming, it said. The incidents occurred while they were based at the Australian Institute of Sport in the lead-up to and after the 2000 Sydney Olympics. “We are deeply sorry for the ongoing effects these experiences have had on your life, and on your relationship with the sport of volleyball and with Volleyball Australia,” it said, adding that it had “an environment of fear.”
SOCCER
Sullivan sets age record
Cavan Sullivan on Wednesday became the youngest player to appear in an Major League Soccer match as Philadelphia Union beat New England Revolution 5-1. Sullivan — at 14 years, 293 days — came on as a replacement in the 85th minute to top the record by 13 days. Freddy Adu set the previous mark at 14 years, 306 days when he debuted for DC United in 2004.
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Robinson Cano spent 17 seasons playing in the MLB in front of all kinds of baseball fans, but he said there is something special about his stint with the Mexican Baseball League’s Diablos Rojos. He is not alone. The league last week opened its 100th season, aiming to keep an impressive growth in attendance that began after the national team’s surprise run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and is already surpassing some first-division soccer clubs. After finishing third in the 2023 tournament, many casual fans, some of them soccer enthusiasts disappointed after Mexico were eliminated in the first round in the 2022
In-form teenager Mirra Andreeva on Thursday crashed out of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, after going down in straight sets to fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the last 16. World No. 7 Andreeva, who already has two titles under her belt this season, lost 6-3, 6-2 against the 22nd-ranked Alexandrova in just over an hour. The 17-year-old Andreeva had defeated her elder sister Erika in the previous round on Wednesday, but Alexandrova quickly took control as she claimed her fourth win over a top-10 player this season. The 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in February became the youngest winner of a WTA
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