BASKETBALL
Taiwan A set up decider
Taiwan A yesterday downed the BSBL Guardians 97-80 to move to a 7-0 record, setting up a winner-takes-all match against Strong Group Athletics today to decide the top team. Brandon Gilbeck’s 14 points was the main contributor to Taiwan A’s win against the Australia-based side at the Sinjhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City. In other games yesterday, Malaysia Harimau beat Japan 79-72, the United Arab Emirates lost to Ukraine 94-50 and Strong Group Athletics defeated Taiwan B 96-70 to keep their unbeaten run going.
Photo: CNA
RUGBY UNION
Australia beat Georgia
Flankers Rob Valetini and Fraser McReight yesterday scored two tries apiece as Australia won a third straight match under new coach Joe Schmidt with a scrappy 40-29 victory over Georgia at the Sydney Football Stadium. The loose forwards both crossed on either side of the break and were joined on the scoresheet by center Hunter Paisami and prop Isaac Kailea to give the Wallabies three successive wins for the first time since late 2021.
RUGBY UNION
New Zealand crush Fiji
The All Blacks yesterday cut loose against Fiji with seven tries to win their one-off Test 47-5 in San Diego, California. New Zealand flyhalf Damian McKenzie landed six off his seven conversion attempts and was a central figure as the All Blacks’ backs feasted on dominance of possession and the forward pack’s ability to win quick breakdown ball.
RUGBY UNION
England win under-20 title
A dominant second-half performance on Friday gave England a 21-13 victory over title-holders France in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship final in wet and chilly Cape Town. Going into halftime 7-6 ahead, England imposed their authority in the second half, while and a yellow card to No. 8 Mathis Castro Ferreira on 46 minutes hurt France. While numerically disadvantaged, France conceded eight points, including a second try for the winners, scored by replacement forward Arthur Green. His score, coupled with three penalty goals from center Sam Kerr, stretched a one-point lead to 15 before French fullback Mathis Ferte crossed for a consolation post-hooter try.
Taiwan’s participation in the Olympic Games has been a story of politics as much as sports, with the name it has competed under since 1984 — Chinese Taipei — drawing as much attention as its athletes. However, with the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad set to begin in Paris on Friday, the exploits of Taiwan’s athletes past and present who have won 36 medals since the country’s debut in Melbourne in 1956 deserve a nod. Many of Taiwan’s medal winners have gained considerable name recognition, but only two have achieved legendary status — Maysang Kalimud and Chi Cheng, the only medal winners
Canada women’s soccer coach Bev Priestman on Wednesday said she would step away from the team’s opening game against New Zealand at the Paris Olympics in the wake of a drone scandal. New Zealand complained to the International Olympic Committee’s integrity unit after it said drones were flown over closed practice sessions earlier in the week. As of press time last night, Canada, the defending Olympic champions, were set to open the Paris Games against New Zealand in Saint-Etienne. In the fallout of the complaint, two staff members — assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi — were sent home, the
In April last year, Taiwanese badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying finally opened up about her future in the sport in which she had competed professionally since 2009. “My plan is to retire after the end of next year’s season. Even if I’m still able to compete, I would prefer not to,” she said at a promotional event. If true, the Paris Olympics would be her last stab at an Olympic gold medal, a prize some might think a player who has topped the rankings in women’s singles for a record total of 214 weeks — between December 2016 and September 2022 — should
Shohei Ohtani on Sunday hit a 473-foot (144m) home run as the Los Angeles Dodgers went deep six times in a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, Gavin Lux, Austin Barnes and Jason Heyward also connected as Los Angeles swept the three-game series. “Going into the break, we weren’t playing good baseball, and then to come out fresh against a really good ball club and to play the way we did — the offense came to life,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said. It was the 25th time the Dodgers launched at least six homers in a game