SOCCER
Diallo extends contract
Manchester United forward Amad Diallo on Thursday signed a contract extension that would keep him with the Premier League club until 2030. The 22-year-old Ivory Coast international has shone this season with six goals and seven assists, including a late winner against Manchester City last month and an equaliser against Liverpool on Sunday. “I am really proud to have signed this new contract,” Diallo said in a statement. “I have had some incredible moments with this club already, but there is so much more to come.” United are 13th in the English Premier League and travel to Arsenal for an English FA Cup third-round tie tomorrow.
SOCCER
Suarez touts Neymar deal
A reunion of Barcelona’s famed trio of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar at Inter Miami would certainly be welcome — if it happens.Suarez addressed rumors that Neymar could be headed to Major League Soccer on Thursday. “Everyone knows what Neymar can offer, and what we achieved together in that special period. Now we are in a different period and older, but the team will certainly feel grateful to have a player like him with us,” he said. “As always, anything is possible in football, but turning these expectations into reality is difficult and complicated.” Neymar, who currently plays for Saudi club Al Hilal, fueled the rumors with comments to CNN Sport earlier this week. “Obviously, playing again with Messi and Suarez would be incredible,” Neymar said. “They are my friends. We still speak to each other. It would be interesting to revive this trio. I’m happy at Al Hilal, I’m happy in Saudi Arabia, but who knows. Football is full of surprises.” He also posted a selfie on Instagram stories with his son, who was wearing an Inter Miami jersey. In October last year, Neymar bought a waterfront home in Miami’s Bal Harbour for US$26 million. Neymar, Messi and Suarez played together at Barcelona for three memorable seasons from 2014-2017. Known as MSN, the trio combined for 364 goals and had 173 assists.
Nfl
LA Rams’ game moved
The NFL has moved Monday’s playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, after wildfires ravaged the region surrounding the Rams’ SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The league announced the decision on Thursday after another fire broke out several miles from the Rams’ training complex in the Woodland Hills neighborhood, about 20km north of fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades. While none of the fires were burning near the stadium southwest of downtown Los Angeles, the NFL made the decision amid concerns about air quality and whether the community could handle such an event.
NBA
Lakers game postponed
The NBA postponed the Los Angeles Lakers’ home game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday with several massive wildfires burning across the greater Los Angeles area. It was the second straight day a game slated to be played in downtown Los Angeles was postponed. The NHL’s Los Angeles Kings were scheduled to host the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. The dates for the rescheduled games have not been announced.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
AGING WELL: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, 22, was sent packing after being dispatched by world No. 97, Laura Siegemund, the second-oldest player in the draw at 36 Novak Djokovic yesterday created a slice of Grand Slam history on his way into the Australian Open third round, but last year’s women’s finalist Zheng Qinwen was knocked out in the biggest shock so far. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, in-form Coco Gauff, two-time Melbourne winner Naomi Osaka and a rampant Carlos Alcaraz were all victors on a rainy day four. Play was suspended on the outside courts for a couple of hours in the early evening because of the wet weather. That led to the rescheduling of a women’s doubles match between wild-cards Tsao Chia-yi of Taiwan and Thailand’s Peangtarn Plipuech and 11th
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