By Andrew MCKIRDY HANGZHOU, China, Sept 30, 2023 (AFP) Philippines pole vaulter EJ Obiena cruised to gold in an Asian Games record on Saturday — and then said he missed not having record-breaker Armand Duplantis to compete against. Obiena has been one of Swedish world record-holder Duplantis’s closest rivals this year, finishing second behind him at last month’s world championships in Budapest. And no one could come close to Obiena in Hangzhou as he took […]
Sports — International
Irving happy to be back in ‘warm embrace’ of Mavericks
LOS ANGELES, Sept 28, 2023 (AFP) – Eight-time NBA All-Star guard Kyrie Irving said Thursday it was a relatively easy decision to re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks after briefly exploring free agency. Irving, speaking to reporters for the first time since the final week of last season, said Dallas just felt like a good fit, despite the fact that he and teammate Luka Doncic didn’t immediately gel when he arrived via a mid-season trade […]
Hosts China win Asian Games’ first-ever eSports gold
HANGZHOU, China, Sept 26, 2023 (AFP) – Hosts China on Tuesday won the Asian Games’ first-ever gold in eSports in a landmark for gaming, beating Malaysia 2-0 in the smartphone game Arena of Valor. ESports is making its debut as a medal event at the Games in Hangzhou, seen as a major step towards the Olympics one day. Medals are up for grabs in seven gaming titles, including Arena of Valor, League of Legends and […]
Desperate eSports fans in ticket-grabbing frenzy at Asian Games
HANGZHOU, China, Sept 25, 2023 (AFP) – ESports tickets costing up to $137 are like gold dust at the Asian Games with desperate fans signing up multiple times through a lottery system in hope of seeing their gaming heroes live. For the unlucky ones, they have instead waited outside the gates of the futuristic-looking Hangzhou Esports Center, craning their necks to look inside the official Games buses passing through. ESports is making its debut as […]
Garcia, Kenin reach WTA Guadalajara semis
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, Sept 22, 2023 (AFP) – France’s Caroline Garcia overpowered Victoria Azarenka in straight sets to reach the semi-finals of the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open on Thursday. Third seed Garcia was always in control against her 10th-seeded opponent from Belarus, winning 6-3, 6-4 in 1hr 37min. The 29-year-old Frenchwoman will face either Greece’s Maria Sakkari or Colombia’s Emiliana Arango in the last four on Friday. Garcia, who is chasing the 12th title of her […]
Concussion-free Tagovailoa seeks 3-0 NFL start for Miami
WASHINGTON, Sept 21, 2023 (AFP) – A year after Tua Tagovailoa went down with head injuries that changed how the NFL handles concussions, the Miami quarterback is the league’s top passer and the Dolphins are undefeated. The 25-year-old signal-caller leads Miami (2-0) into a home game Sunday against winless Denver (0-2) with an NFL-best 715 passing yards off 49 receptions from 75 attempts and four touchdowns with two interceptions. It was in the third week […]
Asian Games landmark for eSports fires Olympic dreams
NEW DELHI, Sept 18, 2023 (AFP) – ESports’ debut as a medal event at the Asian Games starting this week will change attitudes and be a major step towards Olympic recognition at last, gamers and experts say. Gaming was a demonstration sport at the 2018 Asian Games but gold medals will be up for grabs this time in Hangzhou in seven different games. Players will battle in EA Sports FC, PUBG Mobile, Arena of Valor, […]
Rubiales could face further suspension after kiss as sports court meet
BARCELONA, Aug 28, 2023 (AFP) – Suspended Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales could face further domestic sanctions as the country’s top sports court meets Monday to examine complaints against him for forcibly kissing Women’s World Cup star Jenni Hermoso. World football governing body FIFA provisionally suspended Rubiales for 90 days on Saturday but the 46-year-old could face a longer suspension from the Spanish government, if the sports court opens proceedings against Rubiales for “very serious” […]
South Sudan savour first-ever Basketball World Cup win
MANILA, Aug 28, 2023 (AFP) – South Sudan head coach Royal Ivey said his team “played with fire” after stunning China to claim their first-ever win at the Basketball World Cup on Monday. The world’s number 62-ranked team scored 15 three-point shots on their way to an 89-69 victory in Manila, keeping their hopes of a second-round place alive in their World Cup debut. South Sudan became an independent country in 2011 and played their […]
China on Basketball World Cup brink after stunning loss
MANILA, Aug 28, 2023 (AFP) – China head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic urged his players to show more “spirit”, with their Basketball World Cup hopes hanging by a thread after a stunning loss to South Sudan on Monday. China went down 89-69 to the World Cup debutants in Manila for their second defeat of the tournament, following an opening-day monstering by Serbia. China must now beat Puerto Rico in their final group game on Wednesday and […]
US wins Basketball World Cup opener as Doncic dazzles for Slovenia
The United States began their quest for Basketball World Cup redemption with a hard-fought win over New Zealand on Saturday, while Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic dazzled on his tournament debut. Defending champions Spain also got their campaign off to a successful start, and there were opening wins for Puerto Rico, Georgia, Greece, Brazil and Serbia on the competition’s second day. The United States finished seventh at the last World Cup in China four years ago […]
Canada thrash France as Basketball World Cup tips off
JAKARTA, Aug 25, 2023 (AFP) – Canada opened the Basketball World Cup with a statement win over France on Friday, while cohosts the Philippines fell short of a memorable victory in front of their raucous fans. There were also wins for Italy, Australia, Montenegro, Latvia, the Dominican Republic, Lithuania and Germany as the tournament tipped off in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. Canada came into the tournament with a squad packed with NBA talent but […]