Sports — International

Curry out after partial shoulder dislocation for NBA Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry has suffered a partial dislocation of his left shoulder and there’s no immediate timetable for his return to the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors. The team announced Thursday that Curry underwent an MRI exam in Philadelphia — where the Warriors play on Friday — and it revealed the extent of the damage he suffered in Wednesday’s 125-119 loss at Indiana. “The MRI confirmed […]

Williamson steps down as New Zealand Test captain

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) – Kane Williamson stepped down as New Zealand Test captain on Thursday after more than six years in charge but will remain skipper of the ODI and T20 teams. Cricket New Zealand said that the 32-year-old will be replaced as Test captain by veteran fast bowler Tim Southee. “Captaining the Black Caps in Test cricket has been an incredibly special honor,” said the 32-year-old Williamson who has led New Zealand since 2016. […]

‘Proud’ France coach Deschamps ready to counter Messi in World Cup final

AL KHOR, Qatar (AFP) — France coach Didier Deschamps admitted he was “immensely proud” after Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Morocco took the holders through to another World Cup final where he said his team would try to find a way of countering a Lionel Messi in “scintillating form” for Argentina. “I am immensely proud. It is great to be through to the final but it was not an easy victory,” Deschamps said after an early […]

France set up World Cup final with Argentina

  by John WEAVER Agence France-Presse DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — France will face Argentina and Kylian Mbappe will do battle with Lionel Messi in a heavyweight World Cup final after the French beat underdogs Morocco 2-0 on Wednesday. Holders France stayed on course to become the first team in 60 years to successfully defend the trophy thanks to goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani at Al Bayt Stadium. Morocco, the first African side […]

Antetokounmpo powers Bucks over Warriors

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks piled more road misery on NBA champions Golden State on Tuesday, thumping the Warriors 128-111. The Warriors, coming off a convincing victory over the league-leading Boston Celtics in San Francisco, were hoping this trip would signal a reversal of their road fortunes. Instead they fell to 2-12 away from home, 14-14 overall, in a testy encounter between the last two NBA champions that […]

New Olympic sports had high rate of injuries in Tokyo: research

Paris, France (AFP) — Athletes competing in the newly introduced Olympic sports of BMX freestyle, karate and skateboarding suffered some of the highest rates of injuries at the Tokyo Games, new research showed Wednesday. The three new events were among the top five with the most injuries at the 2020 Summer Olympics, which was held in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Boxing and BMX racing had the highest rates, with 27 percent of competitors […]

NBA renames MVP trophy after Bulls great Michael Jordan

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The NBA is renaming its annual regular-season Most Valuable Player award after legendary star Michael Jordan — who claimed the honor five times with the Chicago Bulls. The league unveiled the newly designed Michael Jordan Trophy on Tuesday, along with five other reimagined trophies named after league pioneers that will now be presented to the National Basketball Association’s end-of-season award winners. Jordan, a six-time NBA champion, won five MVPs […]

Messi carries Argentina into World Cup final

by John WEAVER Agence France-Presse DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Lionel Messi will have the chance to crown his remarkable career by winning the World Cup after he inspired Argentina to a comfortable 3-0 win against Croatia in the semi-final on Tuesday. Messi scored a penalty before Julian Alvarez doubled the lead shortly before half-time. The little Argentine genius reserved the best for last when he twisted and turned away from his Croatian marker to set […]

Pacquiao returns to ring for clash with South Korean YouTuber

  Seoul, South Korea (AFP) Philippine boxing great Manny Pacquiao returned to the ring Sunday for the first time since retiring from the sport last year, facing off against a South Korean YouTuber in an exhibition match near Seoul. The 43-year-old fighter turned politician stepped away from boxing to launch a bid for the Philippine presidency that failed. He also served as a senator between 2016 and May this year. On Sunday Pacquiao fought D.K. […]

Embiid scores 53 to lead 76ers’ NBA romp as Pelicans dim Suns

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – Joel Embiid unleashed a spectacular 53-point performance Sunday to power the Philadelphia 76ers over Charlotte 131-113, becoming the first NBA player with multiple 50-point games this season. The 28-year-old Cameroonian 7-footer (2.13 meters) made 20-of-32 shots from the floor, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and 11-of-11 from the free throw line and grabbed 12 rebounds. “He made scoring look easy tonight,” said three-time NBA scoring champion James Harden, who had 19 […]

Swim sensation Popovici among star cast for world championships

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) – Swimming’s new teenage sensation David Popovici insists he will be an underdog at the World Short Course Championships in Australia this week, saying he’s still looking to gain experience. The 18-year-old Romanian is the sport’s hottest young prospect and a headline draw at the event in Melbourne from Tuesday. His star has rapidly risen after a phenomenal year that saw him smash the long course 100m freestyle world record, touching in 46.86 […]

Croatia v Argentina: Keys to the World Cup semi-final

by Simon EVANS Agence France-Presse DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Croatia and Argentina face each other on Tuesday at the Lusail Stadium with a place in the World Cup final at stake. AFP Sport looks at some of the keys to the game. – Messi or Modric magic? – The late-career evolution of Lionel Messi into a clever creator operating behind the front line has intensified at this World Cup. He illustrated just how effective he […]