WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) – Leading first-round scores on Thursday in the US PGA Tour Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina (Par-70, USA unless noted): 61 – John Huh 63 – Im Sung-jae (KOR) 64 – Peter Malnati, Brandon Wu 65 – Brian Stuard, Cameron Percy (AUS), Aaron Wise, Austin Smotherman, Ben Kohles, Alex Smalley, Ryan Moore, Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP), Michael Gligic (CAN) 66 – Anirban Lahiri (IND), Ryan Brehm, J.T. Poston, Kelly […]
Sports — International
WWE-style wrestling hits Bangkok – with a Thai twist
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — A fighter bursts through a flimsy tarpaulin curtain and bounds into the ring wearing a helmet and the unmistakable bright orange jacket of a Bangkok motorbike-taxi rider — it’s Thailand’s take on WWE wrestling. The 25-year-old wrestler with the stage name “P’Suchart” was one of almost 20 individuals slapping, slamming and smacking one another at SETUP Thailand Pro Wrestling. The part-sport, part-show has been slowly gaining popularity in the country and […]
Ymer ousts Murray in Washington opener as Halep, Pegula win
by Jim Slater Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray of Britain crashed out in the opening round of the ATP and WTA Washington Open on Monday, falling to Sweden’s Mikael Ymer. The 35-year-old Scotsman fell to 115th-ranked Ymer 7-6 (10/8), 4-6, 6-1 after two hours and 50 minutes in the US Open hardcourt tuneup event. Ymer, who lost his only career ATP final last August in Winston-Salem, will […]
EJ Obiena qualifies in finals of World Athletics Championship
(Eagle News) – Philippine pole vaulter EJ Obiena qualified for the finals of the 2022 World Athletics Championship on Saturday, July 23, keeping the hope for a medal for the Philippines alive. The competition held in Oregon, United States, was also participated in by the top pole vaulters of the world, including Olympics champion Armand Duplantis of Sweden. The 26-year old Filipino who also competed in the Tokyo Olympics cleared the 5.75 meter mark […]
Two-time Olympic skating champion Hanyu retires aged 27
by Andrew MCKIRDY Agence France Presse Japan’s two-time Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu retired from competition aged 27 on Tuesday, after struggling with injuries at this year’s Beijing Games. It brings down the curtain on a glittering career that has seen the elegant skater become a national icon who is trailed around the world by adoring fans. It follows a string of injuries, including at February’s Games, where the “Ice Prince” was dethroned […]
Japan’s ‘Ice Prince’ Hanyu fuels retirement rumors
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japanese figure skating star Yuzuru Hanyu has called a press conference later Tuesday, with speculation swirling that the “Ice Prince” will announce his retirement from competition after struggling with injury at this year’s Winter Olympics. The two-time figure skating champion was dethroned as Olympic champion in February by US star Nathan Chen, finishing in a disappointing fourth place in Beijing. At the time, he said he would “like to skate at […]
Covid outbreak hits Sri Lanka on eve of Australia Test
GALLE, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka’s team were hit by a Covid-19 outbreak on the eve of Friday’s second Test against Australia with Dhananjaya de Silva, Jeffrey Vandersay and Asitha Fernando all testing positive for the virus. “All three players were found to be positive during a Rapid Antigen Test conducted yesterday,” Sri Lanka Cricket said Thursday. The hosts are looking to bounce back after their crushing 10-wicket defeat inside three days in the […]
Nadal unsure he will be fit to face Kyrgios in Wimbledon semi
London, United Kingdom (AFP) by John WEAVER Rafael Nadal admits he does not know whether he will be fit to face Nick Kyrgios in Friday’s Wimbledon semi-finals after an abdominal injury nearly forced him to quit against Taylor Fritz. The second seed had to take a medical time-out in the second set but battled through to win 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10/4) in a gruelling contest lasting four hours and 21 minutes. Earlier, Australian […]
‘Goal is to win’ Gobert says as he joins NBA’s Timberwolves
Three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert said Wednesday his mission with new team Minnesota is simple. “The goal is to win a championship, that’s what I came here to do,” the 30-year-old French center said at an introductory press conference days after reports of his trade from the Utah Jazz shook up the NBA off season. The Timberwolves confirmed they had acquired Gobert “in exchange for guards Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley and […]
World number one Axelsen out of badminton’s Malaysia Masters
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Dominant world number one Viktor Axelsen withdrew from badminton’s Malaysia Masters starting Tuesday, saying he needed to “rest and recharge” after winning the Malaysia Open, Indonesia Open and Indonesia Masters in the past month. “I would have loved to compete again here in Kuala Lumpur this week, and then (next week’s) Singapore Open,” Axelsen posted on social media late on Monday. “However when I woke up this morning, my body […]
Russian ban and Olympic dream prompted Georgia switch before Wimbledon
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Natela Dzalamidze, who switched from representing Russia to playing for Georgia on the eve of Wimbledon, said Thursday she had always intended to change her nationality to boost her dreams of taking part in the Olympics. The 29-year-old has a Georgian father and Russian mother. Both still live in Moscow. She circumvented the ban on Russian players, imposed at the All England Club following the invasion of Ukraine, by her […]
NBA MVP Jokic re-signs with Denver in record $264 mn deal: US media
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Two-time defending NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic will stay with the Denver Nuggets on a five-year, $264 million supermax contract extension that is the biggest in league history, US media reported Thursday. The Denver Post was among several outlets reporting Serbian star Jokic’s mammoth deal as the league’s free agency negotiating period got underway. As the Post noted, the move wasn’t unexpected after Jokic, drafted in the second […]