Sports — International

Ugas defeats Pacquiao via unanimous decision to retain WBA welterweight crown

LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas sent Manny Pacquiao spinning to a dramatic upset defeat on Saturday, outclassing the Filipino boxing icon with a composed unanimous points victory at the T-Mobile Arena. In his first fight after a two-year absence from the ring, Pacquiao was made to look every bit of his 42 years as the younger Ugas dominated with a stinging jab and cleaner punching to retain his WBA welterweight belt. […]

Pacquiao makes weight for welterweight title fight

  LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — Manny Pacquiao and Yordenis Ugas both made weight then came face-to-face for the cameras at the weigh-in ahead of their Saturday world title welterweight showdown in Las Vegas. Pacquiao, the heavy favorite, weighed in at 146 pounds while World Boxing Association welterweight champ Ugas tipped the scales right on the number at 147 pounds on Friday. Ugas (24-0, 12 KOs) took the fight on just 11 days notice […]

Paralympic flame arrives in Tokyo as virus surges days before opening

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The Paralympic flame arrived in Tokyo on Friday as virus cases hit fresh records nationwide just four days before the Games begin. Japan’s daily infections topped 25,000 for the first time on Thursday, with the number of severe cases also higher than ever as the nation battles a fifth wave driven by the more contagious Delta variant. As Tokyo prepares to host the top sporting event for athletes with disabilities, organisers […]

Pacquiao ready to reclaim WBA crown against Ugas

by Rob Woollard Agence France Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Manny Pacquiao says a change of opponent has not affected his training as he attempts to reclaim his world welterweight crown after a two-year absence from the ring on Saturday. The Filipino boxing icon faces WBA champion Yordenis Ugas at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena in a bout that was put together after his initial opponent, Errol Spence Jr., suffered an eye injury. The […]

Osaka falls to Teichmann in third-round Cincinnati shocker

CINCINNATI, United States (AFP) — World number two Naomi Osaka suffered one of her worst losses this season on Thursday, falling to Jil Teichmann in a third-round match at the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Masters. The 76th-ranked Swiss took the biggest upset victory of her career, defeating four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka by 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 at the final major US Open tuneup tournament. Teichmann took just over two hours to defeat Osaka, breaking the […]

LeBron fueled by snub in NBA best player poll

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — LeBron James is taking issue with a pre-season poll that doesn’t give him a vote in the discussion about who is the NBA’s best player entering the 2021-22 campaign. An ESPN survey of 10 NBA executives and scouts was evenly split between US Olympic hero Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA crown in 50 years. […]

No Messi, no problem as Barcelona take ‘leap into unknown’ with victory

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Barcelona started life without Lionel Messi by defeating Real Sociedad 4-2 in their La Liga opener at the Camp Nou on Sunday even if fans admitted it felt like “a leap into the unknown”. Captain Gerard Pique gave them a 19th minute lead with his 50th goal for the club. Martin Braithwaite found the net in first half injury time and in the 59th minute. Sergi Roberto added a fourth in […]

Clippers poised to acquire Bledsoe, part with Rondo, Beverley

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers will acquire point guard Eric Bledsoe from Memphis in a deal sending Rajon Rondo and Patrick Beverley to the Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. Citing an unnamed source, the newspaper said the Clippers would part with veteran guards Beverley and Rondo, as well as second-year center Daniel Oturu, in the trade. Bledsoe, 31, is an 11-year NBA veteran with career averages of […]

Osaka plans to help out Haiti earthquake relief efforts

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Naomi Osaka says she is going to give all her proceeds from the WTA Tour’s upcoming Cincinnati event to the earthquake victims in Haiti which was rocked by a devastating 7.2-magnitude quake on Saturday. The highest paid female tennis star has a personal connection to the disaster-plagued Caribbean country: Her father is from there. “Really hurts to see all the devastation that’s going on in Haiti, and I feel […]

Clippers re-sign star Kawhi Leonard

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Kawhi Leonard is sticking with the Los Angeles Clippers, the NBA club announcing Thursday they had re-signed their star forward. The Clippers didn’t release terms of the deal, but ESPN reported that Leonard inked a four-year, $176.3 million max deal that includes a player option in the fourth year. Leonard had declined his player option for $36 million in the upcoming season to become a free agent. “Kawhi is […]

NBA’s Knicks confirm they signed Kemba Walker

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The New York Knicks said Wednesday that city native Kemba Walker is headed back to the Big Apple, confirming they signed the All-Star guard. “We are beyond thrilled to bring native New Yorker Kemba Walker back to the city he’s proud to call home,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in an official statement. “He’s a tremendous talent whose skill and leadership will be a huge addition to our organization. […]

Pacquiao says stance switch ‘only danger’ in facing Ugas

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Philippines star Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday the “only danger” in switching foes for next week’s world welterweight boxing title bout will be going from a southpaw foe to a right-handed opponent. The 42-year-old Filipino Senator puts on his gloves August 21 in Las Vegas to face Cuban Yordenis Ugas after American Errol Spence Jr. was forced out of the fight Tuesday due to a left eye injury. Instead of […]