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bigyack-com · 4 years

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Chinese football star Wu Lei has coronavirus in Spain - football

Chinese football star Wu Lei, who plays for Espanyol in Spain, has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) said on Saturday. “Wu Lei has mild symptoms and is currently undergoing treatment,” the CFA said in a statement, adding that they had been given the news by La Liga strugglers Espanyol.ALSO READ: UEFA admit error over ‘Euro 2020’ name for 2021 tournament“The Chinese Football Association has maintained close communication with Wu Lei and the club, and will provide all necessary assistance as appropriate. “We wish Wu Lei a speedy recovery.” The 28-year-old striker, China’s best-known player, is in self-isolation at home in Barcelona, Xinhua news agency said.Wu is the only Chinese playing in one of Europe’s five top leagues, having moved to Espanyol from Shanghai SIPG in January last year. The coronavirus emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year and has since turned into a pandemic that has killed thousands around the world. Read the full article

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bigyack-com · 4 years

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Coronavirus: USA Swimming Calls For 2020 Tokyo Olympics To Be Postponed

USA Swimming made the letter public after the US Olympic chiefs said in a conference call on Friday that more time was needed to determine the fate of the Tokyo Games.USOPC chairwoman Susanne Lyons said the American governing body agreed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that there was no need to make an immediate decision.USA Swimming said Hinchey's letter was the result of a conference call consultation with 85 national team athletes who expressed their concerns to the federation.USA Swimming said social distancing protocols and the stay-at-home orders issued in some parts of the United States in a bid to combat the spread of the deadly virus had already proved too disruptive to training."As this global pandemic has grown, we have watched our athletes' worlds be turned upside down and watched them struggle to find ways to continue to prepare and train -- many for the biggest competitive opportunity of their lives," Hinchey wrote."The right and responsible thing to do is to prioritize everyone's health and safety and appropriately recognize the toll this global pandemic is taking on athletic preparations."It has transcended borders and wreaked havoc on entire populations, including those of our respected competitors. Everyone has experienced unimaginable disruptions, mere months before the Olympic Games, which calls into question the authenticity of a level playing field for all."Our athletes are under tremendous pressure, stress and anxiety, and their mental health and wellness should be among the highest priorities."The United States, long an Olympic swimming powerhouse, won 33 medals in the Rio Olympic pool in 2016.Their ultra-competitive Olympic trials are scheduled for June 21-28 in Omaha, Nebraska.But some of the sport's biggest stars -- including freestyle great Katie Ledecky -- have seen their preparations disrupted as pools and other training facilities have been shuttered.The USOPC responded Friday to Hinchey's letter in a joint statement from Hirshland and Lyons."The USOPC has complete and total empathy for the athlete community as they manage the terrible stress and anxiety caused by the current lack of certitude regarding the Tokyo Games," the statement said."We understand that the athletes have concerns about training, qualification and anti-doping controls, and that they want transparency, communication and clarity to the full extent possible. The USOPC has made it clear that all athletes should put their health and wellness, and the health and wellness of the greater community, above all else at this unprecedented moment."At the same time, and as it relates to the Games, we have also heard from athletes that they want the Olympic and Paralympic community to be very intentional about the path forward – and to ensure that we aren't prematurely taking away any athletes' opportunity to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games until we have better clarity."'Higher calling'Bob Bowman, the coach who guided swimming great Michael Phelps to 28 Olympic medals -- 23 of them gold -- said postponing the Games was the best option."It's not only best from a performance statement for the athletes, but also for what these athletes are going through right now in terms of their mental health," Bowman told USA Today."My concern is as they are trying to find places to train and work out, it goes against what we're supposed to be doing to not get the coronavirus."It's forcing them to try to do things that are contrary to our national goal right now. I think there's a higher calling than just your athletic goals. It forces people to kind of work around those and that's not good." Read the full article

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bigyack-com · 4 years

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AUS vs SA: Australia Beat South Africa By 5 Runs To Book Final Showdown Against India

Defending champions Australia powered into their sixth Women's T20 World Cup final Thursday to meet India after ending South Africa's dreams in a rain-hit semi-final. Set a revised 98 from 13 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after Australia made 134 for five off their 20 overs, the South Africans managed 92 for five to just miss out on a first-ever final. The Proteas won the toss and put Australia in to bat at the Sydney Cricket Ground after rain that soaked the city all day finally cleared.Their total was spearheaded by skipper Meg Lanning's 49, while Nadine de Klerk took three wickets for just 19 runs.Set a revised chase, big-hitting South Africa opener Lizelle Lee smacked a huge six off spinner Sophie Molineux to get the run chase underway, but then holed out to Ashleigh Gardner on the boundary ropes.Skipper Dane van Niekerk looked dangerous but pace spearhead Megan Schutt clean-bowled her for 12, then Lanning took a difficult catch to remove Mignon du Preez and leave South Africa struggling at 26 for three after five overs. Laura Wolvaardt (41 not out) and Sune Luus (21) got them back on track with some power-hitting to set up an exciting finale with 32 runs needed off the last three overs -- only to fall five runs short.Earlier, Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy aggressively set about building a big total for Australia.Healy was dropped in the fourth over by wicket-keeper Trisha Chetty after smacking two successive fours from Nonkululeko Mlaba.But she didn't make the most of her second life, falling in the next over after a quickfire 18 off 13 balls.In-form fellow opener Mooney blasted 28 and looked in fine fettle until she was clean-bowled by Nadine de Klerk.South Africa successfully put the brakes on the run rate with Jess Jonassen gone after three balls as Australia reached 70 for three at the halfway mark.Ashleigh Gardner then went without scoring to de Klerk, getting an outside edge as the collapse continued.Rachael Haynes made a battling 17 in a 32-run stand with Lanning before she too departed to de Klerk, as the captain was left to carry her team to what became a winning total. Read the full article

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bigyack-com · 4 years

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Bushfire Bash: Sachin Tendulkar 'Comes Out Of Retirement' To Face Ellyse Perry In Charity Match. Watch Video

Sachin Tendulkar 'came out of retirement' to bat an over for a charity match to aid Australian bushfire relief at the Junction Oval, Melbourne on Sunday. The former India batsman faced Australia woman fast bowler Ellyse Perry in the special over, his first appearance on the cricket field in "five and a half years". Sachin Tendulkar hit a boundary off the first ball, thanks to a misfield by a woman fire-fighter, who had come to field for Ellyse Perry for the special cause. Watch videos of Sachin Tendulkar's batting after "five and a half years": Sachin is off the mark with a boundary!https://t.co/HgP8Vhnk9s #BigAppeal pic.twitter.com/4ZJNQoQ1iQ — cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) February 9, 2020 Amazing to see @sachin_rt coming out of retirement to face an over from @EllysePerry. All for a good cause! Get involved| https://t.co/3iqqzeM4BO #BigAppeal pic.twitter.com/t9jrYjxvEK — Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) February 9, 2020 On Saturday, Tendulkar revealed in a tweet that he has a shoulder injury but promised that he will come out to bat "against the advice of his doctor". "Sounds great Ellyse. I would love to go out there and bat an over (much against the advice of my doctor due to my shoulder injury). Hope we can generate enough money for this cause, and to get me out there in the middle," Tendulkar tweeted in reply to Perry's challenge on social media. Sounds great Ellyse. I would love to go out there & bat an over (much against the advice of my doctor due to my shoulder injury). Hope we can generate enough money for this cause, & to get me out there in the middle. You can get involved & donate now on https://t.co/IObcYarxKr https://t.co/gl3IVirCBY — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) February 8, 2020 In a video tweeted by Australian women's cricket team, Perry can be heard saying: "Hey Sachin, it's awesome to have you out here in Australia supporting the Bushfire match." "I know you're coaching one of the teams but a few of us were sitting around last night chatting and we thought it would be absolutely amazing to see you potentially come out of retirement for one over in the innings break out here at Junction Oval," she added. The match will raise money for victims of the blazes which began in September and have left at least 33 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed. "We'd love to have a bowl to you and obviously fetch a few balls from over the boundary that you've hit. We thought it would be an awesome way to raise a bit more money for the Bushfire Appeal, which I know you're already doing so much for," Perry said. "If you're at all up for it, we'd love to have you out here -- I know there'd be some girls very keen to field some balls that you hit. So let us know, and thanks again for everything," she added. In the 10-over-a-side match, former Australia batsman Ricky Ponting and West Indies legend Brian Lara impressed with strokeful 26 and 30 runs respectively. The Ponting XI scored 104/5 in their allotted 10 overs against Adam Gilchrist-led Gilchrist XI. Read the full article

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bigyack-com · 4 years

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AFC Cup: Bengaluru FC claim 1-0 win over Paro FC - football

Thongkhosiem Haokip’s second-half strike gave Carles Cuadrat’s Bengaluru FC a 1-0 win over Paro FC at the Changlimithang Stadium, here on Wednesday. In a game that saw Bengaluru make several changes to their Indian Super League side, new signing Nili Perdomo made his first start alongside BFC B graduate Naorem Roshan Singh.A cagey affair came to life after a quarter of an hour when winger Kean Lewis found himself in space in the box, only to see his effort blocked away and a shot on the rebound go wide of the mark. Moments later, after Roshan was brought down outside the area, Juanan Gonzalez whipped a free-kick on target but Paro goalkeeper Tobgay tipped it over the bar.Semboi had his first chance when, after playing a give-and-go with Roshan, found himself in space to take a shot, but the striker’s effort failed to trouble the Paro custodian. Bengaluru saw away all of Paro’s forays and attacked with intent, but failed to add a finishing touch as both sides went into the break with the scores unchanged.Starting the second half with renewed vigour, Bengaluru took just eight minutes to break the deadlock. Attacking on the counter, Perdomo found Roshan outside the box, and the debutant took a touch before laying an inch-perfect pass for Semboi to latch onto. With a tight angle and an onrushing ‘keeper to beat, the striker slipped his effort beyond Tobgay to give the Blues the lead.Cuadrat made the first of his changes, bringing on Sunil Chhetri to replace Roshan just past the hour mark after the winger went down with cramps in what was freezing temperatures in Thimphu. Semboi had a chance to double his tally and the Blues’ lead soon after, but his shot from Perdomo’s pass was saved by Tobgay once again.Midfielders Suresh Wangjam and Kean were then withdrawn to be replaced by Sairuat Kima and another BFC B graduate, Biswa Darjee in the final stages. Paro’s attack, spearheaded by former Bengaluru winger Chencho Gyeltshen, was kept at bay for most parts of the game and the Blues saw out the slender advantage.Bengaluru return to Indian Super League duties on the weekend with a clash against Chennaiyin FC at the JN Stadium, in Chennai, on Sunday, before the reverse of their AFC Cup Preliminary Stage Two clash at the Kanteerava Stadium on 12th February. Read the full article

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bigyack-com · 4 years

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Ronaldo scores for ninth game in row as penalty double lifts Juve - football

Cristiano Ronaldo stretched his scoring streak to nine consecutive league games with a penalty double as Serie A leaders Juventus bounced back from their defeat to Napoli with a 3-0 win over Fiorentina whose owner said Sunday’s result left him feeling “disgusted”.Lazio moved second, five points behind the reigning champions after Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile and Felipe Caicedo both scored a brace in a 5-1 win over rock bottom SPAL.Inter Milan, one point behind the Romans in third place, travel to Udinese later on Sunday looking to reclaim second spot.Ronaldo slotted in his goals in either half in Turin with Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt heading in a third in injury time.Juventus had fallen to just their second defeat of the season last weekend at coach Maurizio Sarri’s former club Napoli.“Cristiano Ronaldo continues to score repeatedly and for him it’s important psychologically,” said Sarri of the player who turns 35 next Wednesday.“Physically he’s good and making a difference.” Fiorentina, in 14th position, have had a resurgence since Giuseppe Iachini took over on December 24, but suffered their first league defeat this year.Club president Rocco Commisso was furious at the penalty decisions.“I am disgusted with what I saw today,” blasted the Italian-born US businessman who bought the Tuscany club last year.“Juve are very strong, a team with a wage bill of 350 million doesn’t need help. Referees cannot decide matches.“Today they gave two penalties against us, maybe the first was there but the second certainly wasn’t.” Juventus vice-President Pavel Nedved hit back, declaring he was “a bit fed up of these controversies”.“Juve won with merit. Teams have to stop trying to look for excuses and accept defeat.” Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo slotted in the opener five minutes before the break after German Pezzella’s handball was confirmed by VAR.His second came 10 minutes from time for a disputed Federico Ceccherini foul on Rodrigo Bentancur, making it 14 goals in nine games to bring his tally to 19 this season, including seven penalties.He also becomes the first Juventus player to achieve a run of goals in nine consecutive league games since David Trezeguet in December 2005.The former Real Madrid player has now scored 50 goals in 70 games since moving to Juventus in 2018. De Ligt nodded in a Paulo Dybala cross in stoppage time for his first goal for Juventus at the Allianz Stadium.- Lazio maintain title push -Ronaldo is second only this season to Immobile who now has 25 goals as Lazio kept alive their push for a first Scudetto since 2000.Immobile volleyed in after just three minutes, with Caicedo finishing off a rebound less than quarter of an hour later.Immobile’s second came before the half hour mark with a deflected shot and he then played a role in Caicedo’s second seven minutes before the break.Substitute Bobby Adekanye came on after the break with the former Liverpool player tapping in his first Serie A goal.“Caicedo, Immobile and (Joaquin) Correa are untouchable,” said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi.The race for Champions League and Europa League places remains tight.Atalanta moved fourth despite being held 2-2 by struggling Genoa, going ahead of Roma on goal difference after the side from the capital fell 4-2 at Sassuolo on Saturday.Behind Cagliari, Parma and AC Milan have 32 points.Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed AC Milan’s game with flu, with the eighth-placed northerners held 1-1 by 10-man Hellas Verona.For Milan, midfielder Daniel Maldini, 18, made his Serie A debut to follow in the footsteps of his father, club legend Paolo, and grandfather Cesare.Torino plunged further into crisis, following last weekend’s seven-goal thrashing by Atalanta with a 4-0 defeat to lowly Lecce, to sit 12th.Lecce earned their first home win this season to move three points clear of the relegation zone, with new signings Alessandro Deiola and Antonin Barak getting the first two goals. Read the full article

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Premier League: Mohamed Salah scores twice as Liverpool power 22 points clear - football

Liverpool surged 22 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a dominant second-half display as Mohamed Salah scored twice in a 4-0 rout of Southampton on Saturday. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jordan Henderson also scored and the runaway leaders have collected an astonishing 100 league points from the last 102 available to them. A 24th victory in 25 league matches this season and ninth clean sheet in 10 games underlined how Jurgen Klopp’s side have turned the title race into a procession.Southampton’s spirited performance at Anfield was undone, in controversial fashion, two minutes into the second half after Danny Ings appealed that he had been tripped by Fabinho on his way into the home area. Liverpool broke immediately upfield, Oxlade-Chamberlain spearheading a counter-attack which ended in an exchange of passes with Roberto Firmino, and a brilliant finish into the bottom corner of the Southampton goal.The visitors appealed furiously that they should have been awarded the earlier penalty only to be met with an unfavourable decision from VAR. That proved to be a moot point eventually with Henderson and Salah adding goals in quick succession after the hour.Henderson doubled the lead from a move started when he closed down a clearance from keeper Alex McCarthy and Trent Alexander-Arnold returned it upfield. Firmino chased the pass down and laid the ball off for Henderson to drive in an unstoppable finish.Twelve minutes later Henderson himself set up the third, with a magnificent pass which just eluded Jan Bednarek and allowed Salah to chase through and lift the ball over the keeper. Firmino and substitute Takumi Minamino wasted glorious chances to add to the score before Salah did just that in the final minute to give Liverpool their 20th successive home league win.- Rampant Reds -It came from more strong play by Firmino, who held off defender Jack Stephens before squaring for his Egyptian team-mate to score with an untidy, deflected shot.Yet, despite the impressive weight of statistical form that Liverpool brought into the game, Southampton were themselves looking for a fifth consecutive league away win and could have been on course for it by the interval.The first period ended with the Saints actually out-performing the leaders and, with better finishing, they would have been in control.Instead, Liverpool could point to their best, and only real, chance of the first half and bemoan the fact they were denied what looked a strong penalty appeal on the half hour.Virgil van Dijk missed a good opportunity with only McCarthy to beat, back-heeling at the keeper who then did well to block Firmino’s follow-up effort.Liverpool retained possession and Jordan Henderson crossed into the six-yard area where Firmino appeared to be brought down on the goalline by Shane Long.Despite the vocal appeals from Liverpool players and crowd alike, VAR chose not to overrule referee Kevin Friend, a reprieve that Southampton looked in the mood to take advantage of before the half expired.They were helped by a series of uncharacteristic Liverpool errors, both forced and unforced, which gifted the visitors a series of chances.An Ings shot was well blocked by Joe Gomez, after Firmino gave the ball straight to him, a Gomez error allowed Long a strike which Alisson parried while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ings, again, had promising openings.It was all part of an enthralling, if goalless, first half, with Moussa Djenepo’s shot having been tipped over earlier by Alisson and McCarthy doing likewise at the other end to deny Oxlade-Chamberlain.But Liverpool’s strong start to the second half altered the dynamic of the game and moved the Reds another step closer to their first English title since 1990.str/smg/jc Read the full article

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bigyack-com · 4 years

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Roger Federer Says No Plans To Retire, Confident Of More Grand Slam Glory

"Yes, I do believe that," the world number three said, when asked if he was confident about adding to his 20 Grand Slam titles."I think by having the year that I had last year, also with what I have in my game, how I'm playing, I do feel that, yeah."Federer, who reached last year's Roland Garros semi-finals and lost a five-set Wimbledon final to Djokovic, said he hopes to return to Melbourne in 2021 for a crack at a seventh title."You never know what the future holds. Especially my age, you don't know," he said."I'm confident. I'm happy how I'm feeling, to be honest. I got through a good, nice training block. No plans to retire."From that standpoint, we'll see how the year goes, how everything is with the family. We'll go from there. Of course, I hope to be back."Federer was seen around Melbourne Park before the match with tape on his upper right leg and there were even rumours that he might pull out of the Djokovic showdown.But that is not in the 38-year-old's nature -- he has only ever given up walkovers four times in his long career, and never retired from any of his more than 1,500 matches over two decades."Today was horrible"Federer said he took a day off after the Sandgren match and barely warmed up for Djokovic, but felt he was in good enough shape to at least give the Serb a run for his money."Today was horrible, to go through what I did. Nice entrance, nice send-off, and in between is one to forget because you know you have a three percent chance to win," he said."It's frustrating. (But) I don't think I would have gone on court if I felt like I had no chance to win. We saw I was still being able to make a match out of it."Who knows maybe how he feels as well. He's a great, great player. We know that. He makes you hit balls. He serves well, he returns well, he moves well. He's mentally very tough."Federer said the injury did not appear to be serious."I'm very happy that I don't feel any worse than when I started. That's super-encouraging. So I think we'll go from there and we'll see if I need to do another scan or not," said the tennis legend.Djokovic said he had "huge respect" for the resilient Federer's record of never retiring from a match."I did have retirements throughout my career. I know how it feels when you're hurt on the court," he said."It's an amazing fact that he has never retired his match, not a single match, throughout his career. Huge respect for that." Read the full article

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Australian Open Day 9 Live score: Roger Federer saves 7 match points to enter semis - tennis

Australian Open Day 9 Live score: Roger Federer has been pushed to the brink here by the American Tennys Sandgren. On another day Sandgren would have been home and dry but Federer saved 7 match points to finally come out victorious.Follow Live score of the 2020 Australian Open - 1:22 hrs IST

Federer: Draws are not getting easier

Roger Federer has that wit intact even after a gruelling 5 set match. He tells Jim Courier that he is lucky to be here and wants to make the most of it. He spoke about having a groin issue and coming back stronger. Courier to Federer: ‘I must admit I haven’t met anyone like you’ 1:17 hrs IST

Federer wins; enters semis

Roger Federer has done it. For the 22nd time he fights back from match point down to win. What a performance from Sandgren but it was not to be. Federer won 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3. 1:15 hrs IST

Sandgren stays alive, Federer serves for match

Sandgren has won on his serve to make it 3-5. Federer is serving for the match and the two players are locked at 15-15. Amazing backhand by Sandgren and that is an unforced error from the Swiss ace. Federer comes right back to make it 30-30. 13:10 hrs IST

Decisive Advantage for Federer

Roger Federer has shown who is the boss. After saving plethora of match points he is now up 5-2 in the decider. Sandgren will serve to stay in the match. 12:44 hrs IST

Federer level

A gruelling set comes to an end and Roger Federer has won it 7-6! Both players had multiple chances to clinch the set but it was the veteran who was able to finish it in the tie-break. 11:47 hrs IST

Sandgren wins 3rd set

Tennys Sandgren has won the third set 6-3 and he is two sets up against Roger Federer. Are we looking at a major upset?! 11:15 hrs IST

Federer in trouble

It is not looking good for Roger Federer as he is down 4-1 in the third set after winning the first set. However, Tennys Sandgren came back strong and took the second set to level things. 9:35 hrs IST

Barty through

Ash Barty stormed into her maiden Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday with an emphatic 7-6(6) 6-2 win over Petra Kvitova that avenged her defeat to the hard-hitting Czech in last year’s quarter-final at Melbourne Park. 9:03 hrs IST

Kenin wins

Sofia Kenin is through to the next round of women’s singles after she defeated Ons Jabeur 6-4. 6-4. 5:00 hrs IST

Kenin vs Jabeur

14th seed Sofia Kenin and Ons Jabeur will face each other in the first Q/F to seal a place in the last four. Read the full article

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bigyack-com · 4 years

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Coaches welcome WTA trial of allowing coaching from stand - tennis

Coaches have welcomed the WTA Tour’s decision to allow them to help players from the stands this season after the issue became a hot topic following the 2018 U.S. Open final when Serena Williams was controversially penalised.Williams’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou gestured to Williams during her defeat by Japan’s Naomi Osaka at Flushing Meadows, leading to a code violation and sparking a heated row between the American great and the chair umpire.Coaching from the stands would still be banned at Grand Slam events but the top women’s tour said it would trial the new system at all WTA Premier and International tournaments this year, starting with next month’s Dubai Duty Free Championships and the Hungarian Ladies Open.Darren Cahill, coach of world number three Simona Halep, said it was a step in the right direction.“I think as an industry, a coaching industry in tennis, it’s important that we do evolve and do this,” he said on Monday.“I’m really for it. I think the WTA is doing a good thing.”The WTA, which in the past has allowed players to call their coaches onto court at certain points during matches, said the rules associated with on-court coaching will remain the same.“The new trial will allow coaches to coach their player in the form they are currently coaching from the box without getting penalised,” the WTA said in a statement to Reuters.“Whether it’s verbal words of encouragement or few words when their player is on the same side of the court to any hand signals, such coaching as it takes place now from the box will be allowed.“The premise around this trial is that we feel coaching is taking place already from the box and as it’s difficult to regulate, this allows for consistency in rules across all matches.”Australian Cahill said he would have little to offer from the box, even in similar situations to Monday when his player Halep was yelling at the stands and whacking her racquet into the ground.“Even today, you know, if I was allowed to coach today, you’d be surprised how little coaching the coaches will do if they’re allowed to do it,” said Cahill, who has also worked with Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi.“The reason why probably a lot of it goes on at the moment is because you’re not allowed to do it so you’re trying to get the sneaky coaching message across. “But if you were allowed to do it, it’s a simple one line, ‘Hey, Simona, hold your line’. Okay, that’s coaching. But it’s not over-the-top coaching.”Artemon Apostu-Efremov, who is also part of Halep’s coaching staff, hoped the trial would be a success.“I think it’s a step that should have been taken quite a while ago, because coaches are part of the game,” he said. “Mostly in all the sports you see coaches interact with the athletes.” Read the full article

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Kobe Bryant death: Other sporting stars who died in air crashes - other sports

NBA legend Kobe Bryant died on Sunday when a helicopter crashed and burst into flames in suburban Los Angeles. Here is a look at six other air tragedies which claimed the lives of sporting heroes:1958: Manchester UnitedThe plane carrying members of Manchester United’s ‘Busby Babes’ crashed in Germany as it returned from a European Cup match in Belgrade. Eight players died following the incident as well as three staff members. Matty Busby’s side went on to win the trophy in 1968 and a passage under United’s Old Trafford stadium was named the ‘Munich Tunnel’ on the 50th anniversary of the accident.1961: US Figure SkatingAll 18 athletes in the US figure skating team lost their lives on their way to Prague for the World Championships as their aircraft crashed on approach to an airport in Brussels. The competition was cancelled and the whole squad and their coaches were inducted into the US Skating Hall of Fame in January 2011.1972: Old Christians Rugby Club The Uruguayan outfit lost 12 team members when the plane set for Santiago in Chile crashed in a remote part of the Andes mountain range. After they ran out of food on the glacier, survivors resorted to eating the flesh from the dead bodies and they were found 71 days after the crash. Books, films and documentaries have been made about the accident and hikers still visit the site at 3,570 metres to pay tribute.2016: ChapecoenseA charter flight from Bolivia to Colombia carrying 77 people claimed the lives of 19 members of the Brazilian side’s squad travelling to the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final. The title was awarded to the club following a request from their opponents Atletico Nacional. Spanish club Barcelona organised a friendly against Chapecoense less than a year later to raise funds as one of the survivors Alan Ruschel played his first match since the incident.2018: Vichai SrivaddhanaprabhaLeicester City owner Vichai was killed as the helicopter carrying him and four other people crashed outside the club’s King Power stadium hours after a league game. Thousands of Foxes supporters took part in a walk in remembrance of the victims before their next match and the Thai billionaire’s son Aiyawatt took over control of the English side.2019: Emiliano Sala The Argentinian striker was travelling by plane from Nantes to Wales to finalise a move to then Premier League club Cardiff City when his aircraft crashed in the English Channel. There are still unresolved issues surrounding the player’s death, such as the payment of the 17 million euros ($18.85 million) fee agreed for his transfer. Read the full article

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Barcelona sack Valverde and appoint Quique Setien as successor - football

Spanish champions Barcelona have sacked their coach Ernesto Valverde and appointed Quique Setien as his replacement, the club announced on Monday. The decision to remove Valverde was confirmed following a board meeting that lasted more than four hours at Camp Nou on Monday afternoon.Barca are top of La Liga but have won only one of their last five matches. Valverde is the first coach the club has sacked mid-season since Louis van Gaal in 2003.“FC Barcelona and Ernesto Valverde have reached an agreement to terminate the contract that united both parties,” read a club statement released on Monday night.Setien will be presented in a press conference at Camp Nou at 2.30pm local time (1330 GMT) on Tuesday.“Barcelona and Quique Setien have reached an agreement for the latter to become first team coach until 30 June 2022,” the club said. “Setien is one of the most experienced coaches in Spanish football,” it added. “Throughout his career he has been a proponent of possession based, attacking football that has been attractive to the fans.”His first game in charge will be at home to Granada on Sunday. Barcelona play Napoli in the last 16 of the Champions League next month and Real Madrid in the league at the start of March. Setien has made no secret of his admiration for the stylistic traditions of Barcelona, with the 61-year-old also renowned for favouring an exciting, offensive mode of football. A former player of Atletico Madrid and Racing Santander, he was circled as a potential Barca coach during a particularly successful period in charge of Real Betis. Setien led Betis to a sixth-place finish in 2018 and qualification for the Europa League but, despite overseeing a thrilling 4-3 victory at Camp Nou early the following season, results tailed off. Betis finished 10th and the club and coach parted ways in the summer. Previously, he also helped Las Palmas avoid relegation from La Liga in 2016. A footballing purist, Setien and Barcelona would seem a good fit, particularly if the players feel released from some of Valverde’s more pragmatic tendencies. But critics of Setien would argue style often takes precedence over substance and it remains to be seen how he handles the pressure of matching aesthetics with results at one of the world’s most demanding clubs. He will also have to do without Luis Suarez, who will be missing for the next four months after having surgery on his right knee. - European failures haunt Valverde -Doubts had surrounded Valverde for several months and were underpinned by two disastrous exits from the Champions League. Barcelona’s shocking collapse against Roma in 2018 was followed by a similar capitulation against Liverpool last year. Familiar fragility had been evident this season and a 3-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup on Thursday, in which Barcelona conceded two late goals, prompted the board to act. Valverde arrived two hours early for his last training session with the squad at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on Monday morning before meeting with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Bartomeu then drove to Camp Nou, where he held a board meeting with several club officials including chief executive Oscar Grau, technical secretary Javier Bordas, vice president Jordi Cardoner and sporting director Eric Abidal. Grau and Abidal had returned to Barcelona on Sunday after spending the weekend in Qatar, where they had offered the job to Xavi, only for the club’s iconic former midfielder to indicate he was not ready to come immediately. In Valverde’s two seasons, his team won two La Liga titles, as well as the Copa del Rey in 2018, and another league success remained very much in sight this term, despite Madrid’s impressive form in recent weeks. But Barca’s performances have been unconvincing and there were lingering concerns about Valverde’s more functional tactics, which appear to have informed the switch to Setien. When Valverde arrived in 2017, Barcelona were wounded, hurting after the shock departure of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain and humiliated, as consecutive defeats by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup hinted at trouble for the season ahead. Instead, he steadied the ship and galvanised the team. They lost one league game en route to winning the title and the year after, they were champions again, finishing 11 points ahead of Atletico and 19 clear of Real. Increasingly, though, Valverde’s achievements faded from view and his failures began to overshadow them. On Monday, Barcelona decided his time was up. Read the full article

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Offside a sore point as VAR in full swing - football

Jose Mourinho was fuming. The Tottenham Hotspur manager launched a scathing attack on the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) following his team’s New Year’s Day 0-1 defeat to Southampton.“For me, the referees are not the referees,” said Mourinho. “The VAR should change their name because Video Assistant Referee is not true. It should be VR—Video Referee—because they are the referees. You see the refs on pitch and they not the refs, they are the assistants. The other guys in the office are the ones who make the big decisions.”The Portuguese was annoyed over a potential foul on midfielder Dele Alli inside the box in the first half that was not assessed by VAR. “What I know is the Dele Alli penalty was a penalty and the VAR didn’t interfere,” he added. “The direction it is taking us in is really, really wrong.”Mourinho’s anger is not unjustified.Since its debut in the 2019-20 Premier League season, the VAR has been the crux of debate despite clubs voting unanimously in favour of introducing a system which was to constantly monitor matches and would be used only for “clear and obvious errors” or “serious missed incidents”. More importantly, the final decision was to be “always taken by the on-field referee”.But has the VAR adhered to the predetermined rules in the five months of the season so far?Though it has its benefits, from coaches to fans, there have been several complaints about decision-making being arbitrary and inconsistent with the VAR being used for even the smallest margins and tightest calls for offside as if it were like a line-call challenge in tennis. To add to it, it has also interfered with the run of play with reviews and checks at the pitch-side monitor often halting the flow of the game and snatching the momentum of a team on attack.“I believe it could be time to remove offside decisions from the VAR process,” former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg wrote in his Daily Mail column. “The excitement and spirit of the game is in danger of being damaged by the precise nature of the VAR technology when it comes to offside. So why not go back to assistant referees flagging for offside and we stick to their decision?”Every club has had decisions affect them, one way or the other, which was not supposed to be the case when VAR was first written into the laws of the game with the philosophy of “minimal interference, maximum benefit”.Fans were bewildered when VAR made another controversial decision on New Year’s Day by ruling out Jack Grealish’s goal against Burnley as Aston Villa striker Wesley Moraes’ heel was barely a millimetre in offside position. The goal was ruled out after a three-minute delay with VAR deliberating the offside. Similarly, more goals were ruled out earlier in the season due to these marginal offsides.“What fresh hell is this?” tweeted former England player and pundit Gary Lineker. “I never, ever thought I’d say this, but I genuinely feel sorry for the referees’ assistants. They’re pretty darn good at what they do and are being dreadfully undermined. Remember, level is onside.” The creeping discrepancies have even led the lawmakers of the game to comment that VAR shouldn’t be “too forensic” when it comes to offsides.“With VAR we see some things that are going in a direction that we may need to readjust,” International Football Association Board (IFAB), which determines the laws of football, general secretary Lukas Brud was quoted as saying by the BBC.“If you spend multiple minutes trying to identify whether it is offside or not, then it’s not clear and obvious and the original decision should stand. What we really need to stress is that ‘clear and obvious’ applies to every single situation that is being reviewed by the VAR or the referee. In theory, 1mm offside is offside, but if a decision is taken that a player is not offside and the VAR is trying to identify through looking at five, six, seven, 10, 12 cameras whether or not it was offside, then the original decision should stand.”Brud added that IFAB would reissue guidance on VAR’s use after its annual general meeting (AGM) in February.In a review by ESPN, it was seen that 58 goals or incidents were affected by the VAR in Premier League matches held till December 31, 2019. In total, 58 decisions were overturned with 16 resulting in goals and 32 disallowed, 10 were given as penalties while two were overturned.As many as 22 goals were ruled out for offside—including marginal ones—while six were awarded for incorrect offside, five goals were ruled out for handball while one allowed for a wrong handball decision.And when it comes to cards, VAR resulted in red cards for two while one was overturned.Teams like Norwich, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Sheffield United all had their goals disallowed thanks to VAR last weekend with the latter suffering the most over the course of the season with seven decisions going against them. Technology is here to stay and would be unwise to change VAR rules right in the middle of the season and as former top flight referee Mark Halsey, who officiated in the Premier League from 1999 to 2013, told BBC that if VAR is “used correctly, it shouldn’t be a problem” Read the full article

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Pressure doesn’t affect me, working on technique to win medal at Olympics: PV Sindhu - other sports

Neither criticism nor the burden of expectations bother world champion shuttler P V Sindhu, who says she is completely focussed on improving her craft in pursuit of a second Olympic medal at this year’s Tokyo Games.Sindhu claimed India’s first ever World Championships gold in 2019 but she made early exits from a series of tournaments the rest of the season, including her failure to defend the World Tour Finals title last month.“World Championship was really good for me but after that I kept losing in the first rounds but I kept myself positive. It is not possible that you will win all matches. Sometimes you may play brilliantly, sometimes you will make mistakes,” Sindhu, who will next be seen at the Premier Badminton League (PBL), told PTI.“I learnt a lot from those mistakes. It is important for me to stay positive, and come back stronger,” she added. Sindhu said she is working on her technique to iron out the flaws.“There will definitely be a lot of expectations from me but pressure and criticism doesn’t affect me because people always expect me to win whenever I go. Olympics is the ultimate aim, for anybody.“We are doing a lot of work on technique and skill workouts and everything will be planned and it will go well in the Olympic season,” Sindhu exuded confidence while talking about the Tokyo Games.The 24-year-old from Hyderabad, who claimed a silver at the Rio Olympics, will have the opportunity to emulate wrestler Sushil Kumar in becoming the second Indian to secure two Olympic medals when she turns up at the Tokyo Games.“He (Sushil) has done really well for the country and I hope and wish that I also do well and get a medal in Tokyo. It never crossed my mind where I think about others. It is step by step for me. So, I think I need to train hard and give my best,” she said.“It won’t be easy though, this time in 2020, we start off with Malaysia and Indonesia in January and it goes on as there are a few tournaments for Olympic qualification. So all the tournaments will be important for us.” While Olympics is still seven months away, Sindhu is currently looking to entertain home fans at the fifth season of the Premier Badminton League which will be held from January 20 to February 9.“I am really looking forward to the PBL this year. It is happening in January and I think all the teams are equally strong. So every match will be important. We can’t say one team is strong and the other is not,” said Sindhu, who was retained by Hyderabad Hunters for Rs 77 lakh in the PBL auction.While Sindhu will turn up for the annual domestic league, some other top Indian shuttlers such as Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth have decided to give it a miss to be in best shape for the Tokyo Olympics to be held from July 24 to August 9.Asked if it was a difficult decision to not skip the event, Sindhu said: “It is just another set of matches for me and I will look to enjoy. Since it is happening in India, for the crowd and also for the fans, it is important and they feel nice when top players play at home.“It is once in a year and it is a great atmosphere.” The fifth season of PBL will see a lot of youngsters rubbing shoulders with the top players and Sindhu said it is a great learning experience for the young minds.“It will provide encouragement to the youngsters and a lot of them will learn from top players. It is a big advantage for the youngsters to learn and a big opportunity as well,” she said. Read the full article

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New tennis era kicks off with ATP Cup - tennis

Tennis’ innovative new team championship kicks off the men’s 2020 season on Friday, with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic among those looking for a winning start ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year.The ATP Cup will see 24 nations split into six groups across three Australian cities, with eight teams emerging from the round-robin to compete in a knockout phase until one country is left standing.It is the sport’s newest tournament and the third men’s team event competing for the hearts and minds, and dollars, of fans, along with a revamped Davis Cup and the annual Laver Cup, which pits Europe against the World.But it has already suffered setbacks, with major drawcard Roger Federer opting to give it a miss and Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori pulling out injured.Despite this, world number two Djokovic said the move towards more team tennis was good for a sport best known for the individuality of its global superstars.“More than 90 percent of the time, we’re playing as individuals and we don’t have too many team events,” said the Serbian great, who also heads the ATP player council.“This is going to bring together a lot of nations and, for me personally, it will be a very nice and proud moment to represent my country. An event like this is truly going to make an impact.” Sydney hosts the finals, along with group games, which are also held in Brisbane and Perth with US$15 million in prize money and up to 750 singles and 250 doubles ATP rankings points at stake.Australian star Nick Kyrgios agrees with Djokovic, believing it will be “an awesome event”.“I know everyone on the Tour wants to be with their teammates. There’s nothing better than playing for your country against the other best players in the world,” he said.- Looking to the future -While Federer, Nishikori and Murray are missing, most of the world’s top 30 men are playing.The championship, from January 3-12, will feature two ties each day in the three cities during the round robin, comprising two singles matches then a doubles.Belgium kick off the Sydney action against Moldova before Britain face Bulgaria. Kyrgios spearheads local hopes for Australia in Brisbane against the Alexander Zverev-led Germany while Greece take on Canada in the same city.First up in Perth will be the United States against Norway followed by Russia and Italy.Djokovic makes his tournament debut in Brisbane for Serbia on day two, as does Spanish world number one Nadal in Perth.Under the format, the second-ranked singles players from each country face each other first, then the top-ranked men ahead of a potentially decisive doubles.A country winning two of three matches will claim the tie.As well as the players, some big-name former stars are captaining their countries, including Boris Becker (Germany), Marat Safin (Russia), Tim Henman (Britain), Lleyton Hewitt (Australia), and Thomas Muster (Austria).Previously the men’s season kicked off with players spread across various smaller-scale tournaments, and outgoing ATP chairman Chris Kermode said it made far more sense to have everyone under one umbrella.“The ATP Cup fits perfectly with our strategy to innovate and look towards the future,” he said.“The first week of the season is when the players want to play and that’s why the tournament has their strong support.” Group A (Brisbane) - Serbia, France, South Africa, Chile Group B (Perth) - Spain, Japan, Georgia, Uruguay Group C (Sydney) - Bulgaria, Belgium, Great Britain, Moldova Group D (Perth) - Russia, Italy, USA, Norway Group E (Sydney) - Austria, Croatia, Argentina, Poland Group F (Brisbane) - Germany, Greece, Canada, Australia. Read the full article

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India vs Australia: D'Arcy Short Replaces Injured Sean Abbott For ODI Series

With fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Kane Richardson already in Australia's ODI squad, selectors have called in Short, a top-order batter who also bowls wrist spin, to replace pacer Abbott. "It is extremely unfortunate for Sean, who is very much a part of our white-ball squad plans leading into the ICC T20 World Cup and the World Cup," selection convener Trevor Hohns was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia. "D'Arcy offers the squad another spinning all-rounder option along with Ashton Agar, which, along with the four world-class fast bowlers and Adam Zampa, balances the squad out nicely. His proven record and ability to bat anywhere in the order will also be a great asset to the squad." Short has played four ODIs for Australia, hitting 83 runs at an average of 26.66. Unless there's an injury, he will likely bat in the middle order given Warner and Finch are going to open. The last time Australia toured India for an ODI series was before the 2019 World Cup when they shocked the hosts 3-2 after being 0-2 down in the series. David Warner and Steve Smith will also be touring India for the first time with the Australian team since the ball-tampering scandal, both expectedly figuring in the squad. Cricket Australia banned them for one year for their role in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Australia squad: Aaron Finch (capt), D'Arcy Short, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, David Warner, Adam Zampa. Read the full article

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