Other Sports
Organisers anticipate competitive Suva race
THE Island Chill Suva Marathon on Saturday in the Capital City has a new five kilometre race. Held annually since 2014, the number of participants increase each year. Last year 100 corporate teams across the...
Tokyo well positioned one year out from Games after early troubles
TOKYO (Reuters) – When Tokyo was awarded the rights to the 2020 Olympics in Buenos Aires six years ago, it was hoped Japan’s reputation for efficiency and the bid’s promise of a “compact games” could ensure a smooth buildup to the event. Tokyo has mostly delivered on that hope, despite some early teething problems. Wednesday...
California boxing license returned to Bulgarian athlete who forcibly kissed reporter
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A Bulgarian boxer whose California license was suspended for forcibly kissing a female reporter during an interview was reinstated on Monday but warned he faced a permanent ban for any such behaviour in the future. The California State Athletic Commission voted 6-0 to lift the suspension of Kubrat Pulev, a heavyweight...
NFL’s Cowboys extend reign atop Forbes’ most valuable teams list
(Reuters) – The Dallas Cowboys were ranked the world’s most valuable sports team for a fourth consecutive year according to an annual list published by Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2019/07/22/the-worlds-50-most-valuable-sports-teams-2019/#67826f2283da on Monday that was dominated by National Football League clubs. The NFL’s Cowboys, who unseated Spanish soccer club Real Madrid for top spot on the list in 2016,...
23rd July
Athletics: U.S. trials boast speed, Lyles-Coleman showdown
(Reuters) – The speed show that is the backbone of the American athletics championships takes on added significance in Des Moines, Iowa this week when the United States select a team for this year’s worlds which are being held in Doha. The year’s fastest at 100, 200 and 400 metres, as well as the 110...
Olympics: Shonan the birthplace of Japan’s modern surf culture
ENOSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) – Surfing makes its Olympic debut next year at Chiba’s Ichinomiya beach but for many Japanese it is the Shonan coast, 50 kilometres south of Tokyo, that is regarded as the birthplace of the country’s modern surf culture. It is here that the modern style of surfing was first brought to Japan...
Ledecky illness shocks world championships
GWANGJU, South Korea (Reuters) – Katie Ledecky’s withdrawal from the 200 and 1,500 metres freestyle put a huge dampener on the third day of the world swimming championships in Gwangju with a major question mark now hanging over the unwell American for the rest of the meet. Ledecky had been gunning for four individual golds...
Malinga to retire from ODIs after first Bangladesh match
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka fast bowling ace Lasith Malinga will retire from 50-over internationals after Friday’s first match against Bangladesh in Colombo, captain Dimuth Karunaratne has said. Malinga, 35, played his last test in 2010 but continued playing the shorter formats and has taken 335 wickets from 225 one-day internationals for Sri Lanka, the...
Fiji swimmer Ross soaks the experience up to good effect at world swimming championships
GWANGJU, 23 JULY 2019 (THE REPORTERS ACADEMY) – A first World Championships for any swimmer can be exciting, daunting, exhilarating and nerve-racking all within a short period of time. If you’re 18 years of age and experiencing all this for the first time, then you can be forgiven for having a wave of emotions. Netani...
Lajovic overcomes determined Balazs for first ATP title
Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic claimed the first ATP title of his career, beating Hungarian qualifier Attila Balazs 7-5 7-5 in the Croatia Open final on Sunday. Lajovic, 29, was in a spot of trouble when trailing 3-5 in the opening set but held his nerve and ended up breaking Balazs four times to prevail at the...
Irishman Lowry wins British Open at Royal Portrush
Irishman Shane Lowry staved off the biggest nerves of his golfing life, handling the wind and the rain to win the British Open by six strokes amid emotional scenes at Royal Portrush on Sunday. Fervently cheered on every shot by the sellout crowd, the 32-year-old from Clara, who began the day with a four stroke...
Netball: New Zealand dethrone Australia for first World Cup in 16 years
New Zealand stunned Australia 52-51 in an exhilarating final on Sunday to dethrone the champions and claim their first netball World Cup title in 16 years. The Silver Ferns were runners-up in the last three editions that Australia won but were determined not to let history repeat itself at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, soaking up...
Australia retain women’s Ashes after draw in only tes
Australia retained the women’s Ashes after the only test match in the series played across multiple formats ended in a draw at Taunton on Sunday. After Australia had declared their first innings on 420-8, England avoided the follow-on and asked Australia to bat again, declaring at 275-9. However, the visitors elected not to set a...
Unstoppable Fraser-Pryce blazes to 100m glory in London
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce produced a superb display to outclass local favourite Dina Asher-Smith and Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou as she won the women’s 100 metres in 10.78 seconds at the London Diamond League on Sunday. The 32-year-old double Olympic champion made a blistering start to dominate the race from start to finish, giving Asher-Smith (10.92)...
Peaty swims under 57 seconds to smash breaststroke world record
Britain’s Adam Peaty became the first to swim the 100 metres breaststroke in under 57 seconds on Sunday, setting a world record of 56.88 in the semi-finals of the world championships in Gwangju, South Korea. The Olympic champion, who is unbeaten in the event over the last five years at major championships, lowered his own...
Cricket – Indian selectors bet on Pant as Dhoni’s future remains unclear
India’s cricket selectors on Sunday named Rishabh Pant as their preferred wicketkeeper for all three formats for next month’s tour of West Indies with the future of long-serving glovesman Mahendra Singh Dhoni still shrouded in mystery. Dhoni, 38, has been the subject of intense speculation on his retirement from international cricket over the past few...
22nd July
Pacquiao beats Thurman on split decision
Manny Pacquiao beat defending champion Keith Thurman on a split points decision on Saturday to take the WBA Welterweight Super Championship at the end of an electrifying fight in Las Vegas. Two judges scored it 115-112 to Pacquiao and another gave it 114-113 to Thurman, who suffered his first defeat in 30 fights. “The knock...
India’s selectors face questions over life after Dhoni
MUMBAI (Reuters) – Mahendra Singh Dhoni has opted out of India’s tour of West Indies as the selectors embark on their search for his successor once the long-serving wicketkeeper-batsman hangs up his boots for good. Dhoni is an honorary lieutenant colonel in India’s territorial army and has pulled out of the tour to serve his...
21st July
Lowry breaks course record to seize control at Open
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (Reuters) – If there were any nerves concealed behind Shane Lowry’s thick beard they had no impact on his golf as the Irishman took the British Open by the scruff of the neck with a sensational course record in Saturday’s third round. On a day ripe for scoring on a becalmed Dunluce...
Swimming – Sun shines in 400, Peaty sets pulses racing at world champs
GWANGJU, South Korea (Reuters) – Sun Yang eased through to the 400 freestyle final at the world swimming championships on Sunday as doping questions continue to dog the triple Olympic champion, while Adam Peaty flirted with his own world record on the way to the 100 breaststroke semis. American freestyle queen Katie Ledecky began her...
Pacquiao beats Thurman on split decision
(Reuters) – Manny Pacquiao beat defending champion Keith Thurman on a split points decision on Saturday to take the WBA Welterweight Super Championship in Las Vegas. Two judges scored it 115-112 to Pacquiao and another gave it 114-113 to Thurman, who suffered his first defeat in 30 fights. Thurman had vowed to beat the 40-year...
Fiji U12 baseball team set for World Cup
TEAM Fiji under-12 baseball team is on its way to take part in the World Baseball and Softball under-12 World Cup in Chinese Taipei next week. President Takao Mochida said this was a great platform for the players to get a feel of how to play in an international competition as they would play South...
NBA notebook: Harden withdraws from FIBA World Cup
Houston Rockets star guard James Harden has withdrawn from playing for USA Basketball in the FIBA World Cup in China, according to the Houston Chronicle. Harden has informed coach Gregg Popovich that he won’t be participating, according to the report. The event runs Aug. 31-Sept. 15. Harden is electing to focus on the Rockets and...
Holmes and Lowry share lead as Fleetwood and Westwood push
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (Reuters) – Ireland’s Shane Lowry proved master of the Dunluce links for the second successive day to move into a share of the halfway lead with American J.B. Holmes at the British Open on Friday. But there was a bitter-sweet exit for Rory McIlroy, who missed the cut despite bouncing back from...
20th July
2019 Pacific Games: Women basketballer’s create history
THE Fiji women’s basketball team created history winning the first ever gold medal in the 3×3 competition at the 2019 Pacific Games. The quartet of Vilisi Tavui, Mili Koyamainavure, Letava Whippy and Mickaelar Mendez won the final 20-9 against the Cook Islands. An emotional Mendez dedicated the win to the women’s basketball team that settled...
2019 Pacific Games: 3×3 basketballer’s out to create history
THE Fiji men’s and women’s basketball teams are hoping to score a historic gold at the 2019 Pacific Games in the 3×3 basketball event. The quartet of Marques Whippy, Henry Tabuduka, Joshua Motufaga and Filimone Waqabaca Jr will play Guam in the final this afternoon after winning their semi-final match against Samoa this morning 16-14....
2019 Pacific Games: Lal scoops gold for Fiji in half marathon
AVIKASH Lal won the 10th gold for Athletics Fiji and Team Fiji’s 34th on the last day of the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa. The 23-year-old not only won gold in the half marathon but also set a personal best of 1hr 12.06s this morning. Samuel Aragaw of French Polynesia won silver while Derek Mandell...
19th July
Taylor fears for triple jump as Diamond League changes
(Reuters) – As athletics’ Diamond League prepares to create a trimmer look for 2020, Christian Taylor worries about the future of the event in which he has won five gold medals. Speculation is rife, the double Olympic and three-times world champion told Reuters, that the men’s triple jump is one of eight events that could...
ICC approves concussion substitutes in international cricket
(Reuters) – Men’s and women’s teams across all formats of international and first class cricket will be allowed to replace concussed players during matches following a two-year trial in the domestic game, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has said. The rule has been included in the governing body’s playing conditions and will be effective starting...
Struggling Tiger says ‘Father Time’ catching up with him
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (Reuters) – If Tiger Woods fans were hoping his Masters win in April marked a return to the days when he was a consistent threat at every major championship, then Thursday’s opening round of the British Open was a reality check. The 15-times major champion never looked comfortable as he shot a...
