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1,375,128 | Soccer-Teammates hopeful Mbappe can make Friday's match against Dutch | PADERBORN, Germany (Reuters) - Kylian Mbappe’s teammates are hopeful he might yet be available for Friday’s European Championship clash against the Netherlands after suffering a broken nose on Monday.
France have made no announcement on their captain’s availability for their next match at the tournament in Germany but French media reports on Tuesday ruled him out of the encounter.
Both Adrien Rabiot and William Saliba, however, sounded an optimistic note at a press conference on Wednesday, not giving up hope Mbappe could play despite the fracture suffered late in the 1-0 win over Austria in Duesseldorf.
"I met him this morning, he was a little better. He had gone to do other tests. I don't know more. But when I saw him this morning, he was better," defender Saliba told reporters.
Rabiot highlighted the example of his Juventus teammate Wojciech Szczesny, the Poland goalkeeper who also suffered a broken nose in April.
"I don’t know exactly if it’s the same as Kylian. He had surgery the next day or two days later and he was available for the following match," Rabiot recalled.
"That's why when they told me about Kylian's nose being broken, in my head it wasn't so serious, because I told myself that he could be available quite quickly."
But if Mbappe does not make it, Rabiot said France would still be confident of their chances against the Dutch, who won their opening match against Poland in Hamburg on Sunday.
"Of course, he’s a very important player and that will inevitably have an impact, particularly on the preparation of opposing teams, but we have an exceptional group," insisted the midfielder.
"On the bench, we have more than enough means to replace Kylian. I have complete confidence in our quality on the bench."
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | PADERBORN, Germany (Reuters) - Kylian Mbappe’s teammates are hopeful he might yet be available for Friday’s European Championship clash against the Netherlands after suffering a broken nose on Monday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-teammates-hopeful-mbappe-can-make-friday039s-match-against-dutch | |
1,375,127 | Soccer-France aim to continue recent superiority over Dutch, with or without Mbappe | LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) - France may need to plan for the absence of Kylian Mbappe in the game against the Netherlands on Friday which will likely decide who will top Group D, after their captain suffered a broken nose in the opener, while the Dutch are up against recent history.
Mbappe went off injured in Monday's 1-0 win over Austria and will need a protective mask when he does return to action. If he sits out Friday's game, the Netherlands will be relieved not to have to face the French forward again.
In the Euro qualifying phase, the two nations were also drawn in the same group, with the French coming out on top in both meetings, in which Mbappe scored four goals.
The Dutch are, in fact, his favourite opponent, having netted five times in six games against them, and the first of his 47 international goals also came against the Netherlands back in 2017.
"Obviously, the French team with or without him, this is not the same thing. I hope he can be there," Deschamps said after the Austria game.
For Mbappe, the setback is yet more Euro heartbreak. He has never scored at a Euro finals tournament, and in 2021, Mbappe's penalty was saved in the shootout with Switzerland which saw France exit at the last 16 stage.
Mbappe may yet get the chance to put things right in Germany, but for now, if France manager Didier Deschamps does need to do without his most creative and dangerous player, he may turn to a man with plenty of tournament experience.
Olivier Giroud replaced Mbappe on Monday, as he did in their last friendly game against Canada, but the striker is struggling with an adductor injury which kept him out of training on Tuesday.
"I'm not thinking about myself in that moment. I'm thinking of Kylian, of the team," Giroud said after the Austria game.
"In any case, we don't know what will happen for the next match."
This is Giroud's seventh major tournament with France, and the team's all-time leading scorer would dearly love to go out on a high having said that this would be his last.
The Netherlands are well aware of the strength of this French squad - with or without Mbappe - but given his record against them, his probable absence would only be seen as a positive.
Ronald Koeman's side also won their opening game, but had to come from behind to defeat Poland 2-1. and were guilty of missing an array of chances. They will need be more clinical in front of goal when they get the opportunity against France.
The Dutch will try to ignore recent history and instead look to the spirit of 1988, when the Netherlands won the Euros in West Germany, their only major title.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) - France may need to plan for the absence of Kylian Mbappe in the game against the Netherlands on Friday which will likely decide who will top Group D, after their captain suffered a broken nose in the opener, while the Dutch are up against recent history. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-france-aim-to-continue-recent-superiority-over-dutch-with-or-without-mbappe | |
1,375,126 | Soccer-Poland need Lewandowski in crunch clash with Austria | BERLIN (Reuters) - Poland are hoping record scorer Robert Lewandowski will be fit for their Euro 2024 Group D clash with Austria on Friday after slumping to a 2-1 defeat by Netherlands in their opening game.
Lewandowski picked up a thigh injury in a warm-up friendly against Turkey, and though he was named on the bench against the Dutch, coach Michal Probierz decided not to risk him.
"He (Lewandowski) will hopefully play against Austria, he's a very important player for us," Probierz told reporters in the wake of the defeat to the Dutch.
"We have shown (against Netherlands) that we can play football very well, we had our chances, and I told the players to keep their chins up, we can play against anyone ... all the players believe that we are moving in the right direction."
The Austrians also lost by a single goal in their first match against France thanks to an own goal from Max Wober, and Friday's showdown in Berlin has become a must-win game if either side want to progress at Euro 2024.
While Austria struggled to lay a glove on a dominant but wasteful French side, Lewandowski's replacement Adam Buksa gave his side a surprise lead against the Dutch before an equaliser by Cody Gakpo and 83rd-minute winner from Wout Weghorst ensured they left Hamburg empty-handed.
With France awaiting the Poles in their final group game and the Austrians set to face the Dutch, both sides know Friday's game represents their best chance of securing a victory that could send them through to the knockout stages.
"It will be a decisive match against Poland - whoever wins will have every chance of going through. We knew that it would be difficult and that the second match would be kind of decisive, we knew that before," Austria coach Ralf Rangnick told reporters.
The German-born coach said his team selection against Poland would not be influenced by the fact they had picked up five yellow cards against France.
"This next match is too important, so we won't think about bookings. We will put the best and strongest starting XI on the pitch against Poland," Rangnick said.
"We're looking forward now, we're looking to the future, and well do everything on Friday to win the match."
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor, editing by Ed Osmond) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | BERLIN (Reuters) - Poland are hoping record scorer Robert Lewandowski will be fit for their Euro 2024 Group D clash with Austria on Friday after slumping to a 2-1 defeat by Netherlands in their opening game. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-poland-need-lewandowski-in-crunch-clash-with-austria | |
1,375,124 | Soccer-Croatia make three changes for clash against Albania | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Croatia rung the changes as they went in search of their first points at the European Championship, bringing in three new starters for Wednesday’s Group B clash against Albania at the Volksparkstadion.
Veteran Ivan Perisic was named at left wingback, while Josip Juranovic was brought into defence and striker Bruno Petkovic added to the attack in place of Ante Budimir after Croatia lost 3-0 in their opening game against Spain at the weekend.
It is an unusually attacking line-up named by coach Zlatko Dalic, who is looking to get his country's campaign back on track.
Albania, who scored after 23 seconds of their opener against Italy before losing 2-1, made two changes to their starting line-up with Qazim Laci brought into the midfield in place of Taulant Seferi, while English-born Armando Broja was dropped for Rey Manaj.
Teams:
Croatia: Dominik Livakovic; Josip Juranovic, Josip Sutalo, Ivan Perisic, Josko Gvardiol; Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric (c); Andrej Kramaric, Lovro Majer, Bruno Petkovic
Albania: Thomas Strakosha; Elseid Hysaj, Arlind Arjeti, Berat Djimsiti (c), Mario Mitaj; Kristjan Asllani, Ylber Ramadani, Qazim Laci; Jasir Asani, Nedim Bajrami, Rey Manaj
(Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Croatia rung the changes as they went in search of their first points at the European Championship, bringing in three new starters for Wednesday’s Group B clash against Albania at the Volksparkstadion. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-croatia-make-three-changes-for-clash-against-albania | |
1,375,119 | Motor racing-Verstappen back in a happy place for F1 triple header | (Reuters) - Max Verstappen should be back in a happy place as Formula One kicks off a triple header of familiar European races starting with the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya this weekend.
Red Bull's triple world champion took the first win of his F1 career at the track outside Barcelona in 2016, when he was only 18 years old, and has triumphed on his last two visits.
Austria follows on the weekend after and then the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, all tracks Verstappen won at last year as he romped to the most dominant championship on record.
This year's race comes after the Dutch driver won a wet Canadian Grand Prix, after three races with different drivers on top of the podium, and the track will suit his car better with fewer worries about bumps and kerbs.
"It has a good mix of high and low-speed corners and we have historically driven well there so hopefully we can maximise the performance of the car this weekend," said Verstappen, who leads Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by 56 points after nine races.
"We are aiming to keep the momentum going from Canada, so we are looking forward to racing this weekend and hopefully have some good weather."
Verstappen has led the championship for more than two years, taking over at the top in Spain in May 2022 and staying ahead ever since.
Team mate Sergio Perez needs a strong race after two successive retirements but the Mexican carries a three place grid penalty from Montreal, a weekend he called a disaster.
"Sometimes you are forced to reset a little and we have done that since the last race," said Perez.
Red Bull are 49 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors' standings, with the Italian team seeking to bounce back from the shock of a double retirement in Canada after winning with Leclerc in Monaco.
The race will be Carlos Sainz's last at home with Ferrari, the Spaniard moving on at the end of the season to make way for seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton, and he may have a real chance to win.
"The Spanish Grand Prix should see us return to being competitive, with the same level of performance we have demonstrated throughout the season prior to the Canadian Grand Prix," said team boss Fred Vasseur.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, preparing for his 21st home race, will also have plenty of fans.
Mercedes and McLaren should be in the mix, with the former more positive after George Russell's pole position and third place in Canada -- the team's first podium of the campaign.
"We have new parts coming in Barcelona. That should help us, so I would very much hope that we can continue this positive trajectory," said team boss Toto Wolff, whose drivers were second and third at the circuit last year.
McLaren have been on the podium in the last five races, Lando Norris taking a win and three second places while Oscar Piastri was second in Monaco.
"The track has its challenges...but I think we’re in a good position to maximise our performance and get the most out of the car," said Norris.
Britain's Oliver Bearman, tipped for a race seat next year, will take over Nico Hulkenberg's car at Haas in Friday's first practice.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Motorsport | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Max Verstappen should be back in a happy place as Formula One kicks off a triple header of familiar European races starting with the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya this weekend. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/motorsport/2024/06/19/motor-racing-verstappen-back-in-a-happy-place-for-f1-triple-header | |
1,375,054 | Cricket-India's Suryakumar happy to temper aggression on slow tracks | (Reuters) - Suryakumar Yadav has proved time and again the kind of havoc he can wreak with the bat but India's lynchpin believes being able to control that aggression is equally important on the slow pitches in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
The group stage of the 20-team tournament, especially its U.S. leg, proved a low-scoring affair with no batter managing to score a hundred.
Suryakumar needed 49 balls for his fifty against the United States, which is slow by the high standards of the world's top ranked T20 batter.
While team totals are expected to rise from the Super Eight stage onward with the tournament shifting completely to the Caribbean, Suryakumar said adaptability was as important as aggression for him.
"If you have been the world's number one batsman for the past two years, you should know how to bat according to different conditions," Suryakumar said ahead of Thursday's Group 1 match against Afghanistan.
"I try to do that if the wicket is difficult and there is no opportunity (to score freely)."
T20 is considered a batter-friendly format but only three teams touched the 200-mark in the group stage of the tournament.
"It's difficult to generate that force when there's no pace on the wicket and when someone has read your game nicely," Suryakumar said.
"So, at that time, you have to be very smart how you want to extend your innings.
West Indies amassed 218-5 against Afghanistan in the final group match at Gros Islet suggesting scoring runs would be easier on the Caribbean wickets.
"The practice wicket here is much better from what we saw in the USA," Suryakumar said.
"It's a little spicy, but much better."
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Cricket | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Suryakumar Yadav has proved time and again the kind of havoc he can wreak with the bat but India's lynchpin believes being able to control that aggression is equally important on the slow pitches in the ongoing T20 World Cup. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/cricket/2024/06/19/cricket-india039s-suryakumar-happy-to-temper-aggression-on-slow-tracks | |
1,375,053 | Paris Mayor: overseas visitors should not be worried by rise of French far-right | PARIS (Reuters) - Visitors from overseas travelling to Paris for next month's Olympic Games should not be worried by the rise of the French far-right National Rally (RN) party, now leading in polls for a parliamentary election, said the Paris Mayor on Wednesday.
"As the far-right is at the gates of power ahead of the Olympic Ganes, I want to tell our friends from abroad who are worried that Paris is a place where we will continue to breathe democracy," said Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta) | Sport | Other Sports | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | PARIS (Reuters) - Visitors from overseas travelling to Paris for next month's Olympic Games should not be worried by the rise of the French far-right National Rally (RN) party, now leading in polls for a parliamentary election, said the Paris Mayor on Wednesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/others/2024/06/19/paris-mayor-overseas-visitors-should-not-be-worried-by-rise-of-french-far-right | |
1,375,045 | Athletics-Focused Richardson eyes Olympic trials redemption | (Reuters) - American fan favourite Sha'Carri Richardson will look to add another chapter to her comeback story with a ticket to the Paris Games when the United States team trials kick off on Friday, three years after her Olympic dream came crashing down.
The Texan catapulted herself into household fame when she won the 100 metres at the 2021 trials, but a positive test for cannabis saw her miss out on competing in Tokyo.
Richardson stunningly failed to qualify for the World Championships at the same Hayward Field track in 2022. But she made good on years of potential a year later, winning the 100m world title and taking third in the 200m in Budapest.
Her trophy case now awaits an Olympic gold.
"Back on the track, grounding myself," Richardson said in a televised interview after winning the 100m in 10.83 seconds in her season debut over the distance at last month's Prefontaine Classic.
"This year's been humbling and I just understand no matter what's going on to always stay focused on the mission ahead."
Richardson, 24, has kept a limited competition schedule this year and finished second at the Xiamen Diamond League meet and third at Suzhou in the 200m.
She is registered to run the 100 and 200 at the U.S. trials.
"At the beginning of the season definitely every race counted as an experience, as a lesson, and I feel like, beginning of the season, again it was humbling for me to remain focused on the mission ahead," Richardson told NBC.
Her biggest challenge in the shorter sprint will likely come from newcomer Jacious Sears, after the 22-year-old set the world lead of 10.77 seconds in April, just two hundredths of a second off Richardson's collegiate record.
But Sanya Richards-Ross, the 400 metres Olympic champion in 2012, sees few who can challenge Richardson.
"I'm really happy with how Sha'Carri Richardson looked at the Prefontaine, so I feel like she's in great shape," Richards-Ross told reporters earlier this month.
"Obviously when she's in great shape and running that well, it's hard to beat her."
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken Ferris) | Sport | Athletics | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - American fan favourite Sha'Carri Richardson will look to add another chapter to her comeback story with a ticket to the Paris Games when the United States team trials kick off on Friday, three years after her Olympic dream came crashing down. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/athletics/2024/06/19/athletics-focused-richardson-eyes-olympic-trials-redemption | |
1,375,043 | Soccer-Give us some respect, says Croatia boss Dalic | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic is fed up with his team being treated like dark horses and says the side deserves more respect at Euro 2024 for their past achievements - especially when compared to England.
Dalic's side face Albania in Hamburg later on Wednesday, needing to get their campaign back on track after a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to Spain in their Group B opener.
That result left Croatia licking their wounds, but after reaching the World Cup final in 2018 and finishing in third place four years later in Qatar, Dalic says his side, who also reached the Nations League final last year, should not be written off.
"We are always the dark horse. We are always not among the favourites. Nobody believed in us. In the past six years, we've won three medals," Dalic told reporters in the lead-up to Wednesday's game, pointing out that their record trails only that of France.
"So I always keep saying that Croatia deserves greater respect from everyone else for what we've managed to do."
To make his point, the Croatia boss compared his side favourably to frequent underachievers England, who won the World Cup in 1966 and have reached one European Championship final since.
"We've won three medals. England won one 50 years ago, but they are a great team. We are not... We are a nation who are entitled to feel proud, and our results show that we are better than are perceived."
(Reporting by Toby Davis in Leipzig; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic is fed up with his team being treated like dark horses and says the side deserves more respect at Euro 2024 for their past achievements - especially when compared to England. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-give-us-some-respect-says-croatia-boss-dalic | |
1,375,042 | Soccer-England's Foden confident his partnership with Bellingham will improve | BLANKENHAIN, Germany (Reuters) - After a shaky start to England's European Championship campaign that had critics questioning his starting spot, Phil Foden insists his partnership with Jude Bellingham will only flourish.
Foden was a headliner this past Premier League season, pouring in 27 goals for Manchester City across all competitions to win Premier League Footballer of the Year honours.
But lining up on the left of a front three in England's 1-0 win over Serbia, with Jude Bellingham occupying the central No. 10 position in which Foden has thrived with City, he drifted out of the game.
"Jude's obviously an exceptional talent," Foden said in a Football Association video. "He's a leader now, I think he's turning into a leader. I think our link-up play is good at times and I think it's improving as well, and can keep getting better. So he's an exciting talent and I enjoy playing with him."
While some chalked up Sunday's performance as just a bad game for Foden, it drew criticism from some pundits.
"I don't think Phil Foden played well, he didn't get into it," former England striker Ian Wright said on the BBC match broadcast. "People talk about Foden and his positions. I can understand that because of how good he is as a footballer, but he didn't get into the game.
"We can't always blame the system. He needs to make it happen for himself and demand the ball," Wright said.
Former Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas said players with Foden's talent have the quality to hold the ball anywhere on the pitch.
"It's about do you want it enough to make a difference and hold the ball for your team? Do you want to make things happen? Do you enjoy getting the ball under pressure?" he said. "I think players like Foden, they need to step up."
Foden, who City manager Pep Guardiola has described as the "most talented player" he has ever seen, struggled during his European Championship debut three years ago as well, and was taken out of the team after England's opening two games.
The 24-year-old's performance at the 2022 World Cup was a far different story. His first appearance was as a 71st-minute substitute against Iran. He then scored in England's 3-0 win over Wales, and then assisted goals by Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka in their 3-0 win over Senegal in the round of 16.
"I think the first game of a major tournament is always the most difficult," Foden said of the Serbia win that England nearly blew with a nervy second half. "Obviously, we had to defend at times and dig deep.
"But I think that shows a different side to us and if we're going to win something, I think that we have to do that."
England, who sit atop Group C, face Denmark on Thursday in Frankfurt and close out the group stage against Slovenia on June 25.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | BLANKENHAIN, Germany (Reuters) - After a shaky start to England's European Championship campaign that had critics questioning his starting spot, Phil Foden insists his partnership with Jude Bellingham will only flourish. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-england039s-foden-confident-his-partnership-with-bellingham-will-improve | |
1,375,041 | Soccer-Ronaldo's shots and German efficiency – Euro 2024 numbers so far | FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo had the most attempts on target and hosts Germany made best use of their chances in the first round of pool matches at the European Championship, while a forward from Romania has been the quickest across the grass so far.
Ronaldo did not get on the scoresheet from his three shots on target in Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Czech Republic on Tuesday and is one of four players to have five attempts at goal in total along with France’s Marcus Thuram, Georgia's Georges Mikautadze and Christian Eriksen of Denmark.
It has been a tournament for early – and late - goals so far, with six of the 34 netted inside the opening 15 minutes, and 14 in the first half-hour. There have been four goals scored past the 90-minute mark already.
With a healthy average of 2.84 goals per game, or one every 32 minutes, only five of the 24 teams failed to find the back of the net in their opening fixtures.
Albania's Nedim Bajrami scored the fastest goal in Euros history after 23 seconds against Italy, though his side ended up losing 2-1.
Portugal lead the possession numbers with 69 per cent, while hosts Germany were similarly dominant with 68 per cent as they thumped Scotland 5-1.
The Germans have the best passing accuracy with 94 per cent, led by their 21-year-old attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala, who completed 100 per cent of his 33 passes to teammates.
Serbia put in the joint most number of tackles with 20 in their 1-0 loss to England, a figure matched by Turkey in their rip-roaring 3-1 victory over Georgia.
Two players managed two assists in the first round of games, Romania forward Dennis Man as they beat Ukraine 3-0 and, perhaps more surprising, Netherlands defender Nathan Ake in the 2-1 victory over Poland.
Turkey had the most shots at goal as a team with 22, one more than the Netherlands, and also had the highest expected goals (xG) - a measure of how promising their chances were - with 2.62.
The most efficient side was Germany, who netted five times from an xG of 2.04, and the most wasteful Croatia as they were held scoreless by Spain in their 3-0 loss despite an xG of 2.27.
Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek was the busiest between the posts, making seven saves, one more than the Netherlands’ Bart Verbruggen.
There were four players who clocked running at over 35 kilometres per hour, headed by Romania forward Valentin Mihaila (35.9km/h).
Belgium’s Jeremy Doku (35.3), Rasmus Hojlund (35.3) from Denmark and France captain Kylian Mbappe (35.2) were the others.
No player covered more grass than Serbia midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who ran 13.9 kilometres against England.
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo had the most attempts on target and hosts Germany made best use of their chances in the first round of pool matches at the European Championship, while a forward from Romania has been the quickest across the grass so far. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-ronaldo039s-shots-and-german-efficiency---euro-2024-numbers-so-far | |
1,375,025 | Tennis-Wimbledon sprinkles stardust on women's draw as Osaka, Kerber and Wozniacki handed wild cards | (Reuters) - A trio of former world number ones in Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki have been handed wild cards into the main draw of next month's Wimbledon championship, the tournament organisers said on Wednesday.
Kerber, down at 224th in the world rankings after 18 months on maternity leave, won the tournament in 2018 and finished runner-up in 2016.
Osaka and Wozniacki, who both also took lengthy breaks from the tour during their pregnancies, have five Grand Slam titles between them.
Japan's Osaka, who reached the quarter-finals of the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships last week, has progressed to the third round at Wimbledon on two occasions, while Wozniacki has made it to the last 16 six times.
Local hope and former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu, who was sidelined for eight months last year after undergoing surgery on both wrists and an ankle, was also awarded a wildcard for the grasscourt Grand Slam.
Raducanu is ranked 165th in the world.
Britain's Fran Jones, Lily Miyazaki, and Heather Watson are the other players to be awarded entry into the women's singles.
On the men's side, all the players to receive wild cards were from Britain, with Liam Broady the standout name.
One wild card is yet to be awarded in both the men's and women's draws.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Tennis | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - A trio of former world number ones in Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki have been handed wild cards into the main draw of next month's Wimbledon championship, the tournament organisers said on Wednesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/tennis/2024/06/19/tennis-wimbledon-sprinkles-stardust-on-women039s-draw-as-osaka-kerber-and-wozniacki-handed-wild-cards | |
1,374,949 | Cricket-England's Topley ready for death-overs bowling duties | (Reuters) - Reece Topley assumed new ball duties on his return to the England side after missing the first two group matches at the T20 World Cup but the left-arm seamer says he can also be a strong death-bowling option for the defending champions.
The towering seamer opened the bowling against both Oman and Namibia as England made the Super Eight stage of the tournament.
Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan are England's preferred bowlers in the final overs of an innings but Topley also relishes bowling at a stage when batters throw caution to the wind.
"It's nothing new, I've done it in an England shirt before," he told reporters ahead of Wednesday's Group 1 game against tournament co-hosts West Indies.
"I actually really enjoy it because it's kind of like the time where you get your rewards for bowling well up top and keeping it tight.
"It's the time when wickets fall. So it's quite exciting in that respect and I don't think there's anything to be feared."
Apart from regular yorkers, Topley's armoury includes a back-of-the-hand slower delivery and wide yorkers -- all of which can come in handy in the final overs.
The 30-year-old did not think death-overs bowling required a different mindset.
"If you bowl well at the death, you get rewards. If you don't bowl well, you get hit.
"I don't think it differs to any sort of stage in the game to be honest."
"It's just delivering a skill down the other end, so it doesn't really change too much."
Topley said he was disappointed having to warm the bench initially but attributed it to the depth of England's pace talent, which includes Mark Wood.
"I was disappointed but I'm sure each game there's been four disappointed players.
"I think we're blessed to the point that we're trying to fit too many players into an 11."
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Cricket | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Reece Topley assumed new ball duties on his return to the England side after missing the first two group matches at the T20 World Cup but the left-arm seamer says he can also be a strong death-bowling option for the defending champions. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/cricket/2024/06/19/cricket-england039s-topley-ready-for-death-overs-bowling-duties | |
1,374,753 | Athletics-India's Chopra eases fitness concerns with gold in Finland | NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra won gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland on Tuesday and while the winning throw was well short of his personal best the Indian said he is happy with his fitness ahead of the Paris Olympics.
The mop-haired 26-year-old became India's first track-and-field athlete to win an Olympic gold in Tokyo and will carry the hopes of a nation on his shoulders in Paris.
Chopra had pulled out of the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting last month after injuring his adductor muscle but there was no signs of any discomfort on Tuesday as he hurled a winning throw of 85.97m in his third attempt.
"I am happy with my adductor now because I could do all six throws," Chopra, who has a personal best of 89.94m, said on the tournament website.
"I will try to stay healthy in the next weeks, because then I will throw my best throws."
Chopra had also missed the Ostrava meet last year because of a similar injury.
"Every year I have some problems with my adductor, maybe after the Olympics I am going to talk to different doctors," he said.
"Initially I wanted to compete more this season, but it was not possible due to my niggles."
Chopra will move to Germany to continue training under his German coach Klaus Bartonietz and is also considering training in Turkey before the Olympics.
"Most of the time I train with my coach and physio, but from time to time we exchange with other coaches like Jan Zelezny," he said referring to the Czech javelin great.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Athletics | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra won gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland on Tuesday and while the winning throw was well short of his personal best the Indian said he is happy with his fitness ahead of the Paris Olympics. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/athletics/2024/06/19/athletics-india039s-chopra-eases-fitness-concerns-with-gold-in-finland | |
1,374,689 | Athletics-Italy's Jacobs runs best time since Tokyo Games victory | (Reuters) - Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs ramped up his preparations for the Paris Games by breaching the 10-seconds mark twice on Tuesday to win gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland.
The Italian, who clocked 9.80 in the Tokyo final and also won 4x100m relay gold, finished top of his heat in Turku with a time of 9.99s before claiming victory in the final in 9.92s.
Prior to Tuesday, the 29-year-old had dipped under 10 seconds just once since his Tokyo Games triumph in 2021. His time in Tuesday's final was the third-fastest of his career.
"Before today I was a bit worried that I hadn't run under 10 seconds yet (this season), but it's part of the game and now I have done it twice," Jacobs said.
"In the heats I had a really good start, the last part was average. In the final it was the other way around, so now we need to put the pieces together."
The season's leading time is 9.79s, set by Ferdinand Omanyala on Saturday at Kenya's Olympic trials.
The athletics competition at the Paris Olympics takes place from Aug. 1-11 at the Stade de France.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Athletics | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs ramped up his preparations for the Paris Games by breaching the 10-seconds mark twice on Tuesday to win gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/athletics/2024/06/19/athletics-italy039s-jacobs-runs-best-time-since-tokyo-games-victory | |
1,374,654 | Swimming-Smith conquers self-doubt to regain backstroke world record | INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Regan Smith was so riddled with self-doubt the American thought her days of breaking backstroke records were gone for good, but after learning to tame her emotions she is once again on top of the world.
Smith said on Tuesday that the newfound sense of belief in herself was key to regaining a 100m backstroke world record she set in 2019 as a 17-year-old.
"It's confidence all the way," she told reporters after clocking a sizzling 57.13 at the U.S. Olympic trials to slash 0.2 seconds off Australian Kaylee McKeown's mark.
"I've always had it physically. I've always had like a God-given natural ability to swim backstroke but I just never believed in myself ever and that's always going to be a work-in-progress."
In contrast to the highs of setting a world record in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Smith said her lowest point came at trails for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
"I just didn't want to be there. I wasn't excited. I had no faith in myself," she said.
"I wanted other people to do it because I thought that they were going to be better at doing it than I was."
That all began to change when she started working with a sports psychologist in October last year. The 22-year-old said she has seen steady improvement in her mental health and performances ever since.
"What I really struggle with is separating emotion from logic, and I think the best of the best, they are able to stay logical in the hardest times," she said.
"Because when logic goes out the door and emotion comes in, that's when you choke, and I did that over and over because I just let my emotions take over."
Despite her struggles she still managed to pick up three Olympic medals in Tokyo.
Now brimming with confidence, Smith said she is eager for the showdown with McKeown in Paris where she believes she can break her own record and get her hands on her first Olympic gold medal.
"I'm not going to sell myself short, absolutely not," she said.
"That was an amazing race but it wasn't a perfect race. I know there's things that I can clean up and do better, and I'm going to work towards that."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Indianapolis; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Swimming | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Regan Smith was so riddled with self-doubt the American thought her days of breaking backstroke records were gone for good, but after learning to tame her emotions she is once again on top of the world. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/swimming/2024/06/19/swimming-smith-conquers-self-doubt-to-regain-backstroke-world-record | |
1,374,588 | Golf-Woods gets special exemption into PGA Tour Signature Events | (Reuters) - Tiger Woods will be given a special exemption into PGA Tour Signature Events starting next year, the U.S.-based circuit's Policy Board approved during a meeting on Tuesday.
According to a memo obtained by Reuters, an additional Signature Events sponsor exemption will be created to recognize Woods in his own category having reached an exceptional lifetime achievement threshold of more than 80 career wins.
The 48-year-old, who counts 15 majors among his 82 wins on the PGA Tour, has been playing a limited schedule for years due to several injuries and has not automatically qualified for these events.
In his four starts this year, Woods has withdrawn from one event, finished last among those who made the cut at the Masters and then missed the cut at the PGA Championship and last week's U.S. Open.
Signature Events are limited-field tournaments featuring top players with increased prize money. In 2024, three of the eight Signature events featured a 36-hole cut while the remaining five did not have a cut.
For 2024, the top 50 players from the previous season's FedExCup points list through the Tour Championship were eligible to participate in all Signature Events this year.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Golf | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Tiger Woods will be given a special exemption into PGA Tour Signature Events starting next year, the U.S.-based circuit's Policy Board approved during a meeting on Tuesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/golf/2024/06/19/golf-woods-gets-special-exemption-into-pga-tour-signature-events | |
1,374,553 | Swimming-Ledecky fired up for Olympic relay team with teenager Gemmell | INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Katie Ledecky said she is thrilled to lead a U.S. relay team at the Paris Games that includes 19-year-old Erin Gemmell, who grew up idolizing the seven-times Olympic gold medallist and even dressed up as her at Halloween.
Ledecky immediately embraced Gemmell in the water after they both qualified for the 4x200m freestyle team at the U.S. Olympic trials on Monday in Indianapolis and the duo will be joined by Claire Weinstein and Paige Madden in Paris.
"I've known Erin since she was seven-years-old and to see how far she's come was such a special moment," Ledecky said poolside in Indianapolis on Tuesday.
"I certainly remember her as a seven-year-old dressing up as me for Halloween," she added with a laugh.
Gemmell said she was terrified of Ledecky when she first met her at family holiday parties.
"But she was just so welcoming to a little seven-year-old fan," she said. "Katie was such a big influence. I don't think I would be here without her."
While Ledecky is fired up for the relay, she said she would likely skip the individual 200m freestyle in Paris to focus on distance events, which should open the door for Madden to take her place in the event.
"Nothing formally gets decided until the end of the week because I've got to do what I want to do in the 800 and the mile, but if all goes well, I'm not planning on swimming it individually in Paris," she said.
The main reason she has been swimming the individual 200m has been to help inspire the team, she said.
"I just want to continue to be ready for that relay and push the other girls individually to try to get our team faster," she said.
"We want to really put up a great showing and we have such a great history in that relay. We're very motivated to do really well there."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Indianapolis; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Swimming | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Katie Ledecky said she is thrilled to lead a U.S. relay team at the Paris Games that includes 19-year-old Erin Gemmell, who grew up idolizing the seven-times Olympic gold medallist and even dressed up as her at Halloween. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/swimming/2024/06/19/swimming-ledecky-fired-up-for-olympic-relay-team-with-teenager-gemmell | |
1,374,530 | Swimming-Smith sets backstroke world record at US Olympic Trials | INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) -Regan Smith set the 100m backstroke world record at the U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis on Tuesday, touching the wall first in 57.13 to shave 0.2 seconds off Australian Kaylee McKeown's previous mark.
With just over a month to go before the Games, Smith's win in the final sealed her place on the U.S. team and sets up a Paris showdown with McKeown, who swam 57.33 in Hungary last year.
"I'm so proud of myself," Smith said amid cheers from thousands of fans at Lucas Oil Stadium.
"Backstroke is hard for me sometimes but to fight back like this and get that back means a lot."
Katharine Berkoff was second with a time of 57.91.
Smith, a three-time Olympic medallist who took bronze in the event at the Tokyo Games, still has two more events to contest at the trials and said she would not get too carried away celebrating her world record.
"We're going to take a couple minutes here to be really proud of what we accomplished and then it's back to work," she said.
"I've got more things that I want to accomplish this week."
Smith previously set the mark at the 2019 world championships in South Korea but said she was not sure she would ever reach those heights again.
"There were many years that went by after 2019 where I thought that I would never do that ever again," the 22-year-old told reporters.
"That was a long time coming and it took a lot of practicing and improving my confidence."
With help from a sports psychologist, Smith is now brimming with confidence headed to Paris where she thinks the record could be broken again.
"I think 56 is a possibility for sure, whether it's me or whether it's one of my competitors, who knows.
"But I'm not going to sell myself short. That was an amazing race but it wasn't a perfect race."
Smith's world record was the second of the trials after Gretchen Walsh set a new mark in the women's 100m butterfly on Saturday, touching in 55.18.
FINKE CRUISES
Bobby Finke was a predictable winner in the 800m freestyle final, clocking 7:44.22 to book his ticket to Paris where he will defend his gold medal from Tokyo.
"I'm going to be able to take the experience from last time and all the world championships that we had leading up to this," Finke said at the stadium, which is home to the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.
"The crowd here is amazing, first time in a football stadium. I see people all around, which is really exciting, my family is here.
"To be able to harness all that energy and put it into the race, especially such a long one, is always fun."
Finke, a relative unknown before making his breakthrough in Tokyo, said getting onto the team a second time was harder than the first.
"All the pressure I was feeling coming into this race, to finally get my hand on the wall and see the Olympic rings next to my name was a relief," he said.
"I'm very excited I get to do it again."
Luke Whitlock finished second and will likely join two-time gold medallist Finke in the pool at Paris for his first Games.
Caeleb Dressel advanced to the final of the 100m freestyle, finishing in 47.82, behind Jack Alexy's time of 47.08.
The seven-time Olympic gold medallist abruptly pulled out of the world championships in Budapest in 2022 due to a health issue and failed to qualify for the world championships in Japan last year but has been on the comeback trail of late.
The 27-year-old will look to book his ticket to a third Games in the eight-man final on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Swimming | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) -Regan Smith set the 100m backstroke world record at the U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis on Tuesday, touching the wall first in 57.13 to shave 0.2 seconds off Australian Kaylee McKeown's previous mark. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/swimming/2024/06/19/swimming-smith-sets-backstroke-world-record-qualifies-for-us-olympic-team | |
1,374,528 | Cricket-Williamson steps down as New Zealand captain after T20 World Cup debacle | (Reuters) - Kane Williamson has stepped down as captain of New Zealand's white-ball teams and opted out of a national contract for the 2024/25 season following the Black Caps' early exit from the T20 World Cup.
Williamson's decision marks the end of an era for a New Zealand team which made the semi-finals of the previous three T20 World Cups and the 2021 final but ultimately missed out on a maiden white-ball title.
Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has also indicated he will not take up a national contract, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Wednesday, following the team's failure to make the Super Eight phase at the ongoing tournament.
One of the world's top batsmen and a campaigner of more than 350 internationals in tests, one-day and T20 cricket, Williamson will continue to play for New Zealand in all three formats.
However, he has opted to take up a contract outside of New Zealand in January, meaning he will be unavailable for part of the home summer.
"Pursuing an overseas opportunity during the New Zealand summer means I’m unable to accept a central contract offer," the 33-year-old said in a statement.
"Playing for New Zealand is something I treasure, and my desire to give back to the team remains undiminished.
"My life outside cricket has changed however - spending more time with my family and enjoying experiences with them at home or abroad is something that’s even more important to me."
Williamson's likely destination in January is a T20 franchise league, with competitions running in several countries including Australia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
He gave up the test captaincy to Tim Southee in 2022, and there will be another changing of the guard as New Zealand look to rejuvenate before the next T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India in 2026.
Fast bowler Trent Boult, who opted out of a national contract in 2022, confirmed last Friday he had played his last T20 World Cup following the team's elimination from the tournament.
NZC said Williamson would be available for eight tests leading into Christmas and the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February-March.
The board said Williamson's decision to opt out of a contract would not hurt his chances of selection, a departure from its usual policy which favours contracted players.
"We’re happy to make an exception for our greatest ever batter – especially as he remains so committed to the team," said NZC CEO Scott Weenink.
"This is a good way to help keep Kane in the international game so that he continues to play a major role for the Black Caps – both now and in the years to come."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Cricket | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Kane Williamson has stepped down as captain of New Zealand's white-ball teams and opted out of a national contract for the 2024/25 season following the Black Caps' early exit from the T20 World Cup. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/cricket/2024/06/19/cricket-williamson-steps-down-as-new-zealand-captain-after-t20-world-cup-debacle | |
1,374,512 | Li Jane lifts US Open trophy, scores first major PWBA title | PETALING JAYA: Sin Li Jane scores a major win and etches her name in the history books after winning her first major title in the Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA).
The 32-year-old bagged the US Open title after beating Latvia’s Diana Zavjalova 226-214 in the stepladder final at the Royal Pin Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis on Tuesday (June 18).
Li Jane is the first Malaysian and South-East Asian to win the US Open, and the second Asian to do so.
The first Asian to win it was Japan’s Shinobu Saitoh in 1982.
She takes home US$60,000 (RM283,000) and also her third PWBA title of the year.
Earlier, she had won the Greater Nashville Classic on May 31 and the Journal Rockford Open on May 11. | Sport | Bowling | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Sin Li Jane,Bowling,US Open,Professional,PWBA | PETALING JAYA: Sin Li Jane scores a major win and etches her name in the history books after winning her first major title in the Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA). | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/bowling/2024/06/19/li-jane-lifts-us-open-trophy-scores-first-major-pwba-title | |
1,374,492 | ATP roundup: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner rallies in Halle | World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy needed three sets to overcome Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the Terra Wortmann Open on Tuesday in Halle, Germany.
Sinner hit 15 aces to Griekspoor's 11 and saved all four break points he faced while going 3-for-4 on opportunities to break his opponent's serve.
No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany also had to rally to beat countryman Oscar Otte 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4. No. 4 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia wasn't as fortunate, falling to Marcos Giron 6-4, 7-6 (5).
No. 6 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece survived a pair of tiebreakers, saving a set point in the first set, to defeat German wild card Henri Squire 7-6 (7), 7-6 (2). No. 7 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, Christopher Eubanks, Arthur Fils of France and Australian qualifier James Duckworth also won in straight sets.
Cinch Championships
No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain advanced while three seeded players were shown the door in opening-round action in London.
Alcaraz won 13 of 15 net points while defeating Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina 6-1, 7-5. Italy's Lorenzo Musetti stunned Australian No. 2 seed Alex de Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, finishing with a 7-0 edge in aces and saving 8 of 12 break points along the way.
French qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard ousted No. 6 Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (3), and Italy's Matteo Arnaldi defeated No. 8 Ugo Humbert of France 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (6), saving a match point down 6-5 in the third-set tiebreaker before completing the upset.
In the draw as a wild card, Andy Murray of Great Britain fought past Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Other winners Tuesday included No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz, No. 5 seed Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda, Brandon Nakashima, Brits Jack Draper and Billy Harris and Chile's Alejandro Tabilo.
--Field Level Media | Sport | Tennis | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy needed three sets to overcome Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the Terra Wortmann Open on Tuesday in Halle, Germany. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/tennis/2024/06/19/atp-roundup-world-no-1-jannik-sinner-rallies-in-halle | |
1,374,425 | Li Jane poised to be first Malaysian to win US Open title | PETALING JAYA: Sin Li Jane is just one step away from her winning her third Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) of the year tournament.
The 32-year-old, who has had a swashbuckling run in the United States, is now in the stepladder final of the US Open. | Sport | Bowling | Metered | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Bowling,PWBA,Sin Li Jane | PETALING JAYA: Sin Li Jane is just one step away from her winning her third Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) of the year tournament. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/bowling/2024/06/19/li-jane-poised-to-be-first-malaysian-to-win-us-open-title | |
1,374,416 | The going gets tougher for Joachim in bid for third PSA title | PETALING JAYA: Joachim Chuah’s bid for a hattrick in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Challenger tour will be severely tested by experienced national player Syafiq Kamal in the 6k ACE Challenger event which begins in Kuala Terengganu today.
The 2023 Asian Junior champion has been a revelation on the Tour and has the last two Challenger events – the Hong Kong Challenge Cup and the WA Open – besides finishing runners-up in the Johor Baru leg of the 6k Ace Challenger last month. | Sport | Squash | Metered | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Squash,Joachim Chuah,ACE Challenger tournament | PETALING JAYA: Joachim Chuah’s bid for a hattrick in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Challenger tour will be severely tested by experienced national player Syafiq Kamal in the 6k ACE Challenger event which begins in Kuala Terengganu today. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/squash/2024/06/19/the-going-gets-tougher-for-joachim-in-bid-for-third-psa-title | |
1,374,414 | Squash star seeks new base to further lift his career | PETALING JAYA: Ng Eain Yow has been training in Bristol for the last five years but the world No. 13 is seeking a new base in Britain, the United States or even in Egypt to notch his professional career up a few degrees.
Eain Yow, 25, had trained under University of West England (UWE) coach John Welton and under Elite Squash academy coach Hadrian Stiff during his semester breaks in Bristol.
However, now that he has completed his degree in business administration at the UWE, the Malaysian is looking at fresh options although he will still be allowed to train under Welton as an alumni.
The Asian Team Championships was the last tournament for Eain Yow in a successful 2023-2024 season and he led the men’s team of Addeen Idrakie, Syafiq Kamal and C. Ameeshenraj to the team gold in Dalian.
Despite a hectic schedule that included the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and the Professional Squash Association (PSA) tour on top of his final semester at the UWE, Eain Yow has had a stellar year.
He won the Asiad individual gold and his first PSA bronze level title at the German Open in April, made his maiden appearance in the British Open two weeks ago and also reached a career high world No. 13 ranking.
He returned from the Asian Teams yesterday and will have a two-week break before heading for his customary month-long summer training stint under Australian coach Shaun Moxham in New York next month.
“As of now, I have moved all my stuff out out of my rented place in Bristol,” said Eain Yow at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport upon arriving from Dalian yesterday.
“I will be heading to the US to train under Moxham and I will be there for a month and will take it from there.
“There many top coaches in the US and some good players and it is a sensible choice to be based there.
“I also have a few more options as there are other places in the UK and even potentially, in Cairo. But I’m not rushing into making a decision.”
Birmingham, Yorkshire and Manchester are where many top 30 squash players are based in the UK. New York in the US is another preferred destination for professional players including Eain Yow’s compatriot S. Sivasangari.
Eain Yow is also looking forward to breaking into the top 10 in the 2024-2025 season.
“I feel proud with the way I have finished my season (2023-2024). Reaching the world No. 13 shows that I’m staying on track to achieving my objective of making it to the top 10 next season.
“I was quite tired coming straight from the British Open but at the end, it was worth it as the team did an amazing job in Dalian.”
Meanwhile, women’s team member Rachel Arnold said the presence of world No. 10 Sivasangari took the pressure away from the team as they outplayed stiff rivals Hong Kong 2-0 in the final to wrest the title they lost in South Korea two years ago.
Sivasangari missed the 2022 event because of injuries suffered in a road accident but this time, she led the team comprising Rachel, Aifa Azman and Aira Azman in Dalian.
“We were stronger this time with Sangari in the team. It made us more comfortable,” said Rachel.
Sivasangari did not return to Kuala Lumpur with her teammates but flew to New York to resume her training under Australian coach David Palmer. | Sport | Squash | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Squash,Ng Eain Yow,Asian Team Championships | PETALING JAYA: Ng Eain Yow has been training in Bristol for the last five years but the world No. 13 is seeking a new base in Britain, the United States or even in Egypt to notch his professional career up a few degrees. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/squash/2024/06/19/squash-star-seeks-new-base-to-further-lift-his-career | |
1,374,428 | Gavin swings into third Games | PETALING JAYA: Golfer Gavin Green brought joy to Malaysian sports at the beginning of the week by becoming the 21st athlete to qualify on merit for the Paris Olympics from July 26-Aug 11.
The 30-year-old, who plies his trade in the European Tour, confirmed his Olympic ticket after the men’s qualification campaign ended yesterday. He was ranked 53rd, with the top 60 making the cutoff for the Olympics golf tournament, which will take place at Le Golf National in Paris next month. | Sport | Golf | Metered | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | golf,malaysia,gavin | PETALING JAYA: Golfer Gavin Green brought joy to Malaysian sports at the beginning of the week by becoming the 21st athlete to qualify on merit for the Paris Olympics from July 26-Aug 11. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/golf/2024/06/19/gavin-swings-into-third-games | |
1,374,424 | Top 100 boost for junior pair | PETALING JAYA: Rising men’s doubles shuttlers Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing are approaching the Asian Junior Championships at the end of the month with a spring in their step after breaking into the top 100 in the latest world rankings.
Aaron, 17 and Khai Xing, 18 moved up 24 rungs from No. 107 to a career high No. 83 after reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in Sydney last week. It was the pair’s maiden appearance in a World Tour Super 500 event.
It was another feather in the cap for Aaron-Khai Xing, who were promoted to the national senior team last November.
The impressive duo did not take long to justify their promotion as they captured their first senior title in the Thailand International Challenge in March.
They also shone in junior events, winning the Dutch Junior International and finishing runners-up in the German Juniors. The pair will be Malaysia’s best bet to win a medal in the Asian Junior meet from June 28-July 7 in Yogyakarta.
The mixed team event will be held from June 28-July 2 followed by the individual event from July 3-7.
National junior head coach Jeffer Rosobin was happy with Aaron-Khai Xing’s progress and wants them to continue their good form in the Asian meet.
“Breaking into the top 100 is a boost for Aaron-Khai Xing before the Asian Juniors,” said Jeffer.
“This has increased their confidence and now they need to bring their form into the tournament.”
It will be Aaron and Khai Xing’s last appearance in the Asian Junior meet and the duo will be keen to end their junior career on a high note.
For the record, Ng Tze Yong-Chia Weijie were the last Malaysians to win a medal in the boys’ doubles when they took home bronze in the 2017 edition in Jakarta. | Sport | Badminton | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Badminton,Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing,Asian Junior Championships,Yogyakarta | PETALING JAYA: Rising men’s doubles shuttlers Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing are approaching the Asian Junior Championships at the end of the month with a spring in their step after breaking into the top 100 in the latest world rankings. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/badminton/2024/06/19/top-100-boost-for-junior-pair | |
1,374,423 | Zaimi had too much to shoulder, says Sarjit | PETALING JAYA: Hafizuddin Othman is Malaysia’s top hockey goalkeeper. Yet, Zaimi Mat Deris was the first choice goalkeeper throughout the Nations Cup in Poland form May 31-June 9 as Malaysia let in 17 goals in just five matches, finishing seventh out of nine teams.
So, why was Hafizuddin not fielded? | Sport | Hockey | Metered | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Hockey,Hafizuddin Othman,Nations Cup | PETALING JAYA: Hafizuddin Othman is Malaysia’s top hockey goalkeeper. Yet, Zaimi Mat Deris was the first choice goalkeeper throughout the Nations Cup in Poland form May 31-June 9 as Malaysia let in 17 goals in just five matches, finishing seventh out of nine teams. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/hockey/2024/06/19/zaimi-had-too-much-to-shoulder-says-sarjit | |
1,374,394 | Tok Molly makes it jolly good for takraw again | TO me, Datuk Sumali Reduan or fondly known as Tok Molly is the new architect behind sepak takraw’s revival in Malaysia.
Malaysia pulled off a surprise recently when the national team reached two finals in the ISTAF World Cup against rivals Thailand. They won the doubles and finished second in the team regu at Stadium Titiwangsa. | Opinion | Sports Guru | Metered | Short | Cikgu Suhaimi Sun Abdullah | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Say What,Sports Guru,column | TO me, Datuk Sumali Reduan or fondly known as Tok Molly is the new architect behind sepak takraw’s revival in Malaysia. | https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/sports-guru/2024/06/19/tok-molly-makes-it-jolly-good-for-takraw-again | |
1,374,473 | Soccer-Cautious Czechs shackle Ronaldo but get caught out by Conceicao | LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) - The Czech Republic were made to pay for a cautious approach designed to contain Cristiano Ronaldo when late substitute Francisco Conceicao popped up to score a stoppage-time goal and give Portugal a 2-1 win in their Euro 2024 opener on Tuesday.
The Czech gamble - conceding possession and defending in numbers - looked set to pay off with a valuable point in their first group game, but a calamitous closing half-hour from defender Robin Hranac saw them leave Leipzig empty-handed.
Ronaldo may no longer have explosive pace, and defenders gave up biting on his feints and step-overs long ago, but he retains an uncanny sense of timing when heading the ball and from the start begged his team mates for crosses into the box.
The Czechs knew exactly what he wanted to do and their entire game plan seemed to centre on stopping him from scoring.
For the most part, it worked.
Coach Ivan Hasek deployed a line of five players, and occasionally six, across the back, sending one man shuttling out to cover the player in possession and then scurrying back into position to seal off the seams in which Ronaldo usually thrives.
The 39-year-old forward persisted, raising his hand to look for crosses and through balls, but wave after wave of Portuguese attacks foundered on the rock-solid Czech backline.
Having not had one effort on target all game, the Czechs somehow took the lead thanks to a superb Lukas Provod strike in the 62nd minute but, rather than calming their players down, the goal seemed to cause them to lose their composure entirely, and when the wheels came off, Ronaldo was never too far away.
STRIKING DISTANCE
The Portugal captain was lurking within striking distance when Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek spilled the ball against the legs of the hapless Hranac and into the net.
Then Ronaldo's header off the post that saw Diogo Jota score what looked to be the equaliser was exactly the kind of ball he wanted all night.
The VAR intervened though and the goal was chalked off for offside, but Ronaldo kept running and pointing, confident that the Czechs would finally wilt, and they did.
The winner came in stoppage time as Hranac botched a clearance and, with Ronaldo attracting the rest of the Czech defence to himself like a magnet, Conceicao, who had come on two minutes earlier for Vitinha, swept the ball home.
Hasek's side may have lost in stoppage time but the video of it will become the template for any team trying to beat Portugal at the Euros, such was the effectiveness of their tactics.
The Portuguese dominated the game, registering 70% possession, 13 corners and 19 attempts, but it took an own goal and a defensive blunder to undo all their good work.
For Portugal coach Roberto Martinez it will be a wake-up call. Ronaldo can still influence the outcome of games even without touching the ball, but if he can be shackled this easily then his team may struggle.
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Ken Ferris) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) - The Czech Republic were made to pay for a cautious approach designed to contain Cristiano Ronaldo when late substitute Francisco Conceicao popped up to score a stoppage-time goal and give Portugal a 2-1 win in their Euro 2024 opener on Tuesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/analysis-soccer-cautious-czechs-shackle-ronaldo-but-get-caught-out-by-conceicao | |
1,374,469 | Soccer-Conceicao to the rescue as Portugal snatch 2-1 win over Czechs | LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) -Francisco Conceicao came off the bench to grab a predatory stoppage-time winner as Portugal kick-started their Euro 2024 campaign with an edgy 2-1 Group F win over a dogged but cautious Czech Republic side in a tight contest on Tuesday.
Conceicao, who was brought on in the 90th minute, pounced on a mistake by Robin Hranac to fire home from close range in the third minute of added time soon after Portugal were crestfallen when Diogo Jota's effort was ruled out by VAR for offside.
"He deserves it. He always works with one eye in front of the goal, he sniffs out goals," Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said of the 21-year-old scorer. "He was the fireworks we needed today."
The Czechs had stunned the Portuguese fans packed inside the Leipzig Stadium when they took the lead out of the blue in the 62nd minute as Lukas Provod's superb curling effort threatened to cause an almighty upset.
Yet unfortunate defender Hranac scored an own goal seven minutes later to set up a frantic finish that saw Portugal claim the three points to leave them level in the group with Turkey who beat Georgia 3-1 earlier on Tuesday.
With 41-year-old Pepe, who became the oldest player in Euros history, at centre back, and Cristiano Ronaldo, 39 and playing at a record sixth Euros, up front, Portugal banked on experience against a Czech side with the youngest squad in the tournament.
The match was meant to be a walk in the park for the highly fancied Portuguse, who came into the tournament on the back of a flawless qualifying campaign in which they won all 10 matches, scoring 36 goals and conceding twice.
But as is so often the way in major tournaments the script needed a hasty rewrite.
While Portugal predictably dominated the ball, with 70% possession, 19 shots and 13 corners, the workmanlike Czechs provided an infuriating obstacle for Martinez's side.
DISCIPLINED CZECHS
Portugal set up camp in Czech territory early on, but they came up against some fierce resistance as Ivan Hasek's disciplined side kept them mostly at arm's length.
For all their possession, Portugal's chances were limited. Rafael Leao was their most creative outlet with his jinking runs down the left flank, although one theatrical dive earned him a first-half booking.
Record breaker Ronaldo was predictably at the centre of most of Portugal's attacks, although a largely ineffective display will do little to quell the debate about whether he should still be starting for the national team.
He passed up their best chance of the first half when he was played through on goal by Bruno Fernandes only to be thwarted by Jindrich Stanek and had another shot beaten away by the keeper just before the break.
Had Ronaldo found the net he would have become the oldest scorer in the tournament's history, but it was not to be his night and shortly after his header was deflected over after the restart, Portugal were hit with a hammer blow.
Out of nowhere the Czechs worked the ball down the pitch and Vladimir Coufal fed Provod who curled a stunning finish beyond the reach of keeper Diogo Costa into the net.
The advantage, however, was short-lived as Portugal drew level with more than a little good fortune. A cross to the back post was headed towards goal by Nuno Mendes but Stanek's save ricocheted off the knee of Hranac into his own net.
Portugal thought they had snatched victory when Ronaldo headed against the post and substitute Jota was on hand to convert the rebound, but VAR swiftly ruled Ronaldo was a fraction offside.
It did not matter however as Hranac made a mess of his attempted clearance and Conceicao nipped in to score 111 seconds after coming on.
"Obviously we are disappointed to concede a goal this late in the game but we need to keep our heads high," Hasek said. "We need to get better because this was not a perfect game for us."
(Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Ken Ferris and Hugh Lawson) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) -Francisco Conceicao came off the bench to grab a predatory stoppage-time winner as Portugal kick-started their Euro 2024 campaign with an edgy 2-1 Group F win over a dogged but cautious Czech Republic side in a tight contest on Tuesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-late-conceicao-goal-gives-portugal-2-1-win-over-czech-republic | |
1,374,467 | Tennis-Djokovic confirmed for Paris Olympics | (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic will compete at this year's Olympic Games in Paris, the Olympic Committee of Serbia has announced.
The 24-times Grand Slam winner will be attending his fifth Olympics since his first in 2008 when he won a bronze medal.
The 37-year-old had knee surgery last month after he was forced to pull out of the French Open with an injury sustained in a fourth-round win that cast doubt over his chances of playing at Wimbledon and at the Paris Games.
World number three Djokovic will look to end his title drought in 2024 after winning three out of the four Grand Slams last year as he chases an elusive Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games in which Spain's Rafa Nadal will also compete.
Dusan Lajovic, ranked 56th, will also play for Serbia in the July 27-Aug. 4 Olympic tournament at Roland Garros.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris) | Sport | Tennis | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic will compete at this year's Olympic Games in Paris, the Olympic Committee of Serbia has announced. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/tennis/2024/06/19/tennis-djokovic-confirmed-for-paris-olympics | |
1,374,463 | Soccer-Battling Georgia win hearts but no points in Euro debut | DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) - Georgia lost on their debut on the big stage but won soccer fans' hearts with a never-say-die display in a 3-1 defeat to Turkey in their Euro 2024 opener on Tuesday that could easily have finished in a draw for the underdogs.
In the dying seconds of arguably the tournament's most exciting match so far, Georgia struck a post and had their opponents pinned back, only to see Turkey substitute Kerem Akturkoglu break away, charge down the field and roll the ball into an empty net to guarantee the win.
Supporters and commentators watching around the world were left on a high at the final whistle.
"Hats off to Turkey and Georgia," former Liverpool striker and pundit Stan Collymore wrote on X. "No quarter given or asked, technical quality, passion and pride, attacking each other for 97 minutes. How fun was that!!"
The result was harsh on Georgia, who upset the odds to qualify for the European Championship by knocking out former champions Greece in a playoff in March under the leadership of coach Willy Sagnol, the former Bayern Munich and France full back.
Looking nervous early on as Turkey's fans deafeningly whistled their every move, Georgia went behind to a fine strike by Turkey full back Mert Muldur in the 25th minute. But the setback seemed to shock them into action, and it took them only seven minutes to equalise through Georges Mikautadze.
The striker, who looks set to leave French side Metz this summer, should have bagged a second shortly afterwards and Georgia finished the first half looking the stronger side.
Another superb strike by Turkey - this time by Real Madrid teenager Arda Guler - only served to raise Georgia's game again with Giorgi Kochorashvili, who plays for Levante in Spain, jinking through Turkey's defence before hitting the bar.
Buoyed by their belief, Sagnol's players poured forward. In time added on, Kochorashvili shot wide from close range and Turkey's Samet Akaydin somehow got his head to Budu Zivzivadze's goal-bound shot seconds after Georgia had struck the woodwork.
Turkey - who crashed out of Euro 2020 by losing all three group-stage games - leave Dortmund with hopes high and their fans elated by the performance of Guler and fellow teenage attacker Kenan Yildiz.
But Georgia too will take confidence from their part in Tuesday's thriller in Group F as they prepare to face the Czech Republic on Saturday and Portugal a week on Wednesday.
"We hoped for a better start but I am proud of my players," coach Sagnol told Turkish television. "We are learning fast and becoming better as a team."
(Reporting by William Schomberg; Editing by Hugh Lawson) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) - Georgia lost on their debut on the big stage but won soccer fans' hearts with a never-say-die display in a 3-1 defeat to Turkey in their Euro 2024 opener on Tuesday that could easily have finished in a draw for the underdogs. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-battling-georgia-win-hearts-but-no-points-in-euro-debut | |
1,374,457 | Tennis-Murray wins at Queen's in 1,000th professional match | LONDON (Reuters) - Former world number one Andy Murray celebrated his 1,000th tour-level singles match by beating Alexei Popyrin 6-3 3-6 6-3 to reach the second round at the Queen's Club Championships on Tuesday.
The 37-year-old, the only Briton to win a title at Wimbledon in the Open era, had considered retiring in early 2019 due to his struggles with a hip injury but resumed playing after undergoing surgeries.
Playing in front of home fans and with his mother Judy watching, the Briton suffered a blip in the second set when Popyrin served well to force a decider before Murray romped to his 739th win with a volley at the net on match point.
It was also Murray's first win on the Tour since the Miami Open in March as he seeks a sixth title at Queen's despite being a wildcard entry this year.
"I didn't realise, my mum told me it's my 1,000th match on tour. A lot of matches and a lot of wear and tear on the body. It's not easy, but I'm pushing through it," Murray said.
"I haven't gotten too many wins this year. It's been a difficult season, but I did well to come through in the end.
"Any win you can get is important, that's why we're playing. To try and win matches. With Wimbledon a few weeks away, I want to try and build up confidence and get some matches in my legs."
Murray, a two-time champion at Wimbledon, has not moved past the third round at the All England Club in the last three years.
At Queen's he will next face Australia's Jordan Thompson.
Reigning Wimbledon champion and Queen's top seed Carlos Alcaraz breezed into the next round with a 6-1 7-5 victory over Francisco Cerundolo, but second seed Alex de Minaur was upset 1-6 6-4 6-2 by Italy's Lorenzo Musetti.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson) | Sport | Tennis | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | LONDON (Reuters) - Former world number one Andy Murray celebrated his 1,000th tour-level singles match by beating Alexei Popyrin 6-3 3-6 6-3 to reach the second round at the Queen's Club Championships on Tuesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/tennis/2024/06/19/tennis-murray-wins-at-queen039s-in-1000th-professional-match | |
1,374,456 | Soccer-Portugal's Pepe to become oldest player in European Championship history | LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) - Portugal centre back Pepe is set to become the oldest player in European Championship history aged 41 years and 113 days after he was named in the side for their Euro 2024 Group F opener against Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Pepe will beat the previous record held by former Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, who was 40 years and 86 days old when he played in their Euro 2016 last-16 defeat by Belgium.
Pepe will start in a back three alongside Diogo Dalot and Ruben Dias in a strong Portugal side spearheaded by 39-year-old captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Czechs are skippered by midfielder Tomas Soucek, with Euro 2020 joint-top scorer Patrik Schick up front.
Teams:
Portugal: Diogo Costa, Diogo Dalot, Pepe, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, Cristiano Ronaldo (c), Rafael Leao
Czech Republic: Jindrich Stanek, Tomas Holes, Robin Hranac, Ladislav Krejci, Vladimir Coufal, Pavel Sulc, Tomas Soucek (c), Lukas Provod, David Doudera, Jan Kuchta, Patrik Schick
(Reporting by Toby Davis) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) - Portugal centre back Pepe is set to become the oldest player in European Championship history aged 41 years and 113 days after he was named in the side for their Euro 2024 Group F opener against Czech Republic on Tuesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-portugal039s-pepe-to-become-oldest-player-in-european-championship-history | |
1,374,452 | Soccer-Guler stunner helps Turkey to 3-1 win over Georgia in thriller | DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) -A stunning long-range strike from teenager Arda Guler helped lift Turkey to a 3-1 win in their Euro 2024 Group F opener against debutants Georgia, as they slugged it out in the pouring rain at a raucous Dortmund BVB Stadion on Tuesday.
Guler became the youngest player to score on his debut at a Euros aged 19 years and 114 days - beating Cristiano Ronaldo's record - in between goals for Turkey from Mert Muldur and Kerem Akturkoglu, with Georges Mikautadze replying for Georgia.
Arguably the best game of the tournament so far had everything from great goals to shots flying off the woodwork to late drama in an intense atmosphere created by the deafening Turkish fans, thanks to Germany's large Turkish population.
Turkey had more possession but were often exposed in defence and had to dig deep as Georgia gave as good as they got, threatening an equaliser with a flurry of attacks deep in added time that left Turkish fans desperate for the final whistle.
After Giorgi Kochorashvili struck the woodwork with a close-range effort, Georgia missed a sitter when Kochorashvili and team mate Georges Mikautadze ran at each other while trying to strike a cross from close range.
Six minutes into added time substitute Zuriko Davitashvili's header hit the post followed by a goal-saving block from Samet Akaydin to deny Budu Zivzivadze from the rebound.
Turkey had more possession early on and, after Kaan Ayhan hit the post with a long-range strike, Muldur gave Turkey a deserved lead in the 25th minute, smashing a swerving volley past goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from the edge of the box.
Kenan Yildiz thought he had scored Turkey's second a little over a minute later in a quick counter attack, but his goal was ruled out for offside.
Georgia, playing in their first major tournament, equalised in the 32nd when Mikautadze turned Kochorashvili's cross past Mert Gunok, who should have done better covering his near post.
HIGH PRESS
Turkey looked livelier in the second half and controlled the action again, cornering Georgia with their relentless high pressure while still leaving themselves open to counters on both wings.
It was not until 19-year-old Guler, coming into the tournament fresh from a run of goals for Real Madrid, scored in the 65th minute that Turkey were able to turn their dominance into a second goal.
Man of the match Guler struck an unstoppable curling shot into the top corner beyond the reach of keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, showing why he has Real Madrid fans so excited about his potential.
"I am just thrilled, no words to describe how I feel. I was dreaming of this goal constantly," Guler told Turkish TV.
"I've been practising this particular shot recently at the end of training sessions. I'm so happy to have scored this way."
Georgia pressed for a late equaliser but, with Mamardashvili coming all the way upfield for a series of corners, Akturkoglu broke away, dashed down the other end and passed the ball into an empty net to make it 3-1 in added time.
Turkey next play Portugal on Saturday after Georgia take on Czech Republic.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin and Fernando Kallas, editing by Ed Osmond, Hugh Lawson and Ken Ferris) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) -A stunning long-range strike from teenager Arda Guler helped lift Turkey to a 3-1 win in their Euro 2024 Group F opener against debutants Georgia, as they slugged it out in the pouring rain at a raucous Dortmund BVB Stadion on Tuesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-guler-stunner-helps-turkey-to-3-1-win-over-georgia | |
1,374,450 | Soccer-Hungary must be perfect to even get a draw against Germany, says coach | STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Hungary will need to play a perfect game to get at least a point against Euro 2024 hosts Germany as they seek to make amends for the way they lost to Switzerland in their Group A opener, coach Marco Rossi said on Tuesday.
The Italian said it was the first time in four years that he was ashamed of his players after a complacent Hungary were two goals down to the Swiss by halftime on Saturday, eventually losing 3-1.
However, Rossi insisted that his team were determined to put in the kind of performance on Wednesday that would restore pride and keep their last-16 hopes alive ahead of a final group game against Scotland.
"We've paid for these (mistakes) in the first game and tomorrow we are playing Germany which, in my opinion, is the toughest rival, toughest team to play now, but we will do our best," Rossi told a press conference.
"We know on paper the German team is better than us. This should further motivate us, allowing us to give our very best show.
"Hopefully we can grasp a point tomorrow and that will allow us, I hope, to qualify for the next round. But this will call for the perfect match, all those playing must give 100%."
Hungary are joint bottom of Group A with Scotland on zero points, ahead of the Scots only on goal difference, so they need a positive result if they are to reach the knockout stage for the first time since Euro 2016.
"We seek some sort of comeback. Because for the first time in four years, since November 2020, I was ashamed of my team after the first half," he added.
"But inevitably the first half affected the final outcome. And I and my players have this sensation right now that we really want to show what we are truly worth."
Hungary have a good recent record against the Germans, going unbeaten in their last three encounters - the last of which was a 1-0 win for the Hungarians in Leipzig in the Nations League in September 2022.
However, this will be the first time that Rossi faces a German side coached by Julian Nagelsmann who had home fans giddy with excitement after their 5-1 mauling of Scotland in the tournament's opening game.
"Right now, it's not the German squad we played against three years ago (Euro 2020) or in the Nations League," Rossi said.
"They have (midfielder) Toni Kroos once again, he needs no introduction.
"The previous coaches were very good but I think this one (Nagelsmann) is really a top notch coach. So if you look at all this you know what you’re in for. We know it will be very tough for us."
(Reporting by Christian Radnedge; Editing by Hugh Lawson) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Hungary will need to play a perfect game to get at least a point against Euro 2024 hosts Germany as they seek to make amends for the way they lost to Switzerland in their Group A opener, coach Marco Rossi said on Tuesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-hungary-must-be-perfect-to-even-get-a-draw-against-germany-says-coach | |
1,374,438 | Soccer-Hungary feeling more pressure than us, says Germany's Nagelsmann | STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Hungary will be under greater pressure with the threat of elimination hanging over them than hosts Germany when they face each other in their Euro 2024 Group A match on Wednesday, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Tuesday.
The Germans started the tournament in spectacular style with a 5-1 demolition of Scotland on Friday, while Hungary lost 3-1 to the Swiss in their own opener.
The Germans scored three times in a dominant first half to put the game to bed.
"I had put Scotland and Hungary on a very similar level," Nagelsmann told a press conference. "It depends how we play tomorrow. Hungary are under a bit more pressure than we are after the first match."
"I think they have to be a bit more aggressive than against Switzerland as they could potentially be out of the tournament."
The Germans are top of the group on three points, ahead of the Swiss on goal difference, with Hungary and Scotland without any points. Victory over Hungary could see them guarantee a top-two finish and a spot in the knockout stages.
"We have analysed the Hungarians and have a clear idea how we will play. It is about winning the game tomorrow. We saw their first match against Swiss where it was a game of two halves. Hungary deserved more than they got in the end," Nagelsmann said.
"In the qualifiers Hungary were the second-best team when it came to creating or converting chances from set pieces."
"They play a good transition game. They have strikers who are powerful in the air. They play with precise crosses. They are very dangerous."
Nagelsmann said Hungary's performance would also depend on the way Germany approach the game, just as it was against Scotland.
"After the Scotland game I said it depends on us, how we play. Scotland were impressed in the first 20 minutes with how we were playing. It has to do with how we play."
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Hugh Lawson) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Hungary will be under greater pressure with the threat of elimination hanging over them than hosts Germany when they face each other in their Euro 2024 Group A match on Wednesday, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Tuesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-hungary-feeling-more-pressure-than-us-says-germany039s-nagelsmann | |
1,374,339 | Soccer-Albania relish facing big guns, eye Croatia next | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Far from lamenting their luck in a fearsome Euro 2024 group, unfancied Albania are savouring the opportunity to take on Europe's top sides with Croatia next up on Wednesday.
"It's a true joy to be here. We’re playing against the best teams and learning from them," said their coach Sylvinho, declaring his team 100% fit for the game in Hamburg.
"These teams that have players from Manchester City, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, they have a very high technical level, it’s a great thing to play against these teams. But we will never give up. The players are ready."
Roared on by some of the biggest and most passionate support at the tournament, the Albanians stunned reigning European champions Italy with a goal after 23 seconds in their opening Group B match.
Italy then scored twice, but Albania agonisingly missed a chance to equalise in the dying minutes.
"We came close to a draw. Perhaps tomorrow we might win, who knows?" said Silvinho, who will be relieved to have winger Jasir Asani available against Croatia after an ankle problem.
With Croatia having also lost their opener, against Spain, both teams desperately need points at the Volksparkstadion, either to progress in their group's top two or as one of the four best third-placed teams.
It is a first ever meeting between the Balkan nations.
Despite Croatia's 3-0 defeat by Spain, they created chances and possess world-class talent in the likes of midfielder Luka Modric, Sylvinho noted.
"They have technical skills, great passing, very high quality," he said.
"It's a great pleasure to play against these players ... But we have good players too, our captain has won the Europa League. We have a good mix of experienced and younger players."
Team captain Berat Djimsiti, 31, was integral to Atalanta’s Europa League triumph and successful Serie A campaign which earned them a Champions League spot.
"Croatia is one of the favourites," he said alongside his coach at a news conference, adding that hopefully his experience would help the younger players.
"The matches are very difficult and demanding when you are facing champions, big teams. Any minor issue or mistake can result in a goal. We need to address that in the next match in order to put Croatia into a difficult situation."
(Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Ed Osmond) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Far from lamenting their luck in a fearsome Euro 2024 group, unfancied Albania are savouring the opportunity to take on Europe's top sides with Croatia next up on Wednesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-albania-relish-facing-big-guns-eye-croatia-next | |
1,374,337 | Soccer-Stuttgart police ready for hooligan threat at Germany v Hungary match | STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Stuttgart police say they are ready to intervene robustly if any supporters cause trouble ahead of the Euro 2024 Group A match between hosts Germany and Hungary on Wednesday.
The match, to be held at Stuttgart Arena at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), has been designated a high-risk game by Germany's security services.
Hungary have been sanctioned in recent years over the behaviour of their supporters, including at the previous Euros tournament in 2021.
More than 10,000 Hungary fans are expected at Wednesday's game, while the local police are confident they will be able to cope with any disruptions.
"Given the opportunity, troublemakers are expected to cause disturbances," the Police Precinct Stuttgart told Reuters in an email on Tuesday.
"The Police has incorporated these scenarios in their tactical concept to prevent such disturbances and to interrupt disturbances at the beginning. If Hooligans want to compare strength, we will robustly intervene at a low-threshold."
There are storms predicted in the region on matchday, which could put a dampener on any planned fan congregations in the city.
The police added that they were in contact with various security agencies over the possibility of any far-right groups infiltrating fan gatherings.
(Reporting by Christian Radnedge; Editing by Hugh Lawson) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Stuttgart police say they are ready to intervene robustly if any supporters cause trouble ahead of the Euro 2024 Group A match between hosts Germany and Hungary on Wednesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-stuttgart-police-ready-for-hooligan-threat-at-germany-v-hungary-match | |
1,374,293 | Soccer-Mainoo credits Ten Hag for meteoric rise to England team | BLANKENHAIN, Germany (Reuters) - England's teenage midfielder Kobbie Mainoo said he is relieved that Erik ten Hag will be back as boss of Manchester United, and credits the manager for his place in England's Euro 2024 squad in Germany.
After months of speculation around Ten Hag's job security, United decided to retain the manager on the heels of an FA Cup victory.
"Obviously happy to be building with him, he's already got two trophies, hopefully there's more to come, and it's nice to have that peace of mind knowing what manager we're going back to," 19-year-old Mainoo told reporters on Tuesday at England's training base.
"I'm so grateful for (Ten Hag), that he showed so much trust in me and believed in me, I can't thank him enough."
Mainoo was a late substitute in England's 1-0 victory over Serbia in their European Championship opener on Saturday and is likely to feature in their Group C clash with Denmark on Thursday -- a meteoric rise after less than two full seasons in United's first team.
Mainoo was scouted by United at the age of six and the club's Academy Manager, Nick Cox, said beyond his remarkable skills and composure, Mainoo simply loves the game.
"We make sure they never lose that childlike obsession with the intrinsic love of exploring the ball," Cox said in an interview on the team's website. "Kobbie has always loved the ball and been extremely comfortable with it."
Mainoo had only just stepped up to United's under-21 side in 2022 when he joined Ten Hag's squad for a winter training camp in Spain, raising eyebrows when he scored in a game against Cadiz.
Injury in the 2023 pre-season stalled his progress -- if only briefly.
"(The injury) was a tough one to take ... it was just all about patience and timing really," he said. "I didn't know what the season was going to look like when I came back."
Mainoo needn't have worried. He was thrust into his first top-flight start at Everton in late-November, having only been a late substitute in one game the previous season. His poise in the midfield at Goodison Park earned him the man-of-the-match award in their 3-0 win.
He put an exclamation mark on his breakout season when he scored against Manchester City in United's shock 2-1 FA Cup victory at Wembley in May.
The soft-spoken teen -- who still lives with his parents and still parks in the club's academy lot despite graduating to the first team -- was nonchalant when asked about his unfailingly steady presence on the pitch.
"I was a striker for most my academy days and so I love being on the ball," he said. "I don't know, maybe playing futsal? I was just always comfortable playing in tight areas."
Mainoo is one of a dozen England players with no major tournament experience, and the squad has been doing bonding exercises, including a bike ride on Sunday.
He is enjoying playing alongside Jude Bellingham, who scored England's lone goal against Serbia in a dominant performance.
"Everyone knows how great of a player he is, and he's such a nice guy as well," Mainoo said. "He's demanding (in training), he sets high standards that he expects, so to play with him and be around him is great."
Ghana approached Mainoo to play for them; he is eligible because both is parents were born there.
"Obviously, I'm proud of my Ghanaian heritage," he said, "but it's always been a dream to play for England."
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | BLANKENHAIN, Germany (Reuters) - England's teenage midfielder Kobbie Mainoo said he is relieved that Erik ten Hag will be back as boss of Manchester United, and credits the manager for his place in England's Euro 2024 squad in Germany. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/19/soccer-mainoo-credits-ten-hag-for-meteoric-rise-to-england-team | |
1,374,289 | Rugby-Gibson-Park out as Ireland name squad for S Africa tests | DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland will take 35 players to South Africa for their two-test series next month but first-choice scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park has been ruled out due to injury, Irish Rugby said on Tuesday.
Peter O’Mahony will captain the tour party for tests on July 6 in Pretoria and July 13 in Durban and coach Andy Farrell has included three uncapped players – backs Jamie Osborne and Sam Prendergast and utility forward Cormac Izuchukwu.
Gibson-Park is sidelined by a hamstring injury, suffered playing for Leinster against the Bulls in South Africa on Saturday in the United Rugby Championship semi-final, while team mate Jack Conan misses out as his wife is due to give birth to the couple’s first child.
Centre Garry Ringrose makes the squad after his return from a shoulder injury in Leinster’s narrow defeat by the Bulls.
"Travelling to South Africa to play a test series against the defending world champions provides no greater test for us, and it is another valuable opportunity for us to further grow and develop from the Six Nations," Farrell said in a statement.
Squad:
Backs: Bundee Aki, Caolin Blade (both Connacht), Craig Casey, Jack Crowley (both Munster), Ciaran Frawley, Robbie Henshaw, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe (all Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Conor Murray, Calvin Nash (both Munster), Jimmy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Sam Prendergast, Garry Ringrose (all Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster)
Forwards: Ryan Baird (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy (all Leinster), Rob Herring, Cormac Izuchukwu (both Ulster), Oli Jager (Munster), Ronan Kelleher, Joe McCarthy (both Leinster), Peter O’Mahony (Munster), Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Andrew Porter (Leinster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), James Ryan, Dan Sheehan (both Leinster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster)
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Ed Osmond) | Sport | Rugby | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-19 00:00:00 | null | DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland will take 35 players to South Africa for their two-test series next month but first-choice scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park has been ruled out due to injury, Irish Rugby said on Tuesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/rugby/2024/06/19/rugby-gibson-park-out-as-ireland-name-squad-for-s-africa-tests | |
1,374,286 | Soccer-Germany's Turks give 'host nation' welcome to Turkey | DORTMUND/MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Turkey fans draped in the country's red flag celebrated ahead of the country's first match of Euro 2024 against neighbour Georgia in Dortmund on Tuesday, creating a festival atmosphere akin to a host nation to welcome the team.
Almost 3 million people with Turkish roots live in Germany, following a wave of official migration that began in the 1960s. The close ties are reflected in both the German and Turkish football teams. Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan has Turkish roots, while Turkey's midfielder Salih Ozcan, was born in Cologne and plays for Borussia Dortmund.
Ozcan has said the team needs to capitalise on the large Turkish population and passionate support in Germany.
Heavy rain and forecasts of thunder storms closed Dortmund's 25,000 capacity fan zone and other giant viewing spots in the cities of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, but fans en route to the stadium made good on their promise to make some noise. Berlin's two fan zones were also closed due to bad weather.
"Our hearts beat for Turkey, for home. Of course Germany is also home for us but we are Turks," said fan Cengiz Catalpinar.
Mehmet Guelcicek had driven for two days from Zurich in Switzerland to reach Dortmund and watch the match.
"We are Turks and always there with the team."
Many Turks were also celebrating the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, when typically animals such as sheep are sacrificed.
Ugur Aydin walked with an inflatable sheep.
"We saved him from the Eid sacrifice festival and are celebrating our own festival today with a 3 point win over Georgia. And hopefully the same again for the next two games, against Portugal and the Czech Republic," he said.
Turkey begin their Euro 2024 campaign against newcomers Georgia knowing a winning start in one of the tournament's weaker groups would give them a great chance of making the knockout stages after disappointing last time around.
In hot sunshine in Munich in southern Germany fans began to stream into the city's fan zone.
"This is a big deal for us and it is great to be in Germany for the tournament, to join with the Turkish community here. We are the second hosts," said Erdem Sakinc, a 21-year-old student from Ankara studying in Germany.
Georgia, meanwhile, are playing in their first ever major tournament and are the clear underdogs
Georgia fan Veronika Gogokhia said, "This is a historical moment for our country and our team. This is a debut and the whole of Georgia, all Georgians all over the world are really excited," she said.
Later on Tuesday at the stadium around 40 fans from each set of supporters were involved in brief scuffles and police moved in between them, a Reuters reporter inside the stadium said.
(Additional reporting by Alexandra Hudson; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | DORTMUND/MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Turkey fans draped in the country's red flag celebrated ahead of the country's first match of Euro 2024 against neighbour Georgia in Dortmund on Tuesday, creating a festival atmosphere akin to a host nation to welcome the team. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-germany039s-turks-give-039host-nation039-welcome-to-turkey | |
1,374,284 | Soccer-Any ideas for a mask? Mbappe contacts rugby captain Dupont | DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - Kylian Mbappe’s chances of playing for France against the Netherlands at the European Championship remain unclear, but if he does make it to the pitch in Leipzig, he will wear a protective mask after breaking his nose on Monday.
France’s captain suffered the fracture late in the Group D clash with Austria in Duesseldorf on Monday, after jumping for a header and colliding with the shoulder of defender Kevin Danso.
Mbappe was taken to hospital but the French federation said he did not require immediate surgery and will get a mask, prompting social media banter with France rugby skipper Antoine Dupont.
Dupont had surgery after fracturing a cheek bone in the early stages of last year’s Rugby World Cup in France -- a more serious injury that Mbappe’s nasal septum fracture -- but the scrumhalf was back training within a fortnight and returned to play in the World Cup quarter-final.
He had a specially fitted mask made but in the end wore only a scrum cap in his return match.
"Any ideas for a mask?," Mbappe tweeted Dupont on X on Tuesday.
"Private message me for a promo code. I have some solutions. Above all, good luck," Dupont replied.
Mbappe’s obvious replacement would be 37-year-old Olivier Giroud. He suffered an adductor injury in the Austria match, French media reported, but should resume training on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Ed Osmond) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - Kylian Mbappe’s chances of playing for France against the Netherlands at the European Championship remain unclear, but if he does make it to the pitch in Leipzig, he will wear a protective mask after breaking his nose on Monday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-any-ideas-for-a-mask-mbappe-contacts-rugby-captain-dupont | |
1,374,279 | Soccer-Serbia's Kostic out of Euros due to knee injury | (Reuters) -Serbia's Filip Kostic will return home from the European Championship after the wing back injured a knee ligament in the team's 1-0 defeat by England, the team said on Tuesday, in a blow to their hopes of reaching the last 16.
Kostic was forced off in the 43rd minute after a challenge with England midfielder Jude Bellingham and the team doctor confirmed the 31-year-old would need at least two weeks of recovery.
The Juventus player, one of the Serbian squad's most experienced players with 64 caps, had a scan on his knee on Tuesday and the doctor confirmed he had suffered a partial lesion of the lateral collateral ligament.
Although Kostic does not require surgery, he cannot train or compete at the required level, the doctor added.
Kostic will stay with the squad and watch their second group game against Slovenia from the sidelines before leaving the national team and returning home for treatment and recovery.
Serbia are bottom of the group. They play Slovenia on Thursday at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | (Reuters) -Serbia's Filip Kostic will return home from the European Championship after the wing back injured a knee ligament in the team's 1-0 defeat by England, the team said on Tuesday, in a blow to their hopes of reaching the last 16. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-serbia039s-kostic-out-of-euros-due-to-knee-ligament-injury | |
1,374,277 | Soccer-Fans fight in stadium before Turkey v Georgia Euro 2024 match | DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) - Fighting broke out among fans inside the Dortmund BVB Stadion before the Euro 2024 match between Turkey and Georgia on Tuesday.
Around 40 fans from each set of supporters were involved in the brief scuffles and police moved in between them, a Reuters reporter inside the stadium said.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin,; Writing by William Schomberg, editing by Ed Osmond) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) - Fighting broke out among fans inside the Dortmund BVB Stadion before the Euro 2024 match between Turkey and Georgia on Tuesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-fans-fight-in-stadium-before-turkey-v-georgia-euro-2024-match | |
1,374,275 | Former Speedy Tiger Faiz gets second chance | PETALING JAYA: Faiz Helmi Jali has been thrown a lifeline by national head coach Sarjit Singh as the midfielder is back in the Speedy Tigers squad on attachment.
The midfielder, who has 215 caps, last played for the Tigers during the Asian Olympic Qualifier in Oman in January.
However, 32-year-old Faiz was one of the senior players who was not considered in the new look squad under Sarjit who had focused on building a younger side to mount a challenge at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
Sarjit said Faiz had contacted him and requested to rejoin training to prove that he is worthy of a place in the Tigers squad again.
“When I shortlisted players to conduct trials in March, I told the players including Faiz not to give up and continue training as they may get another shot at rejoining the national team,” said Sarjit.
“Faiz contacted me and requested a chance to train with the national team and I have included him on attachment.” | Sport | Hockey | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | PETALING JAYA: Faiz Helmi Jali has been thrown a lifeline by national head coach Sarjit Singh as the midfielder is back in the Speedy Tigers squad on attachment. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/hockey/2024/06/18/former-speedy-tiger-faiz-gets-second-chance | |
1,374,257 | Soccer-Euro 2024 fever hits Leipzig with Ronaldo's arrival | LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) - On the day of their opening Euro 2024 game, the Portugal players, led by captain Cristiano Ronaldo, emerged from their hotel to greet hundreds of screaming fans on Tuesday, as football fever finally hit Leipzig.
The squad arrived in the city on Monday, checking in at the Westin Hotel in the heart of Leipzig. Large numbers of fans were there to greet the players but were left disappointed when they went straight from the bus into the hotel.
A smaller group waited in vain outside Leipzig Stadium later on Monday, where the squad arrived for the pre-match press conference before their game against the Czech Republic and a training session on the pitch.
Outside the hotel, a cordon of high barriers has been placed to keep the crowds from getting too close, but their patience was rewarded on Tuesday morning when the players came out to greet them.
Ronaldo was, of course, the star attraction, looking relaxed and happily signing autographs and shaking hands with those behind the fences, and was one of the last players to make his way back inside.
The game between Portugal and the Czech Republic is the last of the first round of group matches, so Leipzig has had to wait longer than the other host cities to feel the full Euro atmosphere.
The city was quiet over the weekend, but that is set to change with the last of the Portuguese and Czech supporters arriving for the first of four games to be played in Leipzig.
The impressive Dutch army of fans set is heading for the city ahead of the Netherlands' eagerly-anticipated clash with France on Friday.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Ed Osmond) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) - On the day of their opening Euro 2024 game, the Portugal players, led by captain Cristiano Ronaldo, emerged from their hotel to greet hundreds of screaming fans on Tuesday, as football fever finally hit Leipzig. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-euro-2024-fever-hits-leipzig-with-ronaldo039s-arrival | |
1,374,256 | Cricket-End of era for New Zealand after white-ball title again proves elusive | (Reuters) - A dead rubber win over minnows Papua New Guinea offered little consolation for eliminated New Zealand whose poor Twenty20 World Cup campaign may ultimately mark the end of an era.
Having made at least the semi-finals of the last three editions, New Zealand crashed out in the opening round this time around following a shock defeat to Afghanistan and a loss to co-hosts West Indies.
Long-serving seamer Trent Boult has played his last World Cup and further personnel changes may be expected if the team are to rejuvenate ahead of the next T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India in 2026.
"It's natural at the end of the World Cup cycle, and especially if you haven't done quite as well as what you wanted, that there's a lot of reflections going on," head coach Gary Stead said before the squad flew out of Port of Spain.
"Usually these things mean there's a line in the sand that's made and from there you make decisions around the way forward.
"I guess for us, looking at the next T20 World Cup in two years' time, it will be very quickly into (deciding) what does that look like (and) which of these players remain in the group?"
Some seven months after Kane Williamson's side reached their fifth successive semi-finals of the one-day World Cup, New Zealand's calamity in the Caribbean ends a strong run in the game's showpiece tournaments.
Under the steady partnership of captain Williamson and coach Stead, New Zealand won the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021 and reached the T20 World Cup final in the United Arab Emirates a few months later.
However, a long-coveted white-ball trophy has proved beyond the Black Caps, and fans have questioned whether the current leadership can ever deliver one.
Stead is contracted as an all-formats coach through to the end of the current WTC cycle in 2025 but may end up relinquishing the white-ball component of his role, having previously advocated for a specialist to oversee the shorter formats.
Williamson, who handed off the test captaincy in 2022 to paceman Tim Southee, may also decide it is time for someone else to lead the Black Caps in white-ball cricket, or time for him to drop a format in order to prolong his career.
"Oh, I don't know," said the 33-year-old, when asked if he would be part of New Zealand's T20 setup in 2026.
"There's a bit of time between now and then, so it's about regrouping as a side.
"We've got red-ball cricket over the next year basically, so it's back into some other international formats, and we'll see where things land."
As with the test team, who finished sixth in the defence of their WTC title when the cycle ended last year, New Zealand may struggle to rebuild a T20 squad that can challenge the world's best in time for the 2026 World Cup.
A lighter load or a lucrative career in franchise cricket may beckon for some senior players, including 35-year-old Southee, long Boult's pace partner.
"The older New Zealand players would have looked at this as maybe their last good opportunity, so it might be that it's time to move on," former captain Stephen Fleming told ESPNcricinfo.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Cricket | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - A dead rubber win over minnows Papua New Guinea offered little consolation for eliminated New Zealand whose poor Twenty20 World Cup campaign may ultimately mark the end of an era. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/cricket/2024/06/18/cricket-end-of-era-for-new-zealand-after-white-ball-title-again-proves-elusive | |
1,374,238 | Soccer-Weather warning shuts down Berlin's Euro 2024 fan zones | BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin's two Euro 2024 fan zones, which attract tens of thousands of guests for public viewing of matches, will be closed on Tuesday due to an extreme weather warning, organisers said.
Germany's weather service has forecast heavy rain, thunderstorms and hail for the wider area around the capital later in the day.
There are no matches in Berlin on Tuesday but fans would have gathered at the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag areas to watch Georgia take on Turkey in Dortmund before the evening game in Leipzig between Portugal and the Czech Republic.
"Safety of the visitors is the top priority," said Moritz van Duelmen, of organisers Kulturprojekt Berlin.
The fan zones are expected to re-open on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin's two Euro 2024 fan zones, which attract tens of thousands of guests for public viewing of matches, will be closed on Tuesday due to an extreme weather warning, organisers said. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-weather-warning-shuts-down-berlin039s-euro-2024-fan-zones | |
1,374,236 | Soccer-FIFA offers tools to fight social media abuse to all 211 member countries | (Reuters) - FIFA's social media tools designed to protect players from online abuse will now be available to all 211 member associations and their teams, world soccer's governing body said on Tuesday, coinciding with the International Day for Countering Hate Speech.
The Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), which was developed by FIFA and the players' union FIFPRO, was first offered to all teams at the 2023 women's World Cup to help moderate hate speech on social media and hide harmful content.
FIFA said a number of teams competing at the ongoing European Championship and the upcoming Copa America have joined the SMPS.
"We have already seen how effective the service has been in FIFA tournaments and it is only logical that we make it available to all 211 FIFA Member Associations, wherever and whenever they play," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said.
"We need to protect all players, coaches, officials and teams from abuse, as well as their followers."
The tool was launched at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and since then FIFA said the service had hidden 2.6 million abusive comments from public view.
Nearly 31,000 cases of "abusive content" were reported to social media platforms -- such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube -- which led to consequences such as account suspensions.
Meanwhile, one in five players were the target of online abuse during the 2023 Women's World Cup.
FIFA said the SMPS will also be used at upcoming events such as the Olympic Games in Paris, the Under-20 women's World Cup in Colombia, the Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan and the Under-17 women's World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - FIFA's social media tools designed to protect players from online abuse will now be available to all 211 member associations and their teams, world soccer's governing body said on Tuesday, coinciding with the International Day for Countering Hate Speech. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-fifa-offers-tools-to-fight-social-media-abuse-to-all-211-member-countries | |
1,374,233 | Soccer-Vertonghen backs Lukaku to bounce back for Belgium | FREIBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Belgium’s most capped international Jan Vertonghen, who is hoping for return to the side this weekend, is backing long-time team mate Romelu Lukaku to excel at the European Championship despite his profligate performance on Monday.
Lukaku missed several good chances in a shock 1-0 loss to Slovakia in Frankfurt, although he did twice put the ball in the net.
The first was ruled offside and the second chalked off after a VAR check for a handball in the build-up, denying Belgium a late equaliser.
Belgium meet Romania on Saturday in Cologne in their second Group E game.
"I've a lot of confidence in Romelu, especially mentally wise and quality wise. He loves these moments when the pressure, and the focus, is on him and on Saturday I'm sure he will find the way to go," said the 37-year-old Vertonghen, who has recovered from injury.
"You can have the best finishing in training but in the games the pressure is there and the opponents put their bodies on the line, but we have all the qualities in the team to recover.
"I would be more worried if we didn't have the quality, so I'm confident we will score on Saturday."
Vertonghen has played most of his 154 caps alongside 31-year-old Lukaku, who has netted a record 85 times in 116 internationals.
"Obviously, the team is very disappointed after yesterday's result," Vertonghen told a press conference on Tuesday.
"You always want the first game at a tournament to take the pressure away a bit but now the pressure is probably even more and that's why we're disappointed. We're not disappointed in the way we played, or the chances we created or the way we defended."
Vertonghen does not think the team should try to play any differently.
"That would be a mistake in my opinion. Obviously, the easy answer is to score goals and avoid conceding any. But yeah, the mindset is key, to attack and then to win and to keep doing what we've been doing for the previous 15 matches," he said of Belgium’s unbeaten run before Monday’s loss.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Ed Osmond) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | FREIBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Belgium’s most capped international Jan Vertonghen, who is hoping for return to the side this weekend, is backing long-time team mate Romelu Lukaku to excel at the European Championship despite his profligate performance on Monday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-vertonghen-backs-lukaku-to-bounce-back-for-belgium | |
1,374,232 | Soccer-Where am I? England fan seen waking up in empty stadium | GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (Reuters) - A worse-for-wear England fan woke up cold and confused in an empty stadium hours after the end of his team's Euro 2024 clash with Serbia, according to a video on social media.
"I've just woken up. It's four o'clock in the morning," the unidentified fan says in the video showing rows of empty seats behind him at the stadium in Gelsenkirchen where England won 1-0 in their opening game on Sunday night.
The video, viewed hundreds of thousands of times, prompted laughter among fellow England supporters, though some questioned how security had missed the snoozing fan and also why the lights were still on in the early hours at the stadium.
"This is what happens when you watch Sleepy Southgate ball!" quipped one poster, referring to coach Gareth Southgate's team's less than scintillating second half performance.
(Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (Reuters) - A worse-for-wear England fan woke up cold and confused in an empty stadium hours after the end of his team's Euro 2024 clash with Serbia, according to a video on social media. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-where-am-i-england-fan-seen-waking-up-in-empty-stadium | |
1,374,227 | Soccer-Slovenia shake off jitters ahead of Serbia showdown | MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Slovenia are brimming with confidence ahead of their Euro 2024 match against Serbia on Thursday after snatching a point in their opener while the mood in their opponent's camp is more downbeat due to injury worries and an unhappy captain.
Participating in their second European Championship 24 years after their debut appearance at the tournament, Slovenia know a win will put them in good position to emerge from Group C that also contains England and Denmark.
"The second match will definitely be easier. This point gave us additional confidence," midfielder Timi Elsnik told Slovenian news outlet Dnevnik. "We know what a win against Serbia brings."
Slovenia were initially overwhelmed by playing on the big stage in the 1-1 draw against Denmark in their tournament opener on Sunday, falling behind during a one-sided first half before battling back to level late.
Manager Matjaz Kek will likely field a team similar to the opener that featured little in the way of experience apart from captain and goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who is playing in his first major tournament.
But several promising youngsters will be looking to make their mark, including 20-year-old forward Benjamin Sesko who scored five goals in the qualifying campaign and thundered a shot off the woodwork against Denmark.
The mood at the Serbian camp is markedly different following a 1-0 defeat against England that left manager Dragan Stojkovic's side bottom of the group.
Despite a feisty performance against the group favourites, news that midfielder Filip Kostic likely sustained a ligament injury in his left knee dampened any Serbian post-match optimism.
The 31-year-old Juventus player walked off the pitch crying and was substituted by Filip Mladenovic following a challenge late in the opening period.
Serbia will nevertheless look to repeat their second-half display against England when they ratcheted up the pressure and brought on more attacking players in search of an equalizer.
Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic will also test Slovenia's back line but an area of concern is the reported dissatisfaction of captain Dusan Tadic who criticized the team selection after Stojkovic left him on the bench and did not introduce him until after an hour.
Stojkovic explained that bringing Tadic on later in the match was a tactical decision and he ruled out any bad feelings in the Serbian locker room.
"I am the one who decides," he was quoted as saying in Dnevnik. "There is no room for controversy but there is no friction around the captain."
(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - Slovenia are brimming with confidence ahead of their Euro 2024 match against Serbia on Thursday after snatching a point in their opener while the mood in their opponent's camp is more downbeat due to injury worries and an unhappy captain. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-slovenia-shake-off-jitters-ahead-of-serbia-showdown | |
1,374,212 | Soccer-Cologne ready to welcome friendly Tartan Army invasion | DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of kilt-wearing Scottish soccer fans will invade the German city of Cologne on Wednesday but local residents need not fear -- they come in peace.
The Tartan Army has been out in force since the start of Euro 2024, sinking industrial volumes of German beer and generally living up to the chant "no Scotland, no party".
Wednesday's Group A game against Switzerland will see the biggest coming together of the Tartan Army for years -- with an organised march to the stadium ahead of kickoff.
The Fan Walk, given the green light by Cologne's police, will begin from Josef-Lammerting-Allee at 1830 local time and follow a 1.7km route along closed roads to the stadium well in time for the 2100 kickoff.
As many as 60 bagpipers and drummers will lead the tartan procession along the route which organisers say is generally flat with temporary toilets provided -- an important consideration for those well-lubricated after a day of drinking.
"We'd ask supporters to be considerate of the residents on the route and make use of these please," a message read on the website of the Association of Tartan Army Clubs.
Scotland's Tartan Army, made up of hundreds of individual clubs throughout Scotland and across the world with names such Garden Shed Tartan Army and Burst Balloons Tartan Army, have been sadly absent from tournaments for the past two decades.
The national team have not appeared at the World Cup since 1998 and although they did qualify for Euro 2020, two of their games were in Glasgow and one at Wembley -- all three overshadowed by COVID-19 restrictions on fan numbers.
FITBA AND FUN
Which is why when Steve Clarke's team wrapped up qualification for the Germany showpiece with two games remaining, the kilts and sporrans could be packed and plans for a summer of "fitba, fun and beer" could begin.
Estimates vary, but as many as 250,000 Scots are said to have travelled to Germany, the majority without match tickets. And judging by the amount of kilts, saltires and Lion Rampants in evidence from Hamburg to Munich and all cities in between that might not by wide of the mark.
Things did not start well with Scotland hammered 5-1 by Germany in Munich, but the mood amongst the Tartan Army has remained joyous and they have proved a popular attraction with locals and fans of other nations.
While past tournaments have been marred by violence, Euro 2024 has so far been largely good-natured with the Tartan Army earning special praise from German police.
"Many thanks to the Scottish fans who created a special atmosphere over the last few days," a post on the Munich Police X page said after the opening game.
"Good luck and happy travelling."
One of the thousands, Dundee-born Dave Wright, who is travelling around Germany with his wife Michelle, said there was a code of behaviour amongst the Tartan Army.
"We self police, we look after each other and respect the places we go," Wright, who has been all over the world with the Tartan Army, told Reuters. "If people get too rowdy, other people have a word and if anyone is too drunk people will take them back to their hotel.
"So far it's been fantastic and the German people have been magnificent hosts who can't do enough for you. The only problem so far has been the football. We got demolished."
It is not all about football, beer and laughs, though.
The Tartan Army has won awards from UEFA for its fundraising work throughout the years. In Munich, the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal announced its 101st donation, 5,000 pounds to Team Bananaflanke -- a German football project for children with learning and physical disabilities.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of kilt-wearing Scottish soccer fans will invade the German city of Cologne on Wednesday but local residents need not fear -- they come in peace. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-cologne-ready-to-welcome-friendly-tartan-army-invasion | |
1,374,208 | Soccer-Baguettes and spaghetti desecrated in Euro 2024 'food wars' | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - First it was Albanian fans taunting their Italian rivals by snapping uncooked spaghetti in front of them.
Then the Austrians followed suit, breaking baguettes in the faces of French fans before their Euro 2024 clash.
Fans flocking to Germany for the month-long tournament are entertaining themselves with good-natured "food wars" looking every bit as spicy as the games themselves.
As well as the desecration of national foods in the streets - which has sparked more laughter than outrage - food banners are springing up in stadiums.
"Fondue better than goulash" read one at Switzerland v Hungary. "Eat Pasta, Run Fasta," said an Italian poster at the Albanian game. And "Kielbasa (sausage) better than gouda," boasted Polish fans against the Netherlands.
The food insults have, however, so far proved a bad omen.
Albania lost 2-1 to Italy after their pasta-breaking and Austria were beaten 1-0 by the baguette-loving French.
Host nation Germany is counting its blessings that widely-feared hooligan trouble has been minimal, with more snapped pasta and bread than broken bones and bottles.
"Thank God the violence has not been there. Instead we're seeing a lot of fun and banter between fans like these hilarious 'food wars'," said food stall-holder Roland Koch in Hamburg.
"Just don't mess with our 'currywurst' - or else then there will be trouble, I warn you!," he added, referring to the ubiquitous sausage and spicy sauce on sale at his kiosk and seemingly every other street corner in Germany.
(Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne; Additional reporting by Trevor Stynes and Martin Petty, Editing by Ed Osmond) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - First it was Albanian fans taunting their Italian rivals by snapping uncooked spaghetti in front of them. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-baguettes-and-spaghetti-desecrated-in-euro-2024-039food-wars039 | |
1,374,204 | Cricket-Australia ominous, Windies feeling right at home | (Reuters) - In what now has become almost a ritual in any cricket showpiece, Australia have swaggered into the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, while West Indies have revelled in home conditions as the race for the semi-finals begins on Wednesday.
Having won the World Test Championship and the 50-overs World Cup in 2023, Australia are hoping to be the first team to hold the global titles in all three formats simultaneously.
Four comprehensive victories in the group matches suggest the Mitchell Marsh-led squad have the form and personnel to achieve that.
In what has been a low-scoring tournament, Australia are the only team to have posted two 175-plus totals and one of the three teams to hit the 200-mark.
They have looked largely unperturbed by the conditions which other teams have found difficult to master.
Familiarity with the slow pitches has served West Indies particularly well as the Rovman Powell-led side also won all four group matches to breeze into the Super Eight.
The Caribbean team did not qualify for last year's 50-overs World Cup in India but look determined to do well in a format that is their strong suit.
Daren Sammy captained West Indies to T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016 and the former all-rounder has transformed the side since taking over the coaching reins.
The Caribbean team have found the right mix of youth and experience.
"We have been playing our entire career on these pitches. We're not surprised that it's slow, it's low, it's low-scoring," batter Nicholas Pooran said.
"The reason why most of our averages are 20-25 is because we bat on pitches like this.
"But we know for a fact as a group, whenever we get good pitches, we are very dangerous team and that is an advantage to us."
TITLE DROUGHT
South Africa and India have advanced as the two other teams unbeaten in the group stage though both had their struggles in the United States leg of the tournament.
India have not won a global title since the 2013 Champions Trophy and are naturally keen to end the drought.
"There is real keenness in the group to go and do something special," India captain Rohit Sharma said on Tuesday.
"That's a good way to start the second stage of the tournament."
India will play three Group 1 matches in five days but Rohit, playing what is probably his and team mate Virat Kohli's last T20 World Cup, was not worried.
"It is going to be a little hectic but we are used to all of this," he said.
Defending champions England limped into the Super Eight and Jos Buttler's team will need vastly-improved performances to grab a semi-final spot ahead of teams like Afghanistan.
The United States have been the story of the tournament after the tier-two nation stunned former champions Pakistan.
It may be a tall order for Monank Patel and his team mates in the Super Eight but the exposure against the top teams should prove invaluable in their growth.
They play South Africa in a Group 2 match in Antigua to kick off the Super Eight stage of the tournament.
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Ed Osmond) | Sport | Cricket | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - In what now has become almost a ritual in any cricket showpiece, Australia have swaggered into the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup, while West Indies have revelled in home conditions as the race for the semi-finals begins on Wednesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/cricket/2024/06/18/cricket-australia-ominous-windies-feeling-right-at-home | |
1,374,199 | Soccer-No room for doubt when Danes take on Kane and England, says Vestergaard | FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) - After a disappointing draw in their opening Euro 2024 game against Slovenia, Denmark cannot afford to be overawed by the likes of England's Harry Kane when the two sides meet in Group C on Thursday evening, defender Jannik Vestergaard has said.
The Danes drew 1-1 with the Slovenians before watching England notch a 1-0 win over Serbia, with Jude Bellingham getting the goal and Kane, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden providing a stern test for the Serbian defence.
"If doubt starts to creep in, it could be a really long day, it's sometimes important to maintain a kind of confidence that some would call naive and blue-eyed," Vestergaard told broadcaster DR.
"We believe in ourselves - if we don't believe in ourselves, I don't think anybody else will," added the 31-year-old, who plays his club football for English side Leicester City.
Vestergaard will be keeping a particularly close eye on striker Kane, who played as a target man in the first half against the Serbs before dropping deeper in the second as the English defended their slender lead.
"He is a very complete striker who more or less has the whole package - he can play with his back to goal, he can make dangerous runs into the box, and he can threaten to go in behind," Vestergaard explained.
Regardless of how tough Thursday's challenge will be, the Danish defender said he is looking forward to it.
"He (Kane) is good at everything and that's what makes it hard to take something away from him, because then he just does something else," he said.
"So in that way it's hard to play against him, but it's also a fun challenge."
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) - After a disappointing draw in their opening Euro 2024 game against Slovenia, Denmark cannot afford to be overawed by the likes of England's Harry Kane when the two sides meet in Group C on Thursday evening, defender Jannik Vestergaard has said. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-no-room-for-doubt-when-danes-take-on-kane-and-england-says-vestergaard | |
1,374,198 | Soccer-Mbappe or not, Dutch still expect full French force | WOLFSBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Kylian Mbappe’s potential absence from France's next game at the European Championship comes as no relief to their opponents, the Netherlands, who reckon the French will still present a formidable threat with or without their leading striker.
Mbappe’s nose was broken in the latter stages of Monday’s win over Austria in Duesseldorf and it is not yet clear whether the France captain will be able to play against the Dutch in Leipzig on Friday.
Mbappe terrorised them in a qualifying campaign which had the two countries in the same group, scoring twice in a 4-0 win in Paris and then netting both goals in a 2-1 victory in the return in Amsterdam last October.
“It does not matter if he is there or not. They have a lot of other good forwards and besides them a really good team. But we are not scared of anyone so if he is there or not, it doesn’t make any difference,” said goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen at a Tuesday press conference.
The 21-year-old made his debut last October in the home loss to the French, beaten by two brilliantly instinctive finishes from Mbappe.
According to Verbruggen, the Dutch have been more concerned about the fact the last two goals they have conceded came from corners and have spent time since Sunday’s 2-1 win over Poland in their opening game working on tightening up at set pieces.
The Dutch went behind early in the Group D clash in Hamburg to Adam Buksa’s header from a corner, after conceding a similar goal to German striker Niclas Fuellkrug in a friendly in Frankfurt in March. That was the last goal they let in before arriving at the European Championship.
"We’ve had plenty of time in the hotel to talk it over, and that we’ve done, but we shouldn't make too big a deal of it, because we also successfully defended a lot of corners” Verbruggen said.
“I think we defended enough well," he said of the victory against Poland, which the Dutch secured late in the game before Verbruggen was forced to make two key stops to preserve their lead.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | WOLFSBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Kylian Mbappe’s potential absence from France's next game at the European Championship comes as no relief to their opponents, the Netherlands, who reckon the French will still present a formidable threat with or without their leading striker. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-mbappe-or-not-dutch-still-expect-full-french-force | |
1,374,194 | Soccer-New look Spain and Italy meet in highly anticipated Euro clash | DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) - Retooled versions of Spain and Italy meet on Thursday in a highly anticipated Euro 2024 Group B encounter between the winners of three of the last four European Championships.
Both sides have shown a different style of football in Germany from what fans typically expect.
Spain thrashed Croatia 3-0 in their opener on Saturday playing a faster, more direct approach than the possession-based "tiki-taka" style which saw them crowned European champions in 2008 and 2012 as well as World Cup winners in 2010.
With their golden generation of pass masters Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Xabi Alonso long gone, Spain have transitioned to a more flexible approach under new manager Luis de la Fuente which is better suited to the young, versatile squad at his disposal.
Against an ageing Croatia side, Spain applied a relentless high press combined with quick transitions that seemed to catch their rivals off-guard.
"We are turning the national team into a team that have many faces," De la Fuente told a press conference on Saturday.
"The other countries no longer know what kind of attack we are going to implement and this is a reason to be very happy because it could put Spain back on the level that is expected from us."
With doubt surrounding the status of midfielder Rodri and captain Alvaro Morata after they picked up injuries against Croatia, De la Fuente, 62, has been keeping his cards close to his chest for Thursday's match, closing Spain's practice to the media for two consecutive days.
Defending champions Italy, beaten 4-0 by Spain in the 2012 final, see little point in trying to disguise their intentions.
Tasked with restoring belief for fans devastated by their failure to quality for the last two World Cups, manager Luciano Spalletti has put his own mark on the side since taking over last year after winning the Serie A title with Napoli.
Steering clear of Italy's traditional 'defence-first' Catenaccio system, Spalletti has implemented a more attack-minded approach, which they used to great effect in beating Albania 2-1 in their opener.
Under Spalletti Italy seek to control possession and dominate small areas of the pitch with intense pressure, allowing Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Pellegrini to service forwards Davide Frattesi and Federico Chiesa on the wings.
If styles make fights, Thursday's match in Gelsenkirchen should be a cracker.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | DORTMUND, Germany (Reuters) - Retooled versions of Spain and Italy meet on Thursday in a highly anticipated Euro 2024 Group B encounter between the winners of three of the last four European Championships. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-new-look-spain-and-italy-meet-in-highly-anticipated-euro-clash | |
1,374,183 | Olympics-Athletes face heat risks in Paris, environmental groups say | (Reuters) -Heat levels during the Paris Olympics could pose health risks for competitors, a report by environmental groups said, adding that continued increases in global temperatures could jeopardise future editions of the Games.
The report, titled "Rings of Fire: Heat Risks at the 2024 Paris Olympics", was published on Tuesday by the British Association for Sustainable Sport and Frontrunners, an organisation helping athletes engage in environmental issues.
Temperatures are expected to soar again in the European summer, after setting records in 2023, with French national weather agency Meteo-France saying that conditions are likely to be warmer than normal.
Heat and humidity was also a major issue at the Tokyo Olympics, where athletes - even those well-used to training in hot climates - found it extremely tough going.
"The next Olympics in Paris is now upon us, and notable cases of extreme heat undermining the health and enjoyment of sporting spectacles have only increased in the intervening years (since the Tokyo Olympics)," said the report, whose researchers spoke to both scientists and athletes.
"The fact that the Olympics will take place during high summer means that the threat of a devastating hot spell is a very real one," it said.
The report, which looked at data from the past 100 years since the Games were hosted in France in 1924, found that temperatures had increased by 3.1 degrees celsius on average during the months of July and August - when the Olympics are traditionally held.
British men's rugby sevens player Jamie Farndale warned of the dangers athletes could face due to the heat, adding: "What we do is push ourselves to our limits, and if we have to do so in conditions that are unsafe I don't think the athlete would hold back."
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) told Reuters that among several countermeasures identified, one involved reviewing the competition schedule, which has been planned to avoid potential excessive heat.
"It is of great importance that organisers of summer sports events plan carefully to prevent heat-related illnesses," an IOC spokesperson said.
"For the Olympic Games, providing athletes and spectators with the best and safest conditions possible are top priorities for the IOC and the entire Olympic Movement."
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Tommy Lund, Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Other Sports | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) -Heat levels during the Paris Olympics could pose health risks for competitors, a report by environmental groups said, adding that continued increases in global temperatures could jeopardise future editions of the Games. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/others/2024/06/18/olympics-athletes-face-heat-risks-at-paris-games-report-says | |
1,374,161 | No. 3 Olympic campaign for Gavin | PETALING JAYA: Golfer Gavin Green has booked a ticket for the Olympic Games.
With his inclusion, Malaysia now have 21 athletes for the Games from July 26-Aug 11.
The 30-year-old confirmed his Olympic ticket after the men's qualification campaign ended yesterday.
Gavin was positioned at No. 53 with the top 60 cut-off for the Olympic field for golf, which will take place at Le Golf National in Paris next month.
It will be the third consecutive Olympic appearance for Gavin, who currently plays on the European Tour.
Gavin tied for 47th spot in his Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and placed 57th in the previous Games in Tokyo three years ago.
The race for the women's golf quota slots will come to an end this weekend. The hope will be on Ashley Lau
to make the cut as she is currently ranked 49th. | Sport | Golf | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | PETALING JAYA: Golfer Gavin Green has booked a ticket for the Olympic Games. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/golf/2024/06/18/no-3-olympic-campaign-for-gavin | |
1,374,131 | Soccer-Fan's hand broken by shot from German striker Fuellkrug | BERLIN (Reuters) - A Germany fan missed the hosts' Euro 2024 tournament opener against Scotland on Friday after his hand was broken by a wayward shot from German striker Niclas Fuellkrug during the warmup.
Kai Flathmann was sitting to the side of the German goal ahead of his team's 5-1 demolition of Scotland when he was hit on the hand by an effort from Fuellkrug which went wide of the target.
"I have no words, crazy things," he said on social media, posting a picture of him in hospital with his arm bandaged and in a sling.
"Bild (newspaper) is now reporting on this unfortunate incident and the German FA have been in touch with me as well." he said.
He told the newspaper he only managed to catch the teams' anthems while being stretchered out of the stands, missing Germany's opening triumph in which Fuellkrug also scored.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Toby Chopra) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | BERLIN (Reuters) - A Germany fan missed the hosts' Euro 2024 tournament opener against Scotland on Friday after his hand was broken by a wayward shot from German striker Niclas Fuellkrug during the warmup. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-fan039s-hand-broken-by-shot-from-german-striker-fuellkrug | |
1,374,106 | Soccer-Belgium confident of Euro 2024 turnaround against Romania | FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) - There is no panic in the Belgium camp despite their shock 1-0 loss to Slovakia in their European Championship opener in Frankfurt on Monday, with coach Domenico Tedesco and the players finding little fault with the performance.
The result means there is little margin for error when Belgium play Romania on Saturday after the latter dispatched Ukraine 3-0 in their first Group E game.
An early error from Jeremy Doku allowed Slovakia to score through Ivan Schranz inside seven minutes, after which Belgium missed a host of chances and had two goals disallowed by VAR.
Tedesco put the defeat more down to bad luck and the lack of a clinical touch rather than any deeper issues within the side.
"I can't tell the team much about what needed to be better," Tedesco told reporters. "We have created many opportunities. Great opportunities. If we had scored first, that would have helped us.
"But we had control and didn't let Slovakia play their game. The only thing that wasn't perfect was our finishing."
Captain Kevin De Bruyne echoed those thoughts and felt overall the team had looked in control.
"Our second half was better," he said. "We've created opportunities, pushed them and didn't give away much. We didn't play badly, it is only that we didn't score.
"Of course it is now necessary in our second game to be more efficient."
Substitute Lois Openda, who was adjudged to have handled the ball in the build-up to Belgium’s second disallowed goal, is confident of a turnaround for the side.
"In the second half we did push well and play well, only the goal was missing. We have to work on that for the second game.
"It's not going to be with the knife between the teeth against Romania yet. We know how to play well, as we did during qualifying.
"There is no pressure, we have the quality, mentality and trust in our group. It will be fine."
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) - There is no panic in the Belgium camp despite their shock 1-0 loss to Slovakia in their European Championship opener in Frankfurt on Monday, with coach Domenico Tedesco and the players finding little fault with the performance. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-belgium-confident-of-euro-2024-turnaround-against-romania | |
1,374,083 | Cricket-Warner looking forward to no Sandpaper-gate flak in retirement | (Reuters) - Australia's long-serving opener David Warner says he is looking forward to avoiding "flak" about the Newlands ball-tampering scandal when he retires after the T20 World Cup.
Cricket Australia's investigation into "Sandpaper-gate" in 2018 painted Warner as the chief orchestrator, though former test captain Steve Smith and opener Cameron Bancroft were also given lengthy bans for their involvement.
Warner was the only one of the three to be given a life-long ban from holding leadership roles in Australia's international teams and gave up a bid to overturn it in late-2022.
"Coming back since 2018 I've probably ... been the only one that's ever copped a lot of flak," he told Cricket Australia's website.
"Whether it's people who don't like the Australian cricket team or don't like me, I've always been that person who has copped it.
"It's fine if they want to do that, but I always feel like I've taken a lot of pressure off a lot of guys as well and I think understandably I've been that person to be able to absorb that.
"But one can only absorb (so much). For me, it's great to go out knowing I'm not going to cop it anymore."
Warner has already quit test and one-day cricket and will bow out of T20Is at the end of the ongoing World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean.
The lefthander said he would always be linked with the Newlands scandal but hoped he would also be remembered as a fast-scoring trailblazer among opening batters in test cricket.
"If they're real cricket tragics and they love cricket .... they will always see me as that cricketer -- someone who tried to change the game," he added.
"Someone who tried to follow in the footsteps of the openers before me and try and score runs at a great tempo and change test cricket in a way."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Michael Perry) | Sport | Cricket | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Australia's long-serving opener David Warner says he is looking forward to avoiding "flak" about the Newlands ball-tampering scandal when he retires after the T20 World Cup. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/cricket/2024/06/18/cricket-warner-looking-forward-to-no-sandpaper-gate-flak-in-retirement | |
1,374,076 | Soccer-Man City begin Premier League title defence at Chelsea | (Reuters) - Manchester City begin their fifth straight title defence with a trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Aug. 18, the Premier League said on Tuesday.
Chelsea's newly appointed manager, Enzo Maresca, will face a familiar side as he previously assisted Pep Guardiola during their treble-winning season and also coached City's youth team.
FA Cup winners Manchester United host Fulham in the first match of the season on Aug. 16 while last season's league runners-up Arsenal host Wolverhampton Wanderers in their first match on Aug. 17.
Among the other opening fixtures, Championship winners Leicester City host Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United entertain play-off victors Southampton.
Ipswich Town, who are returning to the Premier League after 22 years following back-to-back promotions, host Liverpool in an early kick-off on Aug. 17.
The Premier League will begin in mid-August after the mid-season break was removed from the calendar in order to allow for a longer close-season break.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Kolkata; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Manchester City begin their fifth straight title defence with a trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Aug. 18, the Premier League said on Tuesday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-man-city-begin-premier-league-title-defence-at-chelsea | |
1,374,025 | Cricket-Williamson tight-lipped about T20 future after NZ exit | PORT OF SPAIN (Reuters) - New Zealand captain Kane Williamson remained coy about his future in 20-overs internationals after his team crashed out from the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States.
New Zealand could not make the Super Eight stage of the 20-team tournament and finished third as West Indies and Afghanistan advanced from group C.
Team mate Trent Boult has confirmed this was his last T20 World Cup but Williamson would not reveal his plans after they finished their group campaign with a consolation victory against Papua New Guinea.
"I don't know," Williamson, 33, said when asked if he would be seen in action in the 2026 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
"There's a bit of time between now and then, so it's about regrouping as a side.
"We've got red-ball cricket over the next year basically, so it's back into some other international formats, and we'll see where things land."
Williamson said it was "frustrating" to crash out so early despite their habit of punching above their weight in global tournaments.
New Zealand began their campaign with defeats by Afghanistan and West Indies and their subsequent victories against Uganda and Papua New Guinea were of no real use.
"We wanted to start the campaign strong, and we weren't able to do that," Williamson said.
"We played against a couple of very strong sides who are very well equipped in these conditions and unfortunately it made the difference in our first two games."
The tournament has proved a low-scoring affair so far with just three 200-plus scores, while no batter has managed to register a century.
"Rhythm to batting doesn't really exist on these wickets," Williamson said of the slow tracks in the region.
"It's trying to find a method that might allow you to get competitive totals and that's quite different to other surfaces that are slightly more even."
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Cricket | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | PORT OF SPAIN (Reuters) - New Zealand captain Kane Williamson remained coy about his future in 20-overs internationals after his team crashed out from the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/cricket/2024/06/18/cricket-williamson-tight-lipped-about-t20-future-after-nz-exit | |
1,373,993 | Rugby-Marcus Smith wins race to start as England's No. 10 against Japan | (Reuters) - Marcus Smith will start at flyhalf for England ahead of namesake Fin Smith as coach Steve Borthwick made four enforced changes for their first test of the summer series in Japan on Saturday that could also see powerful wing Tom Roebuck handed his debut.
With Owen Farrell and George Ford unavailable, Marcus Smith has been handed the number 10 jersey to partner scrumhalf Alex Mitchell in England’s first ever test against their hosts in Japan. Fin Smith is among the replacements.
Other changes from the 33-31 Six Nations defeat to France in March see prop Bevan Rodd come in for Ellis Genge and flanker Chandler Cunningham-South make his first international start in place of Ollie Chessum.
Wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso takes over from Elliot Daly, who misses the three-match tour of Japan and New Zealand to attend the birth of his first child.
"Conditions in Tokyo mean we’ll need to be accurate, keep our discipline, and maintain a level of intensity in our performance from the first whistle to the last," Borthwick said.
"We will need to be at our very best against an opponent who will want to play fast."
George Furbank starts at fullback with wing Tommy Freeman making up the remainder of the back three, and Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade the centre pairing.
Rodd is joined in the front row by Dan Cole and hooker Jamie George, with Maro Itoje and George Martin the lock pairing. Sam Underhill and number eight Ben Earl are at the back of the scrum.
There is a potential debut off the bench for uncapped Sale Sharks wing Roebuck, while flanker Tom Curry, recently returned from long-term injury that kept him out of the Six Nations, is also among the replacements.
After England’s test in Japan they travel to New Zealand for fixtures on July 6 and July 13, where they will look to beat the All Blacks away for the first time in 21 years.
England team to play Japan:
15-George Furbank, 14-Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13-Henry Slade, 12-Ollie Lawrence, 11-Tommy Freeman, 10-Marcus Smith, 9-Alex Mitchell, 8-Ben Earl, 7-Sam Underhill, 6-Chandler Cunningham-South, 5-George Martin, 4-Maro Itoje, 3-Dan Cole, 2-Jamie George (captain), 1-Bevan Rodd.
Replacements: 16-Theo Dan, 17-Joe Marler, 18-Will Stuart, 9-Charlie Ewels, 20-Tom Curry, 21-Harry Randall, 22-Fin Smith, 23-Tom Roebuck.
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Rugby | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Marcus Smith will start at flyhalf for England ahead of namesake Fin Smith as coach Steve Borthwick made four enforced changes for their first test of the summer series in Japan on Saturday that could also see powerful wing Tom Roebuck handed his debut. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/rugby/2024/06/18/rugby-marcus-smith-wins-race-to-start-as-england039s-no-10-against-japan | |
1,373,966 | Swimming-Murphy eyes return to top of the podium in Paris | INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Ryan Murphy said his desire to regain his Olympic 100m backstroke title burns hotter than ever after he punched his ticket to the Paris Games on Monday.
The 28-year-old set an Olympic record when he took gold at Rio 2016 but could do no better than bronze in the event in Tokyo in 2021.
"There's definitely no shortage of motivation from my end," Murphy told reporters after his victory at the U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis
"I feel like I've always got a fire under my butt.
"I'm a really motivated person and definitely coming off the last Olympics, I want to win every time I touch the water, whether that's a Monday morning practice or an Olympic finals.
"I want to go to the Olympics and I want to win."
The four-time Olympic gold medallist finished third in the 100m in Tokyo behind to two Russian athletes and made headlines when he said after the race that doping was still a problem in the sport.
He later clarified that he was not accusing the swimmers who beat him of any wrongdoing.
Russian athletes have been unable to compete under their own flag at the Olympics since Rio 2016 after the country was sanctioned for what the International Olympic Committee said was the systematic doping of athletes.
Russia will not be allowed to field athletes in Paris due to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine although individual athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus can compete as neutrals if they meet a strict set of criteria.
The issue of doping raised its head again this year when the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed reports that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned drug before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but it accepted the country's findings that this was due to substance contamination.
WADA defended its handling of the case but it sparked outrage among athletes and other national doping federations.
Murphy said he has communicated his feeling about the situation to anti-doping authorities.
"I'm definitely behind the scenes expressing my thoughts and learning everything I can about what's going on," he said.
"I'm going to continue to do that."
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Indianapolis; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Swimming | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Ryan Murphy said his desire to regain his Olympic 100m backstroke title burns hotter than ever after he punched his ticket to the Paris Games on Monday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/swimming/2024/06/18/swimming-murphy-eyes-return-to-top-of-the-podium-in-paris | |
1,373,939 | Ahead of Paris Olympics, China takes steps to curb unruly sports fans | BEIJING: When Chinese paddler Wang Manyu failed to make the Paris Olympics women’s singles team in May 2024, her fans felt the decision was unfair.
Many backed a 10,000-word petition to the General Administration of Sport of China – the country’s sport governing body – outlining five ways they feel the selection criteria should be improved.
For China’s fiercely competitive table tennis team, selection is based on a points system that includes performances at major competitions and track record against foreign players.
But other fans took more extreme steps.
They incited others to send protest spam e-mail and make phone calls to the sports authority, and spread rumours that teammate Chen Meng, who had edged out Wang for the second and final singles spot, had benefited from the head coach’s favouritism.
The passion of Chinese sports fans was on display in Singapore earlier last week, when they showed up in large numbers at Lions goalkeeper Hassan Sunny’s nasi padang stall in Tampines, to thank him for his performance in a June 11 football match against Thailand.
ALSO READ: Singapore football goalkeeper urges Chinese fans to stop sending him money
The Singapore team’s 3-1 loss meant that China’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup were kept alive. Thailand needed to win by a three-goal margin to advance to the final round of Asia’s qualifiers. Instead, that spot went to China.
Ahead of the Paris Olympics in July 2024, China is on a campaign to improve the less desirable aspects of its sports fan culture, to raise the image of Chinese fans abroad and protect the well-being of its athletes.
The sports administration on May 15 said that “deformed fan culture” should be resisted, noting that this phenomenon has repeatedly caused controversy in recent years, with negative effects on sports stars.
Behaviour being targeted includes profit-driven activities such as the selling of athletes’ hotel and flight information, and name-calling and online abuse of rival fans and referees.
While there is no official data on Chinese travellers heading to the upcoming Olympic games, Chinese media have reported a surge in visa applications to France. The country’s largest online travel agency Ctrip reported in May that there was a 240 per cent year-on-year increase in flight bookings to Paris.
Tensions between athletes and fans have been brewing in recent months.
For instance, a video of national paddler Wang Chuqin in October 2023 snapping at a fan – whom he felt was trailing and filming him too closely at an airport – was widely viewed online, triggering a debate on such rowdy behaviour.
Such unwelcome actions have not been limited to table tennis, China’s national sport. Chinese divers, skaters, basketball and badminton players have also faced the wrath of fans online over sport results.
At China’s national diving championships in November 2023, upset fans believed that judges had under-scored Quan Hongchan, who came in second to teammate Chen Yuxi, and Chen’s family was subject to online abuse.
Adam Zhang, founder of Chinese sports consultancy firm Key-Solution, said that there is a need to differentiate between normal fan behaviour and those that need to be addressed.
“Fans in any field are a normal part of a consumer society, and sharing their views on certain results, for example, should be acceptable,” Zhang told The Straits Times.
But if their behaviour infringes on athletes’ privacy, affects their training, or serves private commercial interests, then it should be dealt with seriously, he said.
Zhang gave the example of daipai, or paparazzi, where independent photographers might create a public nuisance in order to take photos of sports stars to sell to fan groups – a phenomenon which he said has worsened in recent years.
Associate Professor Xi Zhiwu, from the School of Journalism and Communication at Nanchang University in Jiangxi province, believes that the ability of China’s sports authority to improve the image of Chinese fans is limited.
“It also cannot really change how much fans worship their idols. It is only trying to guide fans to follow competitive sports and its stars in a reasonable, rational and healthy way,” said Prof Xi, who has studied the growth of fan culture in China.
But “fan culture” should not be seen as a derogatory term, he said, adding that he does not see the zeal that Chinese fans have for their sports stars as different from those in other countries.
Dr Yin Yiyi of Beijing Normal University said that highly commercialised sports in other countries, from football to e-sports, have led to mature fan management systems, such as official fan clubs.
The long tradition of Western sports fans and the high degree of commercialisation means it is easier to manage and cultivate fans, said Dr Yin, who researches fan and popular culture.
“Although such Western sports fan culture also has problems such as name-calling, the rules to manage them are relatively clear,” she said.
Comparatively, in China, there is almost no tradition of competitive sports fans, and the early football and basketball fan bases were not large, she said. China’s professional national football league kicked off 30 years ago, in 1994, and the Chinese Basketball Association league was founded a year later.
Fan and support culture was almost entirely introduced by idol culture in the entertainment field. “Concepts such as ensuring their idols are trending on social media and pseudo-intimacy between fans and idols are brought to competitive athletes, making it more difficult to manage,” added Dr Yin.
Zhang, a long-time industry observer, added that as public figures, athletes also have to bear a share of the responsibility, in how they conduct themselves and guide fans on the right behaviour.
“For instance, they can influence fans on how to best express their views on competition results, promote the principle of sportsmanship and how best to accept wins and defeats.” - The Straits Times/ANN | AseanPlus | AseanPlus News | Complimentary | Long | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | BEIJING: When Chinese paddler Wang Manyu failed to make the Paris Olympics women’s singles team in May 2024, her fans felt the decision was unfair. | https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2024/06/18/ahead-of-paris-olympics-china-takes-steps-to-curb-unruly-sports-fans | |
1,373,918 | Target reached for Eain Yow | PETALING JAYA: World No. 13 Ng Eain Yow, despite undergoing a hectic schedule that included the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, is happy to have achieved his goal of reaching the top 15 and also winning a bronze level tournament in the 2023-2024 season.
“I feel quite proud with the way I have finished my season (2023-2024),” said Eain Yow, who returned to Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday morning with his teammates after helping Malaysia reclaim the men’s gold at the Asian Team Championships in Dalian.
“I won my first bronze level event, reached the last eight at the British Open and broke into the top 15 in the world rankings.
“I am at the world No. 13 now and it shows that I’m staying on track to achieve my objective of making it to the top 10 next season.
“I was quite tired coming straight from the British Open to Dalian but at the end, it was worth it as the team did an amazing job," said Eain Yow, who received the Datuk Alex Lee award for the best male player from the Asian Squash Federation on Sunday.
Malaysia reclaimed the team title last won in 2021 (Kuala Lumpur) beating Hong Kong 2-1 in the final where Eain Yow led the squad comprising Addeen Idrakie, Syafiq Kamal and rising star C. Ameeshenraj on Sunday (June 16).
“It’s not just the men and but the women’s team also did a great job this whole week and we hope to continue our efforts in the new season.”
Meanwhile, women’s team member Rachel Arnold said the presence of world No. 10 S. Sivasangari took the pressure away from the team as they outplayed stiff rivals Hong Kong 2-0 in the final to wrest the title they lost in South Korea two years ago.
The others in the team were Azman sisters Aifa and Aira
“Obviously, we had some pressure in the 2022 Asian Teams but we were stronger this time with Sangari in the team. It made us a bit more comfortable in Dalian,” said Rachel.
Sivasangari did not return to Kuala Lumpur with her teammates but flew back straight from China to New York to resume her training under her Australian coach David Palmer. | Sport | Squash | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | PETALING JAYA: World No. 13 Ng Eain Yow, despite undergoing a hectic schedule that included the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, is happy to have achieved his goal of reaching the top 15 and also winning a bronze level tournament in the 2023-2024 season. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/squash/2024/06/18/target-reached-for-eain-yow | |
1,373,882 | Olympics-Jamaica's Thompson-Herah won't defend 200m title at Paris Games | (Reuters) - Five-times Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah will not defend her 200m title at next month's Paris Games after opting not to compete in the event at the upcoming Jamaican trials.
The sprinter is only registered to compete in the 100m at the June 27-30 Jamaican Athletics Championships. The deadline to register passed on Monday.
Thompson-Herah, the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic sprint doubles when she retained her 100m and 200m titles in Tokyo, finished last in her season-opening 100m last month, clocking 11.30 seconds at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene.
She last competed in the 200m in April 2023 and appeared to sustain an injury during the 100m at the NYC Grand Prix earlier this month, finishing in 11.48.
The 31-year-old appointed Reynaldo Walcott as her new coach in November following her split with Shanikie Osbourne.
The athletics competition at the Paris Olympics takes place from Aug. 1-11 at the Stade de France.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Athletics | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Five-times Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah will not defend her 200m title at next month's Paris Games after opting not to compete in the event at the upcoming Jamaican trials. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/athletics/2024/06/18/olympics-jamaica039s-thompson-herah-won039t-defend-200m-title-at-paris-games | |
1,373,876 | Olympics-Alcaraz hoping to learn from Nadal at Paris Games | (Reuters) - World number two Carlos Alcaraz said he is looking forward to learning from 22-times Grand Slam champion Rafa Nadal when they pair up in the doubles at the Paris Olympics.
Three-times Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, 21, will return to Roland Garros for the singles and doubles at the Games after being crowned French Open champion there earlier this month.
Nadal won Olympic singles gold in 2008 and a doubles gold in 2016. The 38-year-old will be playing at the Games for a third time.
"I didn’t expect to play doubles at the Olympic Games with Rafa," Alcaraz told reporters on Monday. "It is a unique moment for me but of course I am very happy about it. Let’s see how it’s going to be but it’s going to be a great time.
"Honestly, I feel he is going to teach me how to deal with everything. I am the young guy who needs to grow up as a player, to grow up as a person as well.
"Of course it’s going to be my first Olympic Games. Everything is new for me, so I hope to learn a lot from him."
Nadal is skipping Wimbledon in July in order to prepare for the Olympics while Alcaraz returns to action at the Queen's Club Championships in London later on Tuesday before starting his title defence at Wimbledon next month.
The Olympic tennis tournament runs from July 27 to Aug. 4.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Kolkata; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Tennis | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - World number two Carlos Alcaraz said he is looking forward to learning from 22-times Grand Slam champion Rafa Nadal when they pair up in the doubles at the Paris Olympics. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/tennis/2024/06/18/olympics-alcaraz-hoping-to-learn-from-nadal-at-paris-games | |
1,373,834 | Cricket-Pooran turns on the power as West Indies pummel Afghanistan | (Reuters) - West Indies left-hander Nicholas Pooran combined elegance with power to score 98 with eight sixes on Monday and propel his team to a 104-run win over Afghanistan in the final first-round match of the Twenty20 World Cup at Gros Islet in St Lucia.
Pooran was run out by a direct hit on the stumps by Azmatullah Omarzai attempting a second run in the final over as West Indies amassed 218 for five, the highest score of the competition.
In reply, Afghanistan reached 114 from 16.2 overs although the result was academic as both teams had already qualified for the Super Eight round which starts on Wednesday.
West Indies went instantly on to the attack after being asked to bat first on an excellent pitch in front of an exuberant crowd.
Brandon King guided the first ball from left arm paceman Fazalhaq Farooqi through the leg side for four and Johnson Charles struck another four through square leg, with 13 coming off the first over.
Charles square drove the first ball from Omarzai to the boundary then sliced to third man for four. King was clean bowled before Pooran, the most prolific six hitter in T20s this decade, crashed a six and a four to bring up the team's 50 in less than four overs.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan brought himself on in the fifth over to try to exert some control with his wrist spin only to concede 12 runs, and at the end of the powerplay West Indies were 92 for one, the highest score after six overs in a T20 World Cup.
Afghanistan's slow bowlers managed to wrest back some control but the score was still 113 for two after 10 overs and 148 for three after 15. The 200 came up after 18.5 overs off medium pacer Gulbadin Naib, the seventh man asked to bowl.
The Afghans were never in the hunt as the West Indies bowlers imposed a stranglehold from the start, with left arm paceman Obed McCoy, playing his first game of the tournament, varying his length and pace from a relaxed action to take three for 14.
Pooran, in his other role as wicketkeeper, took a spectacular leaping catch before the innings finished.
"I had to take responsibility," said Pooran after smashing the highest individual score at this year's tournament.
"In West Indies people want four and sixes. You can't do that every time but when conditions allow you should capitalise."
(Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Cricket | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - West Indies left-hander Nicholas Pooran combined elegance with power to score 98 with eight sixes on Monday and propel his team to a 104-run win over Afghanistan in the final first-round match of the Twenty20 World Cup at Gros Islet in St Lucia. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/cricket/2024/06/18/cricket-pooran-turns-on-the-power-as-west-indies-pummel-afghanistan | |
1,373,804 | Golf-McIlroy to take a break from golf after U.S. Open heartbreak | (Reuters) -Rory McIlroy broke his silence about his devastating U.S. Open loss on Monday, saying he would take a few weeks away from the game to "process everything."
The Northern Irishman was in position to end a decade-long hunt for his fifth major on Sunday but threw it away with three bogeys in his final four holes, including two where he missed putts inside of four feet, and lost to Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke.
"Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my 17 years as a professional golfer," he wrote in a social media post.
"As I reflect on my week, I'll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly the missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day," he added.
"But, as I always try to do, I'll look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives."
The moment DeChambeau's winning putt dropped in the cup, a shell-shocked McIlroy stormed directly to his courtesy car and left the site of the most agonising loss of his career and fourth runner-up finish in a major.
Despite the gut-wrenching loss, McIlroy, who also finished one stroke adrift of the winner at last year's U.S. Open, said he feels closer than ever to ending a major drought that stretches back to the PGA Championship in August 2014.
"The one word that I would describe my career as is 'resilient'," he said.
"I've shown my resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again."
The four-time major winner was listed in the initial field for this week's Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands but said he would instead take a break.
"I'm going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open and Royal Troon.
"See you in Scotland."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto and Rory Carroll in Indianapolis, editing by Ed Osmond and Pritha Sarkar) | Sport | Golf | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) -Rory McIlroy broke his silence about his devastating U.S. Open loss on Monday, saying he would take a few weeks away from the game to "process everything." | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/golf/2024/06/18/golf-mcilroy-to-take-a-break-from-golf-after-us-open-heartbreak | |
1,373,740 | Swimming-Ledecky triumphs again at U.S. Olympic trials | INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) -Seven-time Olympic gold medallist Katie Ledecky stormed to victory in the 200m freestyle final at the U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis on Monday, while Katie Grimes outdueled Emma Weyant to win a thrilling 400m individual medley.
Ledecky had already qualified for the Paris Games in the 400m freestyle at the trials, which are being held at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.
Ledecky came home in 1:55.22 ahead of Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden and Erin Gemmell, who will join the 27-year-old on the relay team.
"We're going to get together over the next couple weeks and put together a great showing," said Ledecky.
"Hopefully there are a lot of young girls out there who want to be on this relay one day."
In the women's 400m IM, Grimes got off to a hot start before reigning Olympic silver medallist Weyant made her move as the thousands of swimming fans on hand roared.
Grimes, 18, managed to fend off Weyant and Lilla Bognar to touch the wall first with a time of 4:35.00 in the gruelling event.
"I knew that my backstroke was fine and when I turned at the wall for the breaststroke I just said, 'don't look back, don't look to the side,'" she said.
"I knew that as long as I touched the wall at the same time as Emma I would be able to stick in there with her, so I was just trying to finish."
Grimes, who was the youngest member of the U.S. team at the Tokyo Games, has already qualified for the Paris Games in open water swimming and now also has a place in the pool.
Four-times Olympic gold medallist Ryan Murphy punched his ticket to his third Games with victory in the men's 100m backstroke where he edged Hunter Armstrong, who is also likely to qualify.
Murphy won the final with a time of 52.22, half a second faster than world champion Armstrong, and the backstroke specialist will look to improve on his bronze medal performance in Tokyo when he arrives in Paris.
Murphy, 28, said he is having more fun than ever in the sport.
"I enjoy it a little bit more than I used to," he said.
"I used to feel like I was going to throw up before every race."
SWIMMING STATE
Indiana native Lilly King won the women's 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:05.43, outpacing second-place finisher Emma Weber with Tokyo gold medallist Lydia Jacoby a disappointing third.
While soaking in the adoration of the crowd, King said her state has a huge fanbase for the sport.
"We love swimming here - we're a swimming state," said two-time Olympic gold medallist King, who will be appearing in her third, and what she says final, Games.
"We're really proud of that and I'm glad I get to represent us."
Luke Hobson will compete in the individual 200m freestyle on his Olympic debut after his victory in the final, where he posted a time of 1:44.89.
Chris Guiliano was the surprise second-place finisher from the outside lane and will likely join Hobson in the event.
Drew Kibler and Kieran Smith rounded out the top four finishers and will join Hobson and Guiliano on the relay team.
The crowd saved one of its biggest roars of the night for Regan Smith, who broke her own U.S. record in the 100m backstroke semi-finals.
Touching in 57.47, the three-time Olympic medallist and former world record holder bettered her mark of 57.51 set in May.
Smith's new U.S. mark was tied for third on the all-time list with Kaylee McKeown of Australia, who also set the world record of 57.33 last year.
Should Smith go on to qualify in the event for the Olympics the 22-year-old's showdown with McKeown would be one of the highlights of the Paris pool.
The trials are being held for the first time inside of an NFL stadium that has been transformed into the world's largest indoor swimming venue.
It has already set the record for the largest audience to witness a swim meet.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Swimming | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) -Seven-time Olympic gold medallist Katie Ledecky stormed to victory in the 200m freestyle final at the U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis on Monday, while Katie Grimes outdueled Emma Weyant to win a thrilling 400m individual medley. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/swimming/2024/06/18/swimming-ledecky-triumphs-again-at-us-olympic-trials | |
1,373,661 | Soccer-Goal drought and bloodied nose underlines Mbappe's Euros misfortune | DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - A bloodied nose, a booking for unsportsmanlike conduct and an unfathomable miss that silenced a stadium - France's Kylian Mbappe underlined his troubled relationship with the European Championship on Monday amidst uncertainty over his injury.
The France captain, to his credit, was sublime in creating the goal that beat Austria 1-0, but his failure to score at a Euros will weigh heavily on a player who has found the net 12 times at World Cups, including a hat-trick in the 2022 final.
Mbappe's last match at a European Championship ended in acrimony for France, with his miss in a shootout the trigger for their shock second-round exit to Switzerland at Euro 2020 after his side squandered a two-goal advantage late in the game.
Goal droughts do not come often for Mbappe but France's opening Group D match on Monday marked his fifth successive Euros game without scoring after a combined 18 goal attempts.
The 25-year-old was impressive and involved in just about every France move, but it just was not his night.
He ended it with a bloodied nose after a nasty collision with the shoulder of Austria's Kevin Danso while attempting to head home an Antoine Griezmann free kick, which Mbappe had won when he took a blow to the face moments earlier.
After receiving treatment he left the field initially but in a bizarre move Mbappe returned minutes later then sat down on the pitch, prompting boos and jeers from the Austria fans and a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct.
"It's very bad news for us tonight," France manager Didier Deschamps said. "If you had Kylian who is in a difficult situation... Obviously, the French team with or without him, this is not the same thing. I hope he can be there."
Given Mbappe's performance on Monday France will be hoping it won't be long before he is firing again and that he recovers in time for France's next game with Netherlands on Friday.
Mbappe was the standout French player, reeling off perfectly weighted passes, coolly spreading the ball around and injecting bursts of lightning pace to leave his markers for dead.
He threatened to score after nine minutes with a fierce low shot from an angle that tested goalkeeper Patrick Pentz.
Mbappe then created a goal from nothing near halftime with a quick shimmy to skip around three players before delivering a cross that was headed into his own net by Maximilian Wober.
The forward chased everything, starting one move in his own half with a pass before sprinting two-thirds of the way down the field to try to finish off the move.
He stunned the crowd in the 54th minute when he accelerated past an opponent at the halfway line before darting into the area and uncharacteristically firing a shot wide with time, space and only the goalkeeper to beat, prompting a cheeky grin.
(Reporting by Martin Petty; editing by Ken Ferris) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - A bloodied nose, a booking for unsportsmanlike conduct and an unfathomable miss that silenced a stadium - France's Kylian Mbappe underlined his troubled relationship with the European Championship on Monday amidst uncertainty over his injury. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-goal-drought-and-bloodied-nose-underlines-mbappe039s-euros-misfortune | |
1,373,600 | Getting a kick out of a balancing act for success in Euro 2024 | INTERNATIONAL football is all about balance!
From the composition of players to their ages, everything must achieve perfect equilibrium, and achieving this could be the key to winning it all. And Germany look like a team with a balanced squad based on their opening game in Euro 2024. | Opinion | A Winning Factor | Metered | Short | Efny Johan | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Say What,A winning factor,Efny Johan,column, | INTERNATIONAL football is all about balance! | https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/a-winning-factor/2024/06/18/getting-a-kick-out-of-a-balancing-act-for-success-in-euro-2024 | |
1,373,606 | Poland will ‘give everything’ to progress after Dutch defeat | HAMBURG: Poland coach Michal Probierz said his team had not said their “last word” at Euro 2024 despite an opening defeat by Holland on Sunday, with striker Robert Lewandowski poised to return from injury.
The Barcelona forward did not feature as the Dutch emerged 2-1 winners in the Group D clash in Hamburg, but is hoping to face Austria on Friday.
Poland gave as good as they got in the second half against Holland but Wout Weghorst struck a late winner for the Oranje.
“Robert Lewandowski is coming back to strength and he will hopefully play against Austria – he’s a very important player for us,” said Probierz.
“We are not giving up. We’ll give everything to fight and qualify.
“We still have something to prove and we’ll be stronger.”
Adam Buksa started in Lewandowski’s position and headed Poland ahead from a corner after 16 minutes, but Cody Gakpo soon levelled for Holland before Weghorst’s decider.
“In football you have phases where you break the opponent or you get broken,” said Probierz.
“We missed that smartness in the last moment of the match.”
Austria will have a day’s less rest before the teams meet in the German capital, although Probierz said it did not matter.
“At the professional level I don’t think one day’s difference matters,” he said.
“We’ve not said our last word, we’ll try to play a wiser match against Austria. In a tournament you need to play wise football.”
Lewandowski’s return could give Poland an edge up front which they missed at times and boost the team’s confidence, something the coach has already tried to do.
“We have shown that we can play football very well, we had our own chances and I told the players to keep their heads up, we can play against any opponent,” added Probierz. — AFP | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024,Football,Poland,Michal Probierz,Robert Lewandowski | HAMBURG: Poland coach Michal Probierz said his team had not said their “last word” at Euro 2024 despite an opening defeat by Holland on Sunday, with striker Robert Lewandowski poised to return from injury. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/poland-will-give-everything-to-progress-after-dutch-defeat | |
1,373,603 | Denmark captain Eriksen writes new Euro chapter after near-fatal collapse | STUTTGART: As Denmark got ready to take the field for their Euro 2024 opening clash with Slovenia on Sunday, broadcasters around the world flashed back to three years ago when midfielder Christian Eriksen almost lost his life in very similar circumstances.
On that occasion, 1,100 days ago, the Danes were also favourites, taking on a Finland side making their first appearance at a major finals, but none of that mattered when Eriksen, then 29, slumped to the turf after suffering a cardiac arrest as his partner watched horrified from the stands.
Remarkably, both he and Denmark recovered, with Eriksen having a device to regulate his heart fitted and his teammates going on a storied run to the Euro semi-finals, where they lost to England in the first of many new chapters written since.
“This time at the Euros, my story is very different to last time. Luckily there’s been a lot of games since it happened. I felt confident going into this game and I was just happy to be playing,” the softly-spoken Eriksen said after scoring in his side’s 1-1 draw with Slovenia.
After almost losing his life on that June evening in Copenhagen, Eriksen was soon back playing, and he scored two minutes after returning to the national team in a game against Holland in March 2022.
On Sunday, he was back pulling the strings in the centre of Denmark’s midfield as if nothing had ever happened, scoring the opening goal in the 17th minute.
“I was very pleased (to score). I did have in mind that I hadn’t scored at a Euros, so obviously that was on my mind - but nothing else but football was on my mind,” said Eriksen, who was given the man of the match award.
Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand praised the midfielder’s ability to control a game after returning from a near-fatal cardiac arrest suffered in 2020 edition.
“He (Eriksen) has something very special,” said Hjulmand.
“He played a fantastic game for us and he is the rhythm of our team. We want to push him close to the goal and we see again today why, because he has some finishing and break-through skills that we need.” — Reuters | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024,Football,Christian Eriksen,Denmark,Slovenue | STUTTGART: As Denmark got ready to take the field for their Euro 2024 opening clash with Slovenia on Sunday, broadcasters around the world flashed back to three years ago when midfielder Christian Eriksen almost lost his life in very similar circumstances. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/denmark-captain-eriksen-writes-new-euro-chapter-after-near-fatal-collapse | |
1,373,599 | Yoke Meng backs juniors to come good at Yogyakarta tournament | PETALING JAYA: Former national shuttler Kwan Yoke Meng (pic) has backed the junior team to end Malaysia’s medal drought in the Asian Junior Championships from June 28-July 7 in Yogyakarta.
Malaysia last won a medal in the 2018 edition in Jakarta through Pearly Tan-Toh Ee Wei, who captured silver in the girls’ doubles.
The tournament was not held from 2020 to 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Yoke Meng, who coached the junior team in the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) from 2015 to 2023, believes the current crop of players can end the wait for a medal.
Malaysia’s challenge will be led by junior world No. 1 boys’ doubles pair Aaron Tai-Khang Khai Xing and national Under-18 champions Roslie Razeeq Daniel (boys’ singles) and Ong Xin Yee (girls’ singles).
The others selected in the team are Mohd Faiq Masawi, Sng Wei Ming, Kong Zhou Swin (boys’ singles), Siti Zulaikha Azmi, Oo Shan Zi, Dania Sofea Zaidi (girls’ singles), Carmen Ting, Clarissa San, Tan Zhing Hui, Nicole Chau, Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan (girls’ doubles), Lok Hong Quan, Justin Goh, Datu Anif Datu Asrah (mixed doubles).
Dania, Clarissa and Noraqilah will also play in the mixed doubles.
“The team chosen this time is quite balanced and every player has a chance to win a medal,” said Yoke Meng.
“Our best bet will be in the boys’ doubles through Aaron-Khai Xing. They have won a few titles.”
His selection did not come as a surprise as Aaron-Khai Xing won the Thailand International Challenge in March, which was their first senior title. They also won Dutch Junior International title and finished runners up in German Junior.
“Normally, countries like China, Indonesia and South Korea will be the biggest threats for Malaysia in tournaments like this.”
Leong Jun Hao was the last Malaysian to win gold in the tournament when he triumphed in the boys’ singles in 2017.
The mixed team event this time will be held from June 28-July 2 followed by the individual competition from July 3-8.
The group stage draw for the team competition will be released today. | Sport | Badminton | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Badminton,Kwan Yoke Meng,Asian Junior Championships,Yogyakarta | PETALING JAYA: Former national shuttler Kwan Yoke Meng has backed the junior team to end Malaysia’s medal drought in the Asian Junior Championships from June 28-July 7 in Yogyakarta. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/badminton/2024/06/18/yoke-meng-backs-juniors-to-come-good-at-yogyakarta-tournament | |
1,373,618 | Crusaders make debut at a major tourney | DORTMUND: Georgia make their debut at a major tournament when the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people plays Turkiye in Group F at the European Championship.
The other teams in the group are Portugal and the Czech Republic.
Georgia, also known as the Crusaders, are the only debutant at Euro 2024, though they still have a pedigree at the tournament. Three Georgian players were in the Soviet Union team that won the inaugural title in 1960. The country has celebrated the national team being on the big stage for the first time by releasing commemorative stamps and putting special coins in circulation for the occasion.
Expect them to rely heavily on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the undoubted superstar of the team after his exploits for Napoli over the last two seasons – including winning the MVP in their Serie A title-winning season of 2022-2023.
Kvaratskhelia, who is aged 23, has scored 15 goals in 30 games for Georgia.
Georgia coach Willy Sagnol has been working with “almost a full complement” of players at the team’s training camp in Austria before heading to Germany, the country’s football federation said. No specific injuries have been disclosed.
Georgia have one squad member who plays in the United States – Atlanta United winger Saba Lobhanidze.
A moped driver travelled 4,000km over 12 days to deliver a Georgian flag covered in messages of support from people back home to the team at their training base in Germany on Saturday.
“We all need to try to create another miracle and reward our supporters with more beautiful days.” said Georgia midfielder Nika Kvekveskiri.
Their opponents Turkiye were many pundits’ highly fancied outsiders at the last Euros but flopped, losing all three of their group games and scoring just one goal. The national team have gone more under the radar this time, despite topping a qualifying group containing Croatia.
Arda Guler, a 19-year-old playmaker at Real Madrid, is set to be the beating heart of Turkiye’s team for the first time at a major tournament – and is expected to star for the national team for years. Irfan Can Kahveci and Cenk Tosun have been training separately ahead of the game while defender Ozan Kabak was ruled out of the tournament after sustaining an ACL injury in the warm-up games.
Former Italy striker Vincenzo Montella is Turkiye’s coach, somewhat by accident. He ended up in the job in September 2023 having been working in Turkish club as coach of Adana Demirspor for the previous two years. — AP | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024,Football,Georgia | DORTMUND: Georgia make their debut at a major tournament when the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people plays Turkiye in Group F at the European Championship. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/crusaders-make-debut-at-a-major-tourney | |
1,373,593 | Quarterly funding a boon for sports fraternity in cutting bureaucratic obstacles | JUNE has always been a good month for the power-that-be to splurge on Malaysian sports.
Beginning this month, 19 National Sports Associations (NSAs) and 23 sports will enjoy greater liberties in financing their activities. | Opinion | On The Line | Metered | Short | Rizal Hashim | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Say What,On The Line,column,Rizal Hashim | JUNE has always been a good month for the power-that-be to splurge on Malaysian sports. | https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/on-the-line/2024/06/18/quarterly-funding-a-boon-for-sports-fraternity-in-cutting-bureaucratic-obstacles | |
1,373,612 | Zii Jia needs to toughen up mentally to face Viktor, Yuqi at Olympics,says ex-player James | PETALING JAYA: Former great Datuk James Selvaraj believes that mental preparation will be key for men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia in his quest to win a medal in the Paris Olympics.
With the Olympics just six weeks away, Zii Jia is shaping up nicely after making it into the final in three out of his last four tournaments.
The world No. 8 captured the Australian Open title on Sunday to go with his Thailand Open crown last month and finished runners-up to reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the Malaysian Masters.
In the Indonesian Open, Zii Jia reached the quarter-finals before going down to Thailand’s world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
Now, the 26-year-old’s attention will turn fully towards his preparations for the Olympics and James has advised the independent player to toughen up his mental game.
“Mental preparation is very important in the Olympics. Zii Jia needs to believe in himself if he hopes to succeed,” said James.
“He also has to work with his coach (Wong Tat Meng) and come up with the best strategies against his potential opponents.
“Whether he wins the gold or not is a different matter but he needs to prepare himself as best as he can and be ready when the competition starts.”
James has also urged Zii Jia to build on his positive showings of late.
“It’s good that he won the Australian tourney as this will boost his confidence. His win also ensures that he will remain in the top eight in the world rankings and will be seeded in the Olympics,” said James.
“There’s definitely some improvement in his game under Tat Meng’s guidance. He has done his homework well and pushed Zii Jia to a different level.
“But there’s still work to be done as the Olympics is a completely different tournament.
“Many top players will be there like Axelsen and China’s world No. 1 Shi Yuqi. Both did not play in Australia.
“I believe these two players will be Zii Jia toughest opponents in Paris. There are also others who could play the role of spoilers,” added James.
Yuqi is one of the favourites for the gold after overtaking Axelsen in the top of the rankings following back-to-back title wins in the Singapore and Indonesian Open earlier this month.
The Dane might not be at his dominant best this year but will also not give up on his crown without a fight.
While anticipating a tough task for Zii Jia, James has urged the Kedahan to focus on his recovery after an exhausting past few weeks and to avoid injuries leading up to the Olympics.
“Zii Jia has played quite a lot of tournaments and needs to recover well now,” said James.
“He must be very careful during these few weeks, avoid injuries and maintain his fitness. It’s important to be at full strength both physically and mentally to do well in the Olympics.”
Besides Zii Jia, Malaysia will also be represented in the showpiece event by Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (men’s doubles), Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women’s doubles), Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (mixed doubles) and Goh Jin Wei (women’s singles).
The badminton competition in the Olympics will be held from July 27-August 5. | Sport | Badminton | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Badminton,Lee Zii Jia,Paris Olympics | PETALING JAYA: Former great Datuk James Selvaraj believes that mental preparation will be key for men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia in his quest to win a medal in the Paris Olympics. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/badminton/2024/06/18/zii-jia-needs-to-toughen-up-mentally-to-face-viktor-yuqi-at-olympicssays-ex-player-james | |
1,373,615 | NSC’s new programme – switch sports and be world beaters | KUALA LUMPUR: It is the hope that the soon-to-be launched National Sports Council (NSC) Talent Transfer programme will help unearth more world beaters for Malaysia.
NSC deputy director-general (sports development) Jefri Ngadirin said the programme will give potential athletes a new lease of life and expedite the development of new athletes.
Jefri highlighted the successful switches by athletes like Anis Amira Rosidi (pic), who moved from athletics to track cycling, and Wendy Ng, who transitioned from rhythmic gymnastics to diving.
“The Talent Transfer programme will start with three sports – diving, cycling and athletics – before we expand to others,” said Jefri.
“We had two briefings, one in March and another in May. We are testing the waters first with these three sports.
“We planned to start in June and the module is ready but we have now postponed it until after the Paris Olympics.
“We will start with the National Schools (MSSM) and the State Sports Schools.
“We are looking at athletes who could not progress further in their sports. They will be given a year to acclimatise into their new sports.
“Anis is a success story. In her first year after switching, she didn’t participate in any competition at all but it worked for her. She advanced well and won a bronze medal (women’s team sprint) at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
“Wendy was a gymnast who participated until the MSSM level before taking up diving. We can look at gymnasts and wushu practitioners as they have the dexterity needed for diving.”
Jefri added that extensive discussions with coaches and respective National Sports Associations (NSA) are necessary to identify suitable talents for the switch.
“Some sports have skill sets needed for other sports. This shortens the process of developing athletes.
“Starting from zero is tougher and time consuming but we now have athletes with higher standards in terms of physique and fitness,” he said. | Sport | Athletics | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | sports,talent,nsc | KUALA LUMPUR: It is the hope that the soon-to-be launched National Sports Council (NSC) Talent Transfer programme will help unearth more world beaters for Malaysia. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/athletics/2024/06/18/nscs-new-programme---switch-sports-and-be-world-beaters | |
1,373,614 | It’s award galore for Malaysia as Eain Yow, Sivasangari named Asia’s best male and female players | PETALING JAYA: Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari have been recognised for their outstanding performance at the continental level as they received the Datuk Alex Lee awards for the best male and female players of 2023 from Asian Squash Federation (ASF) in Dalian on Sunday.
Eain Yow had a stellar year as he secured the Hangzhou Asian Games gold and the Asian individual title last year. | Sport | Squash | Metered | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Squash,Ng Eain Yow,Asian Squash Federation (ASF) awards. | PETALING JAYA: Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari have been recognised for their outstanding performance at the continental level as they received the Datuk Alex Lee awards for the best male and female players of 2023 from Asian Squash Federation (ASF) in Dalian on Sunday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/squash/2024/06/18/its-award-galore-for-malaysia-as-eain-yow-sivasangari-named-asias-best-male-and-female-players | |
1,373,616 | Ameeshenraj proves he can be relied on in team events | PETALING JAYA: There is something special about rising star C. Ameeshenraj when it comes to team event as the super cool player proved his pedigree beyond doubt at the just concluded Asian Team Championships in Dalian on Sunday.
The 20-year-old debutant stepped up superbly with the score tied at 1-1 to clinch their decider against Tang Ming Hong to help Malaysia regain the trophy they last won at home in 2021 with a 2-1 scoreline.
On paper, it looked like a big gamble but coaches Sharil Shahidan and Nafiizwan Adnan were quite sure Ameeshenraj had the mental toughness to handle the situation and the youngster delivered.
The Seremban-born player already showed his mettle when he remained unbeaten in the 2022 World Junior Team Championship where Malaysia outperformed themselves to finish joint third with Pakistan as England upset Egypt 2-1 to finish champions in Nancy.
World No. 130 Ameeshenraj also justified his selection ahead of seniors like Sanjay Jeeva (No. 70) and Ong Sai Hung (No. 119) with a steady performance in Dalian where he had remained unbeaten.
“I definitely enjoy playing in team events. My teammates’ support have always pushed me to work harder on court and just being in a nice positive environment enabled me to perform well,” said Ameeshenraj.
“The coaches felt my game style would be good against Tang and I was also confident that I would be able to get the win.
“There was just a lot of mental preparation that was needed more than anything.
“I’m grateful for my teammates who were able to guide me through it every step of the way as they’ve had the experience of doing this before.”
The retirement of Ivan Yuen after the Hangzhou Asian Games had paved the way for Ameeshenraj to grab the opportunity to taste success at the continental level and he did it in style in Dalian without losing a match.
“I’m over the moon with the outcome as this is my debut and I also had to play a decider for the gold medal. My teammates definitely helped settle the nerves,” added Ameeshenraj.
The other experienced players in the team were world No. 13 Ng Eain Yow, Addeen Idrakie and Syafiq Kamal.
In the women’s final, Malaysia led by S. Sivasangari beat Hong Kong 2-0 for the title. They wrested the trophy form their rivals after losing 2-1 in South Korea in 2022. | Sport | Squash | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Squash,C. Ameeshenraj,Asian Team Championships | PETALING JAYA: There is something special about rising star C. Ameeshenraj when it comes to team event as the super cool player proved his pedigree beyond doubt at the just concluded Asian Team Championships in Dalian on Sunday. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/squash/2024/06/18/ameeshenraj-proves-he-can-be-relied-on-in-team-events | |
1,373,608 | Teams beset by salary woes early in the season | PETALING JAYA: Just one month into the Super League and football teams are facing salary issues again.
Perak players have not been paid half a month of their salary.
Their chief executive officer (CEO) Bobie Farid Samsuddin (pic) admitted that it had been tough to manage the team’s finances.
“It is true. We are selling jerseys and commemorative sim cards. That’s all we have. Sides like Sabah, Kedah, Pahang and Kuala Lumpur owe more,” said Bobie in a fan page.
“What can we do? There is no support from government-linked companies, jersey sales are low, and ticket prices are cheap. If we raise the price, fans will not come.”
Klang Valley-based club Kuala Lumpur too reportedly owe players two months’ salary. Some even claim that the due is for four months.
CEO Stanley Bernard Samuel said there were arrears but it would be solved soon.
“It should be sorted within the week. With Kuala Lumpur Football Association (KLFA) being one of the shareholders, it is their responsibility to sort it. They are aware and will do the needful,” said Stanley.
“The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would also come in soon with their sponsorship and will be able settle the salaries straight up,” added Stanley, who wants the team to focus on their upcoming Super League, Malaysia Cup and AFF Club Championships games.
It is also rumoured that Pahang have not received four months’ salary but coach Fandi Ahmad was not forthcoming.
“I cannot verify that. I will answer other questions, not this,” said the former Singaporean striker.
Even striker Kpah Sherman had no comments when asked about the situation.
As for Sabah, sources say players and coaches are owed four months of salary but the management have denied it. They say it is just for a month or two but it is being solved.
Their director Mohd Joh Wid said the club’s monthly expenses were RM1.7mil.
“The situation is dire but the boys are giving their all for the club and the fans. We hope the situation will be solved soon,” said a source. | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Football,Salary Arrears,Malaysia | PETALING JAYA: Just one month into the Super League and football teams are facing salary issues again. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/teams-beset-by-salary-woes-early-in-the-season | |
1,373,605 | Mbappe rules out representing France at Olympics | DUSSELDORF: France captain Kylian Mbappe on Sunday admitted that he will not represent his country at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
“For the Olympics my club have a position which is very clear so that means I think I will not participate in the Olympics. That is how it is,” said Mbappe.
The 25-year-old, who is playing for the nation in the ongoing Euro 2024, has just signed for Real Madrid and will join the European champions for the new season under freedom of contract from Paris St Germain.
The men’s Olympics football tournament begins on July 24, with the final on Aug 9.
The Spanish season is due to start a week later, while Real are also due to play Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw on Aug 14.
“Joining a new team in September would not be the best way to begin my adventure,” admitted Mbappe, who had previously stated a wish to be able to play for Thierry Henry’s French Olympic team.
“I wish the best to the France team. I will of course watch all their games as a spectator rather than an actor, and I hope they bring back the gold medal.”
This week Lionel Messi confirmed he would also not go to the Olympics, turning down the chance to win the gold medal with Argentina for a second time. — AFP | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024,Football,Kylian Mbappe,Olympic Games | DUSSELDORF: France captain Kylian Mbappe on Sunday admitted that he will not represent his country at the upcoming Paris Olympics. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/mbappe-rules-out-representing-france-at-olympics | |
1,373,613 | Striker is on track to regain reputation as a feared man with Turtles | PETALING JAYA: Footballer Safawi Rasid is slowly getting back his scoring touch but knows more needs to be done if he wants to recapture his old form.
The Terengganu playmaker, who is on-loan from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT), did not score in his first three domestic games for the Turtles but got on the scoresheet when they beat Perak 2-1 in the last 16 of FA Cup on Friday. Best yet to come: National striker Safawi Rasid believes he will regain his former form during his tenure with Terengganu.
The 27-year-old scored a penalty in the 35th minute much to his relief. He did score before the FA Cup game but it was on the international stage when he helped Malaysia beat Taiwan 3-1 in the World Cup 2026 second-round qualifiers last week.
Two goals in two games is a step in the right direction for the player known for his direct runs, shooting and set-piece prowess.
“The game against Perak was one of our best performances this season and getting a goal felt good. We see the result because of our system and game plan,” said Safawi.
“I’m giving myself another month or two to be in my top condition. I’m not easily satisfied.
“As much as I want to score goals and make an impact, the main goal is to fit into the team’s system. I am doing that slowly but surely.”
He has been playing as a number 10 with Terengganu but admitted that he prefers to play in the seventh position (right wing).
“I’m getting regular minutes now under the number 10 spot, but once I show more improvement, I will push for the right spot,” he said.
Safawi made his name in 2018 and 2019 when he became one of the top local attackers in the Super League and even a key figure for JDT.
In 2018, he scored 16 goals out of 36 matches in all competitions, and a year later, the player fondly known as Pawi, did even better, scoring 20 in 37 games.
It led him to winning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 2018 and 2019.
In 2020, he played nine games and scored eight as the season was impacted by Covid-19.
From 2021 onwards, he could not get back to his usual form and his spot in JDT was taken over by young phenom Arif Aiman Hanapi.
Despite that, he remained a key player for Harimau Malaya, earning 61 caps and scoring 21 goals.
Being a determined person, Safawi looks good to reclaim his reputation as one of the best attackers in Malaysia. | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Football,Safawi Rasid,Terengganu | PETALING JAYA: Footballer Safawi Rasid is slowly getting back his scoring touch but knows more needs to be done if he wants to recapture his old form. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/striker-is-on-track-to-regain-reputation-as-a-feared-man-with-turtles | |
1,373,604 | Portugal’s serial record collector aims for more European history | LEIPZIG: Superstar Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo (pic) is determined to make more European Championship history this summer.
The veteran forward, 39, says his team “deserve” to win another major international trophy to add to their singular triumph, at Euro 2016.
Portugal kick off their tournament against Czech Republic in Leipzig today with Ronaldo set to start and appear at a record-extending sixth Euros.
Roberto Martinez’s side qualified with a 100% record and should progress with ease from Group F, which also contains Turkey and Georgia.
“I believe this generation deserves to win a competition of this magnitude,” Ronaldo told reporters upon arrival in Germany, setting his sights on the Henri Delaunay trophy.
The former Real Madrid hitman triumphed with Portugal in 2016 but limped off injured against France in the final, with Eder firing the team to glory in extra-time.
Now plying his trade for immense wealth in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, Ronaldo netted twice against the Republic of Ireland in a tune-up friendly last week to extend his international goals record to 130.
Thus far 14 of those have come at European Championships, making him the competition’s all-time top scorer ahead of France great Michel Platini on nine.
Ronaldo first appeared at the tournament in 2004 on home soil, scoring against eventual winners Greece on his Euros debut, and he has also struck in every edition since.
The forward has 25 appearances at the finals, missing only one game at the tournament on the five occasions he has been selected as part of Portugal’s squad.
If Ronaldo nets in Germany he will become the oldest ever Euros goalscorer, with the current record set by Austria’s Ivica Vastic in 2008, scoring at 38 years and 257 days old.
“I enjoy football, records are a consequence, so for me it’s not a target, because I think they come naturally,” said Ronaldo.
“I’m happy to have a sixth European Championship and it’s about enjoying it in the best way, playing well, making sure the team can win, trying to give my all and enjoying it.”
Many believed Ronaldo’s time was finally up on the international stage when he was dropped for the last two matches of Portugal’s 2022 World Cup campaign after failing to score from open play in the three group games.
However, Martinez has stuck by the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Ronaldo started every qualifier he was available for, scoring eight goals in the process.
Despite his long and storied international career, Ronaldo said he still suffers with nerves after a men’s record 207 caps for his country.
“There’s always that tingling in the stomach, especially the day before the game, but that’s normal, that’s part of it and I’m glad I feel it, because when I don’t feel it, it’s better to give up and stop,” said the forward.
“I still feel quite motivated, it’s a different competition and we’re all prepared.”
Ronaldo’s ambition is fuel for his team-mates to thrive on.
“Knowing Cristiano, he’ll always think big, and we’ll keep up with him,” Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot told a news conference Saturday.
“He’s the one who’s won the most among us ... if we all realise that we have to go step by step, we can go far and I’m confident of that.”
While Portugal are among the favourites to lift the trophy, the Czech Republic have not gone beyond the quarter-finals for 20 years.
Like their opponents the Czechs have lifted the trophy on one occasion – in 1976 as Czechoslovakia.
A three-man defence with two wing-backs led by Slavia Prague’s Tomas Holes must find a way to stop Ronaldo if they are to start strongly.
However, few sides have managed that since Portugal’s talisman took the stage two decades ago.
One of the few challenges left for Ronaldo at the tournament is to score a hat-trick, last achieved by Spain’s David Villa in 2008. — AFP | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024,football,Ronaldo, | LEIPZIG: Superstar Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo (pic) is determined to make more European Championship history this summer. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/portugals-serial-record-collector-aims-for-more-european-history | |
1,373,654 | Golf-DeChambeau 'frustrated' not to be part of Team USA at Paris Olympics | (Reuters) - Bryson DeChambeau, who incited chants of "U.S.A, U.S.A!" en route to his U.S. Open triumph, said on Monday he is frustrated that he will not be competing at the Paris Olympics but accepts that his move to LIV Golf ultimately cost him that chance.
DeChambeau, a fan favourite all week at the U.S. Open where he finished one shot clear of Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, does not earn ranking points from his LIV Golf events and so fell short of making the U.S. team.
"Hopefully one day this game of golf will get figured out and come back together and I will be able to play (in the Olympics)," world number 10 DeChambeau said on Monday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee show.
"I'm playing great golf, I'm excited, but ultimately yeah, am I frustrated and disappointed? Sure, you could absolutely say that. But I made the choices that I made and there's consequences to that and I respect it."
The men's field for the Aug. 1-4 Olympic men's golf event will feature 60 players. The top 15 world-ranked players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country.
Beyond the top 15, players are eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15.
Currently Scottie Scheffler (1), Xander Schauffele (3), Wyndham Clark (5) and Collin Morikawa (7) are the four highest Americans in the ranking followed by Patrick Cantlay (8).
In March, LIV Golf announced that it formally withdrew its application to have players receive world ranking points from its tournaments after the OWGR earlier rejected its bid due to concerns about the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit's format.
DeChambeau, who has embraced his role as golf's showman, joined the rebel circuit two years ago and maintained a lofty spot in the rankings through his results at the majors, which allow LIV players so long as they meet the qualifying criteria.
Talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi backers of LIV Golf regarding a potential deal have accelerated in recent months, and DeChambeau is hopeful some sort of agreement between the rival circuits will soon come.
"Hopefully sooner rather than later we figure that out so this great game of golf we can get past all of that and move forward and show how awesome this sport actually is around the world," said DeChambeau.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar) | Sport | Golf | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | (Reuters) - Bryson DeChambeau, who incited chants of "U.S.A, U.S.A!" en route to his U.S. Open triumph, said on Monday he is frustrated that he will not be competing at the Paris Olympics but accepts that his move to LIV Golf ultimately cost him that chance. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/golf/2024/06/18/golf-dechambeau-039frustrated039-not-to-be-part-of-team-usa-at-paris-olympics | |
1,373,648 | Soccer-France battle past Austria but Mbappe suffers broken nose | DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) -France delivered a 100th victory for manager Didier Deschamps as they edged a tenacious Austria side 1-0 in their opening Group D match at Euro 2024 on Monday but it came at a cost as talisman Kylian Mbappe suffered a broken nose.
It was by no means a vintage performance and France required an own goal by Austria defender Max Wober shortly before halftime to secure the three points that put them level with the Netherlands who they face next on Friday.
However, three years after bowing out of Euro 2020 in the last 16 to Switzerland on penalties, France offered enough evidence to suggest they will be go much deeper in Germany with returning midfielder N'Golo Kante magnificent.
It proved a decidedly mixed night for captain Mbappe though as he was left still searching for his first goal in a European Championship after some glaring misses and was substituted late on with blood oozing from his nose after an aerial clash.
He left the stadium in an ambulance to undergo X-rays and the French Football Federation later confirmed he had broken nose and would have a mask made.
"He's got a really bad nose," said Deschamps. "We'll have to wait and see, the medical staff are dealing with it. We'll have to see what's going to be done and then how long it will take. It's very bad news for us tonight.
"Obviously, the French team with or without him, this is not the same thing. I hope he can be there," added Deschamps, whose record now stands at 100 wins, 30 draws and 24 losses in his near 12 years at the helm.
In his 80th game for Les Bleus, Mbappe's wing wizardry broke Austria's resistance in the 38th minute when he dribbled past three defenders and cut back a cross the unfortunate Wober could only head past goalkeeper Patrick Pentz.
But Mbappe wasted an early chance and a glorious opportunity in the 54th minute, surprising everyone in the stadium as he accelerated clean through on goal, picked his spot but guided his shot wide, responding with a wry smile.
Mbappe, whose missed penalty in the shootout against Switzerland three years ago condemned his side to a shock defeat, then collided with the shoulder of Kevin Danso as he tried to meet a cross into the Austria box late on.
He required treatment and was then booked for laying down again on the turf immediately after returning to the pitch before being substituted in a chaotic ending to a match that was never pretty, but always compelling.
AUSTRIA PRESS
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick had promised his in-form side, with one defeat in their last 16 matches, would go toe-to-toe with France and they were as good as his word.
Their relentless high-pressing and tackling never wavered and with their red-clad fans roaring them on they were in the contest until the end of a lengthy period of stoppage time.
"All in all the French earned the win, but that we were chasing the equaliser throughout speaks for the performance of our team," Rangnick said.
Austria could even have taken the lead shortly before France scored when captain Marcel Sabitzer cleverly touched a Michael Gregoritsch cross into the path of Christoph Baumgartner whose shot was deflected wide by France keeper Mike Maignan.
The French were more dynamic after the interval with Pentz saving well from Marcus Thuram but too often the pre-tournament favourites were wasteful when in promising positions.
While Mbappe's injury cast a shadow over the victory, a huge bonus for France was the sight of 2018 World Cup winner Kante, a surprise pick for the squad after a two-year absence, producing a majestic display at the heart of midfield.
For all their graft and possession Austria struggled to create many clear chances and more often than not it was man-of-the-match Kante who blocked their path.
"It starts well. Everything was not perfect but we have the result we wanted. There are solid foundations. We have to be more efficient," he said.
"It makes me happy to be back. Things have changed but it feels good to get back into this jersey."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris, Peter Rutherford) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) -France delivered a 100th victory for manager Didier Deschamps as they edged a tenacious Austria side 1-0 in their opening Group D match at Euro 2024 on Monday but it came at a cost as talisman Kylian Mbappe suffered a broken nose. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-france-beat-battling-austria-1-0-thanks-to-own-goal | |
1,373,640 | Soccer-Labour pledges ban on English clubs joining breakaway tournaments | LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party, who polls predict are set to win next month's general election, promised on Monday to create a new football regulator that would prevent Premier League clubs from joining Super League-style breakaway tournaments.
A proposal in 2021 for a breakaway league by Europe's 12 leading clubs sparked widespread protests among fans and threats of sanctions by UEFA, leading all but three of them to pull out of the project.
"In the face of continued threats of breakaways from some European clubs, we have to do this," Labour leader Keir Starmer, whose party has consistently maintained a double-digit lead against the governing Conservatives, said in a statement.
"On my watch, there will be no super league-style breakaways from English football."
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government had also set out plans to establish an independent regulator that would have prohibited Premier League clubs from joining breakaway or unlicensed leagues.
However, that legislation failed to make it through parliament, which was dissolved last month after Sunak called the election for July 4.
(Reporting by Muvija M, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party, who polls predict are set to win next month's general election, promised on Monday to create a new football regulator that would prevent Premier League clubs from joining Super League-style breakaway tournaments. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-labour-pledges-ban-on-english-clubs-joining-breakaway-tournaments | |
1,373,639 | Soccer-Handball or not? Inevitable controversy raises its head at Euro 2024 | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Belgium will have no complaints about the first VAR decision to disallow a goal but cancelling out a second strike from Romelu Lukaku, which denied them a late equaliser against Slovakia at Euro 2024 on Monday, is the tournament’s first controversy.
The much-fancied Belgians lost their opening Group E game 1-0 to Slovakia at the Frankfurt Arena, giving up an early goal and then being held at bay by some dogged defending.
But they twice had the ball in the net. First some 10 minutes into the second half when Lukaku tucked away a header from a ball played into him by Amadou Onana.
That clearly was offside and, although Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler awarded it at first, a goal check quickly ruled out the strike and preserved Slovakia's advantage.
The second effort, with minutes remaining, was disallowed after the referee was sent to the touchline screen to judge a handball from Lois Openda in the build-up to the goal.
The Belgian substitute did make contact with his hand – the new ‘snicko’ technology was used to show there was a touch.
But Openda was in full motion trying to get round defender Denis Vavro to deliver the ball back for Lukaku and the decision struck many as harsh.
"It feels wrong. It feels so, so wrong. He's battling with a 6ft 3in defender," said English radio analyst Dean Ashton.
“I don't really think it's hands, because it has no influence on the chance. It is very painful and a shame for us,” added Belgian-born Rangers forward Cyriel Dessers on Belgian television.
Belgium coach Domenic Tedesco avoided comment. “Now that we lost I want to be a fair loser and stay away from this subject,” he told the post-match press conference.
The Laws of the Game on handball say that if the ball strikes an attacking player’s arm while in the midst of a goalscoring move, regardless of arm position, intent, or any other qualifiers, a goal shall be chalked off.
But UEFA last year said it wished to relax the whistling of handball offences with regard to deflections, and a long ball towards Openda looked to touch the player before bouncing onto his hand, although none of the TV replays show it clearly.
Openda was also held down by Vavro as the ball arrived, offering further mitigation.
The handball rule remains a major bone of contention for fans, most of them confused by the inevitable inconsistency of it being open to interpretation.
Even UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said that "nobody in the world understands when there's handball or not".
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Ken Ferris) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Belgium will have no complaints about the first VAR decision to disallow a goal but cancelling out a second strike from Romelu Lukaku, which denied them a late equaliser against Slovakia at Euro 2024 on Monday, is the tournament’s first controversy. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/analysis-soccer-handball-or-not-inevitable-controversy-raises-its-head-at-euro-2024 | |
1,373,634 | Soccer-Kante back for France in Group D clash with Austria | (Fixes typo in paragraph 2 to show date is 2022, not 2002)
DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - N'Golo Kante was recalled to the heart of the France midfield for their opening Euro 2024 Group D clash against Austria on Monday.
Defensive midfielder Kante was a surprise call-up to the France squad after not playing for the national team since 2022 and missing the World Cup because of a serious hamstring injury.
The World Cup winner's last competitive game for France was in March 2022 although he did feature in two recent friendly games in the absence of the injured Aurelien Tchouameni.
Kylian Mbappe will captain France on his 80th appearance, though his last memory of the European Championship was missing the penalty in the last-16 defeat by Switzerland in Euro 2020.
Austria, who have lost only one of their last 16 games, are without injured talisman David Alaba who is a non-playing captain with the squad.
Manager Ralf Rangnick has stuck largely to the side that took Austria through the qualifying campaign with Christoph Baumgartner seeking to score in his sixth successive international.
Teams:
Austria: Patrick Pentz, Stefan Posch, Max Wober, Kevin Danso, Phillipp Mwene, Nicolas Seiwald, Marcel Sabitzer (C), Konrad Laimer, Christoph Baumgartner, Florian Grillitsch, Michael Gregoritsch
France: Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Jules Kounde, Adrien Rabiot, N'Golo Kante, Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Thuram, Kylian Mbappe (C), Ousmane Dembele
(Reporting by Martin Petty and Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | (Fixes typo in paragraph 2 to show date is 2022, not 2002) | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-kante-back-for-france-in-group-d-clash-with-austria | |
1,373,632 | Soccer-Slovakia stun wasteful Belgium as VAR twice denies Lukaku | FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) -Ivan Schranz scored Slovakia’s quickest goal at a major tournament to take his side to a gritty 1-0 victory over a wasteful Belgium in the European Championship on Monday, providing the first upset of the continental finals in Germany.
It was Belgium's first loss in 16 games under coach Domenico Tedesco and a flashback to their calamitous 2022 World Cup campaign on a day when whatever could go wrong in the Group E encounter, did, though much of their misfortunate was self-inflicted.
They had two disallowed goals from the boot of Romelu Lukaku, the first for offside and the second a handball in the build-up on a hugely frustrating day for the burly striker in which he also missed several clear-cut chances.
"It is a pity. The first 20 minutes we were really good and we make such a mistake for which we are punished," Belgium captain Kevin de Bruyne said.
"In the second half it was better, we upped the tempo. We deserved to win but did not score and that is the way it is.
"Apart from a few other chances we didn't give much away. We adjusted some things at halftime and then played well. We pushed, we created chances. We certainly deserved to at least a draw because we didn't play badly."
Slovakia joined Romania at the top of the standings after their 3-0 win over Ukraine in Munich earlier on Monday. Belgium next meet Romania in Cologne on Saturday.
There had been talk before the game of this being a new Belgium, casting off the Golden Generation tag and filled with young talent, but the same problems persist.
Tedesco’s side dominated the 90 minutes, but lacked a clinical touch and when they did find it they were denied by the VAR and scrambling Slovakia defence.
Belgium were without their preferred central defensive pairing of Jan Vertonghen and Arthur Theate and with left winger Jeremy Doku playing on the right in the first half and Yannick Carrasco as a left wing back, there was a lack of balance to the team.
It was that uncertainty that led to Slovakia’s opener as Doku’s poor ball into his own box was not dealt with by the defence and when Juraj Kucka’s effort was saved, Schranz beat Belgium goalkeeper Koen Casteels from a tight angle with his record-breaking goal timed at six minutes and five seconds.
Belgium will feel they should have been 1-0 up already by then as Lukaku was foiled from point-blank range by Slovakia goalkeeper Martin Dubravka after Doku’s mesmerising run from his own half.
That was the first of three big chances in the half for Lukaku, who had scored 17 goals in 11 games under Tedesco.
Slovakia had opportunities too. Casteels had to make a superb diving save from Lukas Haraslin’s excellent volley, before they showed excellent defensive discipline and every tackle was celebrated by the Slovak players as if they had scored a goal.
Belgium came close again when a goalmouth scramble ended with substitute Johan Bakayoko shooting for what seemed a certain goal, only for Slovakia defender David Hancko to clear the ball off the line.
Lois Openda then handled the ball after his persistence on the left-hand side had set up Lukaku to finish.
"It's a huge victory," Dubravka said. "We worked hard and fought until the end. You need to be a little bit lucky in games like this and we were.
"We came into the tournament feeling great and this will give us plenty of strength."
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson, Editing by Ed Osmond and Pritha Sarkar) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) -Ivan Schranz scored Slovakia’s quickest goal at a major tournament to take his side to a gritty 1-0 victory over a wasteful Belgium in the European Championship on Monday, providing the first upset of the continental finals in Germany. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-slovakia-upset-belgium-as-var-denies-lukaku-twice | |
1,373,630 | Soccer-'Homeless Euro 2024' kicks off beside main tournament | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Under-privileged people from eight nations began competing on Monday in a "Homeless Euro 2024" tournament running parallel to the main championship and intended to share the joys of football with those who have suffered on the street.
Teams from Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Sweden paraded into Hamburg's fan zone at the start of the week-long event organised by a local charity and funded by donations.
"Football has given me a second chance," said Mario La Torre, 24, recounting years of criminality and drug-taking in Stockholm before turning his life around. "Look at me: now I'm shooting balls, but before I was shooting other things."
Without the glitz and glamour of the main Euro 2024, the alternative version started in front of a smattering of people at a small pitch inside the fan zone. Four-person teams of both men and women played games of seven-minute halves.
'HAVE SOME FUN'
Johan Grasshoff, one of the organisers of the event with the charity Anstoss (Kickoff), said it was important to highlight the issue of homelessness to those who did not understand it.
"People often say it is their own fault if people are homeless, but that is not true. The main factor is the lack of housing and the high cost of rent," he said.
"We want to focus society on that. And for a few days all the players can forget about their problems and have some fun and gain some power for the future."
Some of the participants have also participated in the "Homeless World Cup", whose last edition was in the U.S.
"This is like my second family," beamed Polish player Patryk Bialek, 24. He described taking drugs for eight years and sleeping under a bridge before he went for rehabilitation, rebuilt his life - and rediscovered a boyhood love of football.
"I can't believe I'm playing again - and here!" he said, the day after the Polish national team had also played in Hamburg.
(Additional reporting by Margaryta Chornokondratenko; editing by Pritha Sarkar) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Short | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | HAMBURG, Germany (Reuters) - Under-privileged people from eight nations began competing on Monday in a "Homeless Euro 2024" tournament running parallel to the main championship and intended to share the joys of football with those who have suffered on the street. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/soccer-039homeless-euro-2024039-kicks-off-beside-main-tournament | |
1,373,547 | Mbappe's call to vote resonates with youth in his old neighbourhood | PARIS (Reuters) - In the Paris suburb where footballer Kylian Mbappe grew up, 22-year old Leana Aggoune said that she agrees with the French striker's call on young people to vote in the French parliamentary election this month.
Many people here are children of immigrants, like the six-time Ligue 1 top goal scorer and national team captain, who was born in Paris to parents of Cameroonian and Algerian heritage.
Aggoune, a careworker, had not cared much about the European election earlier this month, or the previous parliamentary election two years ago. But she feels it is different this time, with the far-right National Rally (RN) leading in surveys.
"I feel like it is going to affect us more, or maybe I'm more conscious, but I feel like it is important for our future," said Aggoune, speaking outside a fast food restaurant in Bondy.
"They want to make us leave, they're racist and against us," she said of the RN.
The RN strongly denies it is racist but proposes anti-immigration policies, including to limit welfare benefits, social housing and jobs for non-French citizens, stop family reunification of immigrants and limit citizenship. It is hostile to Islam, having proposed in the past to ban the hijab in public spaces and close down mosques and schools.
Mbappe said during a press conference on the eve of France's opening game at Euro2024 that "the extremes are knocking at the doors of power... we need to identify with our values - of diversity, tolerance and respect".
He was indirect about his own politics but said he supported the same values and position as his teammate Marcus Thuram, who has clearly called for voters to make sure that the RN "does not pass".
Some people in Bondy were unhappy that Mbappe, as the face of the national team, wasn't bolder in spelling out exactly what he meant.
"It's a bit disappointing," said Bahia Soukouna, a 24 year old law student who is planning on voting for the left coalition, the Front Populaire.
"He takes a position without really taking a position and he puts on the same level the National Rally and the Front Populaire, who we cannot qualify as extremist."
Nearly 49% of French voters, including more than 60% of those aged 34 and younger, stayed home during the European election. The RN's rivals are hoping higher stakes in a national election will bring a bigger turnout from those who want to block the far right.
In the neighbourhood of Bondy, participation was 10% lower than the national average.
Celine Braconnier, director of Sciences-Po Saint-Germain and specialist in abstention, said that participation could be higher than in other parliamentary elections because "it's an intense and short campaign, there is an omnipresence in the media, a clarification of the stakes."
Thibault Ngompe Tamiam, 25 year-old events organiser, said that his generation doesn't vote because "we don't see ourselves in politics. [Prime minister] Gabriel Attal talks about unemployment benefits but he has never been refused for a job, never had to sign on."
He said that he will vote against the RN but has not yet decided which party to support.
(Reporting by Layli Foroudi; Editing by Peter Graff) | Sport | Other Sports | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | null | PARIS (Reuters) - In the Paris suburb where footballer Kylian Mbappe grew up, 22-year old Leana Aggoune said that she agrees with the French striker's call on young people to vote in the French parliamentary election this month. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/others/2024/06/18/mbappe039s-call-to-vote-resonates-with-youth-in-his-old-neighbourhood | |
1,373,496 | Analysis: Soccer-Romania's main Man has Midas touch in Euro win over Ukraine | MUNICH (Reuters) - Romania scored with three different players in their 3-0 Group E victory over Ukraine on Monday - but forward Dennis Man stood out for having a hand in every goal.
The 25-year-old was quick to collect a poor clearance from Ukraine goalkeeper Andrey Lunin and lay the ball off to captain Nicolae Stanciu who struck it into the top corner from distance to give Romania a shock lead in the 29th minute.
Early in the second half Man, described by his former Romania youth team coach Mirel Radoi as "the full package", drove speedily at the Ukrainian defence in a move which culminated in Razvan Marin smashing the ball in from distance.
The third goal showed his quality on the ball as he exchanged intricate passes from a short corner and shifted the ball past an oncoming Ukrainian player in the box before expertly finding Denis Dragus in the middle with a quick short pass.
Man became the most expensive transfer from the Romanian top-flight when he signed for Serie A side Parma from FCSB in 2021 for 13 million euros ($14 million) including add-ons.
Although his first season ended in relegation, the most recent campaign was his most successful to date with 11 goals and six assists in the league, helping Parma secure promotion back to the Italian top-flight.
He has taken that form into this tournament as Romania, usually known for low-scoring games and defensive displays, secured only their second win in European Championship history in some style.
The defensive unit was still as tight as ever, with centre backs Radu Dragusin and Andrei Burca looking impenetrable for the Ukrainian frontline that included speedy forward Mykhailo Mudryk and LaLiga's top scorer last season, Artem Dovbyk.
Romania also celebrated almost every defensive intervention like a goal, with players giving each other chest bumps and back slaps for securing a goal kick or making a tackle.
It was the kind of team spirit manager Edward Iordanescu, son of Romanian football great Anghel, had alluded to in the build-up to the game when he predicted his side would have to fight for every metre on the pitch.
His team fulfilled that pledge and celebrated their deserved win with their backroom staff in front of their jubilant fans.
($1 = 0.9330 euros)
(Reporting by Christian Radnedge; Editing by Hugh Lawson) | Sport | Football | Complimentary | Medium | null | 2024-06-18 00:00:00 | Euro 2024 | MUNICH (Reuters) - Romania scored with three different players in their 3-0 Group E victory over Ukraine on Monday - but forward Dennis Man stood out for having a hand in every goal. | https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2024/06/18/analysis-soccer-romania039s-main-man-has-midas-touch-in-euro-win-over-ukraine |