Sports

NBA: Celtics to play 76ers in London

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The Boston Celtics will meet the Philadelphia 76ers at the O2 Arena in London in January for a regular NBA game, league officials announced Thursday. The game, to be played January 11, will be the Celtics’ second trip to London, having played Minnesota there in a 2007 pre-season contest, and the first for the 76ers, whose prior British experience was a 2013 pre-season game at Manchester against Oklahoma City. The league announced […]

Football: Powered by record sprees, Premier League ready for landmark season

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP ) — Fueled by a historically lavish spending spree, the Premier League returns on Friday when Arsenal host Leicester in the opening game of the hotly-anticipated new season. Taking advantage of astronomical broadcast contracts and lucrative sponsorship deals, England’s superpowers have been splashing the cash at an unprecedented rate. Since the end of last season, transfer records have been shattered across the country as over one billion pounds has changed hands in a frenzy […]

Tennis: Federer into Montreal quarters as Ferrer downed again

MONREAL, Canada (AFP) — Roger Federer maintained his career-long winning streak over David Ferrer to advance to the quarter-finals of the ATP Montreal Masters on Thursday after a three-set battle with the veteran Spaniard. Federer, 36, had never lost in 16 previous meetings with the 35-year-old Ferrer, who he first defeated 14 years ago at the Vienna Indoor tournament. But while Ferrer managed to take the opening set — ending Federer 32-set streak — the Swiss ace raised his […]

Los Angeles strikes tentative deal to host 2028 Olympics

By Jaina Pallasigui EBC Los Angeles Bureau LOS ANGELES (Eagle News) – Los Angeles officials announced a deal with the International Olympics Committee to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, paving the way for Paris to claim the 2024 bid. Having hosted previously in 1932 and 1984, this would be the third time Los Angeles would host the Olympics, where the city’s mayor, Eric Garcetti, wants to “reimagine the games for a new generation.” The agreement […]

Football: Marquez, Mexico hero accused of cartel ties

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico and former FC Barcelona star Rafael Marquez is dubbed “The Boss” for his leadership of the national football team — but now the United States has branded him a drug criminal. No other Mexican player has won more titles and he is widely considered second only to Hugo Sanchez as the country’s best player ever. Now 38 and still scoring goals, “Rafa,” as he is known to fans, was […]

SEA Games: Malaysia urges Indonesia to keep a lid on haze

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia’s sports minister has urged Indonesia to ensure that haze from raging forest fires does not affect the Southeast Asian Games this month, a report said Wednesday. Malaysia will host the major multi-sport event from August 19-30, with thousands of athletes from across the region descending on the capital Kuala Lumpur to take part. However there have been fears that choking smog from the fires in neighboring Indonesia could float over Malaysia […]

Tennis: Shwartzman shocks Thiem in Montreal first round

MONREAL, Canada (AFP) — Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman saved four match points to shock third-seeded Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5 on Tuesday in the second round of the ATP Montreal Masters. World number 36 Schwartzman seized the initiative against the seventh-ranked Austrian, who fell at the first hurdle after enjoying a first-round bye. On the defensive early, Thiem held on to level the match at a set apiece on his fifth set point of the […]

Pilipinas, humakot ng gintong medalya sa Asian Confederation Junior Boxing Championship

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (Eagle News) – Nasungkit ng dalawang Pilipino ang gintong medalya sa katatapos lamang na ASBC Asian Confederation Junior Boxing Championship 2017 na ginanap sa Puerto Princesa City Coliseum. Ang buong palaro ay isinagawa simula noong Agosto 2 at nagtapos noong Agosto 7. Kinilala ang mga nagwagi na sina Kenneth Dela Pena, 16 taong gulang, tubong General Santos City; at John Vincent Pangga, 15 taong gulang, na nagmula naman sa Cagayan de Oro […]

Football: Man United can benefit from Madrid lesson, says Mourinho

SKOPJE, Macedonia (AFP) — Jose Mourinho insisted that Manchester United had emerged from their trip to Skopje for the UEFA Super Cup reinforced despite the scoreline flattering them in a 2-1 defeat to Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid. The Portuguese manager had expected his side to struggle against the reigning European champions and they could have conceded more than just the goals scored by Casemiro and Isco, one in each half. Casemiro hit the bar with […]

Athletics: Infected Makwala could not have run – IAAF

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Botswana star Isaac Makwala was barred from running in the men’s 400 meters world final on Tuesday because he was suffering from an infectious disease, athletics’ governing body confirmed. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) issued a statement after the Botswana team claimed the 30-year-old Makwala was fit and healthy and should not have been turned away from the warm-up track ahead of the final. However, the IAAF insisted […]

Autistic golfer dreams of Green Jacket

ANSEONG, South Korea (AFP) — Golf is among the most solitary of sports, its players engaged in a constant struggle with themselves as they compete against the implacable opponent of par. But for autistic newly qualified professional Simon Seungmin Lee, it is a way to escape from his enclosed self and engage with the world. The 20-year-old South Korean, who grew up in the United States, has been medically assessed as having the communication skills […]

Tennis: Red-hot Keys cools off Vandeweghe to take Stanford title

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Madison Keys looked to be in US Open form early on Sunday at the WTA Tour’s Stanford tournament, beating American compatriot CoCo Vandeweghe 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 for her third career title. The 22-year-old Keys was pleased with the win after battling injuries this year which caused her to miss the first two months of the season following wrist surgery. “It hasn’t been the easiest last couple of months, but […]