Category Archives: Sport

Keeping the Olympics Covid-free: life inside Beijing’s ‘closed loop’ bubble

Posted on by

The 11,000 foreign athletes, media crews and guests will be met at the airport by workers in biohazard suits

Before Zhang Hua goes down for breakfast, he puts on a mask and rubber gloves. He leaves his hotel room and walks through halls while keeping a safe distance from others. Then he boards a specially commissioned bus driven along dedicated lanes to his job assisting foreign broadcasters preparing for the Winter Olympics.

In the media centre he takes his daily Covid test, and he could eat a meal delivered by a robot. Depending on where he’s staying, Zhang may be allowed to visit his hotel gym later, or go to another hotel’s restaurant, but otherwise this is the only journey he can take.

Continue reading...

Relief as Prince Andrew relinquishes membership of Royal & Ancient Club

Posted on by
  • Duke of York ends 30-year association with golf club
  • Andrew is preparing to fight a civil sexual abuse lawsuit

Prince Andrew’s 30-year association with the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has ended, after the club confirmed he is no longer an honorary member. The Duke of York informed the R&A of his decision, which should remove the potential for controversy around the 150th Open due to be staged at St Andrews in July.

The R&A, whose corporate wing presides over the Open, informed members of the situation on Friday morning. A spokesperson for the club in Fife said: “I can confirm that the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has received notification that the Duke of York will relinquish his honorary membership. We respect and appreciate his decision.”

Continue reading...

‘Trying to disappear the poor’: California clears homeless camp near Super Bowl

Posted on by

Advocates and displaced residents condemn move amid fears for safety: ‘They are just trying to survive’

Officials in Los Angeles have cleared a homeless encampment near SoFi stadium, where the Super Bowl will take place in three weeks, drawing backlash from human rights groups and the unhoused residents who have been displaced.

On Monday and Tuesday, the state transit agency Caltrans shut down the tent community, which visitors would probably have passed on their way to the big game, calling it a “safety issue”.

Continue reading...

Fifa president: more World Cups could save African migrants from death in the sea

Posted on by
  • Gianni Infantino makes remarks to Council of Europe assembly
  • Outrage at comments related to biennial World Cup plan

The president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, has said his plans for a World Cup every two years could stop African migrants from finding “death in the sea”, in an extraordinary address to European politicians.

Speaking at a session of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, a trans-national body dedicated to the support of human rights, Infantino said that countries outside Europe needed greater access to national football competitions to prevent drastic consequences.

Continue reading...

Australian Open reverses its ban on ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ T-shirts

Posted on by
  • Shirts to be allowed but banners still barred, says Craig Tiley
  • Tennis Australia u-turn comes after international backlash

The Australian Open has reversed its ban on ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ T-shirts following widespread backlash to the tournament’s claim they constituted “commercial or political” material, but banners will still be prohibited.

Late last week spectators at Melbourne Park were asked to remove their shirts referencing the Chinese player, whose wellbeing has been the subject of international concern since she accused a senior Chinese official of sexual assault in early November.

Continue reading...

Deadly crush reported outside Africa Cup of Nations match in Cameroon

Posted on by
  • At least six fans dead, 40 injured after crush at Olembe Stadium
  • Incident took place at hosts’ game with Comoros in Yaoundé

Dozens of fans have been injured and at least six are reported to be dead after a crush occurred outside Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon, at the host nation’s Africa Cup of Nations match against Comoros.

Victims are understood to have been admitted to the city’s Messassi hospital after the incident, which occurred as supporters attempted to gain access to the ground’s south entrance for the round-of-16 match. The circumstances, including whether the injuries occurred before kick-off or during the game, are unclear but a local official has said the crush had tragic consequences.

Continue reading...

Martina Navratilova says Tennis Australia is ‘capitulating’ to China over Peng Shuai

Posted on by
  • Former world No 1 labels Australian Open organisers ‘weak’
  • Messages of support for Chinese player banned from grand slam

Tennis great Martina Navratilova has condemned as “pathetic” the Australian Open’s decision to stop fans wearing ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ T-shirts, accusing Tennis Australia of “capitulating” to China.

Late last week spectators at Melbourne Park were asked to remove their T-shirts and security confiscated a banner emblazoned with the same words, on the grounds that TA prohibits “clothing, banners or signs that are commercial or political”.

Continue reading...

Sir Mo Farah: ‘I would have loved to play for Arsenal’

Posted on by

The athlete, 38, talks about winning the Olympics in London, jogging down the Thames, his strict training regime and how often he shaves his head

I don’t have many memories of growing up in Somalia – I was so young. I remember coming to the UK, age eight, going to school – even though I couldn’t speak any English – and suddenly having all these friends to play with.

I owe a lot to my PE teacher, Mr Watkinson. He saw me running around the playground, he watched me run in a figure of eight around the gym. Then he thought: “That kid is good at running.” He encouraged me to join a local running club. We’re still in touch.

Continue reading...

Former Qatar 2022 employee facing fresh legal action over loan payments

Posted on by
  • Abdullah Ibhais cannot pay loan because of withheld money
  • Ibhais did not go along with official line over workers’ strike

A former employee of Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organising committee, jailed on contested corruption charges, faces fresh legal action after his former bosses withheld his severance pay meaning he will default on a loan, his family say.

Abdullah Ibhais, a former media manager, was last year given a three-year sentence for misappropriating state funds – a charge that he insists was concocted as punishment for him criticising the handling of a migrant workers’ strike.

Continue reading...

Djokovic-backed ‘biotech’ firm’s approach likened to homeopathy

Posted on by

Exclusive: QuantBioRes says it designs treatments for viral diseases based on electromagnetic frequency

A Danish “biotech” company in which Novak Djokovic holds a majority stake is working on a “frequency” treatment for Covid-19 that an expert says bears similarities to the principles of homeopathy.

The world No 1 men’s tennis player was forced to leave Australia on Sunday after the country’s immigration minister cancelled his visa on the basis that his presence in Australia might risk “civil unrest” as he is a “talisman of anti-vaccination sentiment”.

Continue reading...

‘No vax, no play’: surfer Kelly Slater won’t be let into Australia if he’s not vaccinated against Covid

Posted on by

World Surf League events are due in Victoria and WA but federal health minister says position on coronavirus vaccine is ‘pretty clear’ following Novak Djokovic visa saga

Surfing great Kelly Slater could be the next big name in sport to be refused the right to compete in Australia, with the federal health minister saying the 11-time champion will not be allowed into the country if he is not vaccinated against Covid.

Slater, who has not publicly disclosed his Covid vaccination status, has aired some controversial views on the Covid vaccine, including an Instagram comment in October that claimed he knew “more about being healthy than 99% of doctors”.

Continue reading...

Protesting Winter Olympics athletes ‘face punishment’, suggests Beijing official

Posted on by

Organising committee official warns against ‘any behaviour or speech that is against the Olympic spirit’

Any athlete behaviour that is against the Olympic spirit or Chinese rules or laws will be subject to “certain punishment”, a Beijing 2022 official has said in response to a question about the possibility of athlete protests at next month’s Winter Games.

It comes shortly after human rights advocates told athletes they were better off staying silent for the duration of the Games and amid concerns over the online security of attendees’ data contained in a mandatory phone app.

Continue reading...

Australian Open day two: Stephens v Raducanu, Murray and Kyrgios win – live!

Posted on by

First set: Basilashvili 1-2 Murray* (*denotes next server) Wahey! Basilashvili attempts to serve but the ball hits the top of the frame of his racket and it pings off skywards! You don’t see that every day in professional tennis. Anyway, it clearly doesn’t help him and a couple of unforced errors give Murray two break points - he grabs his chance as Basilashvili goes long and the Scot edges ahead earlier in this match.

First set: *Basilashvili 1-1 Murray (*denotes next server) There are some vocal fans in the arena today. I don’t speak Georgian but am assuming the bloke who is making himself heard from the stands is a Basilashvili fan. Good start from Murray, who ignores the distractions and secures a love-service game.

Continue reading...

Djokovic’s French Open title defence in doubt after Covid pass ruling

Posted on by
  • France rules all athletes will have to be vaccinated for events
  • French MP says Novak Djokovic’s behaviour is ‘irresponsible’

Novak Djokovic may not be allowed to defend his French Open title in May after the French government ruled that all athletes will have to be vaccinated in order to attend and compete in sporting events in France.

The French sports minister, Roxana Maracineanu, has announced that athletes would not be exempt from France’s Covid pass, which will soon come into effect for over 16s. “The vaccination pass has been adopted. As soon as the law is promulgated, it will become mandatory to enter public buildings already subject to the health pass (stadium, theatre or lounge) for all spectators, practitioners, French or foreign professionals,” she wrote on twitter.

Continue reading...

‘She chopped her hair off’: Pakistani women’s struggle to play cricket

Posted on by

In such a conservative country, young women often have to fight their own families first just to play the sport they love

Bisma Amjad plays cricket. She aspires to play internationally and was picked for Pakistan’s under-19 World Cup squad.

But when the pandemic came, because she was a woman, there was nowhere for her to practise, so she dressed as a man to play alongside male cricketers at “gully cricket” – the street game.

Continue reading...

Serbia’s leaders hit out at ‘scandalous’ treatment of Novak Djokovic

Posted on by

President and prime minister condemn Australia’s ‘farcical’ deportation of world tennis No 1

Serbia’s president has said Novak Djokovic had been “harassed … but not humiliated” and the prime minister called his treatment “scandalous” as the world tennis No 1’s home country reacted furiously to his deportation from Australia.

After an 11-day saga, three judges unanimously upheld a decision by the immigration minister to cancel Djokovic’s visa because his presence might risk ‘civil unrest’ by stoking anti-vaccination sentiment, removing any chance of him winning a 21st grand slam at the Australian Open.

Continue reading...

Ashes 2021-22 fifth Test, day three: Australia v England – live!

Posted on by

22nd over: Australia 47-3 (Smith 22, Boland 8)

Smith defuses the first few before he whips Broad in front of square for four. Crisp. They move a man to that exact point on the boundary. He tries to work the next in to the onside and he misses, it strikes the pad, the appeal is turned down. It looks high, Broad wants the review, he doesn’t get it. Replay shows it’s high. The next looks much closer, same look, Broad celebrappeals, and Root doesn’t review. Also going over the top. Regardless, it’s encouraging for Broad.

Continue reading...

Tennis great Chris Evert having treatment for ovarian cancer

Posted on by

Winner of 18 grand slam singles titles says she feels incredibly fortunate that the cancer was caught before it spread

Tennis great Chris Evert has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and is undergoing treatment.

The 18-time grand slam singles champion said the diagnosis came in early December following a preventive hysterectomy after she had been informed she was at risk of cancer.

Continue reading...

Dakar Rally 2022: veterans, debuts and biofuels – a photo essay

Posted on by

This year’s rally once again returned to Saudi Arabia where 750 competitors in 430 vehicles traversed more than 8,000km over 12 stages. The rally started and ended in Jeddah, going through canyons and cliffs in the Neom region, passing by the Red Sea coastline, into stretches of dunes surrounding the capital Riyadh.

Click here to check out images of the rally from yesteryear

From Jeddah to Riyadh and everywhere in between, this has been a visually spectacular year at the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. Fourteen days of dunes, fast straight tracks, rocky sections, and cliff backdrops. Titles have been contested and first-time entrants have been broken in. All of the contestants were hoping for glory in the vast desert landscape where mistakes are rarely forgiven, but few claimed it.

The dust settles on the world’s toughest rallying event and a variety of stories emerge from the Saudi desert. Nani Roma, the seasoned veteran who has won the Dakar on both a motorbike and in a car, showed us how far biofuels have come in recent years.

Bahrain Raid Extreme driver Nani Roma and co-driver Alex Haro Bravo drive their Prodrive Hunter T1 on Stage 7 from Riyadh to Al Dawadimi. Photograph: Marian Chytka

Continue reading...

Novak Djokovic visa: Australian minister Alex Hawke says risk of ‘civil unrest’ behind cancellation

Posted on by

Hawke says tennis champion is ‘perceived by some as a talisman of a community of anti-vaccine sentiment’

Tennis champion Novak Djokovic, who has been described as a risk to “civil unrest” and a “talisman of anti-vaccination sentiment”, may never get the chance to defend his Australian Open title, facing a three-year ban from the country ahead of a last-ditch court challenge to stay.

Australia’s immigration minister, Alex Hawke, personally cancelled the unvaccinated world No 1’s visa, arguing his presence in Australia could incite “civil unrest” and encourage others to eschew vaccination against Covid-19.

Continue reading...