Category Archives: Sport

Lewis Hamilton hails ‘best and toughest season’ after sixth F1 world title

Posted on by
• Mercedes driver completes third championship in a row
• Valtteri Bottas wins US Grand Prix with Hamilton second

Lewis Hamilton said that 2019 has been his best and toughest season after he secured his sixth world title on Sunday with a second-place finish in the United States Grand Prix.

Number six gives the 34-year-old sole ownership of second place on the all-time list. The greatest driver of his generation has overtaken Juan Manuel Fangio, whose championships came in the 1950s, leaving him one behind Michael Schumacher. Few would bet against Hamilton equalling the German next year, given the Briton’s relentless desire for self-improvement.

Continue reading...

Donald Trump retweets obscene comments from fighter after UFC appearance

Posted on by
  • President was greeted with boos and cheers in New York
  • Eric Trump denies his father had a negative reception

Donald Trump followed up his appearance at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in New York City on Saturday night by retweeting an obscene comment from one of the fighters.

Jorge Masvidal, who won the headline fight against Nate Diaz, was asked his opinion of the President in the run-up to the event.

Continue reading...

‘We are a special country’: South Africa hopes World Cup win can bring unity

Posted on by
  • Desmond Tutu: victory can boost ‘self-doubting nation’
  • President Cyril Ramaphosa says win is ‘historic moment’

South Africans continued to celebrate their Rugby World Cup triumph on Sunday, with many in the sometimes fractious and troubled nation echoing Springbok captain Siya Kolisi’s post-match message of unity and strength.

Images of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, congratulating South African players in the changing room – including half-naked scrum-half Faf de Klerk – went viral on social media and was broadcast repeatedly by TV networks.

Continue reading...

Donald Trump met with boos and cheers at UFC fights in New York

Posted on by
  • US president attends UFC 244 card at Madison Square Garden
  • Trump attended with adult sons and Republican lawmakers

Politics can be a bruising business. But President Donald Trump took a break from battling the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry to watch another bloodsport Saturday, drawing a mixed response at an Ultimate Fighting Championship match at a raucous Madison Square Garden.

Related: Was it wrong for baseball fans to chant 'lock him up' at Trump? | Arwa Mahdawi and Lloyd Green

Continue reading...

‘It makes me hopeful for my country’: Springbok rugby fans celebrate

Posted on by

World victory in game that once symbolised apartheid brings unity to South African streets

The crowd swelled as the game went on. From scores to hundreds to a thousand or more, young and old, men and women, all gathered in front of the big screen in the square of Newtown Junction, in the very centre of Johannesburg.

No one spread the word that victory for the Springboks was possible, let alone imminent. No one needed to. By the middle of the second half, there were no more shoppers hunting for bargains. The gym in the mall was empty. The queues at KFC, the Indian takeaway and the grilled sausage stand had disappeared.

Continue reading...

James Vince guides England to comfortable T20 win over New Zealand

Posted on by
  • England take 1-0 series lead after seven-wicket victory
  • Vince hits 59 from 38 deliveries at Hagley Oval

England’s five-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand began with a relative stroll in Hagley Park as a typically stylish hand from James Vince helped set up a seven-wicket victory with nine balls to spare.

When Eoin Morgan launched his opposite number, Tim Southee, over deep mid-wicket for six, it completed a chase of 154 that rarely felt in doubt after Vince had finessed 38-ball 59 from No 3. In such a picture-postcard setting, perhaps it was fitting that England’s most aesthetically-pleasing batsmen should prove the difference.

Continue reading...

2020 Olympics: Tokyo accepts ‘painful’ decision to move marathon to Sapporo

Posted on by

Move follows Olympic committee’s sudden decision to relocate event to avoid sweltering heat

Tokyo’s governor, Yuriko Koike, has reluctantly dropped her opposition to the International Olympic Committee’s surprise decision to move next year’s Olympic marathon and walking events from the capital to the northern Japanese city of Sapporo due to concerns about the heat.

“We cannot agree with the final decision, but the IOC [International Olympic Committee] has the authority to change [the location],” Koike said on Friday in a meeting with IOC representative John Coates. “The most important thing is to assure the success of next year’s Games.”

Continue reading...

‘No problem at all’: New Zealanders praise England’s response to All Blacks haka

Posted on by

Māori commentators lament that more rugby teams don’t come up with ways to challenge the traditional dance

New Zealanders have expressed disappointment at the decision to fine England for their v-shaped formation for the All Blacks haka in their Rugby World Cup semi-final, with many fans praising them for their dignity and dramatic flair.

On Saturday night, England delighted fans in both camps when players arranged themselves to face the All Blacks. The V – which many inside New Zealand took to stand for “victory” – was widely praised by New Zealanders, many of whom commented on the dignified and low-key response of the English side to what can be a confronting and emotional experience.

Continue reading...

Donald Trump booed and greeted with ‘lock him up’ chants at World Series

Posted on by
  • President attended Sunday’s baseball game in Washington DC
  • Crowd booed when Trump appeared on video screen

Donald Trump once claimed he was courted by several major league baseball clubs in his youth but turned them down because they couldn’t offer him enough money. On Sunday, baseball got its revenge.

The President attended Game 5 of the World Series between the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros at Nationals Park, a short journey from the White House. When Trump was shown on the video screens in the stadium he was loudly booed by fans. That, perhaps, was predictable: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon and both Bushes were all booed while attending baseball games as President. What came shortly afterwards was a little more personal in a city that is heavily Democratic as cries of “Lock him up!” rang out, a reference to the chants about Hillary Clinton used at Trump’s rallies in the run-up to the 2016 presidential elections.

Continue reading...

South Africa to face England in Rugby World Cup final after beating Wales

Posted on by

• Damian de Allende’s try helps swing tense semi-final
• Next Saturday’s match in Yokohama a repeat of the 2007 final

Warren Gatland will get his wish for one final crack at New Zealand before he retires after 12 years as Wales’s head coach, but Friday’s bronze play-off was not what he had in mind. His side were battered and bruised by a typically abrasive South Africa in a match of few thrills but several spills that was settled by a Handré Pollard penalty five minutes from time.

Related: Wales v South Africa: Rugby World Cup semi-final – live!

Continue reading...

Gutted but gracious: stunned New Zealanders concede ‘better team won’ rugby

Posted on by

World Cup loss to England disappointing but not devastating as Eddie Jones praised for tactical masterclass

As New Zealand woke up on Sunday morning, the long weekend had lost its lustre.

On Saturday night, the All Blacks had crashed out of the Rugby World Cup in an underwhelming show against England, and the tantalising sweetness of a possible three-time World Cup victory was gone.

Continue reading...

‘Immense’: England fans celebrate defeat of All Blacks

Posted on by

Supporters around country and overseas post videos of fans celebrating in pubs and rugby clubs

When Manu Tuilagi swan-dived over the line within two minutes of the end of England’s World Cup semi-final with New Zealand, their dejected opponents briefly regrouped.

But the All Blacks, who had not lost in 18 consecutive World Cup matches since the 2007 quarter-finals, were unable to find a way past an imperious England side who marched into the final. Rugby fans at the Cabbage Patch pub near Twickenham roared with delight.

Continue reading...

Emiliano Sala: police investigate ‘disgraceful’ image posted online

Posted on by

Mocked-up ‘boarding pass’ for the late footballer distributed on social media

Police are investigating after an image of a mocked-up “boarding pass” for the late Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala was distributed on social media.

The 28-year-old Argentinian player died in a plane crash in the Channel two days after the Welsh club announced his signing on 19 January.

Continue reading...

Meghan and Stormzy named among most influential black people in UK

Posted on by

Ismail Ahmed, boss of money transfer firm WorldRemit, tops list of star names and entrepreneurs

The grime artist Stormzy, the Duchess of Sussex and the footballer Raheem Sterling have been named among the most influential black people in Britain.

However, it was the founder of pioneering money transfer firm WorldRemit, Ismail Ahmed, who topped the Powerlist 2020, an annual list of the 100 most powerful people of African, African-Caribbean and African American heritage across Britain.

Continue reading...

Chinese orienteering team disqualified for cheating at Military World Games

Posted on by

Athletes lose moral compass after using secret paths and markings to win contest

A Chinese orienteering team has been disqualified for cheating at the Military World Games in China.

Chinese runners in the middle-distance competition on Sunday initially came first, second, and fourth among the women and second among the men.

Continue reading...

Waving not drowning: the street children finding refuge in Durban’s surf scene

Posted on by

Surfers Not Street Children is transforming the lives of homeless children and vulnerable youths. Ilvy Njiokiktjien’s 12-year project Born Free: Mandela’s Generation of Hope documents the lives of the first generation born after apartheid

Tell us: how have South African cities changed in the 25 years after apartheid?

“I wanted to get that fresh air,” says 21-year-old Nonjabulo Ndzanibe, explaining why she ran away from her unhappy childhood home to the coastal city of Durban. “I just needed space for myself.”

Having grown up with a distant father – who spent part of her youth in prison – and a mother whom she didn’t feel loved by, it seemed like a welcome escape when a friend invited her to come and stay in Durban. In reality it would be a long time before she would eventually find refuge through surfing.

Continue reading...

‘Everyone’s a fan now’: Japan brims with pride after hosts exit World Cup | Justin McCurry

Posted on by

A captivating run to the quarter-finals could provide an enduring rugby legacy in Japan

The Japanese juggernaut finally came to a halt in the face of a South African roadblock on Sunday. The sequel to the Brighton miracle lacked the drama and romance of four years ago but this, according to their fans, was when the Brave Blossoms truly came of age against the world rugby elite.

“I think South Africa looked down on Japan four years ago but today they knew they had to be at their best, and that’s a huge compliment to Japan,” said Shigeki Takagi, a company worker from Tokyo who had just witnessed his country play in a World Cup quarter-final for the first time. “We’ve beaten Ireland and Scotland and now I think we’re getting really close to the level of the northern hemisphere teams. Who knows what could happen four years from now?”

Continue reading...

Japan v South Africa: Rugby World Cup 2019, quarter-final – live!

Posted on by

The teams are in the tunnel. Japan captain Leitch looks as focused as a hitman with a bag of cement and a map to the river (copyright Sid Waddell).

So, the pre-match tactical analysis can be summed up thus: Japan will want to speed the game up, move the ball quickly and employ the pace of Matsushima and Fukuoka, among others. While South Africa will want to slow the game down and try to win it with set-piece power. Will it be that simple? I doubt it. Springbok wing Cheslin Kolbe will only need an inch to take a mile, for one thing ...

Continue reading...

Haringey players walk off after racism allegations in Yeovil FA Cup tie

Posted on by
  • Match abandoned over alleged ‘disgusting’ racist abuse
  • Football Association ‘deeply concerned’, pledges action

The Football Association says it is “deeply concerned’’ after the FA Cup fourth-qualifying-round tie between Haringey Borough and Yeovil was abandoned following allegations that home players were racially abused.

Yeovil were leading 1-0 with just over an hour played when Haringey’s players, under the direction of manager Tom Loizou, walked off the pitch. The initial target of the abuse was reported to be Haringey’s goalkeeper Valery Pajetat.

Continue reading...

Bulgaria manager resigns as outgoing president hits out at Southgate

Posted on by
• ‘Only Southgate heard chants,’ says Mihaylov upon quitting
• Krasimir Balakov also resigns as Bulgaria manager

Borislav Mihaylov has confirmed he has resigned as president of the Bulgarian Football Union in the wake of the racist chanting that marred England’s 6-0 victory in Sofia on Monday and, having done so, hit out at Gareth Southgate, accusing the England manager of exaggerating the nature of the chanting that was directed at his black players during the Euro 2020 qualifier at Stadion Vasil Levski.

Mihaylov was speaking at a press conference on Friday and which followed a meeting of the BFU’s executive committee, during which it was decided that the national team manager, Krasimir Balakov, and the entire committee would also quit.

Continue reading...