Category Archives: Sport

More than a million viewers paid to watch Joshua regain titles

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Eddie Hearn, the boxer’s promoter, said fight ‘almost certainly’ broke UK pay-per-view record

Criticism of Anthony Joshua for boxing in Saudi Arabia does not appear to have affected his popularity with the British public, with more than a million people paying at least £24.95 to watch the heavyweight regain his world titles on Saturday – a figure that is likely to be a UK record.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, said: “We are waiting on the final number but it has almost certainly broken the UK pay-per-view record.”

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Anthony Joshua v Andy Ruiz: world heavyweight boxing rematch – live!

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Ruiz has said he expects Joshua to go for it in the opening rounds, so I wouldn’t take too much from the Briton edging the first two. “I think he will box around nicely for four or five rounds until I take the pressure to him, start hitting his body and mixing it up,” said Ruiz this week.

The stats say, Joshua has landed 18 punches to Ruiz’s nine. Joshua looks almost skinny and he’s able to leap back from Ruiz’s jabs. Joshua gets a hook to Ruiz’s body at the end of the round. Not as emphatic from the Briton, but he edged that round.

The vaseline goes on Ruiz’s cut. He doesn’t look too worried, but even though Joshua won that first round, the Briton was a lot more cautious than he was in the first fight when his aggression got him in trouble. Two nice jabs from Ruiz, his best shots of the fight. Joshua focusing on that area with the cut and it’s reopened early in the round. And then a right from Joshua from close range, but Joshua is bleeding now too.

Guardian’s unofficial score: Joshua 10-9 Ruiz (Joshua 20-18 Ruiz)

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Croatia wrongly deports Nigerian table tennis players to Bosnia

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Organisers of competition students travelled to attend demand their return to Nigeria

The organisers of an international student sports competition have called for two Nigerian table tennis players to be returned to their own country after Croatian police wrongly deported them to a Bosnian refugee camp.

Abia Uchenna Alexandro and Eboh Kenneth Chinedu, students at the Federal University of Technology Owerri in Nigeria, arrived in Zagreb on 12 November, on their way to participate in the fifth World InterUniversities Championships, held this year in Pula, Croatia.

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Israel Folau and Rugby Australia settle unfair dismissal claim over social media post

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Former Wallabies star had sought $14m in compensation saying he was wrongfully dismissed over anti-gay Instagram post

The long-running legal dispute between Rugby Australia and Israel Folau has ended with a settlement reached over the former Wallaby’s sacking in the wake of an anti-gay social media post in April.

RA apologised to Folau in a joint statement issued on Wednesday that draws a line under the bitter affair, although the exact terms of the settlement will remain confidential.

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Brad Gobright, renowned US rock climber, dies after fall in Mexico

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The American was abseiling in El Potrero Chico near Monterrey when he plunged about 300m to his death

One of the world’s most renowned rock climbers, the American Brad Gobright, has died after falling off a mountain in Mexico.

The fall occurred on Wednesday on an almost sheer face known as El Sendero Luminoso on the El Toro mountain in the El Portrero Chico area near the northern city of Monterrey, civil defense officials said.

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Southeast Asian Games in chaos as players go hungry and athletes sleep on floor

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Philippines organisers admit ‘inconveniences’ have seen teams stranded at airports and players underfed

The organisers behind the Southeast Asian Games have apologised after complaints emerged of football teams sleeping on floors, airport delays and athletes complaining of going hungry.

The organising committee said sorry for the “inconveniences” including hotels not being ready and teams waiting at the airport for hours, ahead of the competition, which starts this weekend.

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New Zealand v England: first Test, day two – live!

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40th over: New Zealand 130-4 (Nicholls 16, Watling 2) Just a smear by Watling and a single off Leach’s over.

39th over: New Zealand 128-4 (Nicholls 15, Watling 1) Golden arm Curran strikes again with his variations and unexpected fizz. Enthusiastic as a puppy but tenacious and wise as a, um, police dog? Williamson’s wicket totally against the run of play, and just after he’d reached fifty with a four down to the third man boundary. England now on top.

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Japan’s rising sun flag is not a symbol of militarism | Letter

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Ohtaka Masato of Japan’s foreign affairs ministry says his country’s flag should not be banned at the 2020 Olympics

Alexis Dudden’s opinion piece presents an argument on the rising sun flag based on the misunderstanding of Japan’s sincere dealings with the past (Japan’s rising sun flag has a history of horror. It must be banned at the Tokyo Olympics, 1 November).

Looking at Prime Minister Abe’s statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war – issued by cabinet consensus – it is clear that Japan has squarely faced the facts of history and repeatedly expressed feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for its actions during the war, which this opinion piece fails to recognise.

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YouTuber KSI wins boxing rematch against rival Logan Paul

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Briton wins six-round cruiserweight bout in LA against fellow YouTube personality

Britain’s KSI has won his six-round cruiserweight boxing fight against fellow YouTube personality, the American Logan Paul, in Los Angeles.

The fight at the Staples Centre was won by the Watford man in a split decision by 55-56, 57-54, 56-55. The pair first fought last year in Manchester but a “majority draw” was declared after six rounds.

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

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• 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.

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Donald Trump retweets obscene comments from fighter after UFC appearance

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  • 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.

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

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  • 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.

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

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  • 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

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

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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.

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James Vince guides England to comfortable T20 win over New Zealand

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  • 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.

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

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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.”

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

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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.

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

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  • 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.

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

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• 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!

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

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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.

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