Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Tennis: Britain’s Norrie ready to create history at Indian Wells
Cameron Norrie faces a tough challenge as he looks to become the first British man to win the Indian Wells tournament in California but the 26-year-old said he is feeling confident ahead of Sunday’s final against Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili. Norrie defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 6-4 at the semi-final on Saturday to advance to his first ATP Masters 1000 final. The Briton, currently ranked 26th in the world, is set to break into the top 20 for the first time when rankings are updated on Monday.
Soccer-Man United can bounce back from adversity, says Matic
Manchester United are capable of producing a good run against tough opponents in the coming weeks to soothe the disappointment of Saturday’s 4-2 Premier League defeat at Leicester City, midfielder Nemanja Matic said. The result stretched United’s winless league run to three games and left them five points behind leaders Chelsea ahead of a tough fixture list, starting with Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Italian side Atalanta at Old Trafford.
Texas House votes to keep transgender girls out of female sports
The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill that bans transgender women and girls from participating in female school sports after three previous attempts failed, all but assuring Republican Governor Greg Abbott will sign it into law. Texas is now poised to join seven other states that passed similar laws this year, part of a national campaign in which Republican legislators introduced such bills in 32 states.
After shaky opener, Flyers look for spark vs. Kraken
The Philadelphia Flyers struggled for large portions in their season-opening shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. But they still managed to earn one point with a pair of goals in the final 2 1/2 minutes.
Olympics-Protests or not, Beijing Games are about unity, says IOC’s Samaranch
Next year’s Beijing Games has triggered protests over China’s human rights record but the International Olympic Committee’s point man for the event, Juan Antonio Samaranch, said the multi-sport extravaganza is about bringing young people together. Samaranch, the IOC’s head of the coordination commission for the Beijing Olympics starting on Feb. 4, said the Games were only about unity.
NHL roundup: Connor McDavid’s hat trick powers Oilers
Connor McDavid notched a hat trick, and Jesse Puljujarvi collected a goal and two assists to lead the host Edmonton Oilers to a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday. Derek Ryan also scored in the win and goaltender Mike Smith made 45 saves for the Oilers, who have started the season with a pair of victories. Leon Draisaitl collected three assists.
Athletics-Kenya’s Rotich, Ethiopian Memuye win Paris Marathon
Kenya’s Elisha Rotich won the men’s race and Ethiopia’s Tigist Memuye topped the women’s podium at the Paris Marathon on Sunday. Rotich set a course record as he crossed the line in two hours four minutes 21 seconds to finish ahead of Ethiopia’s Hailemaryam Kiros.
Golf-European quartet set world record for fastest hole
Professionals usually take 10 to 15 minutes to complete a hole on a golf course but four European Tour players teamed up to break the Guinness World Record by achieving the feat in less than half a minute. Sean Crocker, Nicolai Hojgaard, Min Woo Lee and Wilco Nienaber took up the challenge to break the record of 27.88 seconds set by an American team in 2018.
Olympics-IOC wants wider consultation with FIFA over World Cup plans
The International Olympic Committee wants to have more discussions over controversial plans by the world soccer body FIFA to hold the World Cup every two years instead of every four, it said on Saturday. FIFA’s proposals are set to be voted on in December by the 211 member associations of global soccer’s governing body, with president Gianni Infantino, also an IOC member, travelling the world to rally support for the plan, which has been fronted by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Tennis-Azarenka proud of fight in comeback win over Ostapenko
Former world number one said she was proud of her fighting spirit in Friday’s comeback victory against Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-finals of the Indian Wells tournament. Azarenka, a two-time winner at the California event, fought back from a set and break down to beat 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko 3-6 6-3 7-5.
(With inputs from agencies.)
