SPORTS - Page 22

As the world slowly emerges from its Thanksgiving and international break tryptophan-induced stupor, it’s important to remember that a) Tottenham Hotspur plays Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon and b) Spurs have a lengthy injury list. The north London club have lost James Maddison and Micky van de Ven to injuries, and Cristian Romero is serving the final game of his three-match ban. Add Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, and Ash Phillips; the picture isn’t beautiful. The early-season pacesetters now face

At the 2012 London Olympics, before 80,000 roaring fans and a constellation of camera flashes, Oscar Pistorius took 45.44 seconds to become a global icon. The South African’s 400-meter sprint was the first time in history that a double-amputee had raced at the Olympic Games, and it seemed to embody the very best of sporting endeavor and the human spirit. But less than six months later, Pistorius was found guilty of premeditated murder for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

Novak Djokovic is not a man to mince words, and the world No. 1 was in no mood for British fans, whom he accused of showing disrespect during Serbia’s Davis Cup quarter-final victory against Great Britain in Malaga on Thursday. Djokovic, who led his nation into the semi-finals of the team competition by beating Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 in the second singles, was unhappy with supporters who tried to drown out his post-match interview and later blasted them for drumming

A record 518 million Indian viewers watched the recently concluded men’s cricket World Cup matches on Walt Disney-owned television channels during the 48-day event, the entertainment firm said on Thursday. This was about twice as many as those who tuned in during the last tournament in 2015, which saw just over 300 million viewers watch the games on TV. The number of viewers watching on digital platforms was even higher, with consumption reaching 422 billion minutes. “This is a huge

Kevin Durant had a game-high 32 points, Devin Booker added 25, and the host Phoenix Suns watched Chris Paul get a two-technical-foul ejection in his homecoming during the Golden State Warriors’ 123-115 loss Wednesday night. Paul, who spent the last three seasons with the Suns before being dealt to the Washington Wizards in the offseason, got nailed with back-to-back technicals for arguing a foul call late in the second quarter. Phoenix was leading 103-102 when Paul got called for his

Nicolas Otamendi scored with a towering header to give Argentina a 1-0 away win over Brazil in a bad-tempered World Cup qualifier delayed by half an hour on Tuesday after police clashed with fans at a sold-out Maracana Stadium. The longstanding sporting rivalry between two of the most successful teams in world soccer hit a fever pitch after the Brazilian police charged Argentinian fans in response to fighting in the stands during the national anthems. Argentina players went over to

Italy reached Euro 2024 after a tense draw with Ukraine that denied the Ukrainians automatic qualification for next year’s tournament. The European champions finished second in Group C, level on 14 points with third-placed Ukraine but with a better head-to-head record after a tense affair that could have gone either way. They also have a superior goal difference to the Ukrainians, and with England already guaranteed top spot, that was enough for the Italians to secure their place in Germany

A record 1.25 million fans attended matches during the 13th edition of the World Cup, which concluded on Sunday with Australia beating hosts India for their sixth title, global body the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday. The ICC said the tournament, which ran from October 5 to November 19, also set attendance records for all matches at venues across the ten host cities in India. The figure eclipses the previous mark of 1.016 million, set at the 2015

USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter said Sergio Dest needs to be held accountable for his behavior after the full-back picked up two yellow cards within seconds in their 2-1 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago in the CONCACAF Nations League on Monday. The 23-year-old lost his composure in a needless dispute with the referee and was ejected from the match in the 39th minute, which allowed T&T to launch a comeback that ultimately earned them victory. Dest’s rash escapade will unlikely affect

Lackluster Nigeria continued their stumbling start to the African 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on Sunday when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Zimbabwe in Group C at the Huye Stadium. The 2013 AFCON champions needed a good result after their underwhelming 1-1 draw with Lesotho at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Thursday. They were made to work hard by the Warriors, fighting for their very existence in international football. Zimbabwe’s Walter Musona dealt the Eagles a blow