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An online petition calling for the Tokyo Olympics to be cancelled has garnered almost 200,000 signatures in the past few days, as public concerns mount over holding the Games in a pandemic. With less than three months to go before the start of the summer Olympics, already postponed for a year due to the coronavirus, questions still remain over how Tokyo can hold the global event and keep volunteers, athletes, officials and the Japanese public safe from COVID-19. In two days since its

LONDON: Four-times major champion Rory McIlroy said on Wednesday (May 5) the proposed Super Golf League (SGL) is nothing more than a "money grab" and he remained committed to chasing major victories on the PGA Tour. The Northern Irishman, competing at this week's PGA Tour event in Charlotte, North Carolina, likened the proposed rival circuit to European soccer's breakaway Super League project that spectacularly collapsed last week before it could get off the ground. "You go back to what happened last week in

LONDON: World number three Daniil Medvedev's love-hate relationship with claycourts continued on Wednesday as he took out his frustration on the court before overcoming Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for his first career win at the Madrid Open. Medvedev, who has received an opening-round bye in Madrid, said last month clay was his least preferred surface and once again made his feelings clear during the second round match. "I don't want to play here on this surface!" exclaimed Medvedev at a change of ends.

Top-seeded Ashleigh Barty of Australia outlasted Petra Kvitova 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open. Barty needed one hour, 48 minutes to defeat the Czech to improve to 11-1 in three-set matches she's played in 2021. "It's just always staying in the fight," Barty said. "Always staying in the hunt and never letting it slide away. That certainly doesn't guarantee results, doesn't guarantee success. It guarantees you give yourself the best chance to do what you do

NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board faces losing about US$270 million in revenue after its lucrative and star-studded Indian Premier League (IPL) was halted by the COVID-19 crisis in the country, a senior official told Reuters on Wednesday. The world's richest Twenty20 league was approaching its halfway stage before it was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday following bubble breaches in two venues. "The ballpark figure for revenue loss would be to the tune of 2000 crore rupees (20 billion)," Arun Singh Dhumal, treasurer of

LONDON: Goals by Timo Werner and Mason Mount sent Chelsea into a Champions League final showdown with Manchester City as they outclassed Real Madrid to win 2-0 for a 3-1 aggregate triumph at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday (May 5). German striker Werner, who has endured a stuttering first season at Chelsea, put them in control when he nodded in one of the easiest goals of his career in the 28th minute after fellow German Kai Havertz had struck the bar. Thirteen-times European champions

Australian police on Wednesday arrested four men in connection with the armed kidnapping of former Test bowler Stuart MacGill. The men were detained in a pre-dawn raid in Sydney, following the kidnapping of the cricketer in the city's affluent Lower North Shore last month. MacGill was lauded as a talented bowler and played 44 Tests for Australia, but was unlucky that his career coincided with that of Shane Warne, ranked by many as the best spin bowler of all time. Police said that

LONDON: Arsenal's season appeared to be ending with a whimper when they were reduced to 10 men after falling 2-0 behind against Villarreal in last week's first leg of their Europa League semi-final. Instead, a precious away goal gave them hope they can finish an inconsistent campaign on a high by setting up a showdown in the Polish city of Gdansk against Manchester United. Arsenal are ninth in the Premier League table and are unlikely to qualify for Europe next year via that

TOKYO: The world's oldest person, a 118-year-old Japanese woman, has decided not to take part in the torch relay for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics over COVID-19 fears, an official at her nursing home said on Wednesday (May 5). Kane Tanaka, who was awarded a Guinness World Record, was slated participate in the relay leg in Fukuoka in southern Japan, which will start on May 11, said the official. "We received an email from her family which said she wanted to withdraw from the

ROME: AS Roma have appointed former Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho as their new head coach on a three-year contract starting 2021-22 season, the Italian Serie A club announced on Tuesday (May 4). The decision comes after the club announced coach Paulo Fonseca will leave his role at the end of the current campaign. "We are thrilled and delighted to welcome Jose Mourinho into the AS Roma family," club president Dan Friedkin and vice-president Ryan Friedkin said. "A great champion who has won

MADRID: World number three Simona Halep was dumped out of the Madrid Open on Tuesday (Apr 4), losing 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the last 16 to Belgian Elise Mertens, while Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev won their opening men's matches. Romania's Halep, who won the Madrid title in 2016 and 2017, is still yet to reach a WTA Tour final this season and this was her earliest exit in the Spanish capital since a 2015 first-round loss. Halep had sailed through the first

LONDON: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said he is constantly surprised by his players' capacity to overcome difficulties as they set their sights on a fourth Champions League final in six years in Wednesday's semi-final second leg away to Chelsea. Real have had the most injuries in La Liga this season but have pulled themselves back into the title race while they have also had to contend without a number of influential players in their run to the last four of Europe's top

BARCELONA: Spain's La Liga is investigating whether a party organised by Barcelona players at their captain Lionel Messi's home broke COVID-19 protocol. "We're looking into it," La Liga sources told AFP on Tuesday (May 4). Monday's meal brought together Barca players, some accompanied by their partners, at the Argentinian star's house, despite social distancing rules in the Catalonian capital outlawing groups of more than six to meet in private. The party may constitute "a possible breach of COVID-19 protocols", the source suggested. The

Some of England's 11 IPL players are already on their way home following the indefinite suspension of the tournament. It is understood Sam Billings, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow have managed to secure flights back to the UK earlier than initially expected. It had been anticipated that all IPL players would be required to self-isolate in India and test negative before leaving the country. The players will still have to quarantine for 10 days at a government-approved hotel upon arrival in UK, as

MANCHESTER, England: Riyad Mahrez struck twice as Manchester City reached the Champions League final for the first time thanks to a 2-0 victory over Paris St Germain at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday (May 4) that secured a 4-1 aggregate win. City were dominant against their French opponents, who lost their heads in the second half and finished the semi-final, second leg with 10 men after Angel Di Maria was sent off in the 69th minute for an off-the-ball stamp on Fernandinho. Pep

Britain's Dan Evans reached the second round of the Madrid Open with victory over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy. The British number one, who had never won in Madrid, came through 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (7-9) 6-2. Evans had three match points in the second set but the world number 51 saved them to send it to a decider. However, the world number 26 started the third set positively and broke his opponent twice, sealing it with an ace to go through to the last 32.

The Football Association has called on the Government to introduce legislation to compel social media companies to do more to stop online abuse following the sport community's powerful and united four-day boycott. Reaction to the four-day social media boycott to tackle online abuse and discrimination - which ended at midnight - has continued to pour in with Kick It Out chief Tony Burnett also appearing on Sky Sports News to lay out what he wants to see happen next. Source: Sky Sports

Spotify CEO and founder Daniel Ek has contacted Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke’s family to make an offer to buy the Premier League club but a takeover could be drawn out, former France international Thierry Henry said. Ek said last week he had secured the funds to buy Arsenal, valued at $2.8 billion according to Forbes. British media reported Arsenal greats Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira were backing Ek's bid. But the club's American owners, under fire from fans following the North London

Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 has been suspended for a week, said BCCI sources, after many players tested positive for COVID-19

Paris St Germain will make a late decision on whether forward Kylian Mbappe will be available to face Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Monday (May 3). Mbappe, PSG's top scorer this season with 25 goals in Ligue 1 and eight in Europe, missed the 2-1 victory over Lens on Saturday due to a calf injury. Video footage circulating on social media showed Mbappe limping on his arrival in Manchester for Tuesday's match