The Fiji Times

‘Prayers going up for Logan’: Floyd Mayweather reportedly set to fight YouTube star Logan Paul

Boxing great Floyd Mayweather is reportedly set to come out of retirement for a bizarre exhibition fight with YouTube personality Logan Paul later this year. The American superstar hasn’t fought professionally since his 2017 win over Conor McCregor, which took his record to a perfect 50-0, with 27 knockouts. He also travelled to Japan for...

LeBron, Giannis unanimously selected to All-NBA First Team

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo unanimously were selected to the 2019-20 All-NBA First Team, the league announced Wednesday. James set the NBA record with his 16th All-NBA Team selection, surpassing the 15 set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. James’ total includes a record 13 selections...

Nadal makes fast start in Rome, Tsitsipas out

ROME (Reuters) – Nine-times champion Rafa Nadal showed little signs of rust when he played his first match in 200 days as he beat fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-1 6-1 in the Italian Open in Rome on Wednesday. Nadal, who received a bye into the second round, has not played a tournament since winning...

Ex-head of world athletics Diack given jail sentence for corruption

PARIS (Reuters) – Lamine Diack, once one of the most powerful people in athletics, was convicted in France on Wednesday of running a clique that covered up Russian doping in return for bribes worth millions of dollars and sentenced to spend at least two years in jail. The 87-year-old former head of world athletics’ governing...

Big Ten to start its college football season next month

(Reuters) – The Big Ten Conference changed course on Wednesday saying there will be college football this year after having earlier postponed play amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Big Ten, which includes football powerhouses Ohio State and University of Michigan, said it will begin play the weekend of Oct. 23-24. Under pressure from student...

Hockey reps back on the field

The Lautoka Hockey Association has re-commenced its activities and is holding mixed 5 a-side tournaments after the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have started with the mixed men’s and women’s 5 a-side competitions,” said association president Marcel Hicks. “There are four teams competing for top honours each week. “The format of the tournament enables...

Gymnastics abuse claims: Human Rights Commission now involved

The Human Rights Commission is now looking into alleged abusive practices in gymnastics. On Wednesday, a spokesperson said the commission was “in discussions with stakeholders regarding this issue”. The spokesperson said the commission does not comment on whether complaints have been received “as we do not want to undermine the confidential nature of the complaints...

US Open: Ryan Fox predicts Winged Foot course will provide ‘brutal’ test

Ryan Fox’s one and a half practice rounds at Winged Foot Golf Cub were more than enough for him to conclude this week’s US Open is set to be the toughest test of his career. Tougher than two years ago at Shinnecock Hills, when he shot 14-over at the 118th US Open and finished tied...

Australia hold nerve to win thrilling ODI decider against England

Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey struck centuries in a 212-run stand to help Australia reach their target of 303 with two balls remaining and secure a one-day international series win over England on Wednesday (Thursday NZT). Mitchell Starc started the third and deciding ODI by taking wickets from the first two balls of the match,...

Why Winged Foot casts such a giant shadow over Tiger Woods’ career

The last time Winged Foot hosted the US Open, history was made on the Friday night when Tiger Woods missed his first cut as a professional. Yet as the 15-time major champion reminded us, the scenario was infinitely a more sorrowful landscape than merely a sporting run coming to an end. “I was still dealing...

Puamau sets record

Young Caleb Puamau broke a six-year record in the 11-12 age group of the 100 metres backstroke during the Fiji Short Course Swimming Grand Prix at the Damodar City Aquatic Centre in Suva on Saturday. Fiji Swimming operations manager Trisa Cheer said Caleb had proven to be a promising talent for Fiji swimming in the...

Lydia Ko’s world ranking revival continues

Lydia Ko’s rankings revival continues with New Zealand’s top golfer now placed at No 34 on the world list. The 23-year-old jumped seven places on Tuesday on the back of her sixth placing at the ANA Inspiration tournament in California. It’s a long way from her heady days as world No 1 in 2015 and...

White Ferns primed to upset hosts Australia

Their preparation has undoubtedly been unusual, but Suzie Bates believes the White Ferns are primed to challenge the T20 world champions in their trans-Tasman series. Bates and the rest of the New Zealand women’s squad are training in quarantine ahead of six games against their Australian counterparts in Brisbane and while outdoor sessions have been limited by...

McGregor arrested in France in connection with attempted sexual assault

Conor McGregor, the retired UFC star, was arrested on the French beach island of Corsica in connection with alleged indecent exposure and attempted sexual assault. A prosecutor’s office said McGregor, 32, faced a police hearing after a complaint was filed late last week, Agence France-Presse reported. The Irish mixed martial arts star was released from...

NFL: Players protest across the league in empty stadiums

(Reuters) – National Football League players staged pregame protests from coast-to-coast on Sunday, taking a knee during the playing of the U.S. national anthem in mostly empty stadiums, avoiding the embarrassment of having fans boo, which overshadowed the season opener. The Jacksonville Jaguars were the only team hosting a Week One game allowing fans on...

Zverev left reeling after Grand Slam slips through his fingers

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Alexander Zverev said it was too soon to look for the positives in his U.S. Open campaign as the devastated German struggled to come to terms with Sunday’s five-set defeat to Dominic Thiem in the Flushing Meadows final. After winning the opening two sets in his first Grand Slam final, the...

NFL roundup: Brees, Saints spoil Brady’s Bucs debut

Alvin Kamara scored two touchdowns as the host New Orleans Saints defeated Tampa Bay 34-23 on Sunday, spoiling Tom Brady’s debut with the Buccaneers. Kamara, who agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract extension Thursday, caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees and ran 6 yards for another score. Brees, who passed Brett Favre...

Thiem claims U.S. Open title after thrilling fightback

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Austria’s Dominic Thiem finally claimed his maiden Grand Slam title with a stunning comeback to beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev 2-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-6(6) in a nerve-jangling battle of wills in the U.S. Open final on Sunday. The 27-year-old world number three appeared to have blown his golden chance as he...

Lydia Ko in sensational finish at ANA Inspiration

Lydia Ko fired a sensational final round to make her presence felt at the ANA Inspiration golf championship. Seemingly out of contention at the major championship she won in 2016 after starting the day in a tie for 36th, the Kiwi shot a sizzling 6-under 66 at the Mission Hills Country Club at Rancho Mirage...

Thiem, Zverev battle to become first new champion in six years

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Austria’s Dominic Thiem and Germany’s Alexander Zverev will vie for the U.S. Open title on Sunday in a final that will crown a new men’s Grand Slam singles champion for the first time in six years. Second-seed Thiem has lost three previous Grand Slam finals — twice to Rafa Nadal at...

McGregor detained in connection with alleged sexual assault

Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor was taken into custody in Corsica on Saturday amid allegations of attempted sexual assault and indecent exposure. Officials in Corsica, a French island territory in the Mediterranean, confirmed his detainment in a statement to AFP. “Following a complaint filed on September 10 denouncing facts likely to be...

Serena out of Italian Open with Achilles problem

(Reuters) – Serena Williams has pulled out of the Italian Open starting on Monday due to an Achilles injury, the former world number one confirmed on Saturday. Williams’ bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title ended with a defeat to Victoria Azarenka at the U.S. Open on Thursday, a match in which she...

US Open: Naomi Osaka wins second title at Flushing Meadows

After one errant forehand in the first set of the US Open final, Naomi Osaka looked at her coach in the mostly empty Arthur Ashe Stadium stands with palms up, as if to say, “What the heck is happening?” In response to another wayward forehand against Victoria Azarenka seconds later, Osaka chucked her racket. It...

Rockets forward House ejected from NBA ‘bubble’ for unauthorized guest

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The National Basketball Association (NBA) removed Houston Rockets forward Danuel House from its Orlando, Florida, campus for violating health and safety protocols after he brought a guest inside the so-called “bubble”, the league said on Friday. The league, whose season was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak, resumed play...

Zverev rallies by Carreno Busta to reach U.S. Open final

NEW YORK (Reuters) – German fifth seed Alexander Zverev overcame a listless start to secure a thrilling 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-4 6-3 U.S. Open semi-final win over Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta on Friday to reach his first Grand Slam final. Zverev, with his back against the wall, raised his game just in time to deny...

NFL moves forward after booing fans overshadow ‘unity’ message

(Reuters) – The absence of spectators at all but one NFL game this weekend due to the COVID-19 outbreak could spare the league further embarrassment after Thursday’s season opener was overshadowed by fans who booed during a moment of silence for social justice. The incident, which followed an offseason during which social justice issues rose...

Siegemund, Zvonareva claim U.S. Open women’s doubles title

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Germany’s Laura Siegemund and Russian Vera Zvonareva captured the U.S. Open women’s doubles crown with a 6-4 6-4 win over third seeds Nicole Melichar of the United States and China’s Yifan Xu on Friday. The unseeded German-Russian duo, who had never competed together before the U.S. Open, broke their opponents three...

ATP adds four events to 2020 calendar

LONDON (Reuters) – Four new tournaments have been added to the provisional ATP calendar for the remainder of the 2020 season, the men’s Tour announced on Thursday. The German city of Cologne will host back-to-back ATP 250 events on indoor hard while Sardinia will stage a claycourt event and Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan will host an...

Bundy fans 12, Trout homers as Angels defeat Rangers

Dylan Bundy struck out a season-best 12 batters over 7 1/3 innings, Mike Trout and Jared Walsh homered and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Texas Rangers 6-2 Thursday afternoon in Arlington, Texas. It was the third time in his nine starts Bundy (5-2) has struck out 10 or more and the fourth time he’s...

Other Sports

Basketball star Maya Moore now wed to wrongfully jailed man she helped free