The Fiji Times

MLB to experiment with pre-tacked baseballs at Triple A

Major League Baseball will be experimenting with pre-tacked baseballs at a “handful” of Triple-A games over the final 1 ½ weeks of the minor league season. MLB executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword told Baseball America on Thursday that select teams in the highest level of the minor leagues will play with balls...

Sabres strip captain title from Jack Eichel

The Buffalo Sabres stripped Jack Eichel of his captaincy after he failed a physical following his arrival to camp on Wednesday. Eichel, 24, was named captain in 2018 but has been at odds with the team over treatment for a herniated disk in his neck suffered in March. Following a 12-week period of rest and...

Miami given May 8 date for debut F1 race

Miami has been given a May 8 date for the city’s first Formula One race around the Hard Rock Stadium next year, organisers said on Thursday. “There has been tremendous enthusiasm and anticipation for this event, and we’re happy to be able to announce the date so that people can start planning for it,” said...

Rahm and Garcia to spearhead Europe Ryder Cup defence

World number one Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia were chosen on Thursday to spearhead Europe’s Ryder Cup defence with captain Padraig Harrington sending out the Spanish duo in the opening foursomes to face Americans Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. In a clear indication Europe will try to grab the early momentum, Harrington turned to two...

England cricket family likely to be allowed into Australia

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison to help ease strict quarantine rules to allow the families of England’s cricketers to tour with the players during the upcoming Ashes series. England players are seeking assurances their family members will be allowed to join them in Australia during the five-test series...

USOPC will require COVID-19 vaccine for all U.S. athletes at Beijing Games

Sept 22 (Reuters) – The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee on Wednesday said all American athletes hoping to compete at the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19. “Effective Nov. 1, 2021, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee will require all USOPC staff, athletes and those utilizing USOPC facilities –...

Osaka confirms withdrawal from Indian Wells

Sept 22 (Reuters) – Naomi Osaka, who said at the U.S. Open that she planned to take a break from tennis, has officially pulled out of next month’s BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The four-time Grand Slam champion fell in the third round of the year’s final major and afterwards told reporters she needed...

Pakistan says threat to NZ cricketers originated in India

Pakistan has accused an unnamed individual in India of sending threatening emails that caused New Zealand to abandon its cricket tour in the country. New Zealand scrapped its tour to Pakistan moments before the start of the first one-day international in Rawalpindi last Friday, citing a specific threat to its cricket team. New Zealand did not...

$500k for Team Fiji

The Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) chief executive officer, Lorraine Mar expects that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the financial and logistical arrangements for Team Fiji’s preparations and participation at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be severely impacted. The Fiji National Sports Commission recently informed FASANOC of...

Judo prepares early for 2024 Olympic Games

The Fiji Judo Association has started preparation for the 2024 Olympics and has identified areas that it will have to improve on to be competitive at the highest level. Association secretary Josateki Naulu said the Tokyo Olympics was very tough from a performance perspective for its athlete Tevita Takayawa. “We were ranked outside the Top...

Star shows for Fiji golf

The Fiji Professional Golfers Association (Fiji PGA) is set to resume its 2021 season with a bang staging three major tournaments at the Denarau Golf and Racquet Club course in Nadi. With the resumption of sporting activities expected to be given the green light next month, the Fiji PGA plans to complete its Tour Order...

Lea Tahuhu stars in White Ferns win over England

A devastating career-best opening spell from pace bowler Lea Tahuhu spearheaded the White Ferns to a nail-biting three-wicket victory over England on Wednesday morning (NZ time). Playing a day after a security scare for the visiting side, Tahuhu took five wickets – including four in her first five overs – as the hosts were dismissed for...

Cook Islands Olympians ready to resist takeaway treats

A group of Cook Islands Olympic team members locked down in New Zealand are planning to keep it healthy despite the return of takeaways. After five weeks at alert level four, Tāmaki Makaurau is waking up to an easing of Covid restrictions today. At level three, cafes, restaurants and takeaways can reopen for contactless pick-up,...

Golf-Europe not rattled by underdog label ahead of Ryder Cup, says Fleetwood

(Reuters) – Europe may be viewed as the underdogs in the forthcoming Ryder Cup compared to their American opponents, but Tommy Fleetwood said his team will head into the biennial competition starting on Friday full of confidence. Europe have an average world ranking of 30 compared to nine for the United States, but with seven...

Soccer-Barca didn’t have players for tiki-taka game, Koeman says after Granada draw

(Reuters) – Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman defended his team’s style of play in Monday’s 1-1 LaLiga draw with Granada, saying his depleted side did not have the players who could execute their trademark tiki-taka passing game. Ronald Araujo’s last-minute header rescued a point for Barcelona as they limped to their second draw in four games,...

Tennis-Federer says ‘feeling strong’ after knee surgery

(Reuters) – Swiss great Roger Federer said he has faced no setbacks and is recovering well after his latest knee operation. Federer, who pulled out of the U.S. Open, said in August he would be sidelined for many months https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/federer-have-knee-surgery-out-action-many-months-2021-08-15 because he needed more knee surgery in order to resume playing. The 40-year-old had two...

Cricket-Kohli says Bangalore’s heavy IPL defeat a wake-up call

(Reuters) – Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli said Monday’s nine-wicket Indian Premier League defeat by Kolkata Knight Riders was a massive jolt to his side as they resumed their quest for a first title in the Twenty20 competition. Kohli, who will step down as captain of the franchise after the current season which...

Tennis-Barty among first three qualifiers for WTA Finals

(Reuters) – Defending champion Ash Barty, world number two Aryna Sabalenka and French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova have all qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals in Mexico, the WTA said on Monday. Five more singles players have yet to be named for the finals, which will be contested by the world’s top eight singles players...

Chess inspires young Fijian rep

Chess Fiji’s youngest player Tanvi Prasad has stamped her mark in the sport after competing in the 2021 World Chess Olympiad. Prasad is the youngest player in the Fiji team that competed in the recent competition. “After years of watching my brother and father play chess, I finally built up the courage to enter my...

Security tightened around NZ women’s team in England after threat

(Reuters) – Security has been tightened around New Zealand’s women’s cricket team after a threat was received ahead of a one-day international against England in Leicester on Tuesday. England earlier withdrew their men’s and women’s teams from next month’s tour of Pakistan, three days after New Zealand abandoned their tour of the country amid security...

Queensland businesses urged to work with Government to make use of Brisbane 2032

BRISBANE, 21 SEPTEMBER 2021 (INSIDE THE GAMES) – Businesses in Queensland have been urged to collaborate with local Government to ensure they take full advantage of Brisbane hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland senior policy advisor Gus Mandigora warned the potential benefits of the city staging the event...

AOC defends “very popular” medal incentive funding programme following revelations retiring athletes from Tokyo 2020 not eligible

SYDNEY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2021 (INSIDE THE GAMES) – The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has defended its “generous” and “very popular” medal incentive funding programme (MIF), after it was revealed that retiring athletes who medalled at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are not eligible for prize money. As per ABC, it was confirmed by the AOC...

IOC moves next Executive Board meeting to Athens

LAUSANNE, 21 SEPTEMBER 2021 (INSIDE THE GAMES) – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has moved the next meeting of its Executive Board to Athens as part of a weekend of events in Greece. The in-person gathering of the ruling body had been scheduled for October 5 to 6 before being switched to October 16 to...

Schwartzman bounces back to seal Argentina’s place in Davis Cup qualifiers

(Reuters) – Diego Schwartzman shrugged off a surprise defeat in his opening match to ease Argentina into the 2022 Davis Cup qualifiers on Sunday, sealing the winning point against Belarus. The world number 15 was beaten by junior player Daniil Ostapenkov in Saturday’ opening match but rebounded on Sunday to beat world number 1,233 Alexander...

Cairns facing ‘greatest challenge’ after suffering spinal stroke

(Reuters) – Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns said he faces the “greatest challenge” he has ever faced after suffering a spinal stroke following life-saving treatment for a torn artery. Cairns posted a video on social media on Sunday to thank medical teams in Canberra and Sydney, who treated the 51-year-old after he experienced an...

Cricket-Rohit set to make IPL return for Mumbai in Kolkata clash

(Reuters) – Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma will return to the side for their Indian Premier League match against Kolkata Knight Riders after missing Sunday’s 20-run defeat by Chennai Super Kings in Dubai, head coach Mahela Jayawardene said. Kieron Pollard captained the Mumbai side in the absence of their regular skipper Rohit, who was given...

Boxer Manny Pacquiao to run for Philippine president in 2022

MANILA (Reuters) -Boxing star Manny Pacquiao said on Sunday he will run for president of the Philippines next year, after railing against corruption in government and what he calls President Rodrigo Duterte’s cozy relationship with China. Pacquiao accepted the nomination of his political allies during the national assembly of the faction he leads in the...

Cricket-NZ players reach Dubai after ‘credible threat’ derailed Pakistan tour

WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand was warned of a “specific, credible threat” against its team, the country’s cricket board said on Sunday, elaborating on the rationale for abruptly abandoning the tour of Pakistan as the squad reached Dubai. New Zealand had pulled out of the limited-overs tour on the day of the opening fixture in Rawalpindi...

Australia keen to extend PacificAusSports partnership beyond its current funding cycle: Minister Seselja

SUVA, 20 SEPTEMBER 2021 (PACNEWS) – Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Zed Seselja says the PacificAusSports Olympic and Paralympic partnership was set up to provide elite level pathways for both potential Olympic and Paralympic athletes. “One of the facts about the Pacific is that there is extraordinary sporting talent available and one...

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25th September

USOPC will require COVID-19 vaccine for all US athletes at Beijing Games