No coughing on rivals and referees, says FA

LONDON • Players who deliberately cough at opponents or referees can be shown red or yellow cards under new guidelines issued by England's Football Association (FA) amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The instructions to referees taking charge of games when Covid-19 restrictions are in place will come into force immediately and be applied at all levels of the game.

The FA document said action should be taken when "the referee is certain someone deliberately, and from close range, coughed into the face of an opponent or match official". It added that the offence would fall under the category of "using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures".

REUTERS

Diamond League in Doha now on Sept 25

DOHA • This year's Diamond League athletics meeting in Doha, initially scheduled for Oct 9, has been brought forward and will take place on Sept 25, organisers announced yesterday.

The traditional season opener had previously been pushed back from its April 17 slot due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The competitive season is set to begin in Monaco on Aug 14 followed by meetings in Stockholm, Lausanne, Brussels, Rome/Naples, Doha and a yet to be determined location in China.

REUTERS

O'Sullivan records fastest Crucible win

LONDON • Ronnie O'Sullivan recorded the fastest win in Crucible history as he completed a 10-1 demolition of Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in less than two hours (108 min) in the first round of the World Championship yesterday.

The five-time world champion's victory behind closed doors shattered the Crucible record of 149 minutes that Shaun Murphy took to whitewash China's Luo Honghao last year.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE