Tough c'ship draw for S'pore shuttlers

KEDAH • The draw for the Badminton Asia Team Championship was made yesterday, with Singapore grouped with top seeds China and Hong Kong in the men's draw. Singapore's women will also face China at the Feb 6-11 tournament, as well as fellow Group Z side Indonesia. The top four teams will qualify for the Thomas and Uber Cup finals to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from May 20-27.

BERNAMA

S'pore's floorball team draw with Japan

JEJU • Singapore's men's floorball team drew 4-4 with Japan in their men's world championships qualification tournament yesterday. They had beaten New Zealand 10-2 in their Group B opener on Monday and will play Malaysia tomorrow. The winners of both Group A and B will qualify directly for the worlds, while the runners-up and third-placed teams face a play-off for the final spot.

De Bruyne inks new City deal until 2023

LONDON • Belgian playmaker Kevin de Bruyne, 26, has signed a contract extension with Manchester City that will keep him at the club until 2023, the Premier League leaders said on Monday.

He has already contributed six goals and 10 assists in 24 league matches this season, with 31 goals from 122 appearances in total since joining City from Wolfsburg in 2015.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Korea Skating Union looks into assault

SEOUL • The Korea Skating Union is "urgently" investigating allegations that a coach assaulted Olympic champion Shim Suk Hee, a KSU official said yesterday. Shim, who won short track gold, silver and bronze medals in Sochi four years ago, left the Jincheon National Training Centre last week after an incident with her coach, who the KSU said has since been suspended.

REUTERS