Balestier end league campaign with win
Hosts Hougang United finished sixth in the nine-team S-League after losing 0-1 to Balestier Khalsa.
Hazzuwan Halim's goal from the penalty spot in the 59th minute last night meant that seventh-placed Balestier ended their season on 19 points but Brunei DPMM, who have two games in hand, can overtake them.
Hougang (29 points) have a game left but cannot leapfrog fifth-placed Warriors FC (33).
Jiang's team chasing down Persson's side
Team JJ, captained by China's former multiple world champion Jiang Jialiang, kept up their chase with a third straight win over T2 Asia Pacific Table Tennis League leaders Team Persson, by 19-12.
The match in Johor Baru served up the first whitewash, when Chinese Taipei's Chuang Chih-yuan thrashed South Korean Joo Sae Hyuk, who plays for Swedish legend Jorgen Persson's side, 6-0.
Team Maze and Team Rossi are the other sides in the first pan-regional professional league played under a unique sets format.
X-country skier loses medals and is banned
LAUSANNE • Cross-country skier Alexander Legkov has been stripped of his Olympic 50km title, the International Olympic Committee announced on Wednesday, after publishing the first conclusions from the Oswald Commission hearing in the wake of the Russian doping scandal.
Legkov, who also won silver in the men's 4x10km cross-country event at Sochi 2014, was banned from participating in any future Winter Olympics along with compatriot Evgeniy Belov, who was also sanctioned for anti-doping violations.
The relay team were also ordered to return their silver medals.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Win and del Potro makes ATP Finals
PARIS • Juan Martin del Potro moved a step closer to qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals, when he reached the quarter-finals of tennis' Paris Masters with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Dutchman Robin Haase yesterday.
The Argentinian needs to enter the semi-finals to book a ticket for the Nov 12-19 event in London.
REUTERS
Tevez slims down to disprove detractors
SHANGHAI • Carlos Tevez has lost several kilograms and wants to prove himself to sceptical Chinese fans who have booed him and labelled him "very homesick boy", his club Shanghai Shenhua said yesterday.
The Argentinian, one of the highest-paid footballers in the world on €730,000 (S$1.16 million) a week, has endured a turbulent 10 months in China since arriving from Boca Juniors, missing half the matches this season either through injury or unavailability.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Uncapped trio in England squad
LONDON • England manager Gareth Southgate has called up Joe Gomez, Reuben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham for the football friendlies against Germany and Brazil later this month.
All three were rewarded for their performances for Aidy Boothroyd's Under-21 side, with Liverpool's Gomez and Chelsea loanees Loftus-Cheek and Abraham being selected for the senior squad for the first time.
THE GUARDIAN
