Loh through to 2nd rd of Indonesia Masters
Singapore's top male shuttler Loh Kean Yew upset the odds in beating world No. 10 Kanta Tsuneyama 24-22, 21-9 in the opening round of the Indonesia Masters yesterday.
The 22-year-old, ranked 29 rungs lower than the Japanese shuttler, will meet China's world No. 36 Zhao Junpeng in the last 16 today.
Tanjong Pagar cleared for SPL return
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) released a statement yesterday to announce that its Club Licensing First Instance Body has assessed Tanjong Pagar United's application to participate in the upcoming Singapore Premier League season, and "found that the club has met all the necessary prerequisites" as per the club licensing regulations.
This clears the way for the Jaguars to play in the local professional league, having sat out since 2015. The SPL is thus likely to kick off with nine teams, with nine-time champions Warriors FC told to sit out by the FAS due to financial issues.
United scrap Middle East training plans
LONDON • Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said the club have scrapped plans for a winter training camp in the Middle East because of security concerns.
United do not play between Premier League matches at home to Wolves on Feb 1 and at Chelsea on Feb 17. Solskjaer confirmed that the plans were shelved in the wake of an American air strike at the Baghdad airport this month that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
REUTERS
Henderson, Bronze named England's best
LONDON • Jordan Henderson and Lucy Bronze have been named England's players of the year for 2019, the English Football Association has said.
Liverpool captain Henderson secured the men's prize ahead of Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane after lifting the Champions League trophy with the Merseyside club. Bronze also helped Lyon to the Champions League title in May.
REUTERS
Kerber's Aussie Open hopes hit by injury
ADELAIDE • Angelique Kerber's preparations for the Australian Open were dealt a blow yesterday when she retired from the Adelaide International with back pain.
The German, a former world No. 1 who won the Australian Open in 2016, pulled out when trailing 6-3, 2-0 in her second-round clash with Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska. The first Grand Slam of the year begins next week.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Red Sox sack manager over sign-stealing
LOS ANGELES • The Boston Red Sox said on Tuesday they were parting ways with manager Alex Cora in the wake of a sign-stealing scandal involving the Houston Astros, where Cora was the bench coach, during their World Series-winning 2017 season.
The Astros on Monday said they were firing both manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow for their roles in the scandal after Major League Baseball imposed one-year bans on both men. The league said Cora had arranged for a monitor to show centre-field camera shots, allowing players to decipher the signs and alert batters.
REUTERS
