CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, February 24, 2021 | 19 SPORTS

Rising to the challenge BASKETBALL CBA appeals fine for Asia Cup absence

Team China’s pandemic­enforced tion caught us off guard.” The CBA is now in discussions withdrawal prompts legal wrangle with FIBA regarding possible future dates for the Asia Cup qualifiers, according to Xu. By SUN XIAOCHEN The CBA’s decision to skip “Yet, it’s out of our hands as it [email protected] November’s qualifying tournament involves over 10 member associa­ was made with the health of the tions, which means FIBA has to take The Chinese Basketball Associa­ players and team staff as a top prior­ time to comprehensively coordinate tion is appealing a fine imposed by ity at a time when the COVID­19 relevant parties before making any the sport’s global governing body, pandemic still posed a serious risk, decisions,” she added. FIBA, over the national team’s coro­ said Xu. Meanwhile, the CBA also con­ navirus­enforced no­show for Asia Also citing health and safety con­ firmed on Monday that some of the Cup qualifiers in November. cerns, Canada’s national basketball players from the now­defunct mili­ The CBA confirmed the move on association has lodged an appeal tary team, the Bayi Rockets, have Monday at a regular media briefing, against a FIBA fine for the same re­registered with the league as free but gave no further details regard­ amount for pulling out of two Amer­ agents. ing the process, which was launched iCup 2022 qualifying games, sched­ The eight­time CBA champion earlier this month following consul­ uled for the Dominican Republic in Rockets disbanded in October as tations with a legal team, according November. part of the People’s Liberation to the association’s foreign affairs With the third leg of the Asia Cup Army’s decision to reform its mili­ department. qualifiers originally slated for Feb tary sports training system after 25 “After analyzing the situation 17­23, the CBA had named a 14­play­ years of service in the top­tier meticulously, we have filed an offi­ er squad following the conclusion of league. cial appeal against the penalty and the domestic league’s second stage The team’s withdrawal had raised have hired an attorney to handle the in early February. It had also drawn concerns over the future of players ensuing legal procedures,” said Xu up a meticulous travel plan to be on that team, who faced difficulties Lan, director of the CBA’s national ready to make the trip to Qatar for in transferring to other clubs team management and foreign the competition. because they were enlisted in the affairs department. However, on Feb 11, FIBA abrupt­ army. In January, FIBA’s disciplinary ly postponed those games over COV­ By Saturday, however, 11 former panel sanctioned a number of its ID­19 concerns. Rockets players had registered as member associations, including Having spent a week training free agents and are now eligible to China, for non­participation in the through the Spring Festival break at sign with other teams ahead of the second leg of its 2021 Asia Cup quali­ a closed­door camp in Shanghai, the league’s third phase, according to fiers, scheduled for November in players were released to return the CBA. Qatar. home on Feb 12, the first day of Chi­ Former national team training The CBA was fined 160,000 Swiss na’s Lunar New Year, affording them camp member Zou Yuchen and francs ($178,624), with Team China time to recuperate for the third youth national squad center Fu Hao deducted two Group B points. Half phase of the CBA league, which tips are expected to attract the most of the sanction was deferred pend­ off on March 1. interest from clubs. ing China’s participation in the next “Our players were ready to show “It’s important that we made sure official FIBA competition. their commitment to their national these players could stay in the top China’s Group B opponents are duty and we had prepared well league and have games to play in the Malaysia, Japan and Chinese Taipei, logistically for making the trip to prime of their careers,” said Zhang Cristiano Ronaldo leaps into action to score Juventus’ second goal in a 3­0 victory over Crotone at with the top two teams qualifying Qatar on a charter flight during the Chi, a CBA spokesman and head of Allianz Stadium in Turin on Monday. Ronaldo finished with a brace as defending champion Juve for the Asia Cup in Indonesia in pandemic,” said Xu. the league’s player development closed to within eight points of Serie A leader Inter Milan. REUTERS August. “However, the sudden cancela­ department.

Digest

WINTER SPORTS “From my perspective the most goals in 30 games for the top­flight statement with a parenthetical season and for free agency after the dev rose to a career­best No 3 Morgenstern expects important thing is self­confidence,” Red Diamonds last term. “based on his contract”. 2024 season. behind winner Novak Djokovic on hotly contested worlds the 34­year­old added. “When you Earlier this month, Shandong suf­ Pujols’ 10­year, $240 million con­ The length of his contract exceed­ the ATP list. beat rivals, you feel better and bet­ fered a major blow ahead of the new tract with the Angels ends after this ed the $325 million, 13­year agree­ Jennifer Brady, the 25­year­old Austrian ski jumping legend ter. The more you compete at the season when it was thrown of the season, his 21st in the majors. But ment in November 2014 between American who was the runner­up to Thomas Morgenstern said Monday highest level, the better you jump. AFC Champions League for breach­ the fifth­leading home­run hitter in Miami and Giancarlo Stanton, who Osaka, jumped 11 spots to No 13, her that it’s “really difficult to say who is “Of course, there are also many ing the Asian Football Confedera­ major­league history has repeatedly was traded to the New York Yankees first time inside the top 20. favorite” for gold at the 2021 Nordic factors which can be decisive, but tion’s financial regulations. declined to say whether this season in December 2017, and the $330 mil­ Aslan Karatsev’s historic run from World Ski Championships and the for me, self­confidence was really will be his last. lion, 13­year contract ahead of the qualifying to the final four before Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. important.” BASEBALL 2019 season between Bruce Harper losing to nine­time Australian Open The Nordic worlds began on Mon­ and Philadelphia. champion Djokovic allowed the day in Oberstdorf, Germany, and Wife suggests Pujol to Tatis inks longest deal SOCCER retire at end of season in major­league history Baseball’s biggest deal by dollars Russian to vault 72 places from Morgenstern said: “I see many can­ Striker Leonardo joins remains Mike Trout’s $426.5 million, 114th to 42nd. didates (for gold). On the large hill, Albert Pujols’ wife apparently dis­ Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 12­year contract signed with the Karatsev is the first man in the it may be (Halvor Egner) Granerud CSL side Shandong closed that the Los Angeles Angels 14­year contract was finalized Mon­ Angels in March 2019. Tatis’ deal is professional era to reach the semifi­ (of Norway) who will win, but on the Brazilian striker Leonardo has slugger will retire after the upcom­ day by the San Diego Padres, the the third­largest, also trailing Mook­ nals in his debut in the main draw of normal hill, Poland’s Dawid Kubacki signed for Chinese Super League ing season, although she later longest deal in MLB history. ie Betts’ $365 million, 12­year con­ a major tournament. has a great chance. side Shandong Taishan, the club amended her social media post to be “Fernando is a special talent who tract with the Los Angeles Dodgers Despite winning the past two “He stood on the highest podium announced on Monday. less definitive. will be instrumental in bringing a that starts this season. Grand Slam tournament she in 2009 so from my point of view he Having left Japan’s Urawa Red The 41­year­old Pujols, a three­ world championship to the city of entered, Osaka still trails No 1 Ash is a favorite to win again. Poland’s Diamonds, the 23­year­old forward time MVP and ten­time All­Star, San Diego,” Padres general manager TENNIS Barty — who lost in the quarterfi­ Kamil Stoch can also fight against has arrived in China and will join reported to spring training with the AJ Preller said in a statement. Osaka falls short of top nals at Melbourne Park — because of Granerud for the titles.” his new team after completing his Angels on Monday. “Throughout the process, Fernan­ the way the tennis tours are calcu­ Morgenstern knows what it takes mandatory medical quarantine in In a post on her Instagram do’s desire to stay here long term spot despite Aussie win lating what they’re calling “frozen” to become Olympic champion, hav­ compliance with coronavirus account later in the day, Deidre was clear, and we are thrilled that Naomi Osaka’s victory at the rankings following last season’s ing won two titles at the 2006 Turin protocols. Pujols wrote: “Today is the first day we were able to come to an Australian Open moved the Japa­ hiatus caused by the coronavirus Games, as well as team gold in 2010 After finishing as top scorer in of the last season of one of the most agreement.” nese superstar up one spot to No 2 pandemic. in Vancouver. He also claimed large­ Japan’s second division with Albirex remarkable careers in sports!” The 22­year­old Tatis had been eli­ in the WTA rankings Monday, hill silver in Sochi four years later. Niigata in 2019, Leonardo netted 13 Shortly afterward, she amended the gible for salary arbitration after this while men’s finalist Daniil Medve­ XINHUA — AGENCIES

Scoreboard

BASKETBALL 27. Cameron Smith (AUS) 3.51 GP W D L GF GA Pts Osasuna 0 Sevilla 2 (Carlos 19, De Jong 49) 14. Milos Raonic, Canada, 2630 ­­­­ 28. Abraham Ancer (MEX) 3.47 Wolverhampton 25 9 6 10 26 32 33 15. David Goffin, Belgium, 2600 35. Wang Qiang, China, 1735 NBA 29. Joaquin Niemann (CHI) 3.45 Leeds 24 10 2 12 40 43 32 GP W D L GF GA Pts 16. Pablo Carreno Busta, Spain, 2585 36. Zhang Shuai, China, 1693 Results of the National Basketball Association 30. Victor Perez (FRA) 3.17 Crystal Palace 25 9 5 11 29 43 32 Atletico Madrid 23 17 4 2 45 16 55 17. Grigor Dimitrov, Bulgaria, 2575 47. Zheng Saisai, China, 1510 games on Monday (home team in CAPS): ­­­­ Southampton 24 8 6 10 31 40 30 Real Madrid 24 16 4 4 42 19 52 18. Fabio Fognini, Italy, 2535 Doubles San Antonio at Indiana, ppd 214. Li Haotong (CHN) 0.80 Burnley 25 7 7 11 18 30 28 Sevilla 23 15 3 5 34 16 48 19. Felix Auger­Aliassime, Canada, 2516 1. Aryna Sabalenka, Belarus, 9145 Chicago 120 HOUSTON 100 248. Zhang Xinjun (CHN) 0.68 Brighton 25 5 11 9 26 32 26 Barcelona 23 14 5 4 50 22 47 20. Stan Wawrinka, Switzerland, 2365 2. Elise Mertens, Belgium, 9060 DALLAS 102 Memphis 92 287. Wu Ashun (CHN) 0.54 Newcastle 25 7 4 14 26 43 25 Sociedad 24 11 8 5 41 20 41 Doubles 3. Hsieh Su­wei, Chinese Taipei, 9010 UTAH 132 Charlotte 110 Fulham 25 4 10 11 21 32 22 363. Dou Zecheng (CHN) 0.41 Villarreal 24 8 13 3 33 25 37 1. Robert Farah, Colombia, 8680 4. Barbora Strycova, Czech Republic, 8945 Miami 108 OKLAHOMA CITY 94 West Brom 25 2 8 15 19 55 14 Betis 24 11 3 10 32 38 36 2. Juan Sebastian Cabal, Colombia, 8590 5. Kristina Mladenovic, France, 8115 PHOENIX 132 Portland 100 Sheffield United 25 3 2 20 15 41 11 Levante 24 7 10 7 34 33 31 3. Mate Pavic, Croatia, 7900 Washington 127 LA LAKERS 124 (OT) ICE HOCKEY 6. Timea Babos, Hungary, 7958 Granada 24 8 6 10 29 41 30 4. Horacio Zeballos, Argentina, 7330 7. Barbora Krejcikova, Czech Republic, 6665 NHL Athletic Bilbao 23 8 5 10 33 27 29 5. Nikola Mektic, Croatia, 7310 GOLF Italian Serie A 8. Katerina Siniakova, Czech Republic, 6640 Results of the National Hockey League games on Results on Monday: Celta Vigo 24 7 8 9 29 36 29 6. Bruno Soares, Brazil, 7220 9. Xu Yifan, China, 5820 Monday (home team in CAPS): Juventus 3 (Ronaldo 38, 45+1, Mckennie 66) Cro­ Valencia 24 6 9 9 30 32 27 7. Nicolas Mahut, France, 6890 10. Gabriela Dabrowski, Canada, 5675 World rankings 8. Wesley Koolhof, Netherlands, 6770 NY ISLANDERS 3 Buffalo 2 tone 0 Osasuna 24 6 7 11 22 33 25 Through Feb. 21 9. Ivan Dodig, Croatia, 6530 1. Dustin Johnson (USA) 12.66 Calgary 3 TORONTO 0 Cadiz 24 6 7 11 21 40 25 ATP Singapore FLORIDA 3 Dallas 1 GP W D L GF GA Pts Getafe 24 6 6 12 17 30 24 10. Filip Polasek, Slovakia, 6460 2. Jon Rahm (ESP) 9.27 First­round results on Monday: Tampa Bay 4 CAROLINA 2 Inter 23 16 5 2 57 24 53 Alaves 24 5 7 12 20 38 22 3. Justin Thomas (USA) 8.51 Maxime Cressy (USA) bt Jason Jung (TPE) 7­6 Los Angeles 3 ST. LOUIS 0 AC Milan 23 15 4 4 45 28 49 Eibar 24 4 9 11 19 27 21 WTA Tour rankings 4. Xander Schauffele (USA) 7.55 (7/4), 6­2; Taro Daniel (JPN) bt Ramkumar Rama­ ARIZONA 4 Anaheim 3 Juventus 22 13 6 3 44 19 45 Elche 22 4 9 9 20 31 21 Singles 5. Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 6.76 nathan (IND) 6­3, 6­7 (3/7), 6­3; Adrian Andreev Vegas 3 COLORADO 0 Roma 23 13 5 5 47 35 44 Valladolid 24 4 9 11 22 35 21 Through Feb 21 6. Collin Morikawa (USA) 6.59 (BUL) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA/N.7) 1­6, 6­3, 6­4; Minnesota 6 SAN JOSE 2 Atalanta 23 12 7 4 53 31 43 Huesca 24 3 10 11 21 35 19 1. Ashleigh Barty, Australia, 9186 7. Patrick Cantlay (USA) 6.58 Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN x5) bt Michael Mmoh Lazio 23 13 4 6 38 30 43 2. Naomi Osaka, Japan, 7835 8. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 6.46 (USA) 6­2, 3­6, 6­3; Alexei Popyrin (AUS) bt Chris­ SOCCER Napoli 22 13 1 8 47 25 40 3. Simona Halep, Romania, 7255 9. Webb Simpson (USA) 6.40 TENNIS topher Eubanks (USA) 7­6 (7/5), 7­6 (7/5) 10. Bryson DeChambeau (USA) 6.34 Sassuolo 23 9 8 6 37 34 35 4. Sofia Kenin, USA, 5760 11. Patrick Reed (USA) 6.33 English Premier League Verona 23 9 7 7 30 26 34 ATP Tour rankings 5. Elina Svitolina, Ukraine, 5370 12. Brooks Koepka (USA) 5.67 Results on Monday: Sampdoria 23 9 3 11 33 34 30 Singles 6. Karolina Pliskova, Czech Republic, 5205 ATP Montpellier 13. Tony Finau (USA) 5.51 Brighton 1 (Veltman 55) Crystal Palace 2 (Mateta Genoa 23 6 8 9 26 33 26 Through Feb 21 7. Serena Williams, USA, 4915 First­round results on Monday: 14. Viktor Hovland (NOR) 5.14 28, Benteke 90+5) Bologna 23 6 7 10 30 37 25 1. Novak Djokovic, Serbia, 12030 8. Aryna Sabalenka, Belarus, 4810 Ugo Humbert (FRA x6) bt Norbert Gombos (SVK) 15. Daniel Berger (USA) 4.94 Udinese 23 6 7 10 25 33 25 2. Rafael Nadal, Spain, 9850 9. Bianca Andreescu, Canada, 4735 6­3, 7­6 (3); Lorenzo Sonego (ITA x7) bt Hugo Gas­ 10. Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic, 4571 16. Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG) 4.36 GP W D L GF GA Pts Fiorentina 23 6 7 10 25 35 25 3. Daniil Medvedev, Russia, 9735 ton (FRA) 6­3, 6­7 (7), 6­1; Sebastian Korda (USA) 11. Kiki Bertens, Netherlands, 4505 17. Sungjae Im (KOR) 4.26 Man City 25 18 5 2 50 15 59 Benevento 23 6 7 10 25 42 25 4. Dominic Thiem, Austria, 9125 bt Jo­Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 6­4, 6­2. 12. Belinda Bencic, Switzerland, 4010 18. Paul Casey (ENG) 4.25 Man United 25 14 7 4 53 32 49 Spezia 23 6 6 11 30 41 24 5. Roger Federer, Switzerland, 6630 Leicester 25 15 4 6 44 27 49 13. Jennifer Brady, USA, 3765 19. Matthew Wolff (USA) 4.21 Turin 23 3 11 9 33 41 20 6. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece, 6595 WTA at Adelaide West Ham 25 13 6 6 39 29 45 7. Alexander Zverev, Germany, 5615 14. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, 3535 20. Harris English (USA) 4.21 Cagliari 23 3 6 14 24 41 15 First­round results on Monday: Chelsea 25 12 7 6 41 25 43 8. Andrey Rublev, Russia, 4609 15. Garbine Muguruza, Spain, 3320 21. Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 4.00 Parma 23 2 8 13 17 45 14 Danielle Collins (USA) bt Zheng Saisai (CHN) 7­6 Liverpool 25 11 7 7 45 34 40 9. Diego Schwartzman, Argentina, 3480 16. Johanna Konta, Great Britain, 3206 22. Adam Scott (AUS) 3.75 Crotone 23 3 3 17 23 55 12 (7/5), 6­1; Wang Qiang (CHN X8) bt Olivia Gadecki 23. Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 3.67 Everton 24 12 4 8 37 33 40 10. Matteo Berrettini, Italy, 3480 17. Elise Mertens, Belgium, 3060 (AUS) 6­4, 6­3; Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Veronika 24. Ryan Palmer (USA) 3.67 Aston Villa 23 11 3 9 37 26 36 11. Denis Shapovalov, Canada, 2910 18. Iga Swiatek, Poland, 3014 Kudermetova (RUS) 6­3, 7­6 (7­4); Anastasija 25. Kevin Na (USA) 3.61 Tottenham 24 10 6 8 37 27 36 Spanish La Liga 12. Gael Monfils, France, 2860 19. Madison Keys, USA, 2962 13. Roberto Bautista Agut, Spain, 2710 Sevastova (LAT) bt Carolina Garcia 6­2, 6­4. 26. Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 3.60 Arsenal 25 10 4 11 31 26 34 Results on Monday: 20. Marketa Vondrousova, Czech Republic, 2952