SEOUL: North Korea plans to send a 230-member cheering squad to South Korea as part of its delegation to next month’s Winter Olympics, Seoul officials said Wednesday, the latest in a series of conciliatory gestures the North has abruptly taken recently following a year of heightened nuclear tension.
North Korea informed South Korea of the size of its Olympic cheering squad when officials from the rivals met at the border for the third time in less than 10 days to discuss how to cooperate in the Olympics.
A flurry of Olympics-related meetings has provided a tentative thaw in long-strained ties between the Koreas. But the North’s reluctance to discuss its nuclear weapons program is raising skepticism over how long this mood of reconciliation will last.
During Wednesday’s talks, the North also told South Korea that it has a plan to send a delegation to the Pyeongchang Paralympics set for March 9-18, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said in a statement. A detailed makeup of the North Korean Paralympics delegation will be determined in further talks between the Koreas, it said.
The Koreas also discussed fielding a joint women’s hockey team and having their athletes march under a “unification flag” depicting the Korean Peninsula, instead of their respective national flags, during the opening ceremony for the February 9-25 Games in Pyeongchang, the ministry statement said.
It said North Korea proposed its Olympic delegation travel to south across the heavily fortified land border. Such a border crossing would be a highly emotional event garnering global attention.
The North has said its delegation would also include high-level officials, journalists, a taekwondo demonstration team and an art troupe along with athletes. On Monday, the two Koreas agreed that a 140-member North Korean art troupe comprising orchestra members, singers and dancers would perform in the South during the Games.
Despite its plans to send big cheering and artistic groups, no North Korean athletes are currently officially qualified to come to Pyeongchang though the Intentional Olympic Committee recently said it has “kept the door open” for North Korea to take part in the games.
Some critics say the North may be trying to use the Olympics as a chance to launch what they call “peace offensive” to show it’s a normal country despite pursuing nuclear weapons. They also accuse Pyongyang of trying to divide Seoul and Washington to weaken international sanctions and buy time to perfect its nuclear weapons.
The International Olympic Committee is to meet with sports and government officials from the two Koreas and officials from the Pyeongchang organizing committee at its headquarters in Switzerland on Saturday.
A pair of North Korean figure skaters qualified for the Olympics, but North Korea missed a deadline to confirm their participation. The IOC said recently it has “kept the door open” for North Korea to take part in the games.
South Korea also wants the IOC to allow the hockey team’s 23-player Olympic roster to be expanded so that several North Korean players can be added without removing any of the South Korean players. If a joint hockey squad is realized, it would be the Koreas’ first unified team in an Olympics.
There are still worries in South Korea that adding new players less than a month before the Olympics would eventually weaken the team power and deprive South Korean players of due playing time.
“Adding somebody so close to the Olympics is a little bit dangerous just for team chemistry because the girls have been together for so long,” Sarah Murray, the South Korea women hockey team’s head coach, told reporters Tuesday, according to Yonhap news agency. “I think there is damage to our players.”
North Korea to send 230-member cheering squad in Winter Olympics
North Korea to send 230-member cheering squad in Winter Olympics
Stokes out of England’s squad for Champions Trophy in Pakistan
- The 33-year-old star all-rounder was not considered after damaging a hamstring during England’s defeat by New Zealand this month
- Key batsman Joe Root, who preceded Stokes as Test captain, returns to the ODI side for the first time since the World Cup in India
LONDON: England Test captain Ben Stokes has been ruled out of next year’s Champions Trophy one-day international tournament in Pakistan and the preceding white-ball tour of India, team management announced Sunday.
The 33-year-old star all-rounder was not considered after damaging a hamstring during England’s defeat by New Zealand in the third Test at Hamilton earlier this month.
“Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes was not considered for selection as he continues to be assessed following a left hamstring injury sustained,” said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement.
Stokes did not bat in the second innings of that match as England slumped to a 423-run defeat — a result that meant his side still won a three-match series 2-1.
He previously missed this year’s home series against Sri Lanka and the first Test in Pakistan due to hamstring issues.
With England facing a five-match Test series at home to India starting in June before their pinnacle 2025/26 Ashes tour of Australia, team management have decided against risking inspirational red-ball skipper Stokes.
Key batsman Joe Root, who preceded Stokes as Test captain, returns to the ODI side for the first time since the 2023 World Cup in India.
Fast bowler Mark Wood, who missed the recent Test tours of both Pakistan and New Zealand, with a bone-stress injury to his right elbow, is in both squads.
The India series and Champions Trophy will mark England’s first limited-overs tour and tournament under coach Brendon McCullum, previously just in charge of the Test side.
Jos Buttler, who missed the recent ODI series against the West Indies with a calf injury, remains captain of the two white-ball teams despite England surrendering both their 50-over and T20 world titles since November 2023.
But it is possible the dashing batsman, replaced as skipper in the Caribbean by all-rounder Liam Livingstone, may not keep wicket, as he has for much of his limited-overs career.
Both the ODI squad for the India tour and the Champions Trophy, as well as the squad for five T20s in India in January, feature two other wicketkeepers in Test gloveman Jamie Smith, who missed the New Zealand series to attend the birth of his first child, and Phil Salt.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old rising star Jacob Bethell, who marked his debut Test series with three fifties in New Zealand, is included in both squads.
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed joins the T20 squad, while Root is selected only for the ODIs.
The tour party leaves for India on January 17, with the first match of a five-game series against T20 world champions India in Kolkata on January 22.
India and England will then play a three-match ODI series, in preparation for the Champions Trophy, starting in Nagpur on February 6.
Match dates for the Champions Trophy, which also features Pakistan as well as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, have yet to be announced, with the tournament due to run from February 19 to March 9.
England ODI squad for India tour and 2025 Champions Trophy:
Jos Buttler (capt/wkt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith (wkt), Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt (wkt), Mark Wood
Lakers sweep 2-game set against Kings with a 103-99 victory
- Desmond Bane scored 23 points and Memphis, without star player Ja Morant, beat skidding Atlanta 128-112
- Darius Garland scored 26 points and Evan Mobley had 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, sending NBA-leading Cleveland to a 126-99 victory over Philadelphia
SACRAMENTO: LeBron James had 32 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings 103-99 to sweep a two-game set on Saturday.
Trailing 101-99 with 12 seconds left, the Kings had a chance to tie after Anthony Davis missed two free throws but squandered the opportunity after they couldn’t secure the rebound. Austin Reaves was fouled and made both free throws to put the game away.
Reaves finished with 16 points, and Davis had 10 points and 15 rebounds as the Lakers completed the sweep after beating the Kings 113-100 on Thursday.
De’Aaron Fox led Sacramento with 31 points. Domantas Sabonis had 19 points and 19 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan added 12 points for the Kings.
Davis earned his 642nd block and passed Kobe Bryant for the fifth most in franchise history.
MAGIC 121 HEAT 114
In Orlando, Florida, Cole Anthony scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half and Orlando tied their largest comeback in franchise history to beat Miami after trailing by 25 points.
The Magic also trailed by 22 entering the fourth quarter before outscoring the Heat 37-8. Their 25-point comeback ties a mark set on Nov. 8, 1989 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Anthony also had eight rebounds and nine assists. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 24 points and Goga Bitadze added 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, who lost center Mo Wagner to a knee injury in the first quarter and center Wendell Carter Jr. to an ejection before halftime.
Bam Adebayo and Terry Rozier led Miami with 23 points each, and Tyler Herro added 22.
GRIZZLIES 128 HAWKS 112
In Atlanta, Desmond Bane scored 23 points and Memphis, without star player Ja Morant, beat skidding Atlanta.
Scotty Pippen Jr. added 22 points and nine assists. Morant, who injured his back in the Grizzlies’ Dec. 19 win over Golden State, was ruled out with low back soreness before Saturday night’s game.
De’Andre Hunter led Atlanta with 26 points and Jalen Johnson added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The Hawks were also without their own star in Trae Young, who was ruled out before the game with a right heel contusion. After winning its first three games in December, Atlanta has now lost four of its last five games.
JAZZ 105 NETS 94
In New York, Lauri Markkanen scored 21 points, Collin Sexton and Svi Mykhailiuk each had 18 points, and Utah beat Brooklyn.
The Jazz, who at 7-20 have one of the worst records in the NBA, have now won consecutive games for the first time this season. They beat the Pistons 126-119 on Thursday.
Both victories have come on the road, where they improved to 5-20.
John Collins finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds while Jordan Clarkson chipped in 16 points for a struggling Utah team that had lost 12 of its previous 15 games.
Cam Johnson had 18 points and Ben Simmons added 15 points and 10 assists for the Nets, who have lost seven of their last nine.
CAVALIERS 126 76ERS 99
In Cleveland, Darius Garland scored 26 points and Evan Mobley had 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, sending NBA-leading Cleveland to a victory over Philadelphia.
Donovan Mitchell had 19 points and Georges Niang added 13 points off the bench for Cleveland, which is 25-4 for the top record in the league.
The Cavaliers tied their season high with 22 3-pointers — Garland made 6 of 7 — and improved to an NBA-best 16-1 at home.
Tyrese Maxey scored 13 of his 27 points in the third quarter and Paul George had 11 points for Philadelphia. Kelly Oubre Jr. had nine points, but the 76ers were outscored by 34 in his 27 minutes.
CELTICS 123 BULLS 98
In Chicago, Jayson Tatum scored a season-high 43 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out 10 assists for his third career triple-double and Boston beat Chicago.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 22 points and Jaylen Brown added 19 to help the Celtics rebound from a 117-108 loss to the Bulls in Boston on Thursday night.
Tatum, the five-time All-Star, scored 18 points in the third quarter as Boston used a 19-8 run to open a 93-77 lead heading into the fourth.
Nikola Vucevic scored 19 points and 10 assists to lead the Bulls, whose season-high three-game winning streak ended. Zach LaVine, Coby White and Patrick Williams had 14 points each.
BUCKS 112 WIZARDS 101
In Milwaukee, Bobby Portis replaced Giannis Antetokounmpo in the starting lineup and scored a season-high 34 points, leading Milwaukee to a victory over Washington.
Khris Middleton had 18 points, six rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, while Portis finished with 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Antetokounmpo (back spasms) missed his third game of the season and the Bucks also played again without Damian Lillard (right calf strain) after winning the NBA Cup earlier this week.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said Lillard could play Monday against Chicago.
Rookie Ryan Rollins started at point guard in Lillard’s absence and contributed 14 points in 31 minutes. Center Brook Lopez also had 14 and Gary Trent Jr. had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Usyk beats Fury in heavyweight championship rematch
RIYADH: Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk takes the crown again in a rematch with British heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury, retaining the “undisputed” title.
The rematch took place at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena on Saturday evening.
Usyk was awarded the fight 116-112 in favor by all three judges, handing Fury his second loss.
Usyk’s win takes him to 23-0 with 14 knockouts and extends one of the all-time best careers that includes Olympic gold and undisputed champion at cruiserweight.
On the sidelines of the much-anticipated rematch, the first ever artificial intelligence judge was used as an experiment and did not decide the fight, according to Turki bin Abdulmohsen Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority.
During the media press conference, Fury told Arab News about the positive seven months he spent training and prepping for the rematch.
“I’ve had a good life, it's been good times, and I have had good training.”
Usyk told Arab News that he is happy that he won.
"I'm not a proud man, I'm just happy that I won. I like to motivate people to give them the incentive to do something."
As part of the undercard matches, Rhys Edwards, the Welsh featherweight boxer was overcome by the Peter Mcgrail British featherweight, who claimed his 11th professional win.
The fight was initially scheduled to be Mcgrail and Dennis McCann, who failed a drug test, causing him to be disqualified. Edwards stepped in with a five-day notice and accepted the challenge.
In an interview with Arab News, Edwards expressed his sentiments but remained optimistic given the short notice.
“ I'm a bit gutted I didn't get the win, but the whole week has absolutely been fantastic. And I've loved every moment of it…. I have learned a lot about myself. I took the fight (with) four days' notice, and a lot of people didn't give me enough credit or a chance coming into this fight. It was a very close (and) hard fight for both of us. So, I'm sure my profile and stocks have risen and I'm happy.
”I'm a very good fighter and I will fight anyone. I'm looking forward to a very big 2025.”
Tyson superfan Molly Chapman shared her predictions on which heavyweight will take the crown.
“I think Tyson Fury is going to win. I think his attitude is completely different this time. He seems more focused. He's been training hard. He looks in good shape and I think he's going to win.”
She told Arab News that her first time visiting the Kingdom has been amazing and has already begun planning her next visit.
“Saudi Arabia is just beautiful. The culture, the people, everyone's so friendly. And yeah, we're actually going to come back in February for the next fight.”
Daria Pyliukhno attended the boxing night rocking a “Ukraine” shirt, a true testament to her support towards Usyk.
“So today, of course I have to be here supporting my country. I'm from Ukraine, and I support Usyk. And I think he will win because Ukrainians mentality are strong enough to fight…I think that Usyk should bring Ukraine again the title of “The heavyweight champion.”
Riyadh Season’s wonderful surprises did not end there. A member of the audience was selected to win a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, presented by Alsheikh, during the opening ceremony.
Riyadh’s newly built Kingdom Arena played host to the boxing event, dubbed ‘Ring of Fire’, with a sellout crowd including several sports and entertainment figures in attendance at the 22,000-capacity venue.
Balotelli almost scores first goal for Genoa but Napoli hold on to lead Serie A again
- Lazio rebounded from a dismal 6-0 thrashing at home to Inter Milan by winning at lowly Lecce 2-1
- Bologna had a penalty saved but won at Torino 2-0
MILAN: Mario Balotelli almost scored his first goal back in Serie A while Napoli returned to the top after withstanding a late siege from Genoa to hold on for a 2-1 win on Saturday.
Balotelli returned to Serie A after more than four years in October and has made six appearances totalling just 57 minutes.
The 34-year-old was sent on with seven minutes remaining against Napoli and almost had an immediate impact as Andrea Pinamonti’s glancing header clipped Balotelli’s knee but goalkeeper Alex Meret managed to push it off the post.
It was one of several decisive saves by Meret in the second half as Genoa came out fighting after going into the break two goals down following headers from Frank Anguissa and Amir Rrahmani.
Pinamonti got Genoa back into it six minutes into the second half with a fine finish into the bottom right corner but the home side went on to suffer its first defeat since hiring Patrick Vieira as coach last month.
It was also Genoa’s first match since coming under the ownership of Romanian businessman Dan Șucu.
The loss left Genoa 13th in Serie A but only two points above the relegation zone.
Napoli moved a point above Atalanta, who host Empoli on Sunday.
10-men Lecce almost hold out
Lazio rebounded from a dismal 6-0 thrashing at home to Inter Milan by winning at lowly Lecce 2-1 but it was far from convincing despite Lecce playing the entire second half with 10 men.
Lecce’s chances of getting something from the match appeared to evaporate on the stroke of halftime.
Taty Castellanos’ first shot was parried brilliantly by Wladimiro Falcone and his follow-up was cleared off the line by the hand of Lecce defender Frédéric Guilbert, who was shown a straight red card.
Castellanos fired the resulting penalty into the bottom left corner.
Tete Morente volleyed Lecce level five minutes after the break and it seemed as if the 10 men were going to hold out for a point but substitute Adam Marusic — who had only just come off the bench — scored the winner three minutes from time.
Lecce almost leveled in stoppages but Mohamed Kaba’s header came off the crossbar.
Lazio moved to fourth while Lecce remained two points clear of the drop zone.
Bologna had a penalty saved but won at Torino 2-0.
Wirtz, Schick star for Leverkusen in rout of Freiburg and keep pressure on Bayern
- Leverkusen resume their league defense at Borussia Dortmund on Jan. 10, while Bayern visit Borussia Mönchengladbach on Jan. 11
- Brazilian goalkeeper Kaua Santos endured a game to forget as his Eintracht Frankfurt was shocked by 10-man Mainz 3-1
BERLIN: Florian Wirtz starred and Patrik Schick scored four goals as Bayer Leverkusen routed Freiburg 5-1 on Saturday to keep the pressure on Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich over the winter break.
Wirtz, who has yet to extend his Leverkusen contract, set up a hat trick for Schick and scored his seventh league goal of the season.
Leverkusen dominated but needed patience before Schick broke the deadlock with a chip over the goalkeeper right before the break.
Wirtz, who’d played Schick through, score after the break when he displayed brilliant close control to elude a defender before firing the ball inside the near post from a narrow angle.
Vincenzo Grifo pulled one back four minutes later, but Wirtz floated in a precise cross for Schick to head Leverkusen’s third in the 67th, then laid the ball back for Schick to fire Leverkusen’s fourth in the 74th.
“For a striker, it’s a dream to have this player behind you,” Schick said of Wirtz.
Schick scored again with a header to a corner three minutes later — the only goal that didn’t involve Wirtz.
Leverkusen stayed four points behind Bayern after its eighth straight win across all competitions.
Leverkusen resume their league defense at Borussia Dortmund on Jan. 10, while Bayern visit Borussia Mönchengladbach on Jan. 11.
Frankfurt goalkeeper’s woes
Brazilian goalkeeper Kaua Santos endured a game to forget as his Eintracht Frankfurt was shocked by 10-man Mainz 3-1.
Frankfurt had 34 shots at goal compared to nine by the visitor, which played with a man less from the 21st after captain Nadiem Amiri was sent off for catching Ellyes Skhiri’s right ankle with his studs.
Santos had already conceded an unfortunate own goal. The ‘keeper played out a short pass to Skhiri, who was immediately under pressure from two Mainz players. Skhiri sent the ball looping back toward Santos, who deflected it onto the crossbar, from where it rebounded back off Santos’ arm and in.
Mainz’s Paul Nebel then scored with a deflected shot for 2-0, and Santos was at fault again when a botched pass invited another Mainz attack. Nebel grabbed his second goal in the 58th.
Rasmus Kristensen, who struck the crossbar in the first half, scored Frankfurt’s consolation in the 75th.
“We were already there for Kaua as a team on the field,” Frankfurt defender Robin Koch said of Santos’ bad day. “He’s a young player, these things happen. But he’s a good guy, he’ll come out of it and the same will help him with his development.”
Regular goalkeeper Kevin Trapp and reserve Jens Grahl were out with illness.
Stuttgart stunned at home
Johannes Eggestein fired promoted St. Pauli to a 1-0 win at Stuttgart, last season’s runner-up. Stuttgart had won their last four games across all competitions.
Union Berlin’s winless run stretched to nine games across all competitions as Bo Svensson’s team slumped to a 4-1 defeat at Werder Bremen.
Holstein Kiel ended their five-game losing run by routing Augsburg 5-1, and Borussia Mönchengladbach won at Hoffenheim 2-1.
There were tributes with silences before all the games for the victims of an attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg the night before.
“There are always more important things than football,” Freiburg coach Christian Günter said.
