NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan: When Wang Wei-chen had a base hit for the Chinatrust Brothers, no one booed or cheered from the stands at the suburban Taipei ballpark. No one hurled insults at the umpires. And no one yelled the Chinese-language line of encouragement “add oil” to either team.
The 12,150 blue plastic seats were devoid of fans Friday night for the game between Chinatrust Brothers and Fubon Guardians, down from the average crowd of 6,000 at professional baseball games in Taiwan. No fans have come to any games here since play started on April 11.
Taiwan’s five-team Chinese Professional Baseball League is barring spectators over concerns of spreading the coronavirus in a crowded space. But Taiwan has relatively few cases of COVID-19, so the league decided it was safe to let in players, coaches, cheerleaders, costumed mascots, face mask-wearing batboys and the media.
“We’d like to have fans coming into the stadium to cheer us on, yet due to the outbreak they can’t,” said Wang, an infielder for Brothers. “We are still lucky, since we have not stopped our season and people can still see us in this way.”
Other baseball leagues around the world have been postponed to May or later. Beyond baseball, organized sports worldwide have canceled or delayed competition. The Tokyo Olympics have been pushed back a year.
At the Taiwan ballpark, about 150 placards were placed upright on the seats. They wished luck to particular players from the Guardians home team, some with cut-out effigies, and thanked Taiwan’s medical personnel for keeping coronavirus caseloads low on the Western Pacific island.
Rock and roll sounds blasted out of the bleachers as if in a normal game, and players did some cheering for their teammates to replace the din of fans.
“I think it feels like a real game,” said Mac Huang, a longtime baseball fan and middle school teacher in Taipei who is following the league now online. Fan-less games, he said, are “a good way to stop coronavirus, but no one knows when coronavirus will stop, and it’s good to have the games on anyway.”
League officials delayed the season twice from its originally scheduled opening day on March 14, and only started competition after close consultation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare. They’re ready to allow all 240 regular games in empty parks through the season’s end in mid-November, if needed.
Taiwan has had just 428 coronavirus cases among a population of 23 million. Bars, restaurants, shops and schools still run normally. Taiwan has limited the spread by imposing flight restrictions and through contact tracing of anyone who comes near a confirmed patient.
“We have to be grateful to Taiwan’s citizens for keeping the outbreak under control and let us do this,” league commissioner Wu Chih-yang said.
To keep fans watching on their phones, PCs and TVs, the league is encouraging teams to give their stadiums a realistic, lively feel. That’s where the placards and cheerleaders come in. Online game commentary is being broadcast in English as well as Chinese this year in case fans overseas want to watch a live season.
“Because there is so much room up there in the stands, it leaves space for creativity and each team can be creative as it wishes,” the commissioner said.
Teams are still making some money from broadcast games, he added. The league charges a subscription fee for online viewers.
In Taiwan’s Taoyuan city, the unbeaten Rakuten Monkeys are charming fans by placing 40 mannequins in the stands — to be sent to local clothing stores once their duties are done. Stadium seats support four long LED-lit display boards that twinkle with slogans to inspire base hits and home runs.
The Monkeys, last season’s champions, deploy six robots to bang drums along with the cheerleaders. Fans are excited enough that about 50 of them have sponsored the LED boards, cheer squad leader Eric Chiu said.
A Monkeys game on April 15 attracted about 650,000 viewers in different countries, according to the Taiwan government-backed Central News Agency.
“They think what we’re doing now is OK, but we still hope this outbreak passes soon,” Chiu said. “It’s better to have the fans back.”
Guardians manager Hong I-chung is less sure.
“If you ask the players, they won’t find it so different actually,” Hong told reporters before Friday’s game. “They need to focus on the field, and often noise from fans can throw off their state of mind.”
He particularly noted the impact of players being “scolded” by comments from fans in the stands.
Other people on the field Friday said they were ready to play as usual. Pre-game chatter with reporters focused more on hitting, pitching and lineups than on the lack of fans or Taiwan baseball’s world outlier status. The Brothers won 11-0.
“The fact that were playing in front of empty seats, that’s fine, we’re still playing the game, getting the opportunity to come out here and play,” said Rob Ducey, a former Major League Baseball outfielder who is now a hitting coach for the Guardians.
Baseball in full swing in Taiwan, even in empty stadiums
https://arab.news/gx3zn
Baseball in full swing in Taiwan, even in empty stadiums
- Taiwan has relatively few cases of COVID-19
- But the Chinese Professional Baseball League is barring spectators
Ben Sulayem committed to to transforming FIA into ‘modern, accessible and connected organization’
- Leading figures in racing assemble in Marrakech as FIA president continues mission to double motorsport participation
DUBAI: The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the global governing body for motorsport and the federation for mobility organizations worldwide, is set for a busy agenda of high-level discussions at its annual FIA Region I Spring Meeting starting in Marrakech on Tuesday.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem will be in attendance at the three-day assembly of mobility and motorsport leaders from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to discuss key initiatives in road safety, sustainable mobility, regional sporting growth, and innovation in transport.
Speaking ahead of the conference, which is hosted by Mobilite Club Maroc, Ben Sulayem said: “As a global federation it is not often that we are able to unite our community in one place, so moments like this are particularly special.
“The next few days will provide an invaluable opportunity for engagement and participation, along with key votes to decide on the leadership of our community.”
The Region I Spring Meeting will coincide with a series of sessions designed to equip member clubs with new strategies and insights into evolving mobility and sporting trends. The event will be an opportunity to share knowledge and best practice across topics such as service delivery, sustainable responsibility, and consumer-focused innovation.
Ben Sulayem said: “Our members are fundamental to the success of the FIA, and I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made together during my first term in office and the successes we have achieved. We continue to strengthen the link between sport and mobility, expanding our reach and impact on the global stage.
“I am committed to the transformation of the FIA into a modern, accessible, and connected organization. Globally we are continuing our mission to double motorsport participation through grassroot initiatives and accessibility programs such as Affordable Cross Car and the Global Karting Plan, while ensuring ongoing empowerment of all regions across our mobility capabilities.”
The FIA Member Club structure forms the backbone of the federation’s governance and operations, with each full member club holding voting rights across the FIA’s elections and regulatory decisions. Clubs are grouped into two primary categories, with some serving in both roles.
Mobility clubs provide mobility services and represent the interest of road users, with a focus on road safety, travel and tourism, consumer rights, and sustainable mobility.
National sporting authorities govern and develop motorsport at a national level, are responsible for sporting events, issuing licenses, and engagement across regulations.
Within the FIA there are four mobility regions and six sport zones. FIA Region I is comprised of 101 mobility member clubs from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, representing over 41 million members.
Saudi professional esports team Falcons Vega wins UK women’s tournament Red Bull Instalock
- The invitational tournament ran from May 2-3 at the UK’s premier esports and gaming venue, the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London
- Red Bull Instalock brought together some of the best women’s VALORANT teams from around the world, including G2 Gozen, GIANTX GC, Falcons Vega, and FlyQuest RED
LONDON: Falcons Vega have been crowned this year’s Red Bull Instalock champions, securing the victory following a weekend of top-level competition from London’s premier gaming and esports venue, the Red Bull Gaming Sphere. The event marked the UK’s first professional women’s esports tournament of 2025.
Returning for a second straight year, Red Bull Instalock brought together four of the world’s elite women’s VALORANT teams for two days of competition. Returning to the lineup were last year’s champions G2 Gozen from Germany and London locals GIANTX GC. Joining them as Red Bull Instalock newcomers were Falcons Vega from Saudi Arabia and FlyQuest RED representing America.
The tournament saw the return of its unique format, transforming the traditional team structure to require three duelists, VALORANT’s offensive class, in order to encourage aggressive plays and quick thinking.
The tournament kicked off Friday with intense best-of-three matchups between Falcons Vega and GiantX GC, and between G2 Gozen and FlyQuest RED. Following intense back-and-forth battles on the map, Falcons Vega and G2 Gozen both secured 2-1 wins in their matches, progressing to the Upper Bracket Final later in the day. Inaugural Red Bull Instalock champions G2 Gozen continued their winning streak, knocking Falcons Vega down to the lower bracket in a clean 2-0 sweep and securing the first available spot for the Grand Final.
In the lower bracket, FlyQuest RED knocked out GiantX GC in a 2-0 win, before being pitted against Falcons Vega. With both teams eager to prove their worth and secure the remaining spot in the Grand Final, Falcons Vega swiftly earned their place with a 2-0 win that propelled them into the final showdown.
The Grand Final pivoted to a best-of-five, raising the stakes and pushing both teams to the limit in an intense back-and-forth showdown that went across five maps. Falcons Vega swiftly took the first map against G2 Gozen, grinding the latter team’s momentum to a halt. Determined not to go down without a fight, G2 Gozen brought it back with a 19-17 win on map two following the longest overtime in the tournament’s history, and another win on the third map, before Falcons Vega closed the gap on map four. With teams tied, stakes were higher than ever going into map five, and Falcons Vega eventually triumphed 13-8 following an incredible final performance, dethroning G2 Gozen and claiming the title of Red Bull Instalock Champions.
Falcons Vega pro and Red Bull player Maryam “Mary” Maher said: “It means so much to have won Red Bull Instalock. This team is made of the most hardworking women I know, and I’m proud of the work we put in. We’re so happy to be representing the Middle East and want to be role models for women gamers in the region.”
Red Bull Instalock host Yinsu Collins also commented: “This year’s Red Bull Instalock has been amazing. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that we crowned Falcons Vega as our winners, and it’s been really special to have some of the best players from MENA and SEA to compete under one roof in London. We had an incredible variety of international teams and players compete this year, which helped keep the action fresh, and it’s been great to see matchups between teams that don’t normally get to compete together.”
Fatal Fury: Alvarez undisputed champion in Riyadh, Crawford eyes it next
- Unanimous decision win over William Scull on Saturday night
RIYADH: Canelo Alvarez once again cemented his place atop boxing’s super middleweight division, claiming undisputed status with a unanimous decision win over IBF title holder William Scull on Saturday night at the ANB Arena in Riyadh. It was a tactical affair rather than a thriller, but enough to remind the world who still rules at 168 pounds.
Canelo told Arab News before the fight that he would humble Scull, adding: “He’s very confident but he’s going to feel something different on Saturday.” The latter felt the Mexican king’s words.
Turki Alalshikh delivered the night’s biggest fireworks after the final bell, orchestrating a dramatic in-ring face-off between Canelo and Terence Crawford to announce plans for a Sept. 12 mega-fight. The undefeated Crawford, one of Turki’s favored fighters, now appears next in line — a high-stakes bout that has boxing buzzing.
A Canelo and Crawford showdown is a classic pressure versus precision matchup — Canelo’s methodical stalking and body punching against Crawford’s switch-hitting, movement, and counters. If Crawford can control distance and disrupt Canelo’s rhythm, he can box his way to a decision. But if Canelo cuts the ring, lands to the body, and imposes his physicality, he could break Crawford down — or at least bank enough rounds up close.
Elsewhere on the card, Badou Jack retained his WBC cruiserweight title in a majority decision that left many scratching their heads. Most observers believed Noel Mikaelian had done more than enough to win, but the judges saw it otherwise, handing Jack one of the night’s more contentious victories.
Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia picked up a solid, if unremarkable, win in his rematch with Bruno Surace, while heavyweights Efe Ajagba and Martin Bakole battled to a hard-fought draw that could easily set up a rematch. Both fighters absorbed plenty in a gritty back-and-forth contest.
Bakole was amazed to see how popular he was among Saudi fans who shouted his name throughout the fight. “I stole the show — everyone loves me (here),” he said, adding that he was aiming for a rematch to settle the score.
The undercard delivered glimpses of the future. Cuban light heavyweight prospect Brayan Leon stayed unbeaten with a dominant win, despite some defensive lapses, while 2024 Olympian Marco Verde made a thunderous pro debut with a first-round stoppage.
Richard Riakporhe made a successful entrance into the heavyweight ranks with a stoppage win over Kevin Nicolas Espindola.
Fighting for the first time since his cruiserweight title loss to Chris Billam-Smith last June, the 35-year-old Londoner returned to the ring carrying a bulked-up frame at 235 pounds. The added size signaled his intentions to create a new chapter in boxing’s glamor division.
“I want to get a heavyweight title. I’ve grown now, I’ve built myself up, I’m more healthy," Riakporhe said, expressing a desire to chase that ambition under the lights of a familiar setting. “This is where I want to do my fighting now,” he added, referring to Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom’s own Mohammed Alakel remained undefeated, winning a shutout decision and continuing his climb in the opening bout on the Fatal Fury City of Wolves card.
He told Arab News in a post-fight interview that he was ready to “happily” take on any name next, anywhere in the world, adding: “I just want to get the experience and (become) the first Saudi champion.”
It was a night billed around one man, but the supporting cast — for better or worse — gave fans plenty to talk about. From disputed decisions to promising debuts, Riyadh delivered the full spectrum of boxing’s beauty and blemishes.
Baniyas lead in third round of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship
- Al-Jazira Jiu-Jitsu Club are in second place, Al-Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club in third
Abu Dhabi, May 3: Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club continued to lead the third round of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship on Saturday after competitions in the U-14 and U-16 categories took place at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Al-Jazira Jiu-Jitsu Club are in second place, while Al-Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club are in third.
Mohamed Salem Al-Dhaheri, vice chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “The Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship represents a key pillar in our strategy to develop the sport, especially by focusing on younger age groups, who are the foundation of long-term sporting excellence. The championship’s ranking system offers strong motivation for clubs and academies to enhance player development and achieve strong results — factors that will elevate the level of competition and expand the athlete base across the country.”
Meanwhile, Mohammed Haitham, youth team coach at Al-Jazira Jiu-Jitsu Club, said: “We prepared intensively for this round, both physically and mentally, knowing how important it is in the overall championship. The team delivered a strong and disciplined performance, executing the technical plans effectively, which boosts our chances in the final rankings.”
The final day of the third round takes place on Sunday with the U-12 categories.
Mahindra Racing secures season-best result in Monaco E-Prix as Rowland takes first place
- The team had arrived in Monaco on the back of nine consecutive points finishes
MONACO: Mahindra Racing recorded its strongest result of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season to date with a second-place finish in the opening Monaco E-Prix on Saturday.
Nyck de Vries secured a runner-up finish in the Principality behind eventual winner Oliver Roland of Nissan, while team-mate Edoardo Mortara crossed the line in fourth, moving Mahindra up to third in both the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ standings.
Jake Dennis scored the third and final podium sport for Andretti.
The team had arrived in Monaco on the back of nine consecutive points finishes and a perfect Duels qualification record so far in Season 11 with its M11Electro car.
That consistency continued in qualifying, where de Vries advanced to the Semi-Finals and secured fourth on the grid. Mortara qualified ninth, giving Mahindra two cars in the top 10.
De Vries made a strong start, moving into third at the first corner before managing his race through two full-course yellow periods, a mandatory PIT BOOST stop – which requires a 34-second stationary recharge – and two Attack Mode activations. He moved into second in the closing stages and held position to the flag despite late pressure from behind.
“I’m very happy to be on the podium today, especially in front of my family and friends here in Monaco,” said de Vries. “The car was excellent, and we executed a very strong race strategically, so the whole team deserve a lot of credit for the work that we’ve done.
“Tomorrow is another day, and another race, but we’ll enjoy this result, and it’s great to have some confirmation of the progress we’re continuing to make, and a reward for the work we’ve done so far. We know the next steps will be harder, but this is encouraging.”
Mortara also moved forward through the race despite running with minor front wing damage following contact from another car. He climbed from ninth on the grid to fifth by managing his energy and using the PIT BOOST period to gain track position. He passed Nico Mueller on the final lap to take fourth.
“It’s a strong result for the team, and I was very happy to come through the field and score some good points today,” said Mortara. “Even with some minor damage, we were able to make progress and fight towards the front, which is very encouraging and another sign we are on the right path with our development of this new package.
“It’s a great start to the weekend, and hopefully we can have another positive result tomorrow.”
Team Principal and CEO Frederic Bertrand praised the team’s performance and execution, particularly under the new PIT BOOST format that was introduced this season.
“These are the days we’ve been working towards as a team, and it’s important to enjoy them whilst also being hungry for more,” said Bertrand.
“Today was a great example of what we have been building. We’ve extended our run of qualifying for the Duels and scoring points in every race this season, and I was particularly pleased to see not only how Nyck was able to fight at the front, but how Edo moved through the pack despite some small damage.
“PIT BOOST races are still a bit of an unknown for the whole paddock, but our engineers and mechanics executed a great strategy, and we were able to use it to our advantage again, as we did in Jeddah.
“Overall, a very pleasing result. It’s always nice to end the day with a trophy, but our focus remains to keep up this level of performance consistently and keep being ambitious and aim for even higher.”
Mahindra will return to action on Sunday for the second Monaco E-Prix of the weekend.
