BEIJING: NBA legend Yao Ming has quit as head of the Chinese Basketball Association after seven years in the job, the organization said on Thursday, calling it a “personal decision.”
The former Rockets center is China’s most famous basketball star and retired from playing in 2011.
“On October 31 the executive committee... held a meeting in Beijing to review and approve Yao Ming’s application to resign as the chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association and elect Guo Zhenming as the new chairman,” the association said in a statement.
The 44-year-old said he decided to quit “after careful consideration and based on considerations for the development of China’s basketball and personal planning,” the statement said.
It directly quoted him as saying that “basketball is a career I have always adored, whether in the past, present or future.”
“I hope that everyone will continue to support Chinese basketball with me in the future,” Yao said.
The association said the national sport administration “expressed sincere gratitude” to Yao for his work.
“It is believed that Yao Ming has done a lot of fruitful work in building the foundation of bringing basketball to the masses... (and) improving the level of the national team,” the association said.
“The executive members... respect and understand Yao Ming’s personal decision,” it added.
Yao Ming quits as head of China’s basketball association
https://arab.news/653sa
Yao Ming quits as head of China’s basketball association
- The former Rockets center is China’s most famous basketball star and retired from playing in 2011
Test cricket hat-tricks highlight an outstanding group of bowlers
- The feat has been achieved 46 times in men’s test cricket and three times in women’s Tests
It seems only fair and balanced that, after last week’s coverage of triple centurions, attention should focus on players who have taken hat-tricks in test cricket.
This feat constitutes the bowler taking wickets with three consecutive deliveries, not necessarily in the same over, although this is usually the case. The feat has been achieved 46 times in men’s test cricket and three times in women’s tests. A hat-trick may be considered an equivalent feat to scoring a triple hundred, although the latter may involve greater levels of endurance. This could be reflected in the smaller number of triple centuries — 32 — compared with hat-tricks.
Cricket folklore has it that the term originated in 1858. H. H. Stephenson achieved the feat when playing for the All England Eleven against Hallam and Staveley in Sheffield. By this time, a practice had emerged of taking a crowd collection for professional players who achieved an outstanding feat. On that day, the collection was used to purchase a white hat, which was presented to Stephenson. Records suggest that it was not his first hat-trick that season. Stephenson had already taken two others, both for England, but no award was recorded. His victims were either “veterans” or in the lower order, called rabbits, so perhaps the feats were not deemed outstanding.
The first hat-trick in a test match was claimed by Fred “The Demon” Spofforth for Australia against England in January 1879, in only the third ever test match. This was 50 years before the first triple hundred was scored. It was not long before the next hat-trick was achieved.
Billy Bates of England claimed one at Melbourne in January 1893. By the turn of the 19th century, three more had been taken, all by Englishmen. Johnny Briggs of England at Sydney in February 1892, George Lohmann at Port Elizabeth in February 1896 and Jack Hearne at Leeds against Australia in June 1899, all bowled themselves into cricketing history.
The five hat-tricks at the back end of the 19th century were followed by four in the early part of the 20th. They were remarkable in that only two bowlers were involved. In January 1902 and March 1904, Hugh Trumble of Australia became the first bowler to claim two hat-tricks, both against England. Even more remarkably, he was followed in achieving this feat by Australia’s Jimmy Matthews who claimed two hat-tricks on the same day, May 28, 1912. This was against South Africa at Manchester in a triangular series with England.
Only two other players have taken two test match hat-tricks. In March 1999, Wasim Akram of Pakistan took a hat-trick in successive tests against Sri Lanka, played as part of the Asian Test Championship. Akram’s first occurred in a group stage match in Lahore, the second in the final, played in Dhaka, a neutral venue. Stuart Broad staged hat-tricks for England against India at Nottingham in July 2011 and against Sri Lanka at Leeds in June 2014.
His achievement in 2011 may not have stood had the Decision Review System been in place. India had not accepted its use at that point. Broad’s first wicket was MS Dhoni caught behind. The second trapped Harbhajan Singh in front with a perfect full-length delivery but replays suggested that Singh had got an inside edge on his bat before the ball hit his pads. The third bowled Praveen Kumar. Broad’s second hat-trick was spread over two overs, the last ball of one and the first two of his next over. The umpire had to remind Broad of his achievement.
Other hat-tricks have generated their own quirks. The first one since 1912 was taken by Maurice Allom in 1930 on his test debut. Two players have achieved the same feat, New Zealand off-spinner Peter Petherick in 1976 and Australian pace bowler, Damien Fleming in 1994, both against Pakistan. One player has taken a hat-trick off the first balls of a test match. This incredible feat was achieved by Sri Lankan seamer Nuwan Zoysa in November 1999 against Zimbabwe. Indian pace bowler, Irfan Pathan claimed a hat-trick in the first over of a test match against Pakistan in 2006.
Although a hat-trick is usually considered as three consecutive balls in the same over, there have been exceptions. Australia’s Merv Hughes claimed one when the wickets fell over three overs. At Perth in 1988, he took a wicket with the final ball of an over. In his next over he took a wicket with the first ball to end the West Indian innings. When the second innings began Hughes claimed a wicket with the first ball. There have been two other occasions when a hat-trick has been taken over two innings, both against Australia by West Indians in 1998 and 2003.
Prior to 1939, eleven hat-tricks out of the 46 had been taken. It is no surprise that as the volume of test cricket increased the potential for hat-tricks increased. It did take until 1957 for the 12th one to be taken — Peter Loader for England against the West Indies. Thereafter, there is no pattern to the frequency. Since 2000, 20 of the 46 have occurred, the latest by Keshav Maharaj for South Africa against the West Indies in June 2021. The most recent one in women’s test cricket was by Rene Farrell for Australia against England in 2011. This was seven years after Shaiza Khan for Pakistan and 53 years since the first one by Betty Wilson for Australia against England in 1958.
It should be no surprise that some of the game’s finest bowlers have claimed a hat-trick. Shane Warne did so in 1994 and Glenn McGrath in 2000. It is also a surprise that others did not, most notably James Anderson and Muttiah Muralitharan, two of the leading wicket takers in test history. It seems that a specific set of circumstances need to align for the feat to be achieved. There will have been many occasions when two wickets have been claimed in two balls, but the bowler has failed to take a wicket with the next delivery. It is a common feature of both hat-tricks and triple centuries that they are rare and unexpected. Predicting when the next ones will occur is a fool’s game.
England captain Stokes says home was burglarized with family present
- Masked burglars stole jewelry and “irreplaceable” personal items during break-in while Stokes was on tour to Pakistan
- Among items stole were OBE, or Order of the British Empire, a medal given on behalf of the country to Stokes
LONDON: England cricket captain Ben Stokes said masked burglars stole jewelry and “irreplaceable” personal items in a break-in at his home while his family was in the house and he was away with the national team in Pakistan.
Stokes announced on Wednesday that the break-in took place Oct. 17 at his Castle Eden home in northeast England. That was the third day of the second test between Pakistan and England in Multan, with Stokes having just returned to the team after injury.
Among the items Stokes said were taken in the robbery was his OBE, or Order of the British Empire, a medal given on behalf of the country.
“By far the worst thing about this crime is that it was carried out whilst my wife and 2 young children were in the house. Thankfully, none of my family came to any physical harm,” he wrote on X.
“Understandably, however, the experience has had an impact on their emotional and mental state. All we can think about is how much worse this situation could have been.”
The thieves took jewelry and “other valuables and a good deal of personal items,” he said. “Many of those items have real sentimental value for me and my family. They are irreplaceable.”
Stokes, a World Cup winner with England and one of the most famous sports stars in Britain, said he went public with the news in a bid to help police catch the burglars. He released photos of some of the stolen items.
“Although we have lost cherished possessions, to be clear, my sole motivation in sharing these photographs is not the recovery of material items. It is to catch the people who did this,” he wrote.
Fabinho up against old friend Firmino as Al-Ittihad look to overcome Jeddah rivals Al-Ahli in Derby Week
- ‘Last season, I made a hard tackle on him, and he sent me a photo of his ankle. I said: Sorry, Bobby,’ Fabinho reveals ahead of Thursday night’s Jeddah derby
JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad midfielder Fabinho has admitted “it’s not nice” playing against compatriot, ex-Liverpool teammate and good friend Roberto Firmino, but will be doing everything to beat him and Al-Ahli in the Roshn Saudi League on Thursday.
Both Brazilian stars moved to their respective Jeddah clubs in the summer of 2023 after enjoying years of success at Liverpool, including winning the Champions League and Premier League.
But they will be on opposite sides for the Sea Derby, with Fabinho confessing that he even had to apologize to his good friend Firmino after an overzealous tackle in a corresponding fixture last season.
Al-Ittihad go into the derby in second place, with their local rival 11th in the Roshn Saudi League table.
The Jeddah derby, which kicks off at 9 p.m. local time at King Abdullah Sports City, is a part of the Roshn Saudi League’s innovative Derby Week, which is taking place in matchweek nine of the 2024-2025 season.
The new Derby Week addition to the Saudi Arabian topflight features Christiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr versus champions Al-Hilal, with Neymar at No. 10, at Al-Awwal Park. The mouthwatering Capital Derby matchup is on Friday.
The Eastern Derby between Al-Ettifaq, managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, and Al-Qadsiah, who welcomed Real Madrid hero Nacho into their ranks in summer, is on Saturday.
Here are some of Fabinho’s views on the big game and the SPL season:
On the derby
“For us it is a really important game, the team is in a really good moment. We are second in the league just behind Al-Hilal and we want to be at the top, so we have to win this game.
“This will be my third derby, the first two were not very good for us. We lost both of them, so it is an opportunity to give a nice result to our fans. The fans they are asking for us to give everything to win this game.”
Al-Ittihad’s form this season
“I think the players that arrived (in the transfer window) are playing really well. Moussa Diaby, Houssem Aouar, all the players who arrived have really integrated into the team and adapted to the team and the way we play.
“I think some key players are finding their best football again, so this is very important for us. The new coach and his staff arrived as well, and we know the ideas they have and how they want to play football.
“What everybody expects from us is to fight for the league, it’s not a big surprise. We have to do everything to reach the top.”
On facing Firmino
“It is not nice. Bobby is one of my good friends that I have made in football, he is a very good player, so I never like to play against him. Last season when we played against them, I made a hard tackle on him and after the game he sent me a photo of his ankle. I said: ‘Sorry, Bobby.’
“After the game we can talk but, in the game, I will fight for my side and my team. It’s nice to be in the same city as him, to see him off the pitch often. Our families also are in contact, and he is a very good friend, but on the pitch and in the derby, I am with Al-Ittihad and he is with Al-Ahli.”
On living in Jeddah
“My good friend Helder Costa played here for one season, so I talked to him, because I wanted my family to be comfortable in the city. Coming to Jeddah it was a very good surprise to see how nice the city is.
“We have adapted to the city, and we love to live in Jeddah. We’re very happy to be here.”
Patty Tavatanakit looks to ‘idol’ Taylor Swift as she seeks success at Aramco Team Series in Riyadh
- Golfer from Thailand is hoping to draw inspiration from singer as she looks to cap off her year with a third tournament win
- England’s Charley Hull is back from injury and feeling fresh, seeking to make the most of her month off
RIYADH: Golf, for all its glory, can often be a lonely and difficult game on tour.
As the end of the 2024 season beckons, four players from the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Riyadh reflected on the trials and tribulations of the sport.
The global event series organized by Golf Saudi, which contributes $5 million annually to the Ladies European Tour prize fund, ends in Saudi Arabia’s capital this week, with action underway on Thursday at Riyadh Golf Club.
Speaking at the pre-tournament press conference, Charley Hull, Carlota Ciganda, Alison Lee and Patty Tavatanakit opened up about some of the hardships of a grueling schedule, and the opportunities.
Tavatanakit, who opened her year with a win at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF, spoke frankly about what can be a love-hate relationship with golf, and how the drive for success keeps her motivated.
“This is only my fifth year on tour,” said the Thai golfer. “I’m already contemplating if I actually love golf, but I do it as a job. But what drives me to do what I do is being successful.
“I really want to be successful, setting goals and trying to achieve them, whatever it is. I feel like I lost that for a little bit, over the past two years, I was just really lost and like, why am I playing?”
When prompted about what inspires her to keep going and help to put herself in the best position to compete this week in Riyadh, Tavatanakit was keen to draw on one of her idols — global popstar Taylor Swift.
“Earlier this year I watched Taylor Swift in Singapore, and she performed probably three times a week at that stretch, and I really looked up to her. There must be some nights where she just does not feel like it, she just wants to call it quits, but she can’t disappoint all those people.
“It’s just the same with us, sometimes we just want to call it quits and we just want to go home, but we can’t disappoint our fans, our responsibility for the tour, our sponsors.
“So yeah, if you watch her on the stage, she did not even show that, so I idolize her for that, and I try to put it in this year’s mindset, as much as possible.”
Also looking to bring a fresh perspective into the event is England’s Hull who, after sustaining a freak shoulder injury after slipping in the shower earlier in the year, is now competing again, with her game back to the level she expects.
Hull had more than a month without competing before returning to action last week in Malaysia, and said playing golf with her friends and family has helped to keep her love going for the sport.
“I just enjoy being out on the golf course, I find it quite therapeutic,” said Hull. “I actually enjoy playing golf at home more with my friends than I do on tour. It’s a lot faster. I just like hitting shots, and I just love golf, that’s what gets me out of bed.”
“It’s a really nice golf course here, and it’s very scorable,” she continued. “It’s good for confidence too, because you can make those birdies out there. Last year, 29-under-par for Alison (Lee) after three rounds … that’s pretty crazy. So yeah, I’m here trying to make those birdies.
Solheim Cup star Lee was in inspired form in 2023, with her score of 29-under-par equaling the record for the LET — the caveat being that she achieved this in just three days.
The course will provide a sterner challenge but Lee is determined to retain her trophy. “I’ve never really been able to win anything back-to-back, so to be able to get that opportunity this week, I’m really excited,” said Lee.
“I know it’s going to be pretty tough, though, and I think it’s playing a little differently this year. I noticed some of the tee boxes are put back a little bit, so will be playing a little longer.”
Lee has seen how courses including Riyadh Golf Club have evolved since the growth of the game in Saudi Arabia, which has gone hand in hand with a surge in women’s golf.
“In Saudi Arabia, we’ve played on some of the best courses, and during the first Saudi Ladies International Tournament, about 1,000 women joined the Ladies First Club, which has since tripled,” said Lee.
“While that number might seem small, it’s a significant growth from zero, highlighting the potential for further development in women’s sports and golf. There’s still so much more room for growth here, and it’s awesome to be a part of that.”
The reigning champion from the team aspect, Spain’s Ciganda, will feel that she has a fantastic opportunity to retain her title — with seven-time LET winner Caroline Hedwall and fellow Spaniard Carmen Alonso making up the professional element of her team.
Alonso secured her first win on the LET in 2023 at the age of 38, and her captain Ciganda is excited for the chance to play together this week, given Alonso’s importance as a formative figure in Ciganda’s early years.
Said Ciganda: “Carmen is a little older than me, so when I was an amateur, she was on the team, and she was like a big sister to me when I was playing for Spain in the national team.
“We played a lot of European Amateur Team Championships, so when I saw that she was the third player, I was very happy.”
She added: “Every time I come here, it’s always a great week, the way they treat us. The golf course, the food, I think it’s (a) very easy week for us. I’m very, very excited for the week and looking forward to starting tomorrow.”
The Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – Riyadh runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 with 28 teams of four players each, consisting of three professionals and one amateur.
Pacers hold off Celtics in overtime, Cavs rout Lakers in James family return
- Indiana’s victory in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals left the Cleveland Cavaliers as the East’s only unbeaten team
- The Cavs gave the Los Angeles Lakers a rough ride, despite a warm reception for Bronny James in Cleveland, where the hosts dominated in a 134-110 victory to improve to 5-0
- The Oklahoma City Thunder remained unbeaten in the West, improving to 4-0 with a 105-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs
LOS ANGELES: Pascal Siakam drilled the game-winning three-pointer in overtime as the Indiana Pacers beat Boston 135-132 on Wednesday, handing the NBA champion Celtics their first defeat of the season.
Indiana’s victory in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals left the Cleveland Cavaliers as the East’s only unbeaten team.
The Cavs gave the Los Angeles Lakers a rough ride, despite a warm reception for Bronny James in Cleveland, where the hosts dominated in a 134-110 victory to improve to 5-0.
In Indianapolis, Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 30 points and 11 rebounds. Siakam added 29 and Tyrese Haliburton scored 17 points with 12 assists for Indiana, who led by as many as 24 early in the third quarter.
Boston outscored Indiana 38-24 in the fourth, twice cutting the deficit to three before Jayson Tatum drained a step-back three-pointer with 14.4 seconds remaining in regulation.
Boston took their first lead since the first quarter on Derrick White’s driving layup that made it 132-130 with 39.7 seconds left.
But Siakam had the last word, making a basket to tie it then rising for a three-pointer over Haliburton with 7.3 seconds to play.
“It’s big, it’s big,” Siakam said. “We got a couple of games where we lost by a couple of turnovers, rebounds. So we wanted to get this one.”
Tatum scored 37 points, Brown added 25 and White scored 23 for Boston, but they couldn’t pull off the miracle.
“We let them come back, but I thought we fought,” Siakam said. “That’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to be a team that fights to the end.”
Boston dropped to 4-1 as Cleveland improved to 5-0 for just the third time in franchise history.
Wednesday’s game was billed as a homecoming for LeBron and Bronny James — who hadn’t played since he was subbed in to play alongside his superstar father in the Lakers’ season-opening victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That made them the first father-son duo to play alongside each other in an NBA game.
This time around, LeBron James had departed for good and the game was out of hand when Bronny James was subbed in late in the fourth quarter — to cheers from Cleveland fans who remember him as a toddler attending Cavs games when his father starred for his hometown team.
Although the 20-year-old drafted by the Lakers in June is expected to be headed to the developmental G League soon, he did hit a mid-range jump shot for his first NBA points.
“To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not too far from here — it’s an unbelievable moment,” LeBron James said.
Nevertheless, it will be little consolation for the Lakers.
The Cavs made 17 three-pointers to the Lakers’ six and parlayed 21 Lakers turnovers into 31 points.
Cleveland took control with a red-hot first quarter, connecting on 77.3 percent of their shots from the field.
The Cavs led by 19 at halftime and turnovers doomed the Lakers’ efforts to make significant inroads in the third.
Evan Mobley scored 25 points and Mitchell added 24 as six Cavs players scored in double figures.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 26 points. Anthony Davis added 22 with 13 rebounds but Los Angeles dropped their second straight.
The Oklahoma City Thunder remained unbeaten in the West, improving to 4-0 with a 105-93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Lu Dort scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren added 19 for Oklahoma City as San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama was held to six points on one-for-five shooting.
Wembanyama added eight rebounds and three blocks, but it was Holmgren who came out on top in their match-up of second-year big men.
Elsewhere, Karl-Anthony Towns erupted for 44 points and 13 rebounds to propel the New York Knicks to a 116-107 victory over the Heat in Miami.
Jaden Ivey scored 23 points and Cade Cunningham added 22 to lead the Detroit Pistons to their first win, a 105-95 triumph in Philadelphia where the 76ers continued to struggle with stars Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined by injury.
