NEW YORK: Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge were named unanimous choices for Major League Baseball’s 2024 Most Valuable Player awards on Thursday.
After a historic campaign that ended with his first World Series title, Ohtani captured the National League MVP award, his second MVP award in a row and third in four years after winning the American League version in 2021 and 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels.
“I take this MVP as I’m just representing the Dodgers,” Ohtani said through a translator. “It was a complete team effort. I wouldn’t have been able to receive this award if it weren’t for my teammates.”
Ohtani became only the second player in MLB history to have captured MVP awards in both leagues after Frank Robinson, who won the 1961 NL MVP with Cincinnati and the 1966 AL MVP with Baltimore.
Ohtani was the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season.
The 30-year-old Japanese standout and Judge, who won the 2022 AL MVP, each received all 30 first-place votes from a media panel.
It was only the second time both MVPs were unanimous selections after last year when Ohtani won in the AL and Ronald Acuna Jr. in the NL.
Ohtani is the first designated hitter to capture an MLB MVP award. He won the past two in a dual role as a pitcher and batter but spent this season recovering from an injury that kept him off the mound.
Resuming his pitching role in 2025 is a goal, Ohtani said.
“My focus is just to get back healthy, come back stronger, get back on the mound and then show everybody what I can do,” Ohtani said.
Ohtani, who signed a record 10-year deal worth $700 million with the Dodgers last December, sparked the team’s run to the World Series crown, beating the Yankees in the best-of-seven final.
“The ultimate goal from the beginning was to win a World Series, which we were able to accomplish,” Ohtani said. “The next goal is for me to do it again.
“Right now I’m in the middle of rehab and working out and getting stronger and I’m looking forward to next season so we can run it back.”
Ohtani had a .310 batting average with an NL-best 54 home runs and batted in 130 runs while stealing 59 bases over 159 regular-season games.
“I didn’t have specific number goals, but I did want to improve my stolen base numbers,” Ohtani said.
“I don’t strive going into the season to get the MVP award. I was more focused on being one of the guys with the new team.”
Ohtani became the leadoff hitter in the batting order midway into the campaign to spark improvement for the club at the plate.
“I didn’t really change my approach,” he said. “It was more staying within my same game plan, trying to be aggressive on the bases and just do the best I could.”
Judge, a 32-year-old American slugger, batted .322 with 122 runs scored, 36 doubles, 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks in 158 games this past season – leading MLB in homers, walks and runs batted in.
“It means a lot,” Judge said of a second MVP trophy. “It’s a lot of hard work in the off-season, a lot of ups and downs during the season.
“I wouldn’t be in this position without my teammates, all the coaching we had this year – it’s such a blessing.”
The Yankees’ World Series loss to the Dodgers is already inspiring Judge’s efforts for next season.
“It makes you want more,” Judge said. “It makes you wake up early and get things going already in the off-season to put yourself back in that position and change the outcome next year.”
Ohtani, Judge are unanimous choices for MLB MVP awards
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Ohtani, Judge are unanimous choices for MLB MVP awards
- Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani captures the National League MVP award
- His second MVP award in a row and third in four years after winning the American League version in 2021 and 2023
Sainz set to step out of comfort zone to defend Dakar Rally title
- Five-time winner Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and France’s nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb will be piloting Dacia Sandriders, while Spain’s one-time Dakar winner Nani Roma will also be in a Ford
- One notable absentee from the action will be France’s ‘Mr Dakar’, 14-time champion Stephane Peterhansel, who hung up his keys last year
- A 434-strong colorful caravan made up of cars, bikes, quads and trucks sets out from Bisha with an opening prologue on Friday
BISHA, Saudi Arabia: Veteran Spanish driver Carlos Sainz made history when he won his fourth Dakar Rally last year and is confident that he has what it takes to challenge for victory in this season’s grueling race in Saudi Arabia.
Sainz’s fourth title came when he was 61 — the oldest winner of the race and the first Dakar victory for German outfit Audi.
Now 62, the Spaniard — the father of Ferrari Formula One driver Carlos Sainz Jr — recently became a grandfather, but the two-time world rally champion known as ‘El Matador’ professes to be in fine form.
“Personally I’ve done everything I can to arrive in a good physical condition and I will give everything to try to have a good race,” Sainz said at the launch of his new Ford Raptor car.
“We are comfortable, we have done all the jobs we can.”
Sainz added: “I expect first of all to enjoy, to have really good fun driving.
“I expect to have not so many problems and I expect to fight for the victory. I’m happy to help to try to win this challenge, the Dakar.”
No one has managed to take a machine fresh from the factory to victory since Ari Vatanen, who triumphed with the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 in 1987 and then with the 405 — its technical heir — in 1989, followed by the Citroen ZX in 1991.
But that hasn’t stopped Sainz’s rivals also choosing to blood new cars over the 5,115 kilometers (3,178 miles) of specials mapped out over 12 stages between Bisha and Shubaytah.
Five-time winner Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar and France’s nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb will be piloting Dacia Sandriders, while Spain’s one-time Dakar winner Nani Roma will also be in a Ford.
One notable absentee from the action, however, will be France’s ‘Mr Dakar’, 14-time champion Stephane Peterhansel, who hung up his keys last year.
In the bike section, two-time winner Ricky Brabec (Honda) will be back to defend his title, with the American’s main rival likely to be Botswana’s Ross Branch (Hero), second last year.
A 434-strong colorful caravan made up of cars, bikes, quads and trucks sets out from Bisha with an opening prologue on Friday.
Twelve stages then await the 778 competitors from 72 countries, with a Jan. 17 finish in Shubaytah, on the border of the UAE.
This year’s route includes a second 48-hour stage in the Empty Quarter, a vast sea of sand with dunes as far as the eye can see.
Introduced last year, organizers said the concept of the stage, during which competitors have to bivouac on the sand and are not allowed outside help, was simple: “Juggling the twin challenges of endurance and performance while blasting through a thousand kilometers of desert in two days.”
“It’s the rally of maturity,” race director David Castera told AFP. “There’s a real level of difficulty, it’s a real, tough Dakar, which will push everyone beyond their limits, beyond their comfort zone.”
The 47th running of the event may be called the Dakar, but the last time the Senegalese capital actually hosted the finish was way back in 2007 — the security situation in Mauritania forced the 2008 cancelation.
It moved then to South America until finding a new home in Saudi Arabia since 2020.
Bayer Leverkusen sign teenage striker Alejo Sarco from Velez Sarsfield in Argentina
- Sarco: Transferring to a top club in Europe is something I have always dreamed of
- Sarco, an Argentina youth international who turns 19 next week, signed a contract through the 2028-29 season
LEVERKUSEN, Germany: Bayer Leverkusen signed 18-year-old Argentinian striker Alejo Sarco from Velez Sarsfield on Thursday with the defending Bundesliga champions describing the teenager as “a promise for the future.”
Sarco, an Argentina youth international who turns 19 next week, signed a contract through the 2028-29 season.
“Transferring to a top club in Europe is something I have always dreamed of,” Sarco said in Leverkusen’s announcement. “It’s exciting to be a part of the team from now on, and it will be a great challenge for me to support it with my abilities.”
Financial terms of the transfer and contract were not disclosed.
Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes said Sarco “is a promise for the future of Bayer Leverkusen. He is a technically skilled player, fast, agile, and assertive in one-on-one situations. With his strong finishing ability, he completes the profile of a modern center-forward.”
Leverkusen, who won the Bundesliga title and German Cup last season, currently trail league leader Bayern Munich by four points.
Inter extend dominance over Atalanta with 2-0 win in Italian Super Cup semi-finals in Saudi Arabia
- Juventus will face AC Milan on Friday in the other semi-final match
RIYADH: Defending Serie A champions Inter Milan extended its recent dominance over current leaders Atalanta with a 2-0 victory in the Italian Super Cup semi-finals on Thursday.
Denzel Dumfries scored two second-half goals for the Nerazzurri, which have now won seven straight against Atalanta.
Juventus will face AC Milan on Friday in the other semi-final match, with Sergio Conceicao making his debut as Milan coach after Paulo Fonseca was fired.
The final of the four-team tournament in Saudi Arabia is scheduled for Monday.
Inter are aiming to win the Super Cup for the fourth straight year.
Dumfries scored first with an acrobatic overhead kick from close range then finished off a counterattack with a long-range strike.
Inter also threatened several times in the first half but was consistently denied by difficult saves from Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.
Atalanta surprisingly kept Ademola Lookman, Charles De Ketelaere and Ederson on the bench at the start. The three players came on near the hour mark and Ederson had a potential goal waved off for offside after a VAR check.
Inter beat Atalanta 4-0 twice in Serie A last year, in February and August.
This season, Atalanta and Napoli currently hold a one-point lead over Inter, who have a game in hand.
The only negative note for Inter was that Marcus Thuram exited with an apparent left thigh issue at halftime.
Year of welcome surprises generated by World Test Championship
- Despite certain flaws, the WTC has been one of ICC’s best initiatives, encapsulating Test cricket’s unpredictability
LONDON: There have been encouraging signs for lovers of Test cricket toward the end 2024. This is just as well because the T20 franchise season is almost upon us. There are those who are convinced that the T20 format is the only way of the future, but this seems disrespectful of the game’s oldest format.
One factor that seems to have assisted Test cricket was the creation of the World Test Championship by the International Cricket Council.
It comprises nine of the 12 ICC full members and is played on a two-year cycle. The first one, 2019-2021, was interrupted by COVID-19, with New Zealand beating India in the final. India also reached the final of the 2021-2023 cycle, but Australia triumphed. The WTC provides a framework for Test cricket by which teams are rated on the basis of results. The concept was first mooted as far back as 1996. It took until 2010 for agreement to be reached on its structure but was shelved in 2013 due to financial considerations.
The eventual tournament structure consists of 69 matches played between the nine teams across 27 series. Each team plays six series, three at home and three away, with each series containing two to five Test matches. The two teams with the highest number of points progress to the final.
Critics point to severe flaws in this structure. International cricket’s packed calendar means that not all teams play long series. Logistical challenges are too great to overcome to allow a home-and-away format. India and Pakistan do not play each other, while Test cricket is not financially viable outside of Australia, England and India.
It is quite an achievement, therefore, that South Africa is the first team to qualify for the final, which will be played in June, 2025, at Lords. This was achieved via six two-Test series against India, West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Pakistan. The last of these is currently in play against Pakistan. The first match was laden with drama. South Africa’s cricketing history contains many near misses and self-induced disasters, including the 2024 T20 World Cup final. Needing 30 runs from 30 deliveries, with six wickets in hand, South Africa lost by seven runs.
Another disaster seemed a distinct possibility at Centurion Park, Pretoria. Requiring only 148 for victory, South Africa slumped to 99 for eight in the face of superb fast bowling by Pakistan. Then, Kagiso Rabada, batting at number ten and Marco Jansen, batting at eight, shared a 51-run partnership to secure victory. Celebrations, no doubt tinged with relief, erupted. Sadly, there were few people there to witness the event.
This was not the case in Melbourne, where an equally thrilling Test match was won by Australia when India collapsed in the final session of the final day. Requiring 340 to win, India seemed to have set out to draw the match. At tea, the strategy looked to be working, India reaching 122 from three in 54 overs. A carelessly given-away wicket sparked the loss of seven wickets for 30 runs. Over the five days, the Test had been watched by 373,691 spectators, a new record for a Test match in Australia.
Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, was awarded player of the match for his performance with both ball and bat. His leadership qualities seem to know no bounds. His opposite number, Rohit Sharma, had a disappointing match. It is likely for both him and Virat Kohli to be the last series that they play in Australia. The team’s chances of making the WTC final are also fading.
Two months ago, it looked like Australia and India would be the two to reach the final. Now, it is Australia whose chances are the brightest. After a fifth Test against India next week, they have a two-match series against Sri Lanka to navigate. India’s cause was dealt a blow in a surprising twist of fate. After being beaten on tour in August in an ODI series by Sri Lanka for the first time in 27 years, the Test team lost all three matches to New Zealand in October. This ended India’s 12-year unbeaten run in Tests at home. It has not been an auspicious start to Gautam Gambhir’s term as full-time head coach.
In the race to join South Africa in the WTC final, Australia is in second place in the standings and India is third. The standings are calculated on the basis of the percentage of points won out of the total number of points contested. Twelve points are awarded for a win, a tie draw earns six points, a draw earns four, while points are deducted for slow-over rates. Australia’s percentage of points won is 61.46, while India’s is 52.78.
Australia requires one win from three remaining Tests — India at home and Sri Lanka away — to reach the final. India must win the final Test of their series against Australia and then rely on Sri Lanka to beat or draw with Australia. Sri Lanka has its own slim hopes. If the fifth Test between Australia and India ends in a draw and Sri Lanka wins both Tests against Australia at home, it will secure a place in the final.
A South Africa v Sri Lanka WTC final would be a major surprise and would probably lead to more concentrated criticism of the championship. In South Africa’s case, it would reopen accusations that it has disrespected Test cricket by sending a weakened squad to New Zealand in early 2024. This was because the top players were required to play in the SA T20 domestic tournament. South Africa’s defense is that, because Test cricket does not make money, the board had little option to develop another income stream.
It is impossible to know if the prospect of appearing in the WTC final affected player and team performance in the two exciting matches that have just concluded. The final matches of the cycle may yet generate more tension. Despite its flaws, the WTC has been one of governing body’s best initiatives, encapsulating Test cricket’s unpredictability.
Milan boss says injuries will be ‘no excuse’ for not performing in Italian Super Cup
- The Italian Super Cup is taking place in Saudi Arabia for a fifth time
RIYADH: AC Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao said on Thursday that injuries and a short training window will not be “an excuse” for his side ahead of their Italian Super Cup semi-final against Juventus on Friday.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Riyadh, the Portuguese underlined the importance of delivering a top-level performance and taking full advantage of opportunities to secure a spot in the final.
“I would have liked more days to work and more players available, but when I arrived I already knew about this situation,” he said.
“So there are no excuses, heads up. There are still two training sessions to go, we are preparing the match to be incisive, without having too much information in our heads, to try to win.
“Milan is a great club, and its rightful place is at the top. Everyone must work hard to bring joy to our fans in Italy and worldwide. We need to play with offensive aggression against Juventus, aiming to break their defense with teamwork rather than relying on individual players,” he added.
The Italian Super Cup is taking place in Saudi Arabia for a fifth time, and all three matches will be played at the King Saud University Stadium in the capital.
Conceicao said that he was confident in his team’s defensive strength, and dismissed any emotional distraction from the fact that his son, Francisco, will be playing for the opposing team.
“We have a huge responsibility which is defending the colours of one of the most historical clubs in football. We have a strong fan base, not only here but also elsewhere globally and we will do our best to make our supporters happy and proud,” he said.
“We have to play aggressively against Juventus. Our goal is to penetrate Juventus’ defence as a complete team, not by relying on individual players.
“Having my son on the opposing team won’t affect me. My goal is clear: to win like I do in any other match. There is no place for feelings on the field,” he added.
He also said that he and his team had received “a warm welcome in Saudi Arabia,” and thanked organizers for that.
The growth of football in Saudi Arabia – where some 80 percent of the population either play, attend, or follow the game – has been noticed across the globe, and Conceicao praised the passion for football in the Kingdom.
“There are many Portuguese players and coaches here in Saudi. It’s a league that is growing a lot and quickly. We can literally feel the passion for football and the will to grow. Many important players are contributing to this evolution,” he said.
French goalkeeper Mike Maignan echoed his coach’s determination and stressed the importance of following tactical instructions and giving their best to meet the expectations of the fans.
Juventus head coach Thiago Motta, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of small details in determining the outcome of the match. He acknowledged the challenges of the knockout format, calling on his team to demonstrate their style and character.
“Our players are eager to compete at the highest level,” Motta said. “The support of our fans will provide a crucial boost in achieving our goals.”
