COPENHAGEN (REUTERS) - First-half goals from full backs Daniel Wass and Joakim Maehle gave dominant Denmark a 2-0 victory over Scotland in their World Cup qualifier on Wednesday (Sept 1) and kept the Danes top of Group F with four wins out of four. The Euro 2020 semi-finalists, who have scored 16 goals and conceded none in the campaign, sparkled once again and their young attacking players produced a fine display in the first half at the Parken Stadium. Right back Wass got on the end of a beautiful raking ball to the back post from Pierre Emil Hojbjerg to head the Danes into the lead in the 14th minute and just over 90 seconds later it was Maehle's turn. Andreas Skov Olsen caused chaos by cutting in from the right wing and finding left back Maehle, who in turn passed to Mikkel Damsgaard. The young playmaker flicked a superb pass back into the path of Maehle, who scored with a delightful touch off the outside of his right boot. Damsgaard has gone from deputising for Christian Eriksen following the latter's heart attack during their Euro 2020 opener against Finland to being the first name on Kasper Hjulmand's team sheet. The Scots improved after halftime, but the closest they came was a Ryan Fraser shot 10 minutes form time which Kasper Schmeichel got down smartly to save. Hojbjerg could have had a third after another dizzying Danish attack but his header was saved, and the hosts ran down the clock to see out a comfortable win. Denmark top the group on 12 points, five ahead of second-placed Israel. Scotland are fourth on five points, two behind Israel and Austria. More on this topic Related Story Football: Record-breaking Ronaldo rescues Portugal with late double Related Story Football: Griezmann scores but 10-man France held by Bosnia
LONDON (AFP) – Romelu Lukaku scored on his second Chelsea debut on Sunday (Aug 22) as the club’s record signing inspired a 2-0 win at troubled Arsenal, while Harry Kane made his first appearance for Tottenham this season in a 1-0 victory against Wolves. In Sunday’s other game, Mason Greenwood salvaged a 1-1 draw for Manchester United at Southampton. Lukaku has rejoined Chelsea from Italian champions Inter Milan for £98 million ($133 million) and the Belgian striker made an immediate repayment on that huge investment in the London derby at the Emirates Stadium. The 28-year-old spent three years at Chelsea between 2011 and 2014, but rarely featured and never scored before being sold to Everton. Lukaku, who endured a difficult spell at Manchester United before flourishing at Inter, took just 15 minutes to showcase his power and predatory instincts. Holding off Pablo Mari, Lukaku kept the Chelsea attack going before shrugging aside the Arsenal defender as he surged into the six-yard box to tap in Reece James’ cross. James scored Chelsea’s second himself with a superb strike into the far corner after Mason Mount picked out the unmarked defender inside the Arsenal area. European champions Chelsea have made a flawless start to their title challenge, winning successive games without conceding a goal. “I’m very happy with how he has integrated already, a very smart guy who likes to be in the group,” Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said. “He gives us something we did not have, to protect balls. You cannot start better than a goal and he assisted some chances.” Lacklustre Arsenal were booed off at half-time and Mikel Arteta’s team are pointless and goalless after following their limp loss at Brentford with a second defeat. “They were the better team. It is one of the difficult moments. The circumstances are difficult and unprecedented,” Arteta said. “Feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t help. You have to win football matches, keep it together and show spirit.” At Molineux, Kane came off the bench in the second half after the Manchester City transfer target missed the first two games following his late return from his close-season holiday. The England captain, frustrated by Spurs’ 13-year trophy drought, hopes to force a move to Premier League champions City before the August 31 transfer deadline. However, City are so far unwilling to meet Levy’s £150 million asking price for last season’s Premier League top scorer. Tottenham were already leading through Dele Alli’s 10th minute penalty by the time Kane arrived on the scene. Alli was fouled by Wolves keeper Jose Sa and the midfielder picked himself up to notch his first league goal since March 2020. Kane replaced Son Heung-min with 19 minutes left and received a largely positive reception from the travelling Tottenham fans, who sang “Harry Kane, he’s one of our own” as Wolves supporters mockingly chanted “He’ll be a Manc in the morning”. Kane had a golden opportunity to mark his return with a goal when Steven Bergwijn picked him out, but his shot was repelled by Jose Sa. More on this topic Related Story On The Ball: Chelsea look to have scored with Lukaku signing Related Story Football: Lukaku back at Chelsea as a more complete player Despite Kane’s miss, it was a winning return to Wolves for Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who was back for the first time since leaving in the close-season. “Harry is still in the process of increasing and improving his level of fitness, but he is one of the best players in the world,” said Nuno after Tottenham’s second successive league win. “You can see how he helped the team in terms of possession and the fine lines. We need everybody.” Greenwood to the rescue At St Mary’s, United failed to build on last weekend’s 5-1 demolition of Leeds as they trailed to Fred’s own goal. While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side left the south-coast frustrated, they did equal Arsenal’s English top-flight record of 27 successive away league games without defeat. Southampton took their controversial lead in the 30th minute. Bruno Fernandes felt he was fouled when a barge from Jack Stephens left the United midfielder in a heap but referee Craig Pawson waved play on. Moussa Djenepo and Adam Armstrong worked the ball to Che Adams on the edge of the United area and his shot deflected off Fred’s out-stretched boot as it flashed past David De Gea. Greenwood equalised in the 55th minute, firing under home keeper Alex McCarthy from 12 yards after Paul Pogba poked the ball into the teenager’s path. “We can’t go from one extreme of volleyball or basketball last season to rugby now. I like the more lenient way, it’s more men’s football but still, that’s a foul,” Solskjaer said.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - Brighton and Hove Albion moved joint top of the Premier League as first-half goals by Shane Duffy and Neal Maupay earned them a comfortable 2-0 home win against Watford on Saturday (Aug 21). Defender Duffy struck with a bullet header from a corner after 10 minutes to give the hosts the perfect start. Watford then gifted Brighton their second a few minutes before the interval when they lost the ball trying to play out from the back and Maupay curled home. The visitors did improve after the break and had a goal by Emmanuel Dennis ruled out for offside, but Brighton were comfortably the better side as they moved to six points. It is the first time Brighton have started a top-flight season with back-to-back wins, and the only blemish was an injury to Maupay who did not come back out for the second half after appearing to hurt his shoulder. Graham Potter’s well-drilled Brighton side were in command once Duffy, who suffered a difficult last season on loan at Celtic, rose highest to power in a Pascal Gross corner. Brighton’s second was a gift as Yves Bissouma pounced on a sloppy pass by Watford defender William Ekong and touched the ball through to Maupay who beat Daniel Bachmann with ease. It was a case of back to reality for Watford who marked their return to the top flight last week with a 3-2 win over Aston Villa at Vicarage Road. But for Brighton manager Graham Potter these are heady days with his side looking capable of residing in the top half. “Back to back wins at any stage are hard to achieve. We are in a good place, but it is just a start,” he said. On Maupay’s injury Potter said: “It’s early, but we are hopeful. Days more than weeks. But it is disappointing for him as he was doing really well.” Watford manager Xisco Munox took heart from a better second half display but said his side must learn from their mistakes. “Everybody knows the Premier League is the best league in the world,” he said. “It’s important everybody stays together. “I promise you we’re working very, very hard. It’s one step back, but we have to try to make two steps forward.”
Coimbatore, India & Bangkok, Aug 19, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - KGiSL, a global IT products, services and solutions provider, has announced a landmark contract win from the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), one of the largest stock exchanges in ASEAN, to provide a Broker Back Office platform for Thailand's brokers. KGiSL's offering, which will be hosted by SET and made available to all capital market brokers, will be based on its flagship Dolphin platform, an end-to-end back-office system that eases business operations with seamless and controlled automation. The implementation is expected to be completed within 16 months.Dolphin, the leading back office platform in India, caters to 60% of its institutional brokers, supporting back office clearing and settlement operations. Dolphin is set to become the one-stop solution for brokers in Thailand, with its ability to handle multiple asset classes including equities, bonds and offshore trading for both retail and institutional brokers. The next-generation technology platform has been tested for handling 5 million trades/day and has the potential capability to scale vertically and horizontally, supporting increases in business volumes. Dolphin was chosen over other leading systems because it was a better fit for requirements and for the robustness, scalability and automation capabilities it offers. Dr Pakorn Peetathawatchai, President, The Stock Exchange of Thailand said, "This is one of our most ambitious and challenging projects to establish a common, streamlined infrastructure that will open up new possibilities for Thai brokers to revolutionize back office business models. We strongly believe that continued support from participating brokers in providing valuable insights along with KGiSL's delivery capabilities will be key ingredients in contributing to the project's success."On the association with SET, Prassadh Shanmugam, Director & Chief Executive Officer KGiSL said, "This is a huge win for KGiSL. Dolphin has been the undisputed market leader in India so far, but we have had limited successes in other markets. This order opens up the entire ASEAN & APAC market to create similar success stories like how we have done in India. KGiSL is poised to invest more in Dolphin's capabilities by adding Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Business Intelligence (BI) and Analytics. I would also like to thank Dr Pakorn Peetathawatchai, President of The Stock Exchange of Thailand and the entire management of SET for placing their trust in KGiSL and Dolphin."About The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)SET is the most liquid stock market in ASEAN with end-to-end services to empower a seamless journey for all investors, securities brokerage companies and market participants. SET has transformed toward a partnership platform by harnessing world-class technology and digital innovation to enable all parties to benefit from the Thai capital market in line with the vision 'To Make the Capital Market Work for Everyone'. A number of open architecture and interoperable platforms have been developed with the aim of building an ecosystem crucial for fundraising, wealth creation, and the country's development, widening business opportunities for operators in the securities industry while offering investors convenient access to investment data, products and services. For more information, please visit www.set.or.th.About KG Information Systems Private Ltd (KGiSL)KGISL is a global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with some of the largest organisations in their transformation journeys for over 25 years. We harness the power of intelligent automation, hyper-automation, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to power our clients to the digital world. KGiSL has offices in India, US, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Thailand. For more information, please visit www.kgisl.com.KGiSL is part of the $750 million business conglomerate KG Group with interest in Textiles, Engineering, Healthcare, Education, Real Estate, Entertainment, Software and Business Support Services. The Group employs over 25000 people and is known for its philanthropic services to the community for over 8 decades. Learn more at www.kgworldwide.com.For further information, please contact:KGiSL: Sampathkumar S | sampathkumar.s@kgisl.com | +66 2286 3174Adfactors PR: Bhargav TS | bhargav.ts@adfactorspr.com | +91 9884883350Adfactors PR: Namrata Sharma | namrata.sharma@adfactorspr.com | +65 8138 3034 Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
LONDON (REUTERS) - Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton has recovered from a strength-sapping Hungarian Grand Prix and will be in good shape for the second half of the Formula One season, Mercedes technical director Mike Elliott said on Wednesday (Aug 4). The Briton suffered dizziness and fatigue after Sunday's race at the Hungaroring, the last before the August break, and said he suspected he was still feeling the effects of contracting Covid-19 in December. "I guess you saw him on the podium struggling. I saw him about an hour after that and he was definitely a chunk better and I know he has recovered since then," Elliott said in a Mercedes debrief. Hamilton has also posted pictures on Instagram of his workout sessions. Elliott said drivers faced particularly extreme conditions in Hungary, sitting close to the ground in humid air that reached temperatures of 40 or 50 degrees Celsius. "Lewis was really pushing on that two stop, some of the overtakes he was doing were absolutely brilliant. That takes a lot of energy out of you in that really hot environment," he added. "He is now going to have a break over the shutdown and I am sure he will come back really strong for the second half of the season." Hamilton has turned a 33 point deficit to Red Bull's Max Verstappen into an eight point lead, depending on the outcome of an Aston Martin appeal against Sebastian Vettel's disqualification from second place. Sunday's race was won by Alpine's Esteban Ocon after a chaotic opening lap, with Hamilton and team mate Valtteri Bottas one-two on the grid. More on this topic Related Story Formula One: 'Dizzy' Hamilton may be suffering from long-Covid Related Story Formula One: Vettel disqualified from Hungarian GP, Hamilton inherits second place Hamilton won the race before that, a home one at Silverstone, after a run of five wins in a row for Red Bull. Elliott said the team had been "enthused and energised" by the last two races, while recognising luck had gone in their favour. "I think for me, what's really encouraging is the pace we have shown in the last two races... to qualify one and two and by a reasonable margin, that's the strongest position we have been in so far this season," he added. "The rest of the season is definitely going to be tough, it is going to be a real fight. I think it is going to be one of those classic F1 seasons..." More on this topic Related Story Formula One: Alpine's Ocon takes first F1 win in Hungary; Hamilton back on top Related Story Coronavirus microsite: Get latest updates, videos and graphics
MUNICH, GERMANY (AFP) - Germany got their Euro 2020 campaign back on track – and blew Group F wide open – with a 4-2 romp against Portugal in Munich on Saturday (June 19). France’s 1-1 draw with Hungary earlier in Budapest and Germany’s win mean there is all to play for in Wednesday’s final group games when the Germans host Hungary and the French meet holders Portugal. “Overall, it was a great performance: great attitude and great morale,” said Germany coach Joachim Loew. “We rightly won by that amount and created many chances.” After Cristiano Ronaldo claimed his 107th international goal, leaving him two short of Ali Daei’s all-time record, to give Portugal an early lead, the Germans roared back with four unanswered goals. German pressure forced own goals by Ruben Dias and Raphael Guerreiro to put the hosts 2-1 up at half-time. A Kai Havertz goal underlined Germany’s dominance before left-back Robin Gosens capped his man-of-the-match display by heading in Germany’s fourth to add to his two assists. Portugal hit back when Diogo Jota tapped in Ronaldo’s hooked volley to make it 4-2 with 23 minutes left. Germany continued their domination of Portugal, who they have now beaten five consecutive times at World Cup or European Championship finals since Euro 2000. “Germany were the better team and I take responsibility for this (defeat), but whether we progress now is up to us and how we respond,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos. Germany created a huge amount of chances compared to Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat by France, while Portugal lacked the composure of their 3-0 win over Hungary the same day. The match began at a frantic pace amid sweltering conditions in the Bavarian capital. The Germans had a goal disallowed after five minutes when VAR spotted Serge Gnabry was offside as Gosens hit a spectacular volley. However, sloppy Germany defending saw Portugal take the lead. With only Gosens and Havertz defending at a German corner, Bernardo Silva started a counter-attack, then picked out Jota in the area with a world-class pass. The Liverpool forward squared to Ronaldo, who sprinted into the box to slot the ball past Germany captain Manuel Neuer with less than 15 minutes gone. It was Ronaldo’s first goal against Germany to extend his record tally to 12 goals at five European Championship finals. However, two own goals inside four minutes turned the game. Germany drew level when another Gosens volley was flicked towards the net by Havertz, with Dias getting the final touch as the ball flew past Rui Patricio on 35 minutes. The second goal soon followed when Guerreiro turned Kimmich’s cross into his own net while trying to stop the ball reaching the on-rushing German forwards. More on this topic Related Story Football: Portugal's Santos shoulders blame for big loss to resurgent Germany Related Story Football: Griezmann rescues Euro draw for France against Hungary Gosens caused Portugal problems all afternoon on the left flank. His low cross was tapped in by Havertz six minutes after the break. The Atalanta player then capped a superb display by powering in a close-range header from Kimmich’s cross on the hour mark. German fans sang their approval, with “Oh, wie ist das schoen” (oh, is that beautiful) echoing around the Allianz Arena. Gosens was substituted soon after with his name being chanted. Portugal pulled a goal back when Guerreiro’s free-kick was hooked back by Ronaldo and turned in by Jota. Germany nearly claimed a late fifth goal when Havertz’s replacement Leon Goretzka fired over after another surging attack by the hosts. This is the first time Portugal have conceded four goals since losing 4-0 to Germany at the 2014 World Cup. More on this topic Related Story Football: Wasteful Spain struggle to 1-1 draw with Poland Related Story Football: De Bruyne says dead feeling in face won't affect his play
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA (REUTERS) - Englishman Richard Bland, in only his fourth major appearance, upstaged some of the game’s biggest names to grab the early US Open second-round lead on Friday (June 18) while Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama was at risk of missing the cut. The 48-year-old Bland, who only qualified for the US Open after picking up his first European Tour title at last month’s British Masters, fired a four-under-par 67 to reach five under on the week as the wind started to pick up at Torrey Pines. “The old saying is you get knocked down seven times, you get up eight,” said Bland. “I’ve always had that kind of attitude that you just keep going. You never know in this game, you just keep going.” Bland started on the back nine and reached the turn at two-under. He started to pull away with three birdies over his next six holes but a bogey at the par-three eighth, where he failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker, cut into his lead. Former British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen, who shared the 18-hole lead with Russell Henley, made a nine-foot birdie at the last for an even-par 71 that left him one shot off the pace. Twice Masters champion Bubba Watson, who missed the cut in five of his last seven U.S. Open starts, birdied five of his final six holes for a four-under-par 67 and was a further shot adrift with world number three Jon Rahm (70). Henley had just started his round while Italian Francesco Molinari and Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello, who were both a shot back after the opening round, were also among the late starters. Oosthuizen started early on Friday to complete the final two holes of his fog-delayed first round and was cruising along in the second round until he failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker at the par-four sixth. The South African then dropped another shot at the par-three 11th where his tee shot settled in a right greenside bunker. Matsuyama struggles World number five DeChambeau (69), who began the day six shots adrift, started on the back nine and bogeyed two of his first three holes but followed with birdies at 13 and 16 before an eagle at the par-five 18th where he drained a 24-foot putt. DeChambeau then mixed a birdie with a bogey in his three holes out of the turn to get back to even par. He offset a late bogey with a closing birdie to get to even par on the week. Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama began the day two strokes off the lead but was at risk of missing the projected cut of two over par after a five-over 76 left the Japanese world number 15 at three over on the week. Matsuyama got off to a rough start that saw him card a double-bogey at the par-four 10th where his belt snapped during his second shot. He dropped another four shots over his next three holes and was unable to recover. Among the players who are two shots back of the 18-hole co-leaders and part of the afternoon wave are twice US Open champion Brooks Koepka and world number six Xander Schauffele. Phil Mickelson, a record six-times US Open runner-up playing a month after becoming golf’s oldest major winner at 50 by claiming the PGA Championship, had yet to tee off but will have work to do to make the cut after an opening 75. More on this topic Related Story Golf: Co-leader Oosthuizen back in familiar spot at US Open Related Story Golf: Koepka shares early US Open lead, Mickelson struggles
PARIS (REUTERS) - Rafa Nadal dropped a set at Roland Garros for the first time in two years but roared back to beat 10th seed Diego Schwartzman 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-0 on Wednesday (June 9) and reach the French Open semi-finals. Dominic Thiem was the last player to take a set off Nadal in the 2019 final but Schwartzman was up to the task, ending the 13-times winner’s run of 36 consecutive sets at Roland Garros. Nadal had beaten Schwartzman twice before at Roland Garros, but he seemed to have met his match as the Argentine played with confidence, dominating the longer rallies with well-constructed points. Schwartzman was forced to save two break points early in the opening set, with one electric rally ending with him winning a point with a controlled lob over Nadal that earned the Spaniard’s applause. Nadal broke to love on Schwartzman’s next service game with three consecutive winners to put pressure on the 10th seed, who broke back with a sharp forehand winner. A second consecutive service break gave Nadal a 5-4 lead and this time he made no mistake on serve, closing out the set with a forehand winner down the line. A fired-up Schwartzman returned for the second set and the 28-year-old raced into a 3-0 lead on the back of long rallies and clever approach shots to close out points which forced Nadal to go on the defensive. Nadal won 12 of the next 14 points to bring it back level at 3-3 but an unfazed Schwartzman found a higher gear to hold serve, taking a 5-4 lead before breaking to level the match at a set apiece as the Philippe Chatrier crowd roared its approval. Evenly poised The third set went with serve as neither player refused to back down, playing their attacking shots with precision, and the match was evenly poised at 4-4. Two loose shots from Schwartzman allowed Nadal to take control in the ninth game and he converted a crucial break point to go up 5-4 before he served out the final game to love to lead two sets to one. “We know each other well,” Nadal said. “I started badly in the second set but then I was able to come back (in the match). At 4-4 (in the third), returning with the wind helped. “If I played a bad game there, I would have been in a tricky situation, saving (the game) to not lose the set. He’s a great player... I needed to play a little more aggressive and I think I did.” By the fourth set a tired Schwartzman was reduced to little more than a bystander, talking to himself between points as his unforced errors count mounted while a clinical Nadal sent winners whizzing past. Nadal, who finished with 35 winners, will next play either top seed Novak Djokovic or Matteo Berrettini who meet in the last quarter-final later on Wednesday. More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Holder Swiatek final big name to fall in French Open, Krejcikova ends Gauff’s run Related Story Tennis: Tsitsipas ends Medvedev run in French Open to book last four spot
SINGAPORE - Come rain or shine, Grace (not her real name) sleeps every night on a mattress laid out in the balcony. A single mother, she has been working in Singapore for close to a decade, supporting her daughter back home in India. After a seven-year stint with another employer, she transferred to a new workplace about two years ago. Since then, she has not had a room of her own, and was left without wages for four months when her employers were overseas during the pandemic. "Some days, I wake up to droplets of rain on my face. When the family went to stay with relatives overseas for about four months last year, they said I was free to stay in their house but would have to provide for myself as I did not have to pick up after them. "I had to count every penny of my savings to feed myself and send something back home to my daughter," she said. After the employers' return to Singapore, they resumed paying Grace her wages. The Manpower Ministry's recent initiatives to conduct random house visits and expand in-person interviews with domestic helpers was a ray of hope for Grace. "When I saw media reports of this new measure, I showed them to my employer and said: 'They may visit us and I might open up to them.' I finally feel like someone cares for my well-being here," she said. Case worker Jaya Anil Kumar from the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) said failure to pay salary is a breach of regulations under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. Even then, there are no laws that guarantee a worker can switch employer in such cases, although Home has successfully helped workers in their appeals. Those seeking support can contact the MOM helpline (1800-339-5505) or the Centre for Domestic Employees' 24-hour helpline (1800-225-5233). More on this topic Related Story Some bosses holding on to maids' passports illegally Related Story Maid abuse: Why Singapore must do more to stop it
SINGAPORE - Technician Kamaruddin Salleh, 53, was attending his eldest son's polytechnic graduation ceremony three years ago when he got the idea of going back to school. The same year, he decided to enrol in a part-time aerospace engineering course in Temasek Polytechnic. Mr Kamaruddin, who stopped his studies after secondary school, was partly inspired by his 49-year-old wife. She went back to school a few years earlier when she was in her 40s, and signed up for a part-time bachelor's degree in early childhood education at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. Mr Kamaruddin, who works as a technician at SIA Engineering, said: "At first, I was intimidated by the idea of going back to school. I had not touched school books for more than 30 years. "With the support of my family, I mustered the courage and gave it a shot." The 21/2-year course was tough and he said he broke down several times, but it was all worth it when he graduated as valedictorian two weeks ago. He said: "Being the oldest student in the class, I was worried I couldn't keep up with the other students, especially with modules like computer programming. I told myself I had to work doubly hard." He often woke up a few hours earlier and squeezed in some studying before going to work. To keep going, he reminded himself that his wife and two sons, aged 23 and 21, believed in him and would be proud of his success. He said: "Age is just a number. You have to believe in yourself and just go for it." More on this topic Related Story Pursuing diploma at 60 to give mum with dementia better care Related Story Grandpa, 72, fulfils lifelong dream of a local degree
MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid's 94th-minute equaliser salvaged a dramatic 2-2 draw against Sevilla on Sunday (May 9) as an extraordinary penalty decision swung La Liga's title race back in Atletico Madrid's favour. Zinedine Zidane's side had levelled through Marco Asensio midway through the second half and thought they had a penalty when Karim Benzema was brought down after rounding Sevilla goalkeeper Bono. But VAR prompted referee Juan Martinez to check an Eder Militao handball a few seconds before, with a huge decision seeing Madrid's penalty cancelled and a spot-kick awarded to Sevilla instead. Ivan Rakitic converted and while Madrid still managed to hit back in injury time, Toni Kroos' shot squirming in off Diego Carlos, the draw hands the advantage back to Atletico at the end of another dramatic weekend in the Spanish title race. More on this topic Related Story Football: Stalemate between Atletico and Barca hands advantage to Real Madrid
LONDON (REUTERS) - West Bromwich Albion were relegated from the Premier League on Sunday (May 9) after a 3-1 loss at Arsenal sent them straight back down to the Championship after one season in the top flight. The defeat left the Baggies in 19th place with 26 points, 10 points behind fourth-bottom Burnley with only three games left to play. It is the first time manager Sam Allardyce has suffered relegation from the Premier League during his 17 campaigns. West Brom started brightly but struggled to move the ball into good attacking positions, and when they did they failed to get their efforts on target. Arsenal, on the other hand, put on a brilliant display of finishing to condemn them to the drop. Emile Smith Rowe connected perfectly with Bukayo Saka’s cross in the 29th minute to deftly volley Arsenal’s opener, and Nicolas Pepe cut in from the right before curling home an unstoppable left-foot shot six minutes later. Pepe had another thumping effort saved by Sam Johnstone early in the second half and, with Saka carving West Brom open down the left, Arsenal had lots of chances to add to the score. However, Matheus Pereira pulled one back for the visitors in the 67th after a surging run from deep inside his own half ended with him scoring from West Brom’s only shot on target. That was all the Baggies could muster and Willian’s brilliant 90th-minute free kick wrapped up the points for Arsenal, who are in ninth place on 52 from 35 games. West Brom will join basement club Sheffield United, who are already down, in the second-tier next season, but defender Kyle Bartley was in defiant mood despite his side’s relegation. “(I’m) massively disappointed, (but) it’s time to focus on these next three games, get as much momentum as possible to make sure we come straight back up next season,” he told BT Sport. “I am really proud of the way the boys kept going. It would have been so easy to fold out there and lose four or five nil, but everyone kept going.” Third-bottom Fulham host Burnley on Monday knowing a defeat would also send them straight back down to the Championship.
PARIS (AFP) - Rafael Nadal said Friday (Feb 26) he will not play in the Acapulco ATP tournament in March because of a back injury which also caused his withdrawal from next week's Rotterdam event. The world number two is therefore unlikely to play again until the season's first Masters event in Miami from March 24. "I am very sorry not to participate in Acapulco 2021," the 34-year-old Nadal, champion in Acapulco in 2005, 2013 and 2020 wrote on Twitter. "It is a difficult year for everyone and in my current state of health, with a bad back, it is impossible to make such a long trip. "I love Acapulco, I have played the last four years, but this year it is not possible. Hopefully in 2022!" Nadal, a 20-time Grand Slam title winner, was bothered by the back injury in Melbourne where he was knocked out of the Australian Open in the quarter-finals by Stefanos Tsitsipas from two sets up. The Spanish star could lose his number two world ranking next week to Russia's Daniil Medvedev if the Australian Open runner-up makes the final in Rotterdam. More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Nadal pulls out of Rotterdam Open with back issue Related Story Tennis: Tsitsipas stuns Nadal in five sets at Australian Open
Having been separated from her family here for almost a year, yes-terday's reunion dinner was extra special for housewife Cynthia Tan Kloth, who has been living in Germany with her husband and two children. After months of uncertainty over travel curbs and lockdowns, the 39-year-old Singaporean flew here on Dec 31 with her sons - Friedrich, six, and Maximilian, one. She had booked a direct Singapore Airlines flight from Frankfurt, a three-hour drive from their residence in Lenzkirch, Germany. The trio spent New Year's Eve in quarantine at the Regent Singapore hotel near Orchard Road. Mrs Kloth's husband, chief digital officer Eckhard Kloth, usually travels with them to Sin-gapore once a year but had to remain in Germany due to work commitments. The couple met while he was working here in 2013, and they relocated to Germany in 2015. She said: "Over the five years I lived away from Singapore, I had always returned for Chinese New Year. "It is the most important season of the year for us, a time when we get to meet our relatives. "I did not want to miss it this year as well." Mrs Kloth finally returned to her parents' flat in Punggol on Jan 14. She will be spending the next few days catching up with her two siblings and their families. Her father, Mr Richard Tan, 69, said they had stayed in touch over the year through daily video calls. MISSING HOME Even as I was holding back from booking the flights, at the back of my mind, I knew I really wanted to come back. MRS CYNTHIA TAN KLOTH • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wishes all Singaporeans good health, and a very happy Chinese New Year. • The Straits Times wishes its readers a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year. • The Straits Times will not be published tomorrow. • For the latest news, go to straitstimes.com or follow The Straits Times on Twitter, Facebook and Telegram. "During the circuit breaker, we could not mingle, meet our friends or eat out here in Singapore. "We were most worried about our grandchildren contracting the (coronavirus). "We are a very close-knit family, so not being able to meet our children regularly was very unusual for us," said the retired fire safety consultant, who has three other grandchildren. Mrs Kloth's last trip to Singapore was in December 2019. She celebrated Chinese New Year here and stayed on until March last year. While here, she saw the impact of the pandemic on daily life, with people rushing to stock up on household items and food. She called her husband ahead of her trip back to Germany to stock up on essentials. A few weeks after they returned, Germany imposed a lockdown. Though restrictions were relaxed at first, more curbs ensued as infection numbers climbed. The curbs were stepped up before Christmas, and have since been extended to next month. Mrs Kloth and her family found ways to go outdoors while keeping safe, including taking walks in the Black Forest by themselves. Her husband, who works from home, also bought games to keep their elder son engaged. She started making plans to return here at the end of last year, when it appeared that the Covid-19 situation had improved in Singapore. As Friedrich will be starting school next year, Mrs Kloth felt it might be her last trip home for a while. "Even as I was holding back from booking the flights, at the back of my mind, I knew I really wanted to come back," she said. She added: "I felt very secure coming home because of the sense of familiarity... "The two weeks at the hotel were all worth it when we got to see our family at the end. "This is also a chance for my elder son to meet and play with his cousins, something he had been looking forward to." She may leave for Germany next month, but is monitoring the situation. Over the next few days, she will be celebrating Chinese New Year with her extended family. Abalone with mushroom and spinach and steamed garlic prawns were on the menu for yesterday's reunion dinner. For Mr Tan and his homemaker wife Karen Lai, 67, the highlight was the emotional reunion with Friedrich and Maximilian. Mr Tan said: "When I met my grandchildren after their quarantine, I couldn't believe it was real. "Over the past year, we saw them over video call, but it is never the same as giving them a hug and kiss in real life and hearing their voice. "It was truly a very special reunion for us."
LONDON (REUTERS) - Liverpool's spluttering attack burst back to life to help the champions return to winning ways with a commanding 3-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Thursday (Jan 28). Goals from Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane capped a dominant display by Juergen Klopp's side whose first league win since Dec 19 sent them back into the top four. Firmino's effort in first-half stoppage time ended Liverpool's barren run of 482 minutes without a league goal. Alexander-Arnold doubled their lead in the 47th minute before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg lashed in his first goal for Tottenham a minute later to give the hosts hope. With Tottenham's defence unravelling, Mane struck again for Liverpool in the 65th minute and there was no coming back for Jose Mourinho's side who lost talisman Harry Kane to injury. Liverpool's seventh successive win over Spurs in all competitions moved into fourth spot with 37 points from 20 games, four points behind leaders Manchester City who have played a game less. Tottenham, who could have gone above Liverpool with a win, stay sixth with 33 points.
MIAMI • Tiger Woods has recently undergone microdiscectomy surgery to remove a pressurised disc fragment that was pinching a nerve, the 15-time Major winner's foundation said on Tuesday. A posting on Woods' Twitter page said the 45-year-old would not play upcoming US PGA Tour events at Torrey Pines (Jan 28-31) or Riviera (Feb 18-21), but doctors expect him to fully recover. "I look forward to begin training and am focused on getting back out on tour," Woods said in the statement, which did not reveal an exact date for the operation. The American experienced discomfort after playing in last month's PNC Championship, a family exhibition event at Orlando, Florida, where he competed alongside son Charlie. According to Kevin McGuire, section chief for the Centre for Pain and Spine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Centre in New Hampshire, Woods probably had what is called "adjacent segment disease", which occurs when nearby discs deteriorate as they compensate for limitations at the fusion site. "Professional athletes are different human beings, in my opinion, than the rest of us mortals," said McGuire, who was not involved in Woods' treatment. "If the rest of us swung the golf club as many times as Tiger Woods did, most of us would get hurt or have back problems. So professional athletes tend to come back fast - or, do come back faster." Woods still plans to handle hosting duties at the Genesis Invitational next month at Riviera for the PGA Tour event that benefits his charity foundation. But there was no timetable given for when he might return to PGA Tour play. It marks the fifth round of back surgery for Woods, who had four since 2014, and his first since a spinal fusion in April 2017. He said he had feared he might not even be able to have a normal life much less continue his golf career due to his severe back pain. But after the spinal fusion and a layoff until his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December 2017, he made slow but steady progress in rebuilding his game. In March 2018, Woods shared second place at the Valspar Championship, his best PGA Tour finish since 2013, then in August finished second to Brooks Koepka at the PGA Championship. The following month, he won the season-ending Tour Championship and seven months later took the ultimate victory of his astounding comeback by winning the 2019 Masters. At age 43, he was the second-oldest green jacket winner, three years younger than Jack Nicklaus when he won the 1986 Masters. Woods had knee surgery four months later and made a triumphant return in October 2019, capturing the Zozo Championship in Japan for his 82nd US PGA Tour title, matching the mark held by Sam Snead. He remains three Major victories shy of the record 18 won by Nicklaus. Woods could miss more than two months of action, but he is hopeful he can return for the 85th Masters in April at Augusta National, according to Golf Digest. The year's other Majors include the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island in May, the US Open in June at Torrey Pines and the British Open in July at Royal St George's. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, NYTIMES
LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - Tiger Woods on Tuesday (Jan 19) said he underwent a procedure to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve in his back and will not compete at this month's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines or at next month's Genesis Invitational at Riviera. Doctors said the surgery was a success and the 15-times major champion is expected to make a full recovery. "I look forward to begin training and am focused on getting back out on Tour," said Woods, who has 82 career wins on the PGA Tour. Woods said he experienced back pain during last month's PNC Championship. The recent microdiscectomy was the 45-year-old American's fifth back surgery. While he will not be competing at Torrey Pines or Riviera, Woods will still serve as tournament host for the Genesis Invitational in Southern California. More on this topic Related Story Golf: Tiger cleared to resume full practice after knee surgery Related Story Golf: After tiring year, 'worn out' Tiger Woods may play less next season to be always at his best
CHARLOTTE • Brooklyn Nets rookie head coach Steve Nash has a message to the critics: Cool it with the expectations. With Kevin Durant back on the court after 18 months and playing in tandem with fellow All-Star Kyrie Irving, many experts have tipped the National Basketball Association (NBA) team as a championship contender. The hype built up after they won their first two regular-season games by at least 20 points, the first team since the 2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers to do so. But Nash claimed the Nets, who have never won the NBA title, were given a reminder that it is still early days after their comeback from a 16-point deficit fell short in a 106-104 loss at the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. Durant and Irving put together another dynamic scoring display with 29 and 25 points respectively but it was not enough to overcome the hosts. Charlotte, who last qualified for the post-season in 2015-16, were paced by 28 points from close-season acquisition Gordon Hayward. Nash aims to take the lesson on board. "It's a long season and a long process, less than 30 days in here," the 46-year-old said. "We're still trying to find ourselves and figure out who we are. They've (Durant and Irving) been exceptional thus far with their effort, their engagement. "Tonight, was a little bit of a letdown but that's going to happen. "When you're playing basketball, you can't be perfect every time." Still there are plenty of positives to take, with Durant and Irving the first duo in Nets history to score at least 20 points in each of the team's first three games. The more time Durant spends on court, the more he is getting up to speed, so much so that he feels ready to play "back-to-backs". The forward believes the Charlotte upset is beneficial for the team's mentality after he missed a game-tying fadeaway with seven seconds remaining. "I thought it was going in," Durant said. "It looked good when it left my hands. I'm sure we'll get that situation back again throughout the season and I can capitalise on it again. It was good to play in a fourth-quarter game again. Play a game that we had to, you know, fight uphill and claw back to get back into the game." The only concern for Brooklyn was a third-quarter injury to starting guard Spencer Dinwiddie. The Nets said he suffered a knee strain but teammate Jarrett Allen is hoping he will not be out for long. "When Spencer is going, he can't be stopped," the centre said. "Even off the court, everyone loves having Spencer around. His energy, just his personality is great in the locker room. I don't know what's happening with him... he's a strong dude - he'll try and come back as soon as possible." REUTERS
Singaporean Paul Lim's hopes of delivering another giant-slaying feat in the second round of the PDC World Darts Championship were dashed yesterday when the veteran was beaten 3-0 (3-0, 3-1, 3-1) by Belgium's world No. 9 Dimitri van den Bergh. The 66-year-old had produced a first-round shock when he fought back from 2-0 down to beat world No. 34 Englishman Luke Humphries 3-2 on Friday, but a repeat comeback win against another former world youth champion proved a bridge too far. While he improved on his checkout percentage like he wanted to - from 30 per cent in the first round to 100 per cent - the unranked Singaporean had just two looks at the outshot double, and could not keep up with his opponent's red-hot scoring. Van den Bergh, the 26-year-old reigning World Matchplay champion, averaged over 105 against Lim's 89, and barely gave the oldest player at the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournament a sniff at another upset. Lim told The Straits Times: "Congratulations to Dimitri. He was solid and I felt like I was running into a rock." Van den Bergh paid tribute to Lim, saying: "I knew I couldn't give Paul a chance and I didn't. I think I showed what I am capable of and I'm happy I was able to be at the top of my game. I feel like I am coming here as one of the best players in the world after winning in the World Matchplay and I think my performance proved that I am." Lim pocketed £15,000 (S$26,863) for his efforts and is currently awaiting the lifting of the coronavirus-enforced travel ban from London to Hong Kong, where he lives and works as a consultant, Van den Bergh will face either Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena or Wales' Nick Kenny in the third round. Up to 1,000 fans were allowed into the Alexandra Palace venue on the opening night on Dec 15, but the doors were closed the following day with London going into Tier 3 restrictions. Since last Sunday, it is in the strictest Tier 4. While Lim missed the atmosphere, he said: "It can boost or destroy one's game, depending on the player's mental strength and condition. But the boisterous crowd and their fancy dresses are part of the tradition, and I hope things will clear up and we can all be back next year." SPECIAL ELEMENT The boisterous crowd and their fancy dresses are part of the tradition, and I hope things will clear up and we can all be back next year. PAUL LIM, Singapore darts player, missing the rousing atmosphere at the World Darts Championship.
MANAMA (AFP) - Romain Grosjean sat in a Haas Formula One car again on Saturday (Dec 5) for the first time since escaping from a fiery crash with just burns to his hands during the Bahrain Grand Prix. Just six days after the 34-year-old Frenchman extricated himself from the blaze that engulfed him on the opening lap of last Sunday's race, he was back in the paddock again. He later posted a photo of himself in his car on social media, adding the message: "Not my usual racing gloves on, but sitting back in @haasfeteam felt really good. I was so happy." Grosjean's car split in half in a 245 kph impact with the barriers in one of the most dramatic incidents in the recent history of Formula One. The guardrail ruptured in the crash and left him trapped in the front half of his wrecked car while the rear half broke away and stopped close by. He has said he "saw death too closely" in the crash, telling AFP in an interview on Wednesday: "I thought: 'It can't end like this, not now'. I tried to get out again, but I couldn't, so I sat down and I saw death, not close up, but from too close... It's a feeling that I wish on no-one." The drivers are competing in Bahrain for the second week in a row with the Sakhir Grand Prix to take place in the kingdom on Sunday. Valtteri Bottas pipped stand-in Mercedes team-mate George Russell to take pole position with already-crowned world champion Lewis Hamilton sitting out the race after testing positive for Covid-19. Amazing to see Romain sat back in the car this afternoon ❤️📸 x @RGrosjean #HaasF1 #SakhirGP pic.twitter.com/btMzksJVCl— Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) December 5, 2020 A heart-warming moment ❤️Romain Grosjean meets the people who saved his life on Sunday#SakhirGP 🇧🇭 #F1 @RGrosjean pic.twitter.com/WbZ9zIgfgj— Formula 1 (@F1) December 3, 2020 More on this topic Related Story Motor racing: 'I saw death', says Romain Grosjean as he leaves hospital after fiery F1 crash Related Story Formula One: Romain Grosjean returns to paddock, meets his rescuers after fireball crash