SPORT - The African Mirror

Jul

30

2021

Olympics: China pulls ahead on gold medals as American Kendricks out for COVID-19

SPORT

SIMON EVANS and MITCH PHILLIPS THE rivalry of economic powerhouses China, Japan and the United States played out in an Olympic swimming pool on Thursday, where a world record in the women's freestyle relay put the Chinese ahead by one gold medal at the Tokyo Games. American joy at their own double gold in the pool was tempered as pole vaulter Sam Kendricks was ruled out of the Games due to a positive COVID-19 test, prompting members of the Australian athletics team to briefly isolate in their rooms and highlighting the ever-present risk of infection at the Games. China gained…

Feb

18

2021

By The African Mirror

Osaka to meet Brady in final as Williams exits in tears

SPORT

IAN RANSOM NAOMI Osaka ended Serena Williams' bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title with an imperious 6-3 6-4 win today, a victory that booked her spot in her second Australian Open final and left the American great in tears. In a rematch of their tumultuous 2018 U.S. Open decider, Osaka underlined her status as the new queen of women's tennis and soaked up the cheers from the Rod Laver Arena crowd as fans returned to the Grand Slam after a five-day lockdown. "It's just always an honour to play her and I just didn't want to go out…

Jul

28

2021

By The African Mirror

Olympics-Biles out of next event, mental health in Games spotlight

SPORT

DAVID DOLAN, ELAINE LIES and MARTIN PETTY SIMONE Biles withdrew from the individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, a day after she shocked the world by pulling out of the team event. Olympians past and present flooded the U.S. gymnast with messages of support as the mental health of athletes -- and the extra pressures brought by the COVID-19 pandemic -- were in sharp focus at the Games. "The advice I would give is to reach out, to colleagues and friends," said Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics. "Don't be afraid to show vulnerability, it's a badge…

Feb

18

2021

By The African Mirror

Nigeria off to a great start

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO OPENING day of the African basketball championship (Afrobasket) qualifiers started in electrifying fashion in Monastir with Nigeria staking their claim as Africa’s finest. Nigeria prevailed as winners (75-70) against an impressive South Sudan team in the latter’s first continental competition. D’Tigers (Nigeria national men’s team) had to pry the victory away from the determined South Sudan team coached by former National Basketball Association (NBA) All-star Luol Deng. https://twitter.com/AfroBasket/status/1362137886557155328 Currently ranked number one in Africa, under the guidance of new head coach Mdon Udofia, Nigeria booked their ticket to the main Afrobasket showcase scheduled for late 2021. Point guard…

Feb

17

2021

By The African Mirror

Nadal’s Grand Slam record bid blown away by Tsitsipas

SPORT

IAN RANSOM RAFA Nadal's bid for a record 21st Grand Slam title came crashing to a halt at the Australian Open on Wednesday as Stefanos Tsitsipas rose up to topple the Spaniard 3-6 2-6 7-6(4) 6-4 7-5 and reach the semi-finals. World number two Nadal had not lost a set coming into the evening clash at Rod Laver Arena and was locked on target for the last four at Melbourne Park after roaring to a two-set lead over the listless Greek. The match turned on its head when Nadal wavered in a messy third set tiebreak, and a rejuvenated Tsitsipas…

Feb

17

2021

By The African Mirror

Springbok captain unveiled at The Sharks

SPORT

SOUTH African rugby captain Siya Kolisi has put pen to paper, sealing the deal on his switch to the Cell C Sharks after 11 years with Cape Town’s DHL Stormers. “I bought into the vision of the Sharks immediately – the energy around the club, the management set-up, the squad and the potential for success was so strong," said Kolisi. https://twitter.com/TheSharksZA/status/1361949234103259137 The former Stormers captain is eager to build on his career in his career “I have always had a desire to be the best, and play with the best, to reach my potential on-and-off the field, and this move…

Feb

16

2021

By The African Mirror

Africa’s prime basketball showcase starts

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO THE best of Africa’s basketball talent will be on show tomorrow when the qualifications for the continent elite tournament - the African Basketball Championship (AfroBasket) - kicks off in Tunisia. A total of 12 teams will participate in the qualifying tournament, hosted in Monastir- Tunisia. Qualifying teams will take part in AfroBasket finals scheduled for Kigali, Rwanda, later this year. Monastir will play host to groups A, D, and E. Rwanda, which is in group D, has already qualified by being the host of the final tournament which will take place later this year. Group A consists of…

Jul

28

2021

By The African Mirror

Olympics-Gymnastics-Biles says gymnastics not everything, ‘we also have to focus on ourselves’

SPORT

ELAINE LIES and GABRIELLE TETRAULT-FARBER IN the end, Simone Biles decided to pull out of the Tokyo 2020 team gymnastics finals because things just did not feel right after her vault, saying mental health is more important than sports. Biles, who wrote on her Instagram just a day before about feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders, decided that rather than risk injury - and a medal for the rest of the team - she needed to just stop. "It's like fighting all those demons and coming out here. I have to put my pride aside. I have…

Jul

27

2021

By The African Mirror

At an Olympics without spectators, noisy delegations make up for absent fans

SPORT

EIMI YAMAMITSU and GABRIELLE TETRAULT-FARBER AT boxing, it was drum-wielding Uzbeks. At table tennis, flag-waving Chinese cheered so much that Japanese media complained it felt like an away match for the home team. The Olympics may officially be without supporters but at venues across Tokyo national delegations have brought the noise, replacing fans kept out by coronavirus countermeasures. Technically, cheering is not allowed because of the risk of COVID-19 infection, but the rule has been difficult to enforce during the high drama of Olympic competition. Mongolian coaches pounded on plastic bleachers seats as their women's team faced off in 3x3…

Jul

27

2021

By The African Mirror

Olympics-Storm lurks over Tokyo, Osaka out of Games

SPORT

OSSIAN SHINE WIND and rain have buffeted the Tokyo region causing delays to Olympic competition and event rescheduling, while tennis superstar Naomi Osaka exited the Games after she was beaten in the third round of the singles tournament. Osaka, who lit the Olympic cauldron on Friday to open the Games, was swiped aside by Czech Marketa Vondrousova in a match where the Japanese player seemed out of sorts and never settled into a rhythm. "I think it's maybe because I haven't played in an Olympics before and for the first one to be here was a bit much," Osaka said.…