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Legend player Ma Long, widely regarded as one of the sport’s greatest, was honoured with a prestigious accolade in recognition of his extraordinary achievement of winning the Men’s Singles event three consecutive times in 2015, 2017, and 2019.
On the closing day of the ITTF World Championships Finals Durban 2023, Ma Long was awarded a half-size replica of the historical St. Bride Vase Trophy by ITTF Deputy President, Liu Guoliang.
During the ceremony, Ma Long gave an emotional speech on the significance of this achievement, saying, “When I was young, I never thought that one day I would be standing here with this special trophy. Being here today is really an honour for me. I want to thank my country, our great team, my family, my friends and fans, for always inspiring me, supporting me, and making me a better man. I also want to show my gratitude to my opponents, because without them, I would not be where I am today. I hope that more people will eventually know about table tennis and grow to like the sport. Thank you, South Africa. Thank you, Durban.”
Ma Long’s feat of securing the Men’s Singles title in three consecutive World Championships showcases his dominance over the years and has solidified his status as a true icon of the sport. Ma Long’s extraordinary achievements over his playing career also include winning five Olympic Gold medals, further cementing his status as a table tennis legend.
England World Cup winner and Saracens flanker Vicky Fleetwood has retired.
The 33-year-old, who made her England debut in 2011, won the World Cup in 2014 and ends her career with 82 caps.
She also featured at the 2017 World Cup, but missed out on a place at last year's tournament and a knee injury has kept her out of action since October.
"Rugby has given me so much to be thankful for and will forever hold a place in my heart," Fleetwood said.
"I can proudly say I put everything into playing for both my club and country - the blood, the sweat, the tears, the change of position from 15s to sevens and back again.
"It may not be the fairytale ending that everyone dreams of, but when you're not getting out of it what you put in, the sacrifices become harder to make and the enjoyment lessens."
Fleetwood won the Women's Premiership trophy in her first season with Saracens in 2015 and also has two Premier 15s titles.
She joined the England sevens programme for a year in 2017, winning Commonwealth Games bronze in 2018 before returning to union in 2019.
A talented junior hurdler before taking up rugby, she is set to move into coaching.
Bayern Munich's firing of club great Oliver Kahn after winning the Bundesliga title has led to a deepening public dispute between the two parties.
Bayern presented Jan-Christian Dreesen as their new chief executive on Sunday, with president Herbert Hainer defending the decision to fire Kahn before the club lifted the Bundesliga title for an 11th consecutive season a day earlier.
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Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic was also dismissed on Saturday following the last-gasp 2-1 win over Cologne.
"Especially in the second half of the season, you could see that we weren't playing as we would have wished," Hainer told a news conference, adding there were also doubts about Kahn and Salihamidzic's ability to turn it around.
The timing and manner of the club's decision have overshadowed the celebrations.
It also takes attention away from the Bayern women's team's potentially title-winning game against Turbine Potsdam on Sunday.
Kahn said in a tweet that he was forbidden "by the club" from attending the team's game in Cologne or the trophy presentation in Munich, and he told Sky TV that "it was the worst day in my life, taking away being able to celebrate with the guys."
Hainer said both Kahn and Salihamidzic were informed of their dismissals on Thursday and while Salihamidzic took the news well and subsequently traveled to Cologne with the team, "unfortunately, it didn't go so well" with Kahn.
"It was very emotional and we couldn't agree with Oliver in the end that the finish would be amicable," Hainer said.
"Then on Friday we sat down with the supervisory board in the extraordinary meeting and decided to dismiss Oliver Kahn. And because of this situation, of course, he couldn't go [to the celebrations] on Sunday or to Cologne on Saturday either."
However, Kahn has given a different account.
"The claim that I freaked out when I was informed about the dismissal is definitely not true," Kahn said in a tweet on Sunday. "It was a calm and factual conversation ... On Saturday morning I got the message that I can't go to the game. I accepted this decision calmly. Of course I'm disappointed, but I'm really happy about this championship and I'm happy for the team, the coach and our fans."
Bayern had said before Saturday's match that Kahn was not in Cologne because he was sick in bed at home. Hainer said Sunday that was what Kahn had told the club.
On Saturday, Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel appeared unsure of his future following the dismissed of the men who had brought him to the club, but Hainer said Sunday he was certain the coach will continue.
"We had a very good talk and there no are thoughts [of leaving]," Hainer said. "I've no idea why Thomas Tuchel wouldn't be our coach."
Hainer said he will propose Tuesday at the club's shareholders' meeting that former chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge be added to the supervisory board. Rummenigge was replaced by Kahn in 2022.
But the club still needs a replacement for Salihamidzic as sporting director.
Hainer refused to comment on speculation linking Eintracht Frankfurt's Markus Krosche or Leipzig's Max Eberl with the position, except to say both teams are in the German Cup final, where Bayern would like to be.
The 55-year-old Dreesen, who was vice-chairman of the supervisory board since 2014, hinted that he will take a more holistic approach than Kahn, who was known for his sometimes brusque manner.
"I'm firmly convinced that what happens on the field also reflects what's going on in the club as a whole. Everything around it is also a team," Dreesen said.
"When people enjoy their work and have trust in each other, it works better as a team and is more successful in the long term."
Bayern's Bundesliga win on Saturday was its 11th straight and a record-extending 33rd German championship altogether.
LIVE: Latest from final day of 2022-23 Premier League season
It's the final day of the 2022-23 Premier League season on Sunday, and there's a lot to play for. Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford are fighting for the final place in the Europa Conference League; while at the bottom of the table, two of Everton, Leicester City and Leeds United will join Southampton in the Championship next season.
Don't miss a moment of the action as ESPN brings you all the latest updates, commentary and analysis beginning Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Rayudu to retire from IPL after final against Titans, promises 'no U-turn'
Yorkshire haunted by defeat again as Alex Lees adds to Headingley hurt
Durham 217 for 3 (Lees 90, Robinson 64*) beat Yorkshire 189 for 7 (Tattersall 39, Raine 3-27) by 28 runs
A badly-publicised switch to a Sunday morning start at 11.30am under slate-grey Headingley skies does not immediately strike you as the future of T20 cricket and it failed to bring any change of fortune for Yorkshire as they succumbed to a comprehensive 28-run defeat against Durham. Still, as various websites also revealed that the game was starting at 3.30pm and 6pm, at least they could console themselves that they would have two more goes to put it right. More on those results later.
Disgruntlement is rife as Yorkshire's winless runs since August 21 in all competitions drags on. When the pressure is on, they look psychologically damaged, their sense of self weakened by the schisms in the county over not just the racism allegations, but the way they were handled. Senior pros wondering what they have let themselves in for; kids wondering when the misery will all end.
About 6000 turned up, the rest presumably in mourning for the possibility of Leeds United's potential relegation from the Premier League a few miles down the road later in the day. Yorkshire look a poorer side in T20 than in the Championship and, in the Championship, they are bottom of Division Two. The Roses T20 is at Headingley on Thursday and Lancashire will never have been stronger favourites.
Down in Happy Valley, the soap opera runs on apace. Alternative candidates to the return of Colin Graves as chair, a figure associated with the fallen old regime but the man who could tip Yorkshire into bankruptcy, now include not just a Saudi prince and Indian investors, but apparently no lesser figure than Mike Ashley, the former Newcastle United owner and majority shareholder of Fraser's Group, who is worth around £2.5 billion so he could spare a £20m loan or so to keep the club functioning and have a little dabble in cricket.
Ashley's involvement does not immediately smack of an obsessively progressive future, but as the average progressive appears to have about £80 in the bank, a mortgage, and no spare time, it might be politic not to be too picky about these things. And at least the replica shirts would be discounted.
Yorkshire had made an ideal start when Matthew Fisher removed Graham Clark for nought with the first legitimate ball of the innings, finding early outswing to have him caught at the wicket. Clark had made an unbeaten hundred in Durham's 10-wicket trouncing of Northants two days earlier - Durham's first hundred in this competition for six years - whereas Fisher had suffered a terrible night at Worcester, looking many a mile away from the bowler who won an England Test debut in the Caribbean little more than a year ago. But patterns in T20 can change in an instant and with the ball swinging, for Fisher bowling was a happier undertaking.
But Lees, with that mournful power of his, soon reestablished Durham's superiority. David Wiese curbed Lees' leg-side blows, but was just as readily picked through the off side. Yorkshire's bowling became ragged and somewhat downcast. Stands of 85 with Michael Jones and 111 with Robinson were built without much threat.
Litte moments can encapsulate a side's morale. There have been few finer fielders in county cricket than Adam Lyth, but he dropped a challenging catch when Lees was 73, pedalling back at mid-off. Wiese, the unfortunate bowler, followed up with a full toss which Lees duly deposited into the West Stand to secure his best T20 score.
The potential Yorkshire saw when they signed Ben Mike from Leicestershire has yet to come to the fore, although he did dismiss Lees when Jafar Chohan took a fine diving catch at deep backward square. If there was optimism to be had perhaps it came in the shape of this slender legspinner, a graduate from the South Asian Cricket Academy, who bowled three relatively inexpensive overs.
Robinson's 64 from 30 was a typically inventive affair from one of the summer's most eye-catching young cricketers and it reduced Jordan Thompson, in particular, to headshakes as his mix-ups failed to stem the flow. Thompson is Yorkshire's bellwether bowler, his mood often revealing their general state of mind, and it was not good.
Yorkshire lack much, but they lack a death bowler most of all and Robinson's finale - a six over long-on and four through extra cover - left Thompson with the most expensive figures of the day.
Yorkshire's response with the bat never convinced. Lyth's brief spree had a sense of "stuff it" about it, his 24 from 8 ending when a shot went all Virgin Galactic and Robinson held the catch after a successful re-entry. (Branson's space rocket, incidentally, was called VSS Unity which is a concept that would never catch on in Yorkshire).
Shan Masood, the captain charged with turning things round, chipped weakly to short midwicket and when Dawid Malan's loft of Nathan Sowter fell short of the extra cover boundary, Yorkshire's three batters of undeniable quality had all perished for 65 by the seventh over. Matthew Revis' lumbering run-out after Jonny Tattersall called him for an off-side single added to the sense of chaos and, although Tattersall and Jordan Thompson did a spot of window-dressing, Ben Raine dismissed both.
When will this end? Romain Rolland, the French dramatist and novelist of a century or more ago, famously called for "pessimism of the intelligence, which penetrates every illusion, and optimism of the will." That powerful combination of realism and idealism is at the heart of Yorkshire's challenge. Authenticity is hard to find.
It is difficult to envisage the arrival of a united Yorkshire after Lord Kamlesh Patel's colossal mismanagement of a delicate and unacceptable state of affairs and when, instead of a general desire for a better, more harmonious future, there is so much conflict and resentment. Change will only come from within and ultimately it is down to those in charge to drive it, inspire it and finance it.
Which brings us to Adil Rashid, who sharp-eyed readers will have noticed is yet to make an appearance in the Blast, and whose absence has not been officially explained by either England, to whom he is centrally contracted, or Yorkshire.
Yorkshire have privately intimated that England want Rashid to undergo a considerable period of rehab which will presumably extend to the start of the white-ball internationals in September, which might be understandable - because legspin is an arduous undertaking and his shoulder could well be creaking like a horror film door - were it not for the fact that nobody was talking about rehab when he went to the IPL, played only the first two matches and for the next six weeks with Sunrisers Hyderabad was most at risk of bench rot.
If Rashid is not playing quite why he is not being utilised in promotional work around minority-ethnic areas, with the blessing of ECB, is hard to understand. Does he not recognise that he could play a major role? But that's the problem with revolutions. Administrators and politicians protect their backs, few players show an interest in the bigger picture, self-interest and distortions are everywhere, and the whole shebang trundles on.
David Hopps writes on county cricket for ESPNcricinfo @davidkhopps
PSG's Rico in intensive care after riding accident
Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Sergio Rico is in intensive care following a horse riding accident, the club said on Sunday.
The Ligue 1 champions confirmed Spanish media reports that Rico, PSG's second-choice goalkeeper, is in the ICU at Sevilla's Virgen del Rocio hospital.
"Paris Saint-Germain learned of Sergio Rico's accident on Sunday and are in constant contact with his family," PSG said in a statement.
Spaniard Rico, 29, joined PSG in 2020 after a season-long loan at the club.
He previously enjoyed spells at Sevilla, Fulham and Mallorca. He has also been capped once for Spain in 2016.
"Lots of strength and speedy recovery, @sergiorico25" Sevilla said in a message posted to Twitter.
PSG clinched a record 11th French league title after drawing 1-1 at Strasbourg on Saturday.
PARIS -- Unable to sleep the night before her first-round match at the French Open against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, the Grand Slam tournament's No. 2 seed, Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, checked her phone at 5 a.m. Sunday and saw disturbing news back home in Kyiv.
At least one person was killed when Kyiv was subjected to the largest drone attack by Russia since the start of its war, launched with an invasion assisted by Belarus in February 2022.
"It's something I cannot describe, probably. I try to put my emotions aside any time I go out on court. I think I'm better than before, and I don't think it affects me as much on a daily basis, but yeah, it's just -- I don't know," Kostyuk said, shaking her head. "There is not much to say, really. It's just part of my life."
That, then, is why Kostyuk has decided she will not exchange the usual postmatch pleasantries with opponents from Russia or Belarus. And that is why she avoided a handshake -- avoided any eye contact, even -- after losing to Australian Open champion Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2 on Day 1 at Roland Garros.
What surprised the 20-year-old, 39th-ranked Kostyuk on Sunday was the reaction she received from the spectators in Court Philippe Chatrier: They loudly booed and derisively whistled at her as she walked directly over to acknowledge the chair umpire instead of congratulating the winner after the lopsided result. The negative response grew louder as she gathered her belongings and walked off the court toward the locker room.
"I have to say," Kostyuk said, "I didn't expect it. ... People should be, honestly, embarrassed."
Kostyuk is based now in Monaco, and her mother and sister are there, too, but her father and grandfather are still in Kyiv. Perhaps the fans on hand at the clay-court event's main stadium were unaware of the backstory and figured Kostyuk simply failed to follow usual tennis etiquette.
Initially, Sabalenka -- who had approached the net as if anticipating some sort of exchange with Kostyuk -- thought all of that noise was directed at her.
"At first, I thought they were booing me," Sabalenka said. "I was a little confused, and I was, like, 'OK, what should I do?'"
Sabalenka tried to ask the chair umpire what was going on. She looked up at her entourage in the stands, too. Then she realized that while she is aware Kostyuk and other Ukrainian tennis players have been declining to greet foes from Russia or Belarus after a match, the spectators might not have known -- and so responded in a way Sabalenka didn't think was deserved.
"They saw it," she surmised, "as disrespect [for] me."
All in all, if the tennis itself was not particularly memorable, the whole scene, including the lack of the customary prematch photo of the players following the coin toss, became the most noteworthy development on Day 1 in Paris.
The first seeded player to go home left within an hour of the start of play: No. 29 Zhang Shuai lost to Magdalena Frech 6-1, 6-1 in all of 47 minutes. The first seeded man to bow out was No. 20 Dan Evans, eliminated 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 by wild-card entry Thanasi Kokkinakis. No. 11 Karen Khachanov, a semifinalist at the past two majors, came all the way back after dropping the opening two sets to beat Constant Lestienne, a French player once banned for gambling, by a 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 score in front of a boisterous crowd at Court Suzanne Lenglen. Two-time Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas came within a point of being forced to a fifth set, too, but got past Jiri Vesely 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7).
Sabalenka called the whole experience "emotionally tough" -- because of mundane, tennis-related reasons, such as the nerves that come with any first-round match, but more significantly because of the unusual circumstances involving the war.
"You're playing against [a] Ukrainian and you never know what's going to happen. You never know how people will -- will they support you or not?" explained Sabalenka, who went down an early break and trailed 3-2 before reeling off six consecutive games with powerful first-strike hitting. "I was worried, like, people will be against me, and I don't like to play when people [are] so much against me."
A journalist from Ukraine asked Sabalenka what her message to the world is with regard to the war, particularly in this context: She can overtake Iga Swiatek at No. 1 in the rankings based on results over the next two weeks and, therefore, serves as a role model.
"Nobody in this world, Russian athletes or Belarusian athletes, support the war. Nobody. How can we support the war? Nobody -- normal people -- will never support it. Why [do] we have to go loud and say that things? This is like: 'One plus one [is] two.' Of course we don't support war," Sabalenka said. "If it could affect anyhow the war, if it could like stop it, we would do it. But unfortunately, it's not in our hands."
When a portion of those comments was read to Kostyuk by a reporter, she responded in calm, measured tones that she doesn't get why Sabalenka does not come out and say that "she personally doesn't support this war."
Kostyuk also rejected the notion that players from Russia or Belarus could be in a tough spot upon returning to those countries if they were to speak out about what is happening in Ukraine.
"I don't know why it's a difficult situation," Kostyuk said with a chuckle.
"I don't know what other players are afraid of," she said. "I go back to Ukraine, where I can die any second from drones or missiles or whatever it is."
Ryan Crouser improves shot put world record to 23.56m
Los Angeles sees greatest shot series of all time on a day that also sees impressive wins for Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Marileidy Paulino and Diribe Welteji
Ryan Crouser threw 23.56m to add 19cm to his own world shot put record at the USATF Los Angeles Invitational on Saturday (May 27). Such was his effort, he almost threw the shot beyond the official throws area.
The event at Drake Stadium was part of the Continental Tour Gold and the biggest athletics event in LA for more than a decade as it gears up to stage the 2028 Olympics.
Crouser’s throw came in the fourth round and his series also included 23.23m in the first round, 23.31m in the third, plus 22.94m, 22.86m and 22.80m.
“I’m really excited because it didn’t feel polished,” Crouser explained. “It felt like I had a tonne of power and I caught a big one.”
Ryan Crouser (Errol Anderson)
The 30-year-old American finished ahead of Tom Walsh of New Zealand, runner-up with 22.12m.
Elsewhere there were a number of high-quality contests although the crowd was firstly let down by the pre-event withdrawal of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Athing Mu and then, on the night, sprint stars Sha’Carri Richardson and Marie-Josee Ta Lou did not take part in the women’s 100m final after earlier running the heats.
The women in the 100m hurdles had no qualms about facing each other and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn emerged as No.1 from a super-strong line-up with the Puerto Rico athlete clocking a world lead of 12.31 (-0.2) ahead of Keni Harrison’s 12.35 and Tia Jones’ 12.50. World record-holder Tobi Amusan wound up last in 12.69.
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Errol Anderson)
Marileidy Paulino won the women’s 400m in a Dominican Republic record and world lead of 48.98 although a few metres behind the 2019 world champion Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain, who is returning from an anti-doping ban, improved to 50.27 from a modest season opener of 52.24 in Chile the previous weekend. Naser ran 48.14 to win the world title in Doha four years ago but was given a ban for breaking whereabouts rules.
Marileidy Paulino (Errol Anderson)
Another world champion from Doha, Timothy Cheruiyot won the men’s 1500m in a world lead of 3:31.47 from his namesake Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot with Hobbs Kessler delighting the home crowd with a 3:32.61 PB as he sprinted past US champion Cooper Teare in the home straight. Such was the quality, 2016 Olympic champion Matt Centrowitz clocked 3:36.64 but was only eighth.
The women’s 1500m also saw a world lead as Ethiopian Diribe Welteji ran 3:57.84 ahead of Britain’s Kate Snowden, whose 4:00.04 lifted her from 22nd to sixth on the UK all-time rankings.
Timothy Cheruiyot (Errol Anderson)
In the absence of Richardson and Ta Lou, the women’s 100m was won by Morolake Akinosun of the United States in 10.97 (0.2), while Sean Bailey of Jamaica clocked 44.43 to overtake Kirani James in the closing metres of the men’s 400m.
In the men’s 100m, Ackeem Blake of Jamaica ran a PB of 9.89 (1.0) as he held off Americans Cravont Charleston and Christian Coleman.
The women’s shot also saw quality throwing as Maggie Ewen threw 20.45m to go No.3 on the US all-time rankings as she beat world champion Chase Ealey.
Finally, as the meeting drew to a close, Mondo Duplantis claimed pole vault victory with a 5.91m first attempt clearance ahead of Sam Kendricks.
The two-day meeting began the previous night (May 26) where one of the highlights saw Abdi Nur win the men’s 5000m in 13:05.17 despite falling over early in the race.
“I just stayed calm, respected the competition and let it come to me,” Nur said. “I went out at two and a half laps because that’s where I feel confident. And when I knew to strike.”
Brits Neil Gourley and Jack Rowe ran PBs in the same race with 13:11.44 and 13:20 respectively.
Jaiswal replaces Gaikwad as stand-by player for WTC final
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