What follows is a rundown of current sports news roundups.
Pelé’s health is improving, but there is no prognosis for hospital discharge, doctors say
Brazilian soccer great Pele’s health was improving, but there were still no forecasts for when he might be released from hospital after being admitted there late last month, according to a medical report released Monday. Pelé, 82, has been battling colon cancer since September 2021 and was hospitalized on November 29 for doctors to reassess his treatment. He is also being treated for a respiratory infection diagnosed after his hospitalization.
Soccer: can Morocco or Croatia break the glass ceiling of the World Cup?
Croatia and Morocco are the surprise guests in the World Cup final four, but, as the Croats found out in 2018 and many other semi-finalists before them, the remaining two steps to becoming world champions may be the most difficult. In the 21 editions of the World Cup over 92 years with 79 nations, there have only been eight winners and only 13 have reached the final. Spain was the last to join the elite group of champions in 2010 after France in 1998 and Argentina in 1978.
Swiatek, the highest ranked tennis player, named WTA Player of the Year
World number one Iga Swiatek was crowned WTA Player of the Year for the first time in her career, while Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova were named Doubles Team of the Year, the women’s game’s governing body said on Monday. Poland’s Swiatek went on an excellent 37-match winning streak and won the French and US Opens, as well as titles in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome and San Diego.
Football-France knows that Morocco is not just an expert defense mechanism
France is fully aware that Morocco is much more than a strictly defensive team as it prepares for their unexpected World Cup semi-final clash on Wednesday. Morocco reached the quarterfinals by beating Spain and Portugal in the round of 16 and have conceded just one goal in the tournament.
Soccer-Morocco rewrites the history of the African World Cup
African teams have had several giant-killing results at World Cups, but nothing like Morocco’s unprecedented run in Qatar that will fuel hopes of greater representation at future tournaments. Morocco knocked out Belgium, Spain and Portugal, all ranked in the world’s top 10, to become the first African team to reach the quarterfinals and now look at the scalp of champions France on Wednesday.
Soccer-Argentina already knows where to hurt Croatia – Scaloni
Argentina will be confident in their system when they face Croatia in the World Cup semifinals and believe they have figured out how to hurt the 2018 runners-up, coach Lionel Scaloni said Monday. Croatia were underdogs to reach the quarterfinals again, but they overcame two penalty shootouts in a repeat of their 2018 exploits.
Table tennis athletes passport, vaccination details leaked online – report
Passport details and vaccination certificates of hundreds of professional table tennis players have leaked online following a security issue on the server of the sport’s governing body, the ITTF, the Dutch news service RTL Nieuws reported on Monday. . Chinese Olympic champion Ma Long and his compatriot and world champion Fan Zhendong are among the victims of the privacy breach, with their passport details available online, according to the report.
Soccer: France are favourites, but Morocco seek another knockout
After facing Belgium, Portugal and Spain in Qatar, Morocco looks to bring another soccer superpower to its knees when it faces France in the World Cup semifinals on Wednesday in a game fraught with political and social overtones. Morocco, the first African team to reach the quarter-finals at a World Cup, will have a deafening support at the Al Bayt Stadium, and they will need it all to beat the defending champions and continue their fairy tale streak.
Motorsports: Capito steps down as Williams F1 team principal
Williams principal Jost Capito will step down after two years at the helm, and technical director Francois-Xavier Demaison will also leave, the Formula One team said on Monday. Williams said in a statement that they would announce replacements in due time.
Snooker-China’s Yan suspended amid match-fixing probe
Former Chinese Masters champion Yan Bingtao has been suspended from the World Snooker Tour as part of an investigation into alleged match-fixing, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) said on Monday. Yan, 22, beat Scotsman John Higgins 10-8 last year to become the youngest Masters champion in 26 years.
(With contributions from agencies).
