Digest

DIVING

China's second string dominates in Singapore

China grabbed three gold medals out of four events on the final day of the FINA Diving Grand Prix in Singapore on Sunday.

Duan Yu set the tone for Team China when he triumphed in the men's 10-meter platform with 477.45 points. Japan's Rikuko Tamai was second (452.75), with Mexico's Diego Balleza Islas third (451.75).

Huang Xiaohui bagged China's second gold of the day, in the women's 3m springboard with a score of 365.40 points.

Chinese duo Du Yinying and Tang Yixuan topped the podium in the women's 10m synchronized platform with 320.94 points.

Gwendal Bisch and Alexis Jandard of France prevented a Chinese sweep by winning the men's 3m synchronized springboard with 406.38 points.

Tai Xiaohu and Zhang Chao of China were roughly two points behind in second spot.

Despite having brought a second-string team to the meet, China topped the medal table with seven golds and three silvers.

SOCCER

Chinese top-flight trio on African shortlist

Jiangsu Suning duo Elizabeth Addo and Tabitha Chawinga and Beijing Phoenix striker Thembi Kgatlana have been nominated for the 2019 African Women's Player of the Year award.

Addo is the only Ghanaian to make the 10-woman list released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The 26-year-old forward and her Malawian teammate Chawinga have played key roles in Suning's title-winning campaign, while South African Kgatlana has shone up front for Beijing after arriving in the capital club in March.

Addo captained Ghana's Black Queens at last year's African Women Cup of Nations and was named in the team of the tournament despite Ghana exiting at the group stage.

The list, which also includes three-time winner Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria and Barcelona, will be whittled down to three before the awards gala on Jan 7 in Hurghada, Egypt.

BASEBALL

Braves sign catcher d'Arnaud in $16m deal

The Atlanta Braves have filled another hole by agreeing to a $16-million, two-year contract with catcher Travis d'Arnaud.

The 30-year-old spent most of last season in Tampa Bay, where he rekindled his career by hitting.263 with 16 homers in 92 games. His deal with the Braves was announced on Sunday.

D'Arnaud was cut by the New York Mets after appearing in just four games, and he got only one at-bat with the Los Angeles Dodgers before he was sent to the Rays. He took over the catching job in Tampa Bay and helped the Rays capture an American League wild-card berth.

He gets $8 million in each of the next two seasons and agreed to donate $80,000 annually to charity.

D'Arnaud gives the Braves a second catcher to pair with Tyler Flowers, who returned to the team on a $4-million, one-year deal. Atlanta's other catcher, Brian McCann, announced his retirement shortly after the team's loss in the National League Division Series.

Hill to miss half of 2020 following surgery

Free-agent left-hander Rich Hill underwent elbow surgery following the 2019 season and will miss approximately half of the 2020 season, the 39-year-old told the Orange County Register on Monday.

Hill underwent a procedure known as "primary revision" to repair a re-injury to the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm. He had Tommy John surgery in 2011.

Hill, who turns 40 in March, told the Californian newspaper his rehab from the surgery will last about seven to eight months. He said the procedure will allow him to continue pitching.

"This wasn't an option six years ago," said Hill, who went 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 13 starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019. "This guarantees I'll be back. Given where I'm at in my career, how much longer I'd like to play, the percentage of success is upward of 95 percent."

SOCCER

Mourinho rules out Ibra arrival at Spurs

New Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has ruled out signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, saying it "doesn't make sense" because Spurs already have one of the best strikers in the world in Harry Kane.

The 38-year-old Ibrahimovic is a free agent following his exit from the Los Angeles Galaxy and has previously played under Mourinho at Inter Milan and Manchester United.

Asked whether he could try to sign the former Sweden international, Mourinho said: "We have more than a connection. I would say also passion and understanding, an amazing player and an amazing guy, but I would say no. No chance."

Mourinho added about Kane: "We have the best striker in England, we have one of the top two or three strikers in the world, it doesn't make any sense for a striker of Zlatan's dimension－obviously in his late 30s－but still a striker that can play in any club in the world."