Digest

BASKETBALL

Giannis suspended for head-butting opponent

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been suspended for one game after head-butting Washington Wizards center Moritz Wagner.

The Milwaukee Bucks star was ejected from the contest after the incident in the second quarter of the Bucks' 126-113 victory on Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo admitted he let his emotions get the better of him after he was fouled multiple times.

"Terrible action," Antetokounmpo said."If I could go back and turn back time and go back to that play, I wouldn't do it. But at the end of the day, we're all human, we all make mistakes.

"I think I've done a great job all year, in my career, of keeping my composure and focusing on the game, but like I said, we're human, we make mistakes.

The suspension rules the 25-year-old out of Thursday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Bucks have secured the No 1 overall seed in the playoffs, which start next week.

ATHLETICS

Russia pays fine to escape WA expulsion

Russia paid $6.3 million to World Athletics on Wednesday to avoid expulsion from track and field's world governing body.

The federation, known as RusAF had a Saturday deadline to pay a $5 million fine and $1.3 million in costs to World Athletics. That followed the alleged use of forged medical documents to give an athlete an alibi for being unavailable for drug testing. RusAF was threatened with expulsion after it missed an initial July 1 deadline to pay.

"World Athletics can confirm it has today received the funds to settle RusAF's two outstanding payments," World Athletics said in a statement.

The Russian Sports Ministry put up the funds after RusAF said it couldn't pay. The ministry said Wednesday that it gave RusAF "a one-time subsidy for developing the sport, including clearing the debt to World Athletics", but didn't specify how much it had transferred.

SOCCER

Matuidi leaves Juve as MLS rumors swirl

Blaise Matuidi

French World Cup-winning midfielder Blaise Matuidi is leaving Juventus by mutual consent after three years, the Italian champion announced on Wednesday.

Matuidi, 33, joined the Turin giant from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 and had one year left on his contract.

It is reported he is set to move to the United States to join David Beckham's Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami.

"Blaise Matuidi and Juventus say goodbye with the consensual termination of the player's contract,"Juventus said in a statement.

"With our colors on his back, he fought and played his heart out in every single game; placing constant pressure on the opponents, tearing apart the run of play and ever so eloquently relaunching the ball into action."

TENNIS

Australia plans more January tournaments

Tiger Woods

The second edition of the ATP Cup is still scheduled to go ahead in January and Tennis Australia is considering adding more events alongside it to allow players to prepare for the Australian Open, TA chief-executive Craig Tiley told Reuters.

The $15 million ATP Cup, a joint venture between the men's tour and TA, debuted last year at the heart of a rejigged Australian Open warm-up schedule, which also included women's events in Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobart.

The 24-nation men's team competition received rave reviews but, along with every other sporting event in the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a question mark over whether it can go ahead in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney in 2021.

"We are talking a lot to the ATP every week. We both want to run it,"Tiley said on a video call.

"It was a great startup event, it was massively successful. We are planning on having it in three cities and we're working with those cities. We've got a lot of work to do logistically to make this all work. We need to make sure the players are safe."

GOLF

Masters to be staged without spectators

Tiger Woods will have to defend his Masters title behind closed doors after Augusta chiefs admitted on Wednesday that the risks arising from the coronavirus pandemic "are simply too significant to overcome".

The Masters had already been pushed back from its traditional April slot due to the global crisis and will now take place from Nov 12-15.

"As we have considered the issues facing us, the health and safety of everyone associated with the Masters always has been our first and most important priority," said Fred Ridley, the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club.

"Ultimately, we determined that the potential risks of welcoming patrons and guests to our grounds in November are simply too significant to overcome.

"Even in the current circumstances, staging the Masters without patrons is deeply disappointing."

WINTER SPORTS

Trade fair to showcase firms linked to 2022

Winter sports manufacturers, including some associated with the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, are hoping to explore business opportunities at next month's China International Fair For Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

The TechnoAlpin Group, headquartered in Italy, has participated in snowmaking construction and event support for six Winter Olympic Games.

Its snowmaking guns and cannons are used by two Beijing 2022 venues－the Shougang Big Air ramp and the National Alpine Skiing Center.

Shen Yumei, marketing director of the TechnoAlpin Snow Making Equipment (Sanhe) Co Ltd, said that China is one of its most important markets, adding: "We will bring the cannon snowmaker and the ENGO icemaker to the exhibition, hoping to attract market attention."

Beijing's China National Convention Center is the main venue for the fair.

Xinhua - Agencies