Digest

OLYMPICS

DPRK cites pandemic fears for withdrawal

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will not participate in the Tokyo Olympics this summer due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision was made at a general assembly meeting of the DPRK Olympic Committee in Pyongyang on March 25, website Sports in the DPRK reported on Tuesday.

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea decided during the general assembly not to participate in the 32nd Olympic Games to protect our athletes from the global health crisis related to the coronavirus as proposed by committee members," the report added.

The Korean Central News Agency reported on March 26 that a session of the DPRK Olympic Committee was held in Pyongyang a day earlier. The session, held via videoconference, reviewed the work of the committee in 2020 and discussed its plans for 2021.

However, it did not make any announcement on whether the country would attend this summer's Tokyo Olympic Games.

The DPRK has claimed to have successfully dealt with the pandemic, and has not reported any coronavirus cases since early last year.

Tokyo organizers to cancel water polo test

Tokyo Olympic organizers are expected to cancel a water polo test event scheduled for this weekend, a report said on Tuesday, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt preparations less than four months before the start of the Games.

The water polo test event will be canceled because overseas officials are unable to come to Japan amid strict COVID-19 countermeasures, public broadcaster NHK said.

A spokeswoman for the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee declined to comment.

A cancellation would be another blow for organizers just days after they restarted test events, which had been on hold due to the pandemic, for the first time in more than a year.

SOCCER

Late Barca winner cuts Atletico's lead to one

A late winner by Ousmane Dembele gave Barcelona control of its own fate in the race for the Spanish league title.

Dembele scored in the 90th minute on Monday as Barca defeated 10-man Real Valladolid 1-0 to move within a point of league leader Atletico Madrid.

Dembele scored with a left-footed shot from inside the area to make sure Barcelona can secure the title by winning all of its remaining games, as it hosts Atletico in one of the final rounds in May.

"This is the result of our work. We worked very hard in these last few months," Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet said. "Things are starting to go our way."

Barcelona had been struggling to break through Valladolid's stubborn defense. However, the 80th-minute sending-off of Oscar Plano for a foul on Dembele proved pivotal.

Atletico lost 1-0 at Sevilla on Sunday to see its once-comfortable cushion vanish.

Coutinho hopes knee surgery saves Copa bid

Barcelona and Brazil international midfielder Philippe Coutinho underwent knee surgery on Monday as he races against time to be fit for this year's Copa America.

Brazil national team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar performed the operation, which removed a cyst on the 28-year-old's left knee, at a private clinic in Belo Horizonte, according to news outlet Globo Esporte.

The former Liverpool forward is expected to be ruled out for the rest of Barcelona's season but is hoping to be available for the Copa America, to be played in Colombia and Argentina from June 13 to July 10.

The 28-year-old has been sidelined since suffering lateral meniscus damage in Barca's 1-1 home draw with Eibar on Dec 29.

He underwent arthroscopic surgery in January but has not recovered as doctors had hoped. In March, Coutinho traveled to Qatar to seek the opinion of specialists at the Aspetar sports medicine hospital in Doha.

BASKETBALL

Baylor bosses Zags to bag first national title

Baylor is on top of the college basketball world, winning its first national championship while denying perfection for Gonzaga.

All-American guard Jared Butler had 22 points and seven assists for the Bears in 86-70 victory on Monday night. His backcourt mates did plenty as well.

MaCio Teague had 19 points and Davion Mitchell 15 for the Bears. Adam Flagler, a guard who will be back next season, added 13 points, and fifth-year senior Mark Vital had 11 rebounds. Baylor ended the season at 28-2.

Freshman Jalen Suggs had 22 points for Gonzaga, which finished 31-1.

Indiana is still the last undefeated national champion, back in 1976.

Suggs, who banked in a game-winning 3-pointer from just inside half court in overtime to beat UCLA in the national semifinal game, scored 15 of his points in the second half.

Xinhua - Agencies