Digest

BASKETBALL

Guangdong battles to early CBA Finals lead

Sonny Weems

With 25 points from fast breaks, defending champions the Guangdong Southern Tigers beat the Liaoning Flying Leopards 88-83 in Zhuji, Zhejiang province on Tuesday to win the opening game of the best-of-three CBA Finals.

Leading 85-80 with 34 seconds left on the clock, Zhou Peng made one of two free throws to edge Guangdong closer to victory. Liu Zhixun drained a 3 to keep Liaoning's hopes alive before Jason Thompson killed the game off with an easy dunk.

Sonny Weems had a game-high 22 points and eight rebounds for Guangdong. Zhou and Zhao Rui contributed 18 and 12 points respectively.

Guo Ailun scored all his 20 points in the second half to lead Liaoning's attack. Kyle Fogg had 18 and CBA Rookie Of The Season Zhang Zhenlin had 17 points and nine rebounds.

Guangdong coach Du Feng said robust defense was the key to victory as his team limited Liaoning to only 36 percent shooting.

"I repeatedly emphasized winning the game through defense and the players put up solid defense in this match," he said.

SOCCER

Guangzhou crashes to late Fellaini winner

Marouane Fellaini

Guangzhou's lackluster start to the new Chinese Super League season continued on Tuesday as a last-gasp Marouane Fellaini header earned Shandong Taishan a 1-0 win.

Shandong's Leonardo came close to scoring with a header in the 21st minute, but his effort was kept out by goalkeeper Liu Dianzuo.

At the other end, Shandong keeper Wang Dalei was forced into a fine save from an Alan strike.

Fellaini replaced Leonardo with just over half an hour left, with Shandong unable to cope with the big Belgian's aerial threat as he headed home a Jin Jingdao cross in the 93rd minute.

With just one point from its opening two fixtures, the head coach of eight-time champion Guangzhou, Fabio Cannavaro, said: "Our goal is not to win the championship this season, but to train players to provide strength for the Chinese national team."

In the day's other game, players struggled to stay on their feet on a slippery pitch after heavy rain in Guangzhou as the Cangzhou Mighty Lions and Henan Songshan Longmen played out a drab scoreless draw.

China vaccine donation for Copa America teams

Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac will donate 50,000 doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to South American soccer confederation CONMEBOL in a bid to protect players for upcoming tournaments.

CONMEBOL announced Tuesday that the jabs will be used to inoculate players ahead of the Copa America in June and for other regional tournaments.

"This is a huge step forward to beat the COVID-19 pandemic, but it doesn't mean that we will in any way relax," CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez said in a statement.

The soccer body said it is the first confederation to obtain a vaccine for widespread immunization, but it gave no details about who will get the vaccines and when.

This year's Copa America, taking place in Argentina and Colombia, will be played between June 13 and July 10. The Copa Libertadores is already underway.

Also Tuesday, the Brazilian soccer confederation reported a coronavirus outbreak among its women's national team. It said three players and two members of the coaching staff tested positive at confederation headquarters in Teresopolis, outside Rio de Janeiro.

BOXING

Teenager dies after KO at youth worlds

An 18-year-old boxer from Jordan has died after being seriously injured in a bout at the world youth championships, the International Boxing Association said Tuesday.

Rashed Al-Swaisat was treated in the ring and then hospitalized after being knocked out in his preliminary-round light-heavyweight fight against Estonian boxer Anton Vinogradov on April 16 in Kielce, Poland.

"It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Rashed Al-Swaisat of Jordan, who had been admitted to hospital on April 16 further to his fight during the AIBA Youth World Championships," AIBA said in a statement. "Rashed is in our hearts and in our prayers. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates, to whom we offer our sincere condolences."

AIBA did not immediately provide more information about the time or circumstances of Al-Swaisat's death. Polish broadcaster Radio Zet Sport reported that he died Monday at a hospital in Kielce.

MMA

McGregor raises a glass after whiskey windfall

Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor keeps winning.

Perhaps the biggest MMA star of them all is part of a lucrative deal to sell a two-year-old whiskey brand he helped found for $600 million, according to multiple reports.

Proximo Spirits, which owns Jose Cuervo and numerous other alcohol brands, acquired a majority stake in Proper No. Twelve Irish whiskey in a deal worth up to $600 million, both sides told spirits trade publication Shanken News Daily on Tuesday.

Proximo had a 49-percent share previously but went for a majority in the deal with McGregor, McGregor's agent Audie Attar with Paradigm Sports Management and partner Ken Austin.

Shanken News Daily reported Mike Keyes, Proximo's CEO, said McGregor, Attar and Austin will retain interest in and continue to be active with the brand.

"Proper Twelve is my baby for life!" McGregor said on his website. "I'm only warming up the barrels here! What I have in store for you all will not only take Proper Twelve to the absolute pinnacle of Irish whiskey, but of all spirits!"

TENNIS

Yastremska loses latest doping appeal

Professional tennis player Dayana Yastremska's latest appeal of her provisional doping suspension was denied on Tuesday, keeping the Ukrainian sidelined.

The 20-year-old, who has been ranked as high as No 21 but is now down to No 32, was originally suspended in January for failing an out-of-competition drug test.

She tested positive for mesterolone metabolite, a prohibited substance that can be used to boost testosterone.

Yastremska has denied using performance enhancers or prohibited substances. She has filed multiple appeals of her ban, without success.

Yastremska has won three WTA singles titles. Her best showing at a Grand Slam tournament was reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in her main-draw debut there in 2019.

Xinhua - Agencies