Digest

SOCCER

Tributes flow as Brazil legend Pele turns 81

Pele celebrated his 81st birthday on Saturday, apparently in good shape, despite his fragile health after a month in hospital following the discovery of a tumor in September.

"My birthday is coming! They have already prepared the cake ..." wrote the Brazilian legend on social media on Friday, with a photo that showed him smiling, eating a cake iced like a soccer pitch with an enormous ball in the middle.

On Saturday morning, the tributes poured in.

Santos, the club where Pele played from 1956 to 1974, wished him "a long life" and "a happy birthday".

The club also prepared a celebration for its game against America on Saturday, with a shirt with a patch in tribute to the king of Brazilian soccer designed for the occasion and a tribute song in the 10th minute. Pele traditionally wore the No 10 jersey.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known as "Pele", the only player to win three World Cups (1958, 1962,1970) is undergoing chemotherapy after being admitted to hospital on Aug 31 for routine checks which detected a "suspicious" tumor in his colon. He had surgery four days later and spent about 10 days in an intensive care unit.

Pep praises Brighton after slick City cruises

Pep Guardiola lauded Brighton for playing like a "top-four" side despite being on the end of a 4-1 thrashing from his Manchester City team on Saturday.

The English champion had the points sealed by halftime as Ilkay Gundogan tapped into an empty net on 13 minutes before Phil Foden finished off two fine team moves.

Alexis Mac Allister's penalty pulled a goal back for Brighton, before Riyad Mahrez put the seal on a slick City display.

Brighton remained in fourth after an impressive start to the season and Guardiola believes the Seagulls deserve to be in that exalted position in the table.

"It's really good because I knew which team we face today," said Guardiola after City moved up to second in the table.

"They are aggressive and when they have the ball they know what they have to do. They have all the mechanisms of a big team."

Brighton boss Graham Potter said: "Of course it's disappointing to lose. We have to say that Manchester City were better than us but our performance was something to be proud of."

ATHLETICS

Elite Ecuador sprinter Quinonez shot dead

Ecuadorian sprinter Alex Quinonez, a world championship bronze medalist, has been shot dead in the Pacific port city of Guayaquil, authorities said on Saturday.

The 32-year-old was one of two people shot outside a shopping center late on Friday, according to local police, who said a motive was not yet clear.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso vowed to find and punish those responsible for the killing.

"We deeply regret the painful loss of Alex Quinonez, a father, a son, and a great sprinter who left his mark on the sport," Lasso said on Twitter.

"Our sincerest condolences to his loved ones. Rest in peace. Those who take the lives of Ecuadorians will not go unpunished. We will act forcefully."

The assassination comes less than a week after the government enforced a two-month nationwide state of emergency in a bid to quell a wave of violent crime.

Quinonez claimed the bronze medal in the 200 meters at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha. He was suspended prior to the Tokyo Olympics due to "breach of his whereabouts obligations" as part of an anti-doping check.

BASKETBALL

Sheriff promised to secure Kobe crash site

Kobe Bryant's widow said she pleaded with the Los Angeles County sheriff to make sure no one takes photographs from the site of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the basketball star, and he reassured that the area had been secured, court documents say.

After Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirmed her husband, their teenage daughter, along with seven others, were killed, he asked Vanessa Bryant if he could do anything for her, according to a transcript of a deposition obtained by USA Today Sports on Saturday on her lawsuit against Los Angeles County.

"And I said: 'If you can't bring my husband and baby back, please make sure that no one takes photographs of them. Please secure the area,'" Vanessa Bryant said during the deposition. "And he said: 'I will.' And I said: 'No, I need you to get on the phone right now and I need you to make sure you secure the area.'"

Villanueva, she said, excused himself and when he came back reassured her the area had been secured.

Agencies