Digest

GOLF

Mickelson to sit out Masters amid furor

Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, out of public view since his inflammatory remarks about the Saudi-funded rival league and the PGA Tour, has decided not to play at Augusta National this year.

Mickelson's name was moved from the list of players expected to compete in the Masters to a section titled "Past champions not playing".

The club confirmed that Mickelson has notified Augusta National he will not be playing. The Masters is April 7-10.

It will be the first time Mickelson is not at the Masters since 1994, when he was recovering from a broken leg suffered while skiing.

Mickelson, who last year became golf's oldest major champion when he won the PGA Championship at age 50, was at the Saudi International when he accused the PGA Tour in a Golf Digest interview of "obnoxious greed".

OLYMPICS

Paris offers $26 tickets in accessibility drive

One million tickets for the 2024 Paris Olympics will be sold for 24 euros ($26.50) each with availability for all 32 sports, organizers said on Monday.

The Paris proposal to the International Olympic Committee sets the basic price lower than at the 2012 London Olympics, where the 20-pound tickets cost more than $31 at the exchange rate then.

"This is something important for us," Paris organizing committee president Tony Estanguet said. "This is a very strong promise to offer accessibility for everyone to Olympic sports."

A sales program unveiled by Paris organizers calls for pricing nearly half of the 10 million total tickets at no more than 50 euros.

For the 2024 Paralympics, prices start at 15 euros and about half of the 3.4 million tickets will cost no more than 25 euros.

TENNIS

Becker accused of hiding trophies in trial

Boris Becker

Former tennis champion Boris Becker went on trial Monday in London for allegedly concealing property－including nine trophies－from bankruptcy trustees and dodging his obligation to disclose financial information to settle his debts.

Prosecutors said Becker, 54, "acted dishonestly" when he hid or failed to hand over assets before and after he was declared bankrupt in June 2017. He is on trial charged with 24 counts under insolvency laws.

Prosecutor Rebecca Chalkley said the assets include trophies such as the 1985 and 1989 Wimbledon men's singles titles, his Australian Open trophies from 1991 and 1996 and his 1992 Olympic gold medal.

Becker is accused of concealing 1.13 million euros ($1.25 million) from the sale of a Mercedes car dealership he owned in Germany. He also allegedly failed to declare two German properties and hid a 825,000-euro bank loan.

Becker, who is on bail, denies all charges. The trial is expected to last for several weeks.

SOCCER

Dybala set for exit as 'Juve project changes'

Paulo Dybala will leave Juventus at the end of the season after the Serie A club confirmed on Monday that it would not renew the 28-year-old Argentine's contract which expires in the summer.

Juve CEO Maurizio Arrivabene brought an end to months of speculation when he said that the club had made no offer to Dybala's representatives during a meeting held earlier in the day in Turin.

Dybala had been waiting for talks over an extension after a verbal agreement reached in October, which would have bumped his basic salary up to 8 million euros ($9.1 million) a season, had been rolled back by the club.

"With the arrival of (Dusan) Vlahovic (in January) the footballing structure at the club has changed. Juventus' project has changed, and part of this change included Dybala's contract which today was not renewed," Arrivabene told reporters.

"It would have been easy for Juventus to make a much-reduced offer but it would have been disrespectful to Paulo." Dybala, who has struggled with injuries this season, has been with Juve for seven years, and was previously linked with Manchester United and Tottenham.

Disgraced Overmars starts anew at Antwerp

Marc Overmars has been appointed sporting director at Belgian club Royal Antwerp, just a month since leaving Ajax after sending inappropriate messages and photos to female staff.

The former Netherlands winger had to resign in February from his position as Ajax's sporting director after several colleagues said they had received messages from Overmars and questioned the "sexist "culture at the club.

Antwerp said it was giving Overmars a "second chance", after he penned a four-year deal, but acknowledged that they did not consult with female staff members before the appointment.

"It won't happen again," Overmars, 48, promised. "I want to...start a new chapter here. My departure from Ajax was regrettable, I have to get over it and move on."

Agencies