Digest

BASKETBALL

Li Meng voted Player of the Year in Asia

China's guard Li Meng was voted women's Player of the Year in Asia by fans, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced on Sunday.

Li, who led the Chinese women's national team to win the silver medal at the FIBA Women's World Cup in Australia in October, beat her teammates Han Xu and Wang Siyu for the award.

The 27-year-old averaged 16.0 points in the tournament. South Korea's Kang Lee-seul and Park Hye-jin, Japan's Saori Miyazaki, Himawari Akaho, and Stephanie Mawuli were also candidates for the title.

SOCCER

De Bruyne: Haaland can score 800 goals

Kevin De Bruyne believes Manchester City teammate Erling Haaland can go on and score 800 goals before his career ends.

Haaland, who will return to the city of his birth when the champions resume their Premier League title defense at Leeds on Wednesday, has scored 24 goals in just 19 appearances since his summer move from Borussia Dortmund.

"He already has about 200 goals, so he can probably go to 600, 700 or 800 if he stays fit and does the things that he does," said De Bruyne.

The Belgian international has played with a host of top strikers in his career and is well-placed when it comes to 22-year-old Haaland's place in the pecking order.

De Bruyne enjoyed a fruitful relationship with the club's record goalscorer Sergio Aguero before the Argentinian left City in 2021.

'The most talented player ever' dead at 49

Former Uruguay international midfielder Fabian O'Neill, once hailed by Zinedine Zidane as "the most talented player" he'd ever seen, died Sunday after a long battle with alcoholism. He was 49.

"Goodbye Wizard," tweeted O'Neill's formative club Nacional after he passed away due to chronic cirrhosis in a Montevideo hospital where he had been rushed on Saturday suffering from a hemorrhage.

"The most talented player I've ever seen," was how French World Cup winner Zidane, a teammate at Juventus, described O'Neill.

After making his debut for Nacional at the age of 18 in 1992, O'Neill was transferred to Cagliari in Italy three years later.

In 2000, he moved to Juventus but after playing for the Turin giants for just one season, he was farmed out to Perugia.

He then returned to Nacional before quitting in 2003.

O'Neill earned 19 caps for Uruguay and scored two goals.

Struggling Wolves sign Cunha from Atletico

Atletico Madrid striker Matheus Cunha on Sunday agreed a loan deal with rock-bottom English Premier League side Wolves, the Spanish club announced.

The 23-year-old Brazilian moved to Spain from Hertha Berlin in Germany in 2021 for a fee of 26 million euros ($27.6 million) but struggled to make any significant impact with the Madrid club.

He scored seven goals last season but hasn't found the net in 17 appearances in the current campaign.

"From Atletico Madrid we wish Matheus Cunha the best of success," said the Spanish club.

Cunha will join Wolves from Jan 1 subject to work permit approval with a permanent deal — reportedly worth a club-record $43million — an option.

"Matheus Cunha will become Julen Lopetegui's first signing as Wolves head coach, joining on loan from Jan 1, subject to work permit," said a Wolves statement.

GOLF

US Open win '10 million times better'

English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick says his shock US Open triumph was"10 million times better" than he had ever imagined.

The 28-year-old swept to a maiden triumph at the majors at Brookline in June when he edged Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris by just one shot.

"It was 10 million times better than I thought it would feel after winning a major. It was so incredibly rewarding," Fitzpatrick told the BBC in a Christmas review.

However, he admitted to enduring mixed feelings in the aftermath of his breakthrough win.

"It's very weird. I've done it and it's like 'perfect let's go and try and win more' but at the same time I've had 'well I've done it now, why do I have to do any more?'," Fitzpatrick explained.

"I've spoken to a few people about it and it's a very common trait after they achieve success. I've always pushed myself hard, people always say you're too hard on yourself and I probably am.

"But it's been leading up to that moment to win a major championship. The first few weeks afterwards it's like pure elation and everything is amazing and then the dust settles and you've got to get yourself up and do that all over again."

Agencies