Billionaire Motsepe elected president of African football
RABAT (MOROCCO), March 12: South African mining billionaire Patrice Motsepe was elected president of the African soccer confederation on Friday without the need for a vote after a deal brokered by FIFA saw his three challengers withdraw, leaving him as the sole candidate. Motsepe was confirmed by acclamation — a round of applause by officials — at the Confederation of African Football’s general assembly meeting. The 59-year-old Motsepe, a highly successful businessman but a man who has little experience in soccer administration, is now in charge of turning around FIFA’s most troubled confederation. (AP)
Badminton: US, Canada Opens cancelled due to COVID-19
NEW DELHI, March 12: The Badminton World Federation on Friday announced that this year’s US Open and Canada Open will not take place due to the COVID-19 “restrictions and complications” across the globe. The US Open, a Super 300 tournament on the HSBC BWF World Tour, was slated to be played from July 6 to 11, while the Super 100 tournament in Canada Open was schedule for June 29 to July 4. “The ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and complications left local organisers no choice but to cancel the tournaments,” BWF said in a statement. “The respective decisions of USA Badminton and Badminton Canada were made in consultation and agreement with the BWF,” it added. The cancellations follow the news that Badminton Asia has postponed its flagship event – the Asia Championships –, which were to serve as an Olympic qualifying event. “The continental championship was to count towards the Race to Tokyo Rankings, but as it is not possible to reschedule the tournament within the Olympic Qualification period, the points will no longer be included,” the BWF said. The BWF added that no replacement tournament will be added. (PTI)
Muguruza enter Dubai semifinals
DUBAI, March 12: Garbiņe Muguruza rallied from a set and a break down to beat Aryna Sabalenka for the second week in a row and reach the semifinals of the Dubai Championships. Muguruza was broken in the opening game of the second set before turning the match around to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. She has reached back-to-back semifinals, having lost to Petra Kvitova in the Qatar Open final last week. Muguruza faces Elise Mertens in the semifinals after the 10th-seeded Belgian saved three match points to beat Jessica Pegula 5-7, 7-5, 6-0. Pegula served for the match at 5-3 in the second set and had the match points on Mertens’ serve in the next game. (AP)
China offers vaccines for Olympics
LAUSANNE, March 12: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that it has received an offer from China to make vaccines available for athletes participating at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. IOC President Thomas Bach additionally said that it will pay for the additional batch of vaccines that China will produce for the Games. (IANS)
Hosts Japan reject Chinese offer
TOKYO, March 12: Japan will not take part in China’s offer — accepted by the International Olympic Committee — to provide vaccines for “participants” in the postponed Tokyo Games and next year’s Beijing Winter Games. Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa said Friday that Japan had not been consulted by the IOC about the Chinese vaccines, and that Japanese athletes would not take them. (AP)