Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has admitted assaulting an ex-girlfriend but avoided a criminal conviction. The 27-year-old’s guilty plea in a Canberra court came after his lawyers failed to have the charge dismissed on mental health grounds. Mr Kyrgios pushed Chiara Passari onto the pavement during a row in Canberra in 2021, the court heard. The magistrate called the incident “a single act of stupidity or frustration” when sparing him a criminal record. Agreed facts tendered to the court say Mr Kyrgios pushed Ms Passari after after she stopped his car from driving away while they were arguing on 10 … Continue reading Tennis star Nick Kyrgios escapes conviction over assault of girlfriend

A player for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles has been charged with kidnapping and rape less than two weeks before the team is due to play in the Super Bowl. Joshua Sills, 25, an offensive guard for the team, was charged on Wednesday by prosecutors in Ohio. In 2019, he “engaged in sexual activity that was not consensual and held a victim against her will”, they say. The Eagles will play the Kansas City Chiefs for the championship in Arizona on 12 February. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Guernsey County Sheriff Jeffrey Paden said in a statement on Wednesday that … Continue reading Philadelphia Eagles player charged with rape before Super Bowl

Russian and Belarusian athletes could be free to compete as neutrals at the 2024 Olympics after the International Olympic Committee said it will “explore a pathway” for their participation. The IOC called on federations to exclude athletes from the countries following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This week Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian athletes should have “no place” at the Paris Games. But the IOC’s statement on Wednesday could clear the way for their return. It said “no athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport”. The move has been criticised in a joint-statement from Athletes for … Continue reading IOC opens door to Russian and Belarusian athletes competing at the 2024 Olympics Games

Australian rugby union player Kurtley Beale has been arrested over allegations he sexually assaulted a woman in a Sydney pub last month. Police say they are investigating reports a 28-year-old woman was attacked in beachside suburb Bondi on 17 December. Mr Beale, 34, has played more than 90 games for Australia’s national team, the Wallabies, over 10 years. He was recently named in the Wallabies training squad for the World Cup. Mr Beale has played most of his career in Australia but joined French team Racing 92 on a two-year deal in 2020. At the end of his contract, he … Continue reading Australian rugby player Kurtley Beale arrested over alleged sexual assault

A Belarus athletics coach who allegedly tried to force an athlete to fly home from the Tokyo Olympics has been charged with improper conduct. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya said she was taken to the airport in Tokyo against her will after criticising her coaches. The sprinter received police protection after voicing fears for her safety and was later granted asylum by Poland. Yury Maisevic has been charged with three offences by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). The AUI alleges that Maisevic, who was Belarus’ head coach at the Tokyo Games, “verbally and mentally harassed” Tsimanouskaya. Coach Artur Shumak, who was also under investigation, … Continue reading Belarus athletics coach charged with harassing sprinter at the Tokyo Olympics games

Russian and Belarusian flags have been banned from the Australian Open tennis tournament after a courtside incident. Spectators were initially permitted to bring the flags into Melbourne Park on the condition they did not cause “disruption”. But the organisers reversed that decision on Tuesday, after fans displayed a Russian flag during a match between Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl and Russian Kamilla Rakhimova. The ban is effective immediately. “We will continue to work with the players and our fans to ensure the best possible environment to enjoy the tennis,” Tennis Australia said in a statement. Ukrainian fans say they called police and … Continue reading Australian Open bans Russian and Belarusian flags from tournament

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has announced she is pregnant. The Japanese former world number one, 25, withdrew from the Australian Open earlier this week, having not played since September. “2023 will be a year that’ll be full for lessons for me,” said Osaka, adding that she hopes to return in 2024. “One thing I am looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom’.” Osaka won the last of her four Grand Slams at the Australian Open in 2021. However, she has spoken of the problems she has faced … Continue reading Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka announces pregnancy

A legendary NBA star and former head coach reportedly died on Sunday morning. According to longtime Boston Celtics insider Bob Ryan, legendary NBA figure Paul Silas has died at the age of 79 years old. “I am very sad to report that the Great Paul Silas has died at age 79. To watch him play was a joy. To be his friend was an honor,” he reported on Sunday morning. Silas, the father of Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas, played in the NBA from 1964-80. He won three championships as a player and made two All-Star games. He starred … Continue reading Legendary NBA star Paul Silas is dead

Japan’s controversial 2-1 victory against Spain would have eliminated Germany anyway, but Hansi Flick’s side needed three points to give themselves any chance of reaching the last 16. They completed their part of the bargain, but it was to no avail as the four-time champions finished third in the group and were eliminated on goal difference. It could have been a different story after Japan’s winning goal in the other Group E match was initially ruled out because the officials thought the ball had gone out of play before it was put into the net, but the decision was overturned by VAR. … Continue reading Germany crashed out of the Fifa World Cup on a remarkable night of drama

Iran’s football federation has complained to Fifa after the Islamic Republic emblem was removed from its flag in social media posts by the United States team. Before their World Cup meeting on Tuesday, the US removed the Allah symbol in graphics posted on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The US said they decided not to use Iran’s official flag to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights”, amid mass anti-government protests in the country. The protests in Iran, met with a fierce crackdown, have been sparked by the death in custody in September of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old … Continue reading Iran complain to Fifa over flag change on social media by US

Felix Sanchez’s men have been together in camp for the last six months to prepare for the tournament and work on tactics, but a nervous and disjointed performance led to a Group A loss. With Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal and three-time finalists the Netherlands to come, this looked like Qatar’s easiest game on paper but they were totally outplayed. A dramatic opening to the contest saw Enner Valencia’s header from close range ruled out for offside by the video assistant referee, but the South Americans did break the deadlock shortly after. Qatar’s erratic goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb brought … Continue reading Hosts Qatar opened the 2022 Fifa World Cup in calamitous fashion, easily beaten by Ecuador

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been charged by the Football Association over 232 alleged breaches of betting rules over a four-year period. The 26-year-old, last week admitted he was assisting the FA with its investigation into historic breaking of gambling rules. The alleged breaches stretch from 2017, when Toney was on Newcastle’s books, to 2021, after he had joined Brentford from Peterborough. The FA said on Wednesday: “Ivan Toney has been charged with misconduct in relation to alleged breaches of the FA’s betting rules. “It is alleged that the Brentford FC forward breached FA rule E8 232 times between February … Continue reading Premier League footballer could face ‘lifetime ban’ over 232 alleged betting breaches