The Week in Sportbiz: Cricket meets hip-hop; Germany exports VAR; and the ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ goes global November 19, 2020 Cricket and hip-hop aren’t obvious bedfellows but they cosied up this week when South Africa fast bowler Lungi Ngidi joined Jay-Z’s talent stable Roc Nation. Ngidi, South Africa’s player of the year in one-day and T20 internationals, is the first cricketer to sign with Roc Nation Sports. Roc Nation has snapped up mostly American athletes, [...]
English sports clubs granted £300m emergency funding package November 19, 2020 The government has announced a £300m emergency funding package to help sports clubs in England survive ongoing coronavirus restrictions during the winter. Rugby League and Rugby Union, horse racing and the lower tiers of National League football are among the beneficiaries of the support. The funding, which is largely made up of loans, comes as [...]
Why Francis Warren is taking the family Queensberry empire to Poland November 18, 2020 Boxing promoter Francis Warren is hoping to expand his family’s Queensberry empire by mining an untapped Polish fight scene. The son of hall-of-fame promoter Frank Warren has launched Queensberry Poland, which is due to stage its first show on Saturday. Warren Jr, 36, hopes to groom future Polish world champions who buck the trend by [...]
English cricket fans set to be welcomed back to grounds for full summer of international action November 18, 2020 English cricket chiefs have announced a full programme of international action — with fans in attendance — for next summer. England’s men’s will play India in a five-Test series starting August, following white-ball matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The women’s side will host one-day and Twenty20 series with South Africa and New Zealand, while [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Might just be a walk in the Park November 17, 2020 AFTER riding a total of 20 winners in Hong Kong, Jerry Chau has had his valuable 10-pound claiming allowance cut to seven, but that doesn’t change the fact the 20-year-old is still the go-to apprentice in the territory. He is booked to ride in seven of the nine races on Wednesday, with his standout ride [...]
Moreira’s Warm can keep Purton cold November 17, 2020 IT’S SAFE to assume the last household you would want to visit in Hong Kong at present is Zac Purton’s apartment. The reigning champ is suffering a nightmare, with just three wins from his last 40 rides, and only one winner at the last three race meetings. Remembering that Purton’s mounts are mostly at the [...]
Hong Kong Racing Tips: Fownes’ contender to put a smile on your face November 17, 2020 TRAINER Caspar Fownes arrives at his favourite track Happy Valley on Wednesday with his stable in the form of their lives. The cheerful Australian can’t stop training winners at present with half-a-dozen saluting the judge in the past fortnight and 23 successes to his name since the season begun in September, he already finds himself [...]
ATP Finals prize money: Why payouts at one of tennis’s most lucrative events have been cut by up to 59 per cent November 17, 2020 What the ATP Finals lacks in prestige next to grand slam events it makes up for in prize money. Or at least it did. Because this year’s prize money fund at the men’s tennis showpiece has been cut by more than a third. And whoever claims the title on Sunday will bank barely half the [...]
UK beats US to be named most influential country for sports technology November 17, 2020 The United Kingdom has been named the most influential country in the realm of sports technology by a new report. The UK leads the way because it is home to Formula 1 and golf’s European Tour, organisations praised for innovation. The United States is the second most influential country, according to the inaugural Sports Technology [...]
Sam Torrance: Masters magic can unlock more major success for vastly improved Dustin Johnson November 16, 2020 You couldn’t have asked for a much better Masters than the one Dustin Johnson just won in fantastic fashion. OK, it’s more exciting when there’s two or three players vying at the end, but he was sublime and outclassed the whole field. The signs were there. Johnson’s form going into Augusta included four top twos [...]