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<channel><title><![CDATA[RTHK On The Go - 即時新聞 News]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://rthk.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/]]></link><description><![CDATA[RTHK On The Go - 即時新聞 News]]></description><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 12 Apr 2026 22:33:03 +0800]]></pubDate><item><id>1850764</id><title><![CDATA[Mcllroy sees rivals cut into his Masters lead]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850764-20260412.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850764-20260412.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Rory McIlroy charged back late after squandering a six-stroke edge to share the 54-hole lead with Cameron Young at the Masters on Saturday after a wild third round.

A chaotic afternoon at Augusta National saw both men plunk key shots into water on the back nine but finish level atop the leaderboard on 11-under 205 through 54 holes, one stroke ahead of American Sam Burns.

McIlroy carded a one-over-par 73 while Young roared into contention with a scintillating seven-under-par 65.

"I didn't have it today," McIlroy said. "I scrambled a lot on the front nine."

Second-ranked McIlroy birdied the 14th and 15th holes to grab the lead but found trees off the 17th tee on the way to a bogey and his one-over round.

"I still have a great chance," McIlroy said. 

"I'm in the final group. That's where I want to be. I wish I had a little more cushion.

"I need to be better tomorrow. If I'm going to win tomorrow I have to be better than I was today."

McIlroy, a five-time major winner, hopes to match Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only back-to-back winners of the green jacket.

Third-ranked Young, last month's Players Championship winner, got off to a scorching start with birdies on five of the first 10 holes. 

He overcame a watery bogey at 15 by curling in a 27-foot birdie putt at the par-three 16th.

As a result, the 28-year-old American has a prime chance for his first major title.

"There certainly is no lead that's safe out here but Rory loves it here and no one would be surprised if he had shot 65," Young said.

"It's just one of those times that if he doesn't, we have to take advantage and I got myself here today."

Irishman Shane Lowry aced the 190-yard par-three sixth hole with a 7-iron on his way to a 68 that left him in fourth on 207, one stroke ahead of Australian Jason Day and England's Justin Rose.

Lowry, the 2019 British Open winner, became the first Masters player with multiple holes-in-one, having aced the 16th in the final round in 2016.

"That's wild," Lowry said. 

"You don't ever expect to make a hole-in-one. I just couldn't believe it. You're out there and you're in the hunt at the Masters and you're making hole-in-one. It's pretty cool. It was obviously amazing."

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler fired a bogey-free 65 -- his lowest career Masters round -- to stand four off the lead on 209 alongside China's Li Haotong, who also found water on his way to shooting 69.

"I put myself in position," Scheffler said. "I just need to get the job done."

McIlroy made double bogey at the 11th when his approach sailed left into a pond and after a bogey at the par-three 12th, his lead had vanished in Amen Corner.

McIlroy responded with a 19-foot birdie putt at the 14th and drove the green in two at the par-five 15th to set up a tap-in birdie only for a bogey at 17 to drop him back.

"I knew today wasn't going to be easy," McIlroy said. 

"The quality of the chasing pack was very good and a lot of guys played their best golf."

Rose, a three-time Masters runner-up hoping for a green jacket at age 45, went from seven adrift to three back and hopes for a final round like last year when he made 10 birdies.

"It's going to take a special round tomorrow, so there's a chance, which is great," Rose said. 

"I'm going to try to channel a bit of last year and see what happens." (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850764_1_M_20260412075235.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Rory Mcllroy's bid to win a successive Masters faltered during the third round at Augusta. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:52:31 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850759</id><title><![CDATA[Arsenal suffer major blow as Liverpool earn vital win]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850759-20260412.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850759-20260412.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Arsenal's shock 2-1 defeat by Bournemouth on Saturday blew the Premier League title race wide open, as Liverpool beat Fulham to boost their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

Just a few weeks ago the Gunners were dreaming of an unprecedented quadruple but they lost to City in the League Cup final and were dumped out of the FA Cup by second-tier Southampton.

A wobble in the Premier League, which they have not won since 2004, raises major doubts about their staying power with six matches to go.

"It's a big punch in the face, that's what I said to the boys, and now it's about how we react to that," said a downbeat Arteta, whose team remain favourites for the title.

Five English sides will qualify for next season's Champions League and fifth-placed Liverpool strengthened their case with a 2-0 home win against Fulham, easing the heat on manager Arne Slot.

Heavy defeats by Manchester City in the FA Cup and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League have piled the pressure on Slot, who had celebrated just two wins in eight games in all competitions before Saturday's match.

"It's a better place than it was two or three days ago or a week ago," the Dutchman told Sky Sports. 

"But it's also not that after we win all of a sudden everything is good again.

Liverpool, who face PSG in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday with a 2-0 deficit, now have 52 points, four clear of Chelsea in sixth place.

Brentford and Everton, both with a chance to qualify for the Champions League, drew 2-2. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850759_1_M_20260412053045.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The Spaniard, whose side have finished as runners-up three times in a row, admitted Arsenal's long title drought was playing on their minds. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:30:11 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850748</id><title><![CDATA[Alcaraz and Sinner to face off in Monte Carlo final]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850748-20260412.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850748-20260412.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Carlos Alcaraz teed up a blockbuster Monte Carlo Masters final with Jannik Sinner as the world's top two players will face off on Sunday for the number one ranking.

It will be the first meeting this season between Alcaraz and Sinner and will decide who will be World No. 1 come Monday when the new ATP rankings are released.

Alcaraz saw off Vacherot 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday to reach his 10th ATP 1000 final and improve his record on clay to 26-1 since the start of last year. 

Sinner eased his way into the Monte Carlo final for the first time with a clinical 6-1, 6-4 semi-final win over Alexander Zverev earlier on Saturday. 

Sinner will play Alcaraz on clay for the first time since their epic French Open final last year, which the Spaniard won after saving three championship points. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850748_1_M_20260412005601.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The 22-year-old Alcaraz is trying to keep hold of the top spot and holds a 10-6 lead over Sinner in their head-to-head series. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:27:10 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850695</id><title><![CDATA[Rory McIlroy builds monster 36-hole lead at Augusta]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850695-20260411.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850695-20260411.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Rory McIlroy's quest to become the fourth player to win consecutive Masters might turn into a 36-hole march toward history thanks to a late birdie barrage on Friday that gave him a record six-shot lead heading into the weekend at Augusta National.

McIlroy carded six birdies over his final seven holes – including a chip-in from 29 yards on No. 17 – to shoot a 7-under-par 65 and sit at 12 under halfway through the 90th Masters. It's one shot better than the score McIlroy posted in 72 holes last April before winning his first green jacket in a playoff.

"I knew I had some chances coming in when I was standing on the 12th tee, but I didn't think I'd birdie six of the last seven," McIlroy said. "It just shows what you can do around here."

The Northern Irishman will be paired in Saturday's final group with Sam Burns, who shared the 18-hole lead with McIlroy at 5 under. Burns also took advantage of a back nine at Augusta National that gave way to unexpectedly low scores on Friday. He closed with three birdies over his final four holes to get under par for the day with a 71 and become the first to reach the clubhouse at 6 under.

Burns moved into the final pairing when Patrick Reed's 6-foot par putt on the 18th hole slid left of the cup. That left the 2018 Masters champion with matching 69s to sit at 6 under for the tournament. Reed briefly tied the lead with a birdie on No. 12 to reach 6 under for the first time, which occurred while McIlroy was bogeying No. 10.

Reed climbed to 7 under before suffering his lone bogey of the day at 18.

"The worst part and the thing that frustrated me most is I hit every golf shot how I wanted to," Reed said. "On 18 you're having to get up and down, and then hit the putt where I wanted to and just doesn't go in. Things like that happen around here. In golf in general."

Playing three groups behind Reed, McIlroy was catching fire. He started with a birdie on the 12th hole that surrendered 19 on the day, then drove it into the pine straw on 13 yet managed a birdie anyway.

McIlroy repeated the scrambling act on the par-5 15th hole and knocked it to three feet for birdie on the par-3 16th before his Houdini act on 17. The Northern Irishman then hit his approach to six feet on 18 to set the stage for the closing birdie.

McIlroy holds the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history – and the third largest in any major – despite hitting only five fairways on Friday and 13 of 28 through two rounds. He has managed to hit 13 greens both days while relying heavily on his short game.

"But my wedge play today was really good. My short game the first two days has been amazing," McIlroy said. "I've built up a nice cushion at this point. My mindset is just trying to keep playing well and keeping my foot on the gas."

If he's able to close out the victory, he would join Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-1990) and Tiger Woods (2001-02) as the only players to win consecutive Masters. Only 18 players have won multiple Masters titles at any point in their careers.

"I think the next two days for me is really about focusing on myself," McIlroy said. "It's hard to avoid those big leaderboards out there, but like I know that I've got a lead. So, I don't need to keep checking it all the time. For me, just really focusing on myself and staying in my own little world out there is the best thing." (Reuters)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850695_1_M_20260411083732.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[McIIroy shot six birdies over the final seven holes on Friday to seize the largest-ever 36-hole lead in Masters history. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 11 Apr 2026 08:37:31 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850674</id><title><![CDATA[Roared on by mates, Vacherot reaches Monte Carlo semis]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850674-20260411.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850674-20260411.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Cheered on by a crowd of childhood mates, Valentin Vacherot walked a third-set tightrope in his home-town tournament before beating Alex de Minaur 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, on Friday to gate-crash the semi-finals at the Monte Carlo Open.

The unseeded Monegasque, born a stone's throw from the tournament venue in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and playing at "my club," joined the top three seeds in the semi-finals.

He will face top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday. World No.2 Jannik Sinner plays Alex Zverev.

"That sounds amazing," said Vacherot. "Such an honour for me to be part of the semi-finals with the three best in the world over the last few years."

Alcaraz and Sinner both cruised through with straight-sets wins earlier on Friday.

Alcaraz extended his clay-court run of victories to 16 as he crushed Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-0.

Sinner extended his winning run at Masters 1000 events to 20 matches as he brushed aside Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-4.

Zverev battled past Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3.

Vacherot ended the day by giving his fans a roller-coaster ride.

He started by racing 4-1 ahead against fifth-seed De Minaur but allowed the Australian to level before breaking in the 10th game to take the first set.

De Minaur broke twice to take the second set.

The Monegasque grabbed the third set initiative with a fifth-game break but almost handed it straight back before saving a break point in the next game.

On Vacherot's next service game, De Minaur raced to a 0-40 lead, but cheered on by the crowd, Vacherot saved all three and then a fourth, before holding.

"I know myself, unhappily I do this so often, I drop a bit at the start of the game, then I recover, even from 0-40, thanks to my serve," said Vacherot.

Vacherot galloped to two match points in the next game. De Minaur saved both with drop shots that crept over the net. When the Australian tried the trick again, Vacherot anticipated to earn a third match point which he took with a blazing forehand.

Roared on by the crowd all evening, Vacherot planted his feet tilted his head and roared back.

"All the guys up there chanting are all my best friends from when I was nine, 10 years old," he said. "It is rare for a player to have this chance."

"I am so lucky to have a tournament in my club. I can name 1,000 faces in the crowd."

Vacherot, who was ranked outside the top 200 before he won in Shanghai in October, climbed to 16 in the ATP live rankings.

Sinner, who had said his energy level was not right when he dropped a set the day before, was happier with his form.

"I feel like it was a step forward today," said the Italian after beating Canadian Auger-Aliassime.

Alcaraz, playing Bublik for the first time, broke in the opening game and had four break points in the third game but could not take any.

Bublik broke back in the fourth game and led 3-2, but Alcaraz won the next 10 games as he raced to victory.

"I started the match pretty well," Alcaraz said.

"I had points to be two breaks up and didn't make it and then I lost a bit of the feeling on the ball.

"I had to run side to side a lot, had to defend and then a few games gave me a lot of confidence in the match. I was playing aggressively and I played a great and solid match against a player that you don't know what they will produce next." (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850674_1_M_20260411033430.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Spurred on by the partisan crowd all evening, Vacherot planted his feet, tilted his head and roared back after reaching the semi-finals of his home-town tournament. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:20:48 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850687</id><title><![CDATA[Hammers thump Wolves to send Spurs into bottom three]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850687-20260411.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850687-20260411.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[West Ham climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone with a 4-0 win against Wolves on Friday that dumped Tottenham into the bottom three.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side took the lead through Konstantinos Mavropanos' first-half header at the London Stadium.

Valentin Castellanos netted twice in the second-half to ensure fourth-bottom West Ham, who started the evening in the relegation zone, moved two points above third-bottom Tottenham.

Mavropanos completed the rout with his second goal in the closing stages in an ironic twist as the former Arsenal defender helped to push his old club's bitter rivals closer to the drop.

It is the first time Tottenham have been in the bottom three at the end of a Premier League match-day since August 2015, when they lost 1-0 to Manchester United.

Tottenham can climb back out of the relegation zone if they win at Sunderland in Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge on Sunday.

The north Londoners have seven games to save themselves from playing in the second tier for the first time since 1977-78.

Beaten on penalties by Leeds in the FA Cup quarter-finals last weekend, West Ham bounced back with a vital victory in their own fight for survival.

"All of us deserve this kind of evening, especially our fans. London Stadium today was amazing, bouncing with energy," Nuno said.

"The first half was tough. We didn't find spaces, the game didn't flow. Then after the break we really improved.

"The way we did it proved to ourselves that we cannot give up. That was the team spirit from the beginning.

"We are in the fight. I realise we have a lot of work to do yet. We made a big step today, important for us, but nothing has changed."

Bottom of the table Wolves are 15 points from safety and, with only six matches left, they are destined for relegation to the Championship.

Wolves looked rusty in their first game for 25 days due to the international break and their exit from the FA Cup.

El Hadji Malick Diouf's poor pass gave Adam Armstrong a sight of goal, but the Wolves striker couldn't keep his effort on target.

Armstrong wasted a better chance moments later when his close-range header was saved by Mads Hermansen.

West Ham took advantage of those escapes to steal the lead in the 42nd minute.

Replays showed West Ham were lucky to be awarded a corner when the final touch came off Jarrod Bowen and the England forward quickly rubbed salt into Wolves' wound.

When Bowen's corner was headed back to the forward, he produced a far better cross with his second attempt and Mavropanos rose to thump his header past Wolves keeper Jose Sa.

Bowen hit the post with a dipping curler early in the second half and Castellanos delivered the knockout blow in the 66th minute.

Playing a one-two with Pablo, the Argentine striker surged through the Wolves defence but his tame shot should have been saved by Sa before it trickled over the line.

Castellanos struck again two minutes later with a deflected shot that squirmed past the hapless Sa.

Mavropanos volleyed home at the far post from an 83rd minute corner to compound Wolves' misery. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850687_1_M_20260411063411.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Wolves get that sinking feeling as Valentin Castellanos gets West Ham's third. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:18:25 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850616</id><title><![CDATA[Bayern to play Villa in blockbuster HK match]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850616-20260410.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850616-20260410.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Bayern Munich will play Aston Villa in an August pre-season friendly in Hong Kong, the German giants said on Friday, also announcing a match in South Korea.

Vincent Kompany's perennial German champions will face South Korean team Jeju SK on August 4 and then fly to Hong Kong to meet Premier League side Villa three days later.

Bayern and Villa met in last season's Champions League, with Jhon Duran scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win for Unai Emery's side.

Spearheaded by England striker Harry Kane, Bayern top the Bundesliga and beat Real Madrid 2-1 away this week in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

They have visited South Korea and Hong Kong once each previously.

Bayern have South Korean international Kim Min-jae at the heart of their defence.

Villa, who have one foot in the semi-finals of the Europa League, said on their website they "would hope to announce further fixtures in the far east in due course".

Teams heading on pre-season tours will need to balance lucrative visits with player welfare, with the World Cup running from June 11 to July 19. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850616_1_M_20260410173012.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Bayern Munich players led by striker Harry Kane applaud fans at the Bernabeu after beating Real Madrid 2-1 this week. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:43:33 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850516</id><title><![CDATA[Six women among 2026 World Cup refs]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850516-20260410.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850516-20260410.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Fifa on Thursday unveiled its list of match officials for the World Cup, including 52 referees, six of whom are women.

Football's governing body will also take 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials, who hail from all six confederations and 50 member associations.

"The selected match officials are the very best in the world," said Pierluigi Collina, Fifa's chief refereeing officer.

"They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at Fifa tournaments.

"In addition, their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed."

The World Cup, scheduled between June 11 and July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the biggest in history, with a 48-team line-up and 104 matches to be played.

There are 41 more match officials than at Qatar four years ago, where 32 teams played 64 matches.

"The fact that six women match officials have been selected continues a trend that was started four years ago in Qatar as we aim to further develop women's refereeing," Collina said. 

Six women having already refereed in 2022. (AFP)



Edited by Raymond Yeung]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850516_1_M_20260410014836.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico will be the biggest in history, with a 48-team line-up and 104 matches to be played. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:22:39 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850537</id><title><![CDATA[Palace dominate Fiorentina in Conference League QF]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850537-20260410.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850537-20260410.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Jean-Philippe Mateta inspired Crystal Palace to a 3-0 win over Fiorentina in their Uefa Conference League quarter-final, first leg on Thursday.

Mateta, making his first Palace start since a proposed move to AC Milan collapsed in January, converted from the penalty spot after 24 minutes after Evann Guessand was fouled by Fiorentina defender Dodo.

The French striker also had a role in Palace's second goal seven minutes later as Tyrick Mitchell finished off after Mateta's close-range effort had been blocked by Fiorentina goalkeeper David de Gea.

"I keep working hard, and I'm always here to push for the victory," Mateta told TNT Sports. "Today we did it, but it's not finished. We have one more game in Italy."

Fiorentina pushed back after the break with Giovanni Fabbian rattling the woodwork after 51 minutes and goalkeeper Dean Henderson pulling off two saves for the hosts just before the hour.

But Ismaila Sarr ensured Palace take a comfortable advance to Tuscany next week when he headed in on the 90th minute.

A semi-final tie against either Shakhtar Donetsk or Dutch side AZ Alkmaar awaits either Palace or Fiorentina.

Ukrainian side Shakhtar beat AZ 3-0 with all goals late. Pedrinho got the first after 72 minutes followed by a quickfire Alisson Santana brace with 10 minutes to go.

Spanish club Rayo Vallecano are one step away from playing in a European semi-final for the first in their history following a 3-0 win against AEK Athens.

The winner will play either Mainz or Strasbourg.

Moroccan winger Ilias Akhomach opened the scoring after two minutes in the suburbs of Madrid finishing off an Alvaro García cross.

Unai Lopez added a second off a rebound just before the break with Rayo captain Isi Palazon scoring the third from the penalty spot after 74 minutes.

German club Mainz beat French outfit Strasbourg 2-0 to maintain their unbeaten record at home this season in the competition with six wins out of six. (AFP)



Edited by Raymond Yeung]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850537_1_M_20260410071915.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Jean-Philippe Mateta, left, scored once and set up another as the London side took control of their tie against Fiorentina. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:15:17 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850536</id><title><![CDATA[Villa have one foot in Europa League SF as Forest held]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850536-20260410.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850536-20260410.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Ollie Watkins scored twice as Aston Villa beat Bologna 3-1 in their Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday, while Nottingham Forest held Porto 1-1 thanks to a comical own goal from Martim Fernandes.

Freiburg also have one foot in the last four after beating Celta Vigo 3-0.

Villa boss Unai Emery is aiming to win the competition for a fifth time and the favourites rode their luck to emerge victorious in Italy.

"It could've been different," said Watkins. "We got lucky."

Bologna made a bright start to their first European quarter-final in 27 years.

An Ezri Konsa own goal was ruled out by a VAR review for a marginal offside against Santiago Castro before Lewis Ferguson hit the bar.

But the Coppa Italia winners were undone by some awful set-piece defending to allow Villa two of their goals.

Konsa headed into an unguarded net just before the break after Federico Ravaglia flapped at a corner.

Watkins quickly doubled the visitors' advantage after half-time with a cool finish after Emi Buendia won possession deep in Bologna territory.

Federico Bernardeschi hit the post and Jonathan Rowe was denied by a brilliant Emi Martinez save.

Rowe's stunning finish in the 90th minute looked to have given Bologna a foothold in the tie.

But Watkins was left completely unmarked to tap in from a corner deep into stoppage time and further his case for inclusion in England's World Cup squad.

"Back end of the season I'm raring to go," added Watkins. "I'm excited for the next few games. I'm hungry."

Villa will face the winners of the tie between Porto and Forest should they progress to the semi-finals.

An all-English affair in the last four is on the cards after Forest were handed a gift by Fernandes.

Porto capitalised on a strong start when William Gomes turned in at the far post.

But the lead lasted barely two minutes before Fernandes found his own net from just inside the Porto half as he overhit a pass back to goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

Forest striker Igor Jesus had a goal ruled out in the second half, but the visitors were happy with the draw that leaves the tie up for grabs next week at the City Ground. (AFP)



Edited by Raymond Yeung]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850536_1_M_20260410071359.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Villa have one foot in the door of the semis thanks to a brace from Ollie Watkins at Bologna. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:44:18 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850539</id><title><![CDATA[McIlroy, Burns share Masters lead after opening round]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850539-20260410.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850539-20260410.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Defending champion Rory McIlroy and American Sam Burns each fired a five-under par 67 to share the lead after Thursday's opening round of the 90th Masters at Augusta National.

Second-ranked McIlroy, trying to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back green jackets, reeled off three birdies in a row at the par-five 13th, par-four 14th and par-five 15th then parred to the clubhouse.

Burns, the 54-hole leader at last year's US Open, birdied the par-three 12th as well as 13th and 15th to make his charge.

Australian Jason Day and Americans Patrick Reed and Kurt Kitayama were on 69.

Ireland's Shane Lowry and Americans Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler were on 70 with England's Justin Rose, a three-time Masters runner-up who closed with back-to-back bogeys.

Top-ranked Scheffler, a four-time major winner, is seeking his third Masters victory in five seasons.

Gary Woodland made bogey at the par-five 15th and shot 71. Woodland revealed his fight with anxiety since 2023 brain surgery last month and two weeks ago won the PGA Houston Open for his first triumph since the 2019 US Open.

England's Matt Fitzpatrick and American Collin Morikawa were on 74 while Bryson DeChambeau opened on 76, Spain's Jon Rahm fired a 78 and Scotsman Robert MacIntyre shot 80. (AFP)



Edited by Azam Khan]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850539_1_M_20260410073902.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[McIlroy is aiming to become only the fourth golfer in history to win back-to-back Masters trophies. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:22:07 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850483</id><title><![CDATA[Nick Rockett pulled out of Grand National race]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850483-20260409.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850483-20260409.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Reigning champion Nick Rockett is out of Saturday's Grand National horse race in Liverpool after being declared a non-runner on Thursday.

The nine-year-old provided one of the storied steeplechase's most emotional stories when he won at the Aintree course last year for the father-and-son team of trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Patrick Mullins.

Stablemate I am Maximus, second in 2025, is currently favourite for this year's edition.

Nick Rockett has only been seen once since when reappearing at the Down Royal track, near Lisburn, in Northern Ireland last month.

There was a surprise at Wednesday's declarations when it was announced Patrick Mullins had changed horses to ride Grangeclare West, paving the way for Tom Bellamy to receive an unexpected summons to partner Nick Rockett.

Bailey's joy, however, barely lasted 24 hours, with Nick Rockett reported to be coughing.

His absence means the first reserve, Gordon Elliott's Pied Piper, will come into the 6.4 kilometre race, featuring 30 fences. (AFP)



Edited by Thomas McAlinden]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850483_1_M_20260409182909.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Patrick Mullins rides Nick Rockett to victory in last year's Grand National. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:31:36 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850399</id><title><![CDATA[PSG, Atletico strike first in Champions League QF]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850399-20260409.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850399-20260409.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored to give Paris Saint-Germain a dominant 2-0 win over Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, while Atletico Madrid earned a commanding 2-0 lead over 10-man Barcelona in their all-Spanish last eight tie.

Doue's shot in the 11th minute looped over goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and in thanks to a big touch off Ryan Gravenberch, and Kvaratskhelia then rounded his compatriot to double PSG's lead 65 minutes into a game they bossed from start to finish.

It only remains to be seen whether the reigning European champions – who had a second-half penalty in their favour overturned after a VAR review – might regret not scoring more goals against a Liverpool side who lined up with three centre-backs and were run ragged.

"I think we had chances to score more. There were many moments where we should score but it is OK," Kvaratskhelia told broadcaster Canal Plus.

"I think 2-0 is good but we have to stay focused because we have to play at Anfield. We know that the atmosphere will be amazing so we are already starting to prepare that game."

Liverpool's game plan could not stop them slumping to a second emphatic loss in five days, even if the scoreline was not as bad as the 4-0 mauling inflicted by Manchester City in the FA Cup last weekend.

It is just one win in six in all competitions for Liverpool, and this was a 16th reverse in total in a difficult campaign.

"We were in survival mode for large parts of the game, and maybe also we are in survival mode at this period of the season," said coach Arne Slot.

"It is really, really hard against this team. PSG was the better team, but we didn't give up and that is why we still have a chance in this tie."

Slot's team must try to repeat what they did in the last 16, when they overturned a 1-0 first-leg loss away to Galatasaray by winning 4-0 in the return.

This will be a far tougher task, however, as the sides clash again next Tuesday on Merseyside, where PSG won 1-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie last season before advancing on penalties.

That was a big step on their way to winning the Champions League, and came after they somehow lost 1-0 at the Parc des Princes despite completely dominating.

A string of Alisson Becker saves helped Liverpool smash and grab their way to victory a year ago, but the Brazilian was absent here meaning Mamardashvili started in goal.

In Spain, goals from Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth did the damage in Atletico Madrid's 2-0 win over Barcelona in their quarter-final first leg.

The La Liga leaders were on top in the all-Spanish tie at Camp Nou before Pau Cubarsi was sent off for bringing down Atletico's Giuliano Simeone, who was through on goal.

Alvarez whipped home the resulting free-kick and Sorloth doubled their advantage with 20 minutes remaining to give Atletico a strong chance of reaching the semi-finals.

Diego Simeone's side, who have never won the competition, reached the 2014 and 2016 finals but were beaten by rivals Real Madrid on both occasions.

"We have things to improve and learn from. We're happy for the win but there's a long way to go," Atletico's Antoine Griezmann told Movistar.

"We're very far from the semis, we're 90 or more minutes away. We're confident but keeping our feet on the ground."

Barca, semi-finalists last season, need to make a huge comeback next Tuesday in Madrid if they are to stand a chance of lifting the trophy they last won in 2015. (AFP)



Edited by Raymond Yeung]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850399_1_M_20260409071911.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Reigning champions PSG now enter next week's second leg at Anfield with a commanding 2-0 edge. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:40:31 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850374</id><title><![CDATA[Medvedev thumped 6-0, 6-0 by Berrettini in Monte Carlo]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850374-20260409.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850374-20260409.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Daniil Medvedev suffered an embarrassing 6-0, 6-0 humbling at the hands of Matteo Berrettini in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday.

The seventh seed missed two break points in the opening game and then completely unravelled, making 30 unforced errors and serving five double faults.

Medvedev did not win more than two points in any of the last 11 games and his frustrations boiled over in the second set, smashing his racquet into the court four times.

Berrettini wrapped up the double-bagel victory, the first such defeat of former world number one Medvedev's career, in just 49 minutes.

The former Wimbledon runner-up, now ranked 90th, will face either Joao Fonseca or Arthur Rinderknech in the last 16. (AFP)



Edited by Azam Khan]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850374_1_M_20260409004924.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Medvedev smashed his racquet into the court four times as his frustration got the better of him. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:04:58 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850270</id><title><![CDATA[Bayern beat Real in Champions League last eight opener]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850270-20260408.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850270-20260408.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Luis Diaz and Harry Kane scored the goals that gave dominant Bayern Munich a crucial 2-1 Champions League quarter-final first leg win away to Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Kylian Mbappe's strike 16 minutes from time gave record 15-time winners Real a lifeline at their Bernabeu home in a gripping battle.

Vincent Kompany's side, arguably the strongest team in Europe this season, produced a masterclass in the first half and could have been several goals ahead.

Instead they had only one from Diaz, which Kane added to after the interval, but French superstar Mbappe's goal kept Alvaro Arbeloa's side in the tie.

"It's a shame it wasn't 2-0 at the end to be completely honest," said Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who made several good saves in the second half as Madrid ramped up the pressure.

"You know how dangerous Real Madrid are, we saw that again today. They had plenty of chances and could've scored more.

"First up we're happy about the victory here away from home, but it'll be a tough challenge back in Munich."

Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger said that Mbappe's goal had kept the tie open.

"For me, the two goals we conceded were gifts, and in the second half we needed more," Rudiger told Movistar.

"I think we're alive, everything is open with that goal from Mbappe. I think we had many chances to score goals, but in the end this is how it is."

The round's glamour fixture was a European classic – a record 29th time these heavyweights have faced each other in the competition.

Bayern flew out of the blocks and Konrad Laimer's rasping effort narrowly over the bar showed that Kompany's side had come to the Spanish capital to attack.

After nine consecutive matches against Madrid without a win, Bayern were determined to put an end to that streak and show why many consider them favourites to lift the trophy this season.

Bayern should have taken the lead through defender Dayot Upamecano, who fluffed his lines from point-blank range, after Kane cushioned the ball into his path, allowing Alvaro Carreras to hack the ball off the line.

Madrid were largely pinned back as Bayern dominated the ball, but the hosts sought to send through rapid strikers Mbappe and Vinicius Junior on the counter, with Neuer saving from both.

Madrid's defensive work was nearly undone by a moment of madness from 18-year-old midfielder Thiago Pitarch, starting in place of Jude Bellingham, whose poor back pass under pressure was straight to Serge Gnabry in front of goal, but goalkeeper Andriy Lunin deflected the German's shot behind. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850270_1_M_20260408071540.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Harry Kane struck seconds after half-time in Bayern's crucial victory over Real at the Bernabeu. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:44:42 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850269</id><title><![CDATA[Arsenal draw first blood in Champions League quarters]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850269-20260408.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850269-20260408.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Kai Havertz snatched a last-gasp winner as Arsenal bounced back from their domestic distress to steal a 1-0 victory at Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

Mikel Arteta's side arrived at the Jose Alvalade Stadium rocked by successive defeats against Manchester City in the League Cup final and Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Once again, the Gunners were below their best but they emerged with the win thanks to David Raya's fine saves and Havertz's clinical finish in stoppage-time.

Arsenal will be firm favourites to advance to the semi-finals in the second leg in north London on April 15, but they will have to improve significantly to win the tournament for the first time.

Those agonising losses to City and second-tier Southampton marked the first time that Arsenal had been beaten in successive matches this term, with the embarrassing FA Cup defeat just the Gunners' fifth of the season.

The after-shocks were still being felt as Arsenal struggled to find any momentum in Lisbon, but not for the first time this season they found a way to win ugly.

"We had to be a little bit crisper, faster, more efficient to break them down when they had that block," Arteta said.

"We had a goal disallowed and there were two or three occasions where we were close but we lacked that final pass. In the end a magic moment from the finishers win us the game.

"It's beautiful and that's the impact you need when you get to this stage of the season. Everybody has to make an impact and they certainly did that tonight."

Praising the outstanding Raya, Arteta added: "He had two moments where he made two big saves.

"At the moment he's phenomenal and extraordinary since he joined us. We are very lucky to have him."

Aiming to finally banish accusations that they are English football's nearly men by winning their first major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, Arsenal have faced pointed questions about their perceived lack of mental strength.

Grinding out the win in Lisbon was a suitable riposte to the critics.

Insisting his players were "hungrier than ever", Arteta had urged Arsenal to use the "pain" of their recent defeats as motivation and they rose to the challenge.

Sitting nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City, the Premier League leaders are also on course for their first title in 22 years.

Playing in the last eight for the first time since 1983, Sporting's 17-game winning run at home made them dangerous opponents for Arsenal. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850269_1_M_20260408071034.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Kai Havertz netted the winner late in stoppage time to hand the Gunners a slim 1-0 advantage. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:42:15 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850213</id><title><![CDATA[Lee Man down Kitchee to win HK League Cup]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850213-20260407.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850213-20260407.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Lee Man defeated Kitchee 2-1 on Tuesday to lift the Hong Kong League Cup, spoiling the likely league winner's bid for a domestic double.

Goals from star winger Everton Camargo and reigning Hong Kong footballer of the year Noah Baffoe helped the Golden Dragon to victory at Mong Kok Stadium.

After a goalless first half that saw Kitchee dominate possession, Lee Man struck minutes into the second.

Camargo slotted in off the goal post with his right foot from a tight angle, after Kitchee's full back Callum Beattie failed to clear a long ball.

Baffoe doubled the lead for Lee Man with a clever left-footed finish from 20 yards out in the 58th minute.

Kitchee midfielder Asier Illarramendi headed one back from a free kick after the hour mark to make things interesting.

But neither side was able to convert their chances from then on.

Kitchee still have their sights on the Hong Kong Premier League title, as they need only three more points to win the trophy for the first time in three years.



Edited by Edmond Fong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850213_1_M_20260407173454.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Noah Baffoe celebrates after scoring for Lee Man in their 2-1 victory over Kitchee in the League Cup final. Photo courtesy of Lee Man's social media]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:05:58 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850180</id><title><![CDATA[HK 'should go all in with proposed fencing facility']]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850180-20260407.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850180-20260407.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Training and competition facilities for fencers proposed to be built in Kwu Tung North are an “important step” for the sport’s development in Hong Kong, a coach of the sport said on Tuesday.

That is because of a lack of training facilities at the moment in the SAR, Hong Kong Fencing School principal Wong Tsan told RTHK .

The fencing facility should, he said, have enough space to host international competitions.

“The main venue should have at least 20 pistes. In addition, there should be other pistes for them to warm up,” Wong said.

“There should also be places to examine equipment and restrooms for athletes and guests so I think the space required is at least the size of four basketball courts.”

To save fencers travel time, Wong said, authorities should also build accommodation facilities.

From a broader perspective, he added, hotels and catering services should also be available for fencers around the world who come to Hong Kong for competitions.

“A large number of fencers from different countries and regions would be here for the bouts," he said.

"If we don’t have the support facilities, it will be very difficult to host a large-scale competition.” 

Wong’s remarks were echoed by professor Patrick Lau from Hong Kong Baptist University’s department of sports and health sciences, who said the support facilities should also be set up at the proposed Kwu Tung North site.


Edited by Edmond Fong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Local]]></catname><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850180_1_M_20260407120021.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The dedicated training and competition facility is proposed to be set up in Kwu Tung North. File photo: RTHK]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:12:37 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850141</id><title><![CDATA[Juve beat Genoa to close in on Serie A top four]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850141-20260407.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850141-20260407.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Juventus moved to within a point of Serie A's Champions League places with a 2-0 win over Genoa on Monday, as the top four battle in Italy's top-flight heats up.

Taking advantage of fourth-placed Como's goalless draw at Udinese earlier in the day, Juve notched the three points in Turin thanks to Gleison Bremer's fourth-minute header and a 17th-minute strike from the ever-reliable Weston McKennie.

Luciano Spalletti was hired to get Juve back into the Champions League, and the former Italy coach could yet do that after a fifth straight match without defeat.

But the home fans had to thank goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio for a superb double save which stopped spirited Genoa from getting back in the game, the Italy international first pawing away Aaron Martin's penalty and then keeping out Vitinha's volley.

Those stops helped put some distance between fifth-placed Juve and Roma, who trail Spalletti's team by three points in sixth after being thumped 5-2 at Inter Milan on Sunday.

Juve are also four points ahead of Atalanta, 3-0 winners at Lecce, ahead of Saturday's clash between the pair in Bergamo, with Como hosting league leaders Inter the following day.

Bremer's deflected effort was his third of the season and came after he netted his first Brazil goal, in a 2-1 defeat to France, with just over two months to go until the World Cup.

American McKennie also scored for his country during the international break, and his give-and-go with Francisco Conceicao ended with the midfielder's ninth goal in all competitions for Juve this season.

Genoa suffered no real damage to their bid to avoid relegation as Daniele De Rossi's team sit six points above Lecce, who are in the bottom three after a heavy defeat.

Goals from Giorgio Scalvini, Lecce old boy Nikola Krstovic and Giacomo Raspadori gave seventh-placed Atalanta a straightforward win at the Stadio Via del Mare.

Lecce were booed off by disgruntled fans after a defeat which left their team level on 27 points with Cremonese, who sit just outside the drop zone thanks to their superior head-to-head record. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850141_1_M_20260407025206.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Luciano Spalletti looks to be on track to get Juventus back into the Champions League. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:29:35 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1850063</id><title><![CDATA[Leeds reach FA Cup semis after shootout win]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850063-20260406.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1850063-20260406.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Leeds reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 39 years as they survived a dramatic penalty shoot-out after squandering a two-goal lead in a thrilling clash with West Ham on Sunday.

Daniel Farke's side were moments away from victory at the London Stadium after Ao Tanaka's first-half goal and Dominic Calvert-Lewin's second-half penalty put them in control.

But West Ham staged a stoppage-time rally as Mateus Fernandes reduced the deficit before Axel Disasi's equaliser forced extra time.

With the score still level at 2-2 after the additional period, Leeds keeper Lucas Perri emerged as their shoot-out hero.

Joel Piroe missed Leeds' first penalty but Calvert-Lewin, Brenden Aaronson, Wilfried Gnonto and Pascal Struijk all converted their kicks.

Perri saved Jarrod Bowen's opening effort for West Ham and also denied Pablo as Leeds won 4-2 on penalties.

It was their second shoot-out victory in the competition this season following their fourth-round success at Birmingham.

Leeds will face Chelsea in the semi-finals at Wembley later in April.

"We always do it the tough way, never the easy way. We could have made our lives easier," Farke said.

"We had a late sucker punch when the whole stadium was buzzing. To keep the nerves and win the penalty shoot-out shows great mentality and character.

"A chapter of Leeds history. It will be a big night for us at Wembley. It's a great step for this club and a great reward for everyone."

The Yorkshire club are in the semi-finals for the first time since 1987, when they lost to eventual winners Coventry at Hillsborough.

Southampton will face Manchester City in the other semi-finals after their shock win against Premier League leaders Arsenal.

The Championship side beat the Gunners 2-1 in the quarter-finals at St Mary's on Saturday.

City thrashed Liverpool 4-0 on Saturday to reach the semi-finals of the competition for an eighth successive season.

Pep Guardiola's side are bidding to make the final for a fourth consecutive year, having lost to Manchester United in 2024 and Crystal Palace in 2025 following their last win in 2023.

Southampton are dreaming of emulating their shock 1976 FA Cup final victory against Manchester United.

Relegated from the Premier League last season, Southampton are also hoping to win promotion via the Championship play-offs. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1850063_2_M_20260406065632.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Leeds keeper Lucas Perri was the shootout hero, saving two shots to send his side through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in 39 years. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 06 Apr 2026 06:56:31 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849996</id><title><![CDATA[Arteta demands Arsenal response after FA Cup shock]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849996-20260405.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849996-20260405.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Mikel Arteta urged Arsenal to "show what we are made of" after their shock 2-1 defeat against second tier Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.

Arteta's side fell behind to Ross Stewart's first-half goal at a raucous St Mary's before Viktor Gyokeres came off the bench to net the second-half equaliser.

Arsenal were well below their best in the absence of injured England stars Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, while Brazil defender Gabriel Magalhaes limped off with a knee injury.

They were punished in the 85th minute when Shea Charles steered in Southampton's winner from the edge of the area.

Arteta admitted he was disappointed with Arsenal's lacklustre performance, with their sloppy defending especially frustrating.

"We conceded the first goal in a very unusual way for us, the second one was from direct play as well," he said.

"We didn't manage the long balls well enough. We just let the ball through us. Difficult to explain but credit to them.

"We had so much dominance in and around the box. We had two massive chances and needed to capitalise on that. But if you make defending errors we made today it's very difficult to be in the semi-final."

Arsenal's hopes of a first FA Cup triumph since 2020 -- their last major trophy -- were blown away on the blustery south-coast.

The Premier League leaders have seen their quadruple and treble bids shattered by a 2-0 defeat against Manchester City in the League Cup final and now the limp loss to Southampton.

"You have to adapt to the wind, the injuries. You have to adapt to difficult situations in the season. Now we have to show what we are made of," Arteta said.

Arteta had described the pain of losing the League Cup final as like "a ball of poison" in his stomach and Arsenal's woeful FA Cup exit will surely leave the Spaniard reaching for the antacids.

Arsenal's fifth defeat this term marked the first time they have lost successive games in all competitions in the current campaign.

They have little time to lick their wounds as they prepare for a Champions League quarter-final first-leg at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday before resuming their charge towards a first Premier League title in 22 years.

The north Londoners are nine points clear of second-placed City in the title race. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849996_1_M_20260405081704.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Southampton's Shea Charles scores their second goal past Arsenal's Kepa Arrizabalaga. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 05 Apr 2026 08:18:03 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849993</id><title><![CDATA[Haaland destroys Liverpool as Man City reach cup semis]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849993-20260405.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849993-20260405.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick as Manchester City thrashed Liverpool 4-0 on Saturday to reach the FA Cup semi-finals and increase the pressure on Reds boss Arne Slot.

Haaland netted twice late in the first half of the quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium and completed his treble after the interval following an Antoine Semenyo strike.

With Liverpool trailing by four, Mohamed Salah had a penalty saved by City goalkeeper James Trafford to compound a miserable afternoon for the under-fire Slot.

Liverpool head to Paris Saint-Germain for the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday with Slot desperately needing a victory over the holders to keep the critics at bay.

"We have had a lot of setbacks and disappointments but that is also part of being a football player and being a human being. You have to stand there when things are not so positive," Slot said.

Liverpool, who have just two wins in their last seven matches in all competitions, are fifth in the Premier League and far from certain to qualify for next season's Champions League.

City's ruthless performance took them into the FA Cup semi-finals for an eighth successive season.

After beating Liverpool twice in the Premier League this term, City have enjoyed three successive victories over the Reds for the first time since 1937. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849993_1_M_20260405061913.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The defeat caps a remarkable decline for Slot, who just 12 months ago was on the brink of leading Liverpool to their record-equalling 20th English title. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 05 Apr 2026 07:50:58 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849899</id><title><![CDATA[Gattuso resigns as Italy coach after World Cup flop]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849899-20260404.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849899-20260404.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Gennaro Gattuso quit as Italy coach on Friday as the Azzurri failing to reach a third straight World Cup continued to send shockwaves through Italian football.

A World Cup winner in 2006, Gattuso leaves after less than a year in charge of Italy, a team which has fallen far behind historic rivals like France and Spain in the last two decades.

Defeat on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Tuesday's qualification play-off final ended up costing Gattuso his job, as the man who hired him also stepped down as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

Gabriele Gravina had asked Gattuso to stay on immediately after elimination in Zenica but his departure, and that of national team general manager Gianluigi Buffon, paved the way for the 48-year-old to resign.

Gattuso took charge of Italy in June last year following the sacking of Luciano Spalletti, himself a victim of a dismal title defence at Euro 2024 and a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Erling Haaland's Norway in their first World Cup qualifier.

His record is impressive on paper, with six wins, one defeat and one draw in eight matches with 22 goals scored and 10 conceded.

But that draw was the 1-1 with Bosnia which preceded a penalty shoot-out in which Italy missed twice, while the loss was another humiliating one to Norway, this time 4-1 at the San Siro.

Gattuso was considered by many a strange choice to replace Spalletti due to his patchy club coaching record, and he was heavily criticised after Tuesday's elimination. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849899_1_M_20260403233934.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Gennaro Gattuso leaves after less than a year in charge of Italy, who are historically a footballing powerhouse. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 04 Apr 2026 05:29:14 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849797</id><title><![CDATA[Italy's football chief quits after World Cup disaster]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849797-20260403.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849797-20260403.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[The head of Italy's football federation (FIGC) resigned on Thursday, falling on his sword after the men's national team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

Gabriele Gravina revealed he would step down as the country's top football official following a meeting held at the FIGC's headquarters in Rome on Thursday.

Italy fell at the play-offs again on Tuesday, this time after a penalty shoot-out against Bosnia and Herzegovina and will miss this summer's finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The shock waves of the latest humiliation for one of the world's most important football nations forced Gravina, 72, to go back on his initial plans to wait until a FIGC board meeting next week to announce a decision on his future.

The FIGC said in a statement a vote for a new president will be held on June 22 with Giovanni Malago, the former long-time head of the Italian Olympic Committee who was president of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics organisation committee, among the names in the hat.

Gravina's resignation also means Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso could resign, as it was Gravina who asked the 2006 World Cup winner to stay on beyond the end of his current contract which expires in the summer.

He was elected FIGC president in October 2018, becoming the permanent replacement for Carlo Tavecchio who stepped down following Italy's first World Cup play-off defeat to Sweden the previous year.

The highlight of his reign was Italy's thrilling triumph at Euro 2020, when an Azzurri team that under Roberto Mancini went unbeaten for 37 matches beat England at Wembley to be crowned kings of the continent.

But two World Cup qualification failures and a dismal defence of the European title left Gravina with little choice but to resign as Italy shine in other sports while being left behind in football.

Gravina also caused anger on Tuesday by referring to other sports as "amateur" and "state sports" compared to football due to the large number of athletes, particularly Olympians, who are nominally employed by different arms of Italy's armed forces and police.

Italy claimed a record 30 medals at the recent Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, including 10 golds, and left the 2024 Summer Games in Paris with 40 medals.

The Mediterranean nation also has top performers in a wide variety of other sports, with tennis star Jannik Sinner, a four-time Grad Slam winner, the most obvious example. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849797_1_M_20260403003844.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Gabriele Gravina pays the price for Italy's third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup Finals. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:22:38 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849743</id><title><![CDATA[Knocks 'took toll on brain of late NZ rugby player']]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849743-20260402.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849743-20260402.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[A New Zealand professional rugby player who died by suspected suicide last year had advanced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain abnormality linked to repeated concussions, according to a post-mortem examination.

The diagnosis was announced on Thursday by coroner Ian Telford, who is conducting a preliminary hearing into the death of Shane Christie who died in August aged 39.

CTE is a disease which causes progressive damage to brain tissue and has been known to cause mood swings, impulsive behaviour and depression, among other symptoms. 

It can only be diagnosed after death.

Christie was a former New Zealand Maori representative who believed he was suffering from CTE and campaigned for greater understanding of the condition after the death of his friend and fellow rugby professional Billy Guyton, also by suspected suicide.

The abnormality has also been linked to deaths in the National Football League and in other contact sports such as hockey and football.

Friends and family of Christie said he wanted his diagnosis made public to raise awareness of CTE for players suffering its symptoms.

Christie who played Super Rugby for the Crusaders and Highlanders retired from rugby in 2018, suffering the effects of repeated concussions.

The coroner said pathologist Clinton Turner had confirmed “the diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which he characterises as ‘high stage’.” 

Turner works at the University of Auckland “brain bank” to which Guyton and Christie had donated their brains.

The coroner said the diagnosis was the pathologist's opinion and that the cause of Christie's death would be determined by the coronial process.

The chief executive of New Zealand Rugby, Steve Lancaster, told New Zealand media his organisation recognises “an association between repeated head impacts and CTE and takes this issue seriously.”

“New Zealand Rugby acknowledges the CTE pathology results for Shane Christie confirmed by The Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank. We also acknowledge and respect the role of the coroner to determine the nature of any inquiry they may hold examining the cause and circumstances of Shane’s passing,” he said.

“We share the concerns about the potential long-term effects of repeated head knocks in rugby and support the need for ongoing research into this." (AP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849743_1_M_20260402142755.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[New Zealand Rugby has expressed concern over the potential long-term effects of repeated head knocks for players in the national sport. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:16:23 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849696</id><title><![CDATA[Judge allows Woods to leave US for treatment]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849696-20260402.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849696-20260402.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[A Florida judge ruled on Wednesday that Tiger Woods can leave the United States to seek "comprehensive inpatient treatment" after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Woods's attorney, Douglas Duncan, submitted the motion to travel in Martin County Court, citing the 50-year-old golfer's urgent need for an "intensive, highly individualised and medically integrated program" as well as privacy from media and public scrutiny.

Judge Darren Steele granted the motion after a teleconference on the matter.

Woods's decision to "step away" from his golf-related activities in the wake of a rollover car accident on Friday means he will not captain the 2027 US Ryder Cup team, the PGA of America confirmed on Wednesday.

Woods pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to misdemeanour charges of DUI with property damage and refusing to submit to a lawful test. A breathalyser test showed no alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, but Woods refused a urine analysis.

In requesting approval for Woods to leave the country, Duncan said Woods's doctor had recommended the specific treatment facility "based upon the Defendant's complex clinical presentation and the urgent need for a level of care that cannot safely or effectively be done within the United States, as his privacy has been repeatedly compromised.

"Ongoing medical scrutiny and public exposure create significant barriers to his care and would result in setbacks and an inability to fully engage in treatment."

Woods has battled through numerous injuries in his career, including multiple back surgeries. In 2017 he was arrested on suspicion of DUI after police found him asleep at the wheel of his damaged car, with the engine running.

Woods said he had taken a mix of painkillers, eventually pleading guilty to reckless driving and entering a treatment facility to seek help with managing prescription drugs.

In February of 2021 Woods underwent emergency surgery for multiple compound fractures in his right leg and a shattered ankle after a rollover crash in California.

According to the accident report from the Martin County Sheriff's Office, Woods told officers he had had seven back surgeries and over 20 operations on his leg, advising them he has a limp and that one ankle seizes while walking.

Woods told officers he was "looking down at his cell phone and changing the radio station and did not notice the vehicle in front of him had slowed down," according to the report.

But Sheriff's deputies described his movements as "lethargic and slow," noting his eyes were "bloodshot and glassy". Police said in the report that Woods was found with two hydrocodone pills, an opioid painkiller, and appeared unable to safely drive a vehicle when he was apprehended.

Woods said in a statement posted to his social media accounts on Tuesday that he was "stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health.

"This is necessary in order for me to prioritise my well-being and work toward lasting recovery," he said.

Woods, who had surgery for a ruptured Achilles tendon in March of 2025 and a further back surgery in October, hasn't competed in a top-level golf event since the 2024 British Open.

But he has been playing a key role as chair of the PGA Tour's Future Competition Committee created to help shape a new-look tour, and he confirmed in February he was contemplating accepting the role of Ryder Cup captain.

"We commend Tiger for prioritising his long-term health and deeply respect the courage it takes to make such a personal decision," the PGA of America said in their statement saying he had "shared with us" that he will not serve as captain.

PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp and Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National, offered equally supportive statements.

Ridley said Augusta National and the Masters Tournament "fully support Tiger Woods as he focuses on his well-being.

"Although Tiger will not be joining us in person next week, his presence will be felt here in Augusta," Ridley said of the five-time Masters champion. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849696_1_M_20260402073633.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Woods, a 15-time major winner, has opted to step away from golf-related activities to focus on his health. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:29:12 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849667</id><title><![CDATA[Italy's football chief asked to step down]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849667-20260402.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849667-20260402.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Italy's Sport Minister Andrea Abodi said on Wednesday the head of the country's football federation should step down after the national team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

The Azzurri fell at the play-offs again, this time after a penalty shoot-out against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, and will miss this summer's finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The head of the federation (FIGC), Gabriele Gravina, said he would not resign but a board meeting next week would decide whether he will keep his position.

"It's clear that Italian football needs to be rebuilt from the ground up and that starts with changes at the top of the FIGC," Abodi said in a statement.

Abodi's comments come amid hostilities between the Italian government and Gravina, who when speaking to the media after Italy's defeat lashed out at a perceived lack of support for football from the state.

Gravina also referred to other sports as "amateur" and "state sports" compared to football due to the large number of athletes, particularly Olympians, who are nominally employed by different arms of Italy's armed forces and police.

Italy claimed a record 30 medals at the recent Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, including 10 golds, and left the 2024 Summer Games in Paris with 40 medals.

The Mediterranean nation also has top performers in a wide variety of other sports, with tennis star Jannik Sinner, a four-time Grad Slam winner, the most obvious example.

"I believe it is a mistake to deny responsibility for the third missed World Cup qualification and accuse the institutions of a presumed failure while downplaying the importance and professionalism of other sports," added Abodi, who has been sport minister in Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government since 2022.

Speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida, who won two Olympic golds this past winter, was one of several athletes to react to Gravina's comments, sarcastically saying on Instagram "I'm an amateur." (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849667_2_M_20260402003035.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Gabriele Gravina, left, has come under increasing pressure after Italy failed to reach the World Cup Finals for the third time on the trot. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:39:45 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849673</id><title><![CDATA[Chelsea announce record pre-tax loss of £262.4 million]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849673-20260402.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849673-20260402.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Chelsea made a Premier League record pre-tax loss of £262.4 million for the year ending June 30, 2025, the club said on Wednesday as it was revealed they had spent more on agents' fees than any other English club this season.

The previous highest recorded pre-tax loss in the Premier League was the £197.5 million posted by Manchester City for the 2010/11 season.

Chelsea posted a profit of £128.4m in the previous year's accounts but this was aided by the sale of the women's team to Blueco Midco – a subsidiary company – for nearly £200 million.

Chelsea said that the losses were due in part to increased operating costs in 2024/25 compared to the previous year.

Revenue was £490.9 million, the club said, the second-highest recorded by the Blues, and included some of the money earned from winning last year's Club World Cup.

Later Wednesday, a Football Association report into agents' fees in 2025/26 had Chelsea leading the Premier League with a spend of £65.1 million – well ahead of 'second-placed' Aston Villa's £38.4 million.

All together, English top-flight club spent £460.3 million on agents' fees.

Last month, Chelsea admitted to breaching Premier League rules in relation to some £47.5 million of undisclosed payments made under former owner Roman Abramovich.

The Blues were fined £10.75 million and given a suspended one-year transfer ban by the Premier League.

But, unlike other clubs, they escaped a points deduction – a move justified by the Premier League on the grounds Chelsea's new owners, a consortium led by US businessman Todd Boehly, had self-reported the information that led to an investigation and had demonstrated "exceptional co-operation" throughout.

Chelsea were deemed compliant with the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR) for the three-year period ending 2024/25.

The rules allow for maximum losses of £105 million over three years, but some of the losses clubs post in their financial reports can be overlooked under PSR – for example spending on women's football and youth development.

Chelsea also announced on Wednesday that their women's team, champions of England's elite Women's Super League for the past three seasons, posted a loss of £17.1 million, despite generating £21.3 million in revenue. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849673_1_M_20260402022243.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Chelsea said the losses included more money spent on agents' fees than any other club in England. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:34:24 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849603</id><title><![CDATA[Iraq beat Bolivia to reach World Cup finals]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849603-20260401.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849603-20260401.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the World Cup on Tuesday, defeating Bolivia 2-1 in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico to seal their first appearance at the finals in 40 years.

Aymen Hussein ⁠steered home a ⁠second-half winner to ⁠see the Iraqis into the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the US.

Ali ⁠Al Hamadi handed Iraq a 10th-minute lead at the Monterrey Stadium, but Bolivia were level at the break through Moises Paniagua.

Iraq, whose preparations for Tuesday playoff had been disrupted by the war in the Middle East, will play in World Cup Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. (Agencies)


Edited by Edmond Fong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849603_1_M_20260401132601.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Iraq's Zaid Tahseen celebrates after the match as they qualify for Fifa World Cup finals for the first time in four decades. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:41:41 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849595</id><title><![CDATA[Argentina thrash Zambia in World Cup send-off]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849595-20260401.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849595-20260401.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Lionel Messi scored one goal and set up another as Argentina thrashed Zambia 5-0 on Tuesday in the South American side's final game on home soil before launching the defence of their World Cup crown.

Messi, restored to the starting line-up by coach Lionel Scaloni after Argentina's lackluster win over Mauritania last Friday, made an instant impact in Tuesday's friendly at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires.

The 38-year-old superstar set up the opening goal for Julian Alvarez before bagging his 116th goal for Argentina with an individual strike just before half-time.

Tuesday's game marked a World Cup send-off for the reigning world champions, who will face Algeria, Austria and Jordan in Group J of the finals in June.

Argentina will also play a friendly against Serbia in June, and are seeking to arrange another warm-up fixture before the tournament.

Messi is expected to captain Argentina into what will be a record sixth World Cup finals as the South American giants target back-to-back titles.

The Inter Miami playmaker once again demonstrated his enduring influence on the Albiceleste with a typically decisive contribution in a comfortable win.

Alvarez fired Argentina into the lead after just four minutes when Messi effortlessly controlled a lofted pass on the edge of the area and then threaded a pass into the feet of the Atletico Madrid striker to score.

Messi doubled Argentina's lead with the 902nd goal of his career two minutes before half-time, working a clever one-two with Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister before tucking a low finish past Zambia goalkeeper Willard Mwanza.

Messi could have added to his goals tally just after half-time when Argentina were awarded a penalty following Albert Kangwanda's foul on Thiago Almada.

But rather than take the spot kick himself, Messi handed the ball to veteran defender Nicolas Otamendi, and the 38-year-old made no mistake from the spot for a 3-0 lead.

An own goal from Dominic Chanda in the 68th minute put Argentina 4-0 up, before rising star Valentin Barco completed the scoring in stoppage time to make it 5-0. (AFP)




Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849595_1_M_20260401115725.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Lionel Messi netted just before the interval for his 116th international goal for Argentina, and 902nd of his career. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:19:46 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849588</id><title><![CDATA[DR Congo seal first World Cup berth in 52 years]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849588-20260401.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849588-20260401.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[The Democratic Republic of Congo defeated Jamaica 1-0 after extra time in an intercontinental playoff on Tuesday to seal their first World Cup appearance in 52 years.

Burnley defender Axel Tuanzebe scored the game's only goal at the Akron Stadium near Guadalajara to send the African side to this summer's finals, where they will face Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan in Group K.

Tuanzebe bundled in a close-range finish from an in-swinging corner in the 100th minute to settle a lackluster game played in hot and humid conditions.

The goal completes a dramatic qualification campaign for the Leopards, who eliminated African football giants Nigeria and Cameroon on their way to Tuesday's playoff in Mexico.

It means the central African nation will be playing at the World Cup for the first time since the 1974 finals in West Germany, when the team competed as Zaire and were beaten by Scotland, Yugoslavia and Brazil.

Tuesday's game went to extra time after the two sides finished 90 minutes deadlocked at 0-0, with DR Congo dominating possession but failing to find the breakthrough against a dogged Jamaican defence.

The Congolese looked the more threatening side from the kick-off and had the ball in the net after just five minutes when Real Betis striker Cedric Bakambu tucked away a low finish from Meschack Elia's cross only for it be ruled offside.

Bakambu threatened again soon afterwards, but his looping header was comfortably gathered by Jamaica goalkeeper Andre Blake.

With Jamaica sitting deep, Congo had ample possession but struggled to create many meaningful chances.

Elia shot into the side netting after collecting a clever chested layoff from Bakambu in the 23rd minute, and threatened again 10 minutes later when he burst down the right flank and forced a near-post save from Blake.

The only Jamaican chance of note came midway through the half but Kasey Palmer's deflected shot drifted wide.

The pattern continued after half-time, and Bakambu again nearly opened the scoring on 47 minutes when his curling shot from outside the area was parried away at full stretch by Blake.

That was as good as it got though for Congo until a flurry of chances in the final minutes of regulation time.

Bakambu saw a second goal ruled out after Theo Bongonda was offside in the build up in the 85th minute, and two minutes later substitute Edo Kayembe saw a long-range effort whizz past the post.

The breakthrough finally came in extra time when Tuanzebe met a corner in the six-yard box to put Congo ahead and seal their World Cup return. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849588_1_M_20260401112448.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The victory ends an over half a century World Cup drought for the central African nation. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo>1</hasvideo><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:38:57 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849583</id><title><![CDATA[HK's Wong out of US Clay Championships at first hurdle]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849583-20260401.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849583-20260401.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Hong Kong, China tennis star Coleman Wong on Tuesday was sent tumbling out in the opening round of the US Clay Court Championships in Houston, Texas, falling to seventh-seeded Alex Michelsen in straight sets.

The SAR's top-ranked player lost 4-6, 2-6 in one hour and 25 minutes at the ATP 250 event, despite a spirited effort in a tightly-contested first set at the River Oaks Country Club where both players had saved multiple break points.

The result marks a second straight opening round defeat for Wong following last week's loss at the Morelia Open in Mexico, a competition currently part of the ATP Challenger Tour 125.

It was a moment to savour for World No. 35 Michelsen, however, who ended a year-long wait for a tour-level clay-court victory with his triumph over Wong.

The southern California native hadn’t won on the surface since last year's edition of the Houston event, where he became the youngest American quarter-finalist at the tournament since Taylor Fritz in 2018.


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849583_1_M_20260401110122.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Wong put up a fight in the opening set but was unable to follow through in the second. File photo courtesy of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:26:23 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849569</id><title><![CDATA[HK beaten by India in 2027 Asian Cup qualifier finale]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849569-20260401.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849569-20260401.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Hong Kong, China on Tuesday wrapped up their AFC Asian Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-1 loss to India in their final group match.

Both sides were already out of contention for the tournament – scheduled for Saudi Arabia next year – with the SAR eliminated following their 2-1 loss to Singapore last November.

The Group C finale in Kochi saw the hosts strike first through Ryan Williams, who scored in the fourth minute with a close-range finish through a cross from Manvir Singh.

India doubled their advantage in the 50th minute, when Akash Mishra slammed home the ball at the near post after a goalmouth scramble from a throw-in.

Everton Camargo pulled a goal back for the SAR 15 minutes later, scoring from the edge of the box after a well-placed assist from Barak Braunshtain.

But it was too little, too late for Hong Kong, who ended their Asian Cup qualifying campaign with eight points. Singapore earlier defeated Bangladesh 1-0 to finish atop the group on 14 points, earning a ticket to Saudi Arabia.

SAR coach Roberto Losada, in his first international fixture since taking charge last December, said he was pleased with his squad's performance.

"Disappointed for [the loss] obviously. When you play these kinds of matches, you always want to win," he told reporters after the match.

"But I'm satisfied with some parts of the game, very satisfied with some players in this high-level match. It's a mixed feeling... for our fans that came out here and [we didn't] get them the win.

"We have some good things, some moments in the game that we did really well and mostly some young talents that are coming up."



Edited by Raymond Yeung]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849569_1_M_20260401082351.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The SAR ended their Asian Cup qualifying campaign as Group C runners-up, behind Singapore. Photo courtesy of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:55:55 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849540</id><title><![CDATA[Iran will be at World Cup: Fifa president Infantino]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849540-20260401.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849540-20260401.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Fifa president Gianni Infantino told AFP on Tuesday that Iran "will be at the World Cup" and will play their group matches in the United States as scheduled, despite the Middle East war.

"Iran will be at the World Cup," Infantino said at half-time as Iran beat Costa Rica 5-0 in a friendly in southern Türkiye. "That's why we're here. We're delighted because they're a very, very strong team, I'm very happy."

"I've seen the team, I've spoken to the players and the coach, so everything is fine," added Infantino, whose attendance at Tuesday's game was unannounced.

Infantino went on to stress that Iran's "matches will be played where they are supposed to be, according to the draw".

The World Cup, being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, starts on June 11.

Iran are set to play their first Group G game against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. They are then scheduled to play Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Iran's participation had been thrown into doubt by the war with the US and Israel that broke out on February 28.

"For us, what matters most are Fifa's rules and regulations. We will comply with whatever Fifa decides. Every host country has made commitments to Fifa and must honour them," Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, the vice president of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), told AFP at the match.

The FFIRI had said earlier this month it was "negotiating" with Fifa to relocate the country's World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also said that her country is prepared to host Iran's first-round matches at the tournament if needed.

Infantino initially said that US President Donald Trump had given assurances that the Iranian team would still be welcome. But Trump then stated that Iran's team should not travel to the tournament "for their own life and safety".

Iran hit back at Trump's comments, saying that "no one can exclude Iran's national team from the World Cup".

On Tuesday, Mohammad Nabi said Infantino had been en route from Mexico to Qatar. "Having learnt that we were organising friendly matches here, he came to see us in person, and we had a fruitful discussion," Mohammad Nabi said.

"Given our history in this competition, it is only natural that Fifa should support the Iranian team. Mr Infantino is providing the necessary support to our national team and has given our players a great boost."

Asked before the game if Iran would be at the World Cup, back-up striker Dennis Eckert Ayensa told AFP: "Inshallah" (god willing).

Iran, who also played a friendly against Nigeria in the Turkish town of Belek last Friday, crushed Costa Rica, who have not qualified for the World Cup, 5-0 on Tuesday. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849540_2_M_20260401080628.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Gianni Infantino (left) said Iran's football team will play their group matches as scheduled in the United States despite the US-Israeli war against Iran. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:06:27 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849565</id><title><![CDATA[Italy miss out on World Cup for third straight time]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849565-20260401.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849565-20260401.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup as a play-off defeat on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday meant the Azzurri will not go to this year's tournament in North America, while Türkiye, the Czech Republic and Sweden all secured their places at the finals.

Italy have won the World Cup four times, but they failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments and will once again have to watch from afar as the field is expanded to 48 teams in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Bosnia won 4-1 in the shoot-out in Zenica after their play-off final finished 1-1 at the end of extra time, with Sandro Tonali the only Italy player to score from the spot as Francesco Pio Esposito blazed their first penalty over and Bryan Cristante smashed his kick against the crossbar.

Moise Kean had given Gennaro Gattuso's Italy the lead on 15 minutes, but they were reduced to 10 men when Alessandro Bastoni was shown a straight red card late in the first half.

Bosnia equalised on 79 minutes through Haris Tabakovic, and with no further goals in extra time the tie was decided on penalties.

"I don't think the boys deserved to suffer such a blow," said Gattuso. "It's difficult to digest."

Ranked 66th in the world, Bosnia finished second in qualifying Group H behind Austria before beating Wales on penalties in their play-off semi-final.

Their only previous World Cup appearance came in 2014. Now they go into Group B at this year's tournament along with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.

The 2014 edition is the last time Italy qualified. They went out in the group stage, like in 2010. They have not won a World Cup knockout game since they last lifted the trophy in 2006.

In 2018 they failed to qualify after losing a two-legged play-off final to Sweden, and they also missed out in 2022 after losing a play-off to North Macedonia. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849565_1_M_20260401071146.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Italy's hopes of ending a 12-year World Cup absence were dashed by Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:46:58 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849550</id><title><![CDATA[Tiger Woods pleads not guilty, seeks treatment]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849550-20260401.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849550-20260401.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Tiger Woods has released his first public statement since his rollover crash on Friday, announcing he would step away from golf to seek treatment in hopes of "lasting recovery."

Woods' statement on Tuesday came soon after his attorney entered a plea of not guilty in a Florida court to charges stemming from the accident.

Woods, 50, is charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence with property damage, and refusal to submit to a urinalysis, according to court documents.

"I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today," Woods' statement read. "I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritise my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.

"I'm committed to taking the time needed to return in a healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally. I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time."

"Tiger Woods is a legend of our sport whose impact extends far beyond his achievements on the course," the PGA Tour said in statement. "But above all else, Tiger is a person, and our focus is on his health and well-being. Tiger continues to have our full support as he takes this important step."

Attorney Douglas Duncan represented Woods, who was not present in Martin County Circuit Court in Stuart, Florida. Duncan submitted the plea as well as the demand for a jury trial.

The 15-time major champion waived his arraignment hearing that was slated for April 23. The defense has 10 days to file motions in the case, to be heard in Florida's 19th Judicial Circuit.

Woods told police he was looking at his cellphone and changing the radio station before his Land Rover crashed near his home in Jupiter Island, Florida, according to the arrest affidavit released on Tuesday by the Martin County Sheriff's Office. Woods said he didn't see a truck that was hauling a trailer slow down, per the affidavit, and his car clipped the trailer and rolled onto its side.

The golfer was jailed on a charge of suspicion of misdemeanor DUI with property damage following the accident and was released on a US$1,000 bond about eight hours later.

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said a breathalyser test showed no signs of alcohol, but that Woods refused a urinalysis test for other drugs.

Woods was "sweating profusely" and his movements were "lethargic and slow" during an interview with sheriff's deputy Tatiana Levenar, she wrote in the arrest affidavit.

Another deputy "observed several signs of impairment and requested I conduct a DUI Investigation to ensure Woods was able to operate the motor vehicle in a safe manner at the time of the collision," Levenar wrote in the affidavit.

During the field sobriety exercises, the deputy wrote that Woods was "limping and stumbling to the right." Woods told the deputy he had undergone seven back surgeries and more than 20 operations on his right leg since a major car accident near Los Angeles in 2021.

Duncan also represented Woods in that case. Woods, arrested on suspicion of DUI, later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and agreed to enter a diversion program.

Woods had said in the 2021 incident that he had taken a bad mix of painkillers. In the Martin County arrest report from last week, Woods denied consuming any alcohol but said he had taken "a few" prescription pills that morning.

Names of the medications were redacted in the affidavit, however, another Martin County Sheriff's deputy found two hydrocodone pills in Woods' left pants pocket. Hydrocodone was found in Woods' system in his 2017 arrest.

Levenar noted in the report that Woods' eyes were "bloodshot and glassy" and his pupils were "extremely dilated."

"Based on my observations of Woods, how he performed the exercises and based on my training, knowledge, and experience, I believed his normal facilities were impaired, and he was unable to safely operate the motor vehicle," Levenar wrote. (Reuters)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[World News]]></catname><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849550_1_M_20260401025036.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Tiger Woods rolled his Land Rover after clipping a truck on a road near his home. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo>1</hasvideo><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:43:37 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849544</id><title><![CDATA[Tottenham appoint De Zerbi in battle to stay up]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849544-20260401.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849544-20260401.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Tottenham appointed Roberto De Zerbi as the club's third manager of the season on Tuesday as they battle to avoid relegation from English football's top-flight for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Former Brighton and Marseille boss De Zerbi has reportedly been handed a lucrative five-year deal to convince him to take the job immediately rather than waiting to see which division Spurs are in next season.

Tottenham sit just one point outside the relegation zone with seven games of the Premier League season remaining.

De Zerbi replaces Igor Tudor, whose interim reign lasted just seven games after Spurs crashed out of the Champions League and fell ever closer to the Premier League drop zone.

"I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world," said De Zerbi in a club statement.

"I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.

"Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season."

De Zerbi established a positive reputation for himself in England during a two-year spell as Brighton boss between 2022 and 2024.

His time at Marseille started positively, finishing second to Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last season to qualify for the Champions League.

But he left the French club in February after failing to make it out of the Champions League group phase and a humiliating 5-0 defeat by PSG.

Tottenham have not tasted life outside the top flight of English football since the 1977/78 season.

Despite boasting a new 63,000-capacity stadium, state-of-the-art training ground and revenues that make them among the top 10 richest clubs in world football, they are at severe risk of a humiliating relegation to the Championship.

Just a few years ago they were Champions League regulars under former manager Mauricio Pochettino, reaching the final in 2019.

Last season they ended a 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League.

But the warning signs of a battle for survival were there as Ange Postecoglou was dismissed despite victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final after finishing 17th in the Premier League.

Thomas Frank was appointed as the Australian's successor, but the Dane was sacked in February after a run of two wins in 17 league games and replaced by Tudor.

De Zerbi's first match in charge will be away to Sunderland on April 12. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849544_1_M_20260401012210.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Roberto De Zerbi made a name for himself in England during a two-year spell as Brighton boss. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:12:46 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849532</id><title><![CDATA[Ryan Choi, Siobhan Haughey crowned 'best of the best']]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849532-20260331.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849532-20260331.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Fencing world champion Ryan Choi and Olympic medallist swimmer Siobhan Haughey were crowned the "best of the best" at the Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards on Tuesday.

It's the first time that Choi, who clinched the city's first-ever Fencing World Championships gold in 2025, has won the top accolade in the men's category. He came ahead of four others, including tennis star Coleman Wong and rower Chiu Hin-chun.

Haughey took home the women's award for the fourth time, defeating the likes of cyclist Ceci Lee and fencer Kaylin Hsieh.

Choi and his teammates Edgar Cheung, Leung Chin-yu and Lawrence Ng were named as one of the three best teams of the year, alongside the badminton mixed doubles pair of Jordan Tang and Tse Ying-suet, and table tennis men's duo Wong Chun-ting and Baldwin Chan.

The Hong Kong, China men's handball team got the award for "team only sport".


Edited by Edmond Fong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849532_1_M_20260331215004.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Ryan Choi and Siobhan Haughey get the top honours at the Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards held at the Convention and Exhibition Centre.]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:11:16 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849414</id><title><![CDATA[Former NY marathon winner Korir gets 5-year doping ban]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849414-20260331.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849414-20260331.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Kenya's 2021 New York marathon champion Albert Korir has been banned for five years after he admitted using a banned performance-enhancing drug, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Monday.

Korir, 32, tested positive for the synthetic form of erythropoietin (EPO) that stimulates red blood cell production during out-of-competition tests in Kenya in October 2025.

The AIU said that Korir had received a one-year reduction from the original six-year suspension "based on an early admission and acceptance of the sanction".

His five-year ban will run from January 8, 2026, the date he was provisionally suspended, until January 7, 2031.

Korir won the 2021 New York marathon in a time of 2hr 08min 22sec and came third in 2023 with a personal best time of 2:06:57.

He won the Ottawa marathon in 2019 and 2025.

Korir's sanction comes nearly six months after compatriot Ruth Chepngetich, the current world marathon record holder was banned for three years after admitting the use of Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a banned diuretic used as a masking agent.

Running is a way out of poverty for many in Kenya, putting pressure on many to turn to drugs, especially since the country lacks the sophisticated infrastructure to train stars.

Kenya worked to clean up its image after a string of doping scandals around the 2016 Rio Olympics led to it being declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

More than 140 Kenyan runners, mainly long-distance athletes, have been sanctioned for drugs offences since then.

In June 2024, Kenya handed out its first lifetime ban to marathon runner Beatrice Toroitich and a six-year ban to 10km record-holder Rhonex Kipruto. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849414_1_M_20260331071241.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Korir tested positive for a performance-enhancing hormone increasing red blood cell production. File photo: AFP]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:37:25 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849408</id><title><![CDATA[Messi to start for Argentina in World Cup send-off]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849408-20260331.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849408-20260331.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Lionel Messi will start for Argentina in a friendly against Zambia on Tuesday in what is the reigning world champions' final game on home soil before they defend their World Cup crown.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said Messi, who began on the bench for Friday's lacklustre 2-1 win over Mauritania, will spearhead what is expected to be a full-strength side against Zambia.

"Messi will be in the starting line-up tomorrow," Scaloni said.

Messi, 38, has not formally confirmed he plans to play in the World Cup but played a full part in Argentina's qualification campaign for the finals.

Scaloni indicated that he expects Messi to be part of his squad for what would be the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's sixth World Cup Finals appearance.

"The important thing is that he comes and enjoys being at a World Cup – which, theoretically, will be his last," Scaloni said of Messi.

"We want him to enjoy it, because later on, you really miss playing in events like these."

Scaloni said Messi on Tuesday will be surrounded by the established core of the team which topped South American qualifying and that will start the World Cup among the favourites for the title.

"Most of the players we know well will be playing. This will be the final test," Scaloni said.

"Later, we'll make some changes to take a look at some of the younger guys, but the idea is to field our most familiar line-up," he said, emphasising that Friday's scrappy win over Mauritania was not representative of his squad.

"I am convinced that the team's performance level is not what we saw the other day," Scaloni said. "If we see that the team isn't quite there, we'll look for other options. But they deserve a vote of confidence."

Scaloni has already submitted a preliminary 55-player list to the Argentina Football Association, with the final 26-man squad to be confirmed at the end of May.

"I have the list pretty well figured out, but if performance levels aren't up to par, we'll take measures to ensure we bring the absolute best squad possible; we are striving for something as close to perfection as we can get," he said.

"The players who have been with us for a while hold a slight advantage simply because we know them well; however, they have to maintain that advantage – and everyone knows what happened the other day (against Mauritania) cannot be repeated." (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849408_1_M_20260331063745.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Argentina legend Lionel Messi will start against Zambia on Tuesday, after coming off the bench in Friday's scrappy win over Mauritania. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:33:03 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849392</id><title><![CDATA[Cardiff City lose compensation case over Sala death]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849392-20260331.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849392-20260331.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[A French court on Monday dismissed Cardiff City's compensation claim for 122 million euros in a financial dispute with Ligue 1 club Nantes over the death of Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala.

The Welsh club took the case to the Nantes commercial court in 2023 for loss of income and other damages suffered by Cardiff as a result of the player's death.

Monday's ruling ordered Cardiff to pay Nantes 480,000 euros in legal fees and moral damages suffered by the French club.

Sala, a 28-year-old forward, died when the light aircraft taking him to the Welsh capital came down in the English Channel on January 21, 2019, two days after he had signed for the then-Premier League side.

He and pilot David Ibbotson were killed.

Following an analysis conducted by an expert appointed by Cardiff, the club estimated their losses at 122 million euros.

Since Sala's death Cardiff have been relegated from the Premier League. They currently play in English football's third tier.

"We initiated this process so that the full truth would come to light in this case and out of respect for the memory of Emiliano Sala," Cardiff's lawyer Celine Jones told reporters after the verdict.

"Today, we bitterly observe that the principles of transparency, integrity, and safety in professional football have not prevailed in this decision," she added.

Sala's mother, Mercedes Taffarel, was in court with Cardiff representatives but did not wish to speak.

Nantes, struggling in the Ligue 1 relegation zone this season, welcomed the decision.

"Nantes are in no way responsible for the incident that occurred," said club lawyer Jerome Marsaudon said.

"We are pleased the court listened to us and confirmed this in clear terms."

During their pleadings, lawyers for Nantes denounced the "judicial harassment" by Cardiff, accusing the club of having "exploited" the death of Sala.

Louis-Marie Absil, counsel for Nantes, said the total sum sought by Cardiff in damages was "totally fanciful and exaggerated."

Cardiff argued that Nantes, through their intermediary, agent Willie McKay, were the organisers of the private flight on which the footballer was travelling and that, if the transfer was effective at the time of the accident according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it is the organisation of this flight that was at issue.

CAS ruled in 2022 that Sala's transfer had definitely been finalised at the time of his death.

The following year, world football's governing body Fifa ordered Cardiff to pay Nantes the balance of Sala's transfer fee, which at the time amounted to just over 11 million euros out of a total of 17 million euros.

A statement issued by Cardiff on Monday read: "We deeply regret that the court did not recognise FC Nantes' liability in this tragedy.

"How is it possible that, in the end, FC Nantes – which never contributed to the support fund we launched in memory of Emiliano – paid more money to Willie McKay (1.5 million euros) than to the Sala family?

"More than ever, there is an urgent need to strengthen safety and ethical standards in the management and protection of players, so that such a tragedy can never happen again.

"The world of football must take a hard look at itself." (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849392_1_M_20260331015316.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Emiliano Sala died when the light aircraft taking him from Nantes to Cardiff came down in the English Channel. File photo: AFP]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:06:10 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849376</id><title><![CDATA[Cyclist Ceci Lee bags second Asian Championship gold]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849376-20260330.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849376-20260330.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Red-hot star cyclist Ceci Lee of the SAR on Monday won her second gold at the Asian Track Cycling Championships in the Philippines.

She made the podium in all five races she took part in at the tournament. 

The Hong Kong, China rider broke away from the pack in the final stages of the scratch race, beating the national team's Chen Ning and Tsuyaka Uchino from Japan to the finish line. 

Last week, Lee won gold in the elimination race, while bagging three bronze medals in the Madison, omnium and team pursuit events.

In the men's scratch race on Monday, Hong Kong, China's Chu Tsun-wai won a bronze medal, while junior cyclists Yau Chung-ming and Nicholas Ma grabbed bronze in omnium and time trial races, respectively.

The SAR has won three golds, two silvers and nine bronzes at the continental tournament, with one more race day to go.


Edited by Edmond Fong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849376_1_M_20260330203610.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Ceci Lee, centre, is joined on the podium by Chen Ning, left, and Tsuyaka Uchino in the women's scratch race. Photo courtesy of the Cycling Association of Hong Kong, China]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 30 Mar 2026 21:21:57 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849348</id><title><![CDATA[SAR's Ng On-yee claims third straight British Open]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849348-20260330.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849348-20260330.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Hong Kong, China snooker star Ng On-yee has captured the British Open title for the third straight year, defeating China’s Bai Yulu in the final held in Walsall.

Bai, who had beaten Ng in the finals of the UK Championship, Niche Cues Open, and WSF Women’s Championship the previous season, started strong by taking the opening frame. 

However, Ng responded by winning a tactical second frame on the black, then added the third with a match-high break of 85 to lead 2-1.

Bai fought back to level the match, but Ng was not to be denied a memorable victory against the world number one. 

She produced further breaks of 38 and a composed 66 in the final frame to secure a 4-2 win.

As the tournament’s top two seeds, both Ng and Bai were automatically seeded through to the knockout phase, bypassing the initial group stages.

The 35-year-old Ng defeated Scotland’s Deborah Fladgate and world number six Narucha Phoemphul to reach the semi-finals. 

There, she swept past England’s Rebecca Kenna 4-0, firing a tournament-high break of 104 to reach her fifth world ranking event final in six appearances this season.

With this victory, the SAR ace becomes only the fifth player to win the British Open three or more times. 

She now has 24 career titles, moving within two of Karen Corr, who currently stands fourth on the all-time list.

The win also marks Ng’s second straight title, following her triumph at the Belgian Open last month.


Edited by Aaron Tam]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849348_1_M_20260330170403.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Ng On-yee becomes only the fifth player to win the British Open three or more times. Photo courtesy of World Women's Snooker]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:14:24 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849306</id><title><![CDATA[World Cup 'at risk of becoming stage for repression']]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849306-20260330.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849306-20260330.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Amnesty International warned this summer's football World Cup, spread across three North American countries, risks becoming a "stage for repression" in a report published on Monday.

The London-based human rights organisation's report – "Humanity Must Win" – called on both Fifa and host countries the United States, Canada and Mexico to take urgent action to protect fans, players and other communities.

Fifa has promised a tournament where everyone "feels safe, included and free to exercise their rights" but, Amnesty said, that pledge sits in "stark contrast" to conditions on the ground in all three host nations, especially the United States, which hosts three quarters of the 104 matches.

Amnesty described the United States as facing a "human rights emergency" under the Trump administration, marked by mass deportations, arbitrary arrests and what it called "paramilitary-style" Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

The acting director of ICE said last month the agency would be "a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup".

This comes despite anger at the killing of two American citizens who were protesting aggressive ICE raids in Minneapolis in January.

Amnesty said none of the published US host city plans address how fans or local communities would be protected from ICE operations.

Fans from four nations taking part this summer – Ivory Coast, Haiti, Iran and Senegal – face US travel bans and LGBTQ+ fan groups from England and across Europe have said they will not attend matches in the US, citing risks to transgender supporters in particular.

"This World Cup is very far from the 'medium risk' tournament that Fifa once judged it to be, and urgent efforts are needed to bridge the growing gap between the tournament's original promise and today's reality," Amnesty said.

Fifa said this month the 48-team tournament – the biggest World Cup in history – would proceed "as scheduled" with all teams taking part, despite uncertainty over Iran's presence due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The global football governing body, which has been heavily criticised over its decision to award a newly created "Peace Prize" to US President Donald Trump in December 2025, stands to earn US$11 billion from the tournament cycle.

"While Fifa generates record revenues from the 2026 World Cup, fans, communities, players, journalists and workers cannot be made to pay the price," said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty's head of economic and social justice.

"It is these people – not governments, sponsors or Fifa – to whom football belongs, and their rights must be at the centre of the tournament."

The World Cup kicks off on June 11 at the Mexico City Stadium with the final scheduled for July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[World News]]></catname><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849306_1_M_20260330121319.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Two Border Patrol officers wrestle a 'No Kings' protest activist  to the ground in Portland, Oregon. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:33:19 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849266</id><title><![CDATA[Sinner conquers the rain to complete Sunshine Double]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849266-20260330.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849266-20260330.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[World number two Jannik Sinner powered past Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to win the ATP Miami Masters 1000 for a second time on Sunday, adding the title to his Indian Wells crown.

Sinner had to wait out rain delays before and during the match to complete his "Sunshine Double," becoming the first man to sweep the elite hard court tournaments in California and Florida since Roger Federer in 2017 and the first to do so without dropping a set.

In fact, Sinner, who won Miami in 2024 but missed last year as he served a three-month doping ban, has now won three straight Masters 1000 events, starting with a victory in Paris last year.

His victory, coupled with Aryna Sabalenka's triumph over Coco Gauff on Saturday, mark the first time the Indian Wells-Miami sweep was achieved on both the men's and women's sides since Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka both did it in 2016.

Early showers saw the match delayed for more than an hour. Sinner had just pocketed the first set when the showers hit again, halting the match for 90 minutes.

It wasn't enough to unsettle Sinner, who handed 22nd-ranked Czech Lehecka his first service break of the tournament for a 2-1 lead in the opening frame.

Sinner trailed 0-40 in the following game but fired three service winners and a pair of aces to hold and made the advantage stand up.

The Italian gave himself a first set point in the ninth game with a blistering cross-court forehand service return winner.

Lehecka saved that one with a service winner and saved another set point with a volley, going on to seal the hold on his sixth game point before Sinner pocketed the set with a love game.

Lehecka fought off five set points before Sinner pounded for the lone break of the second set and a 5-4 lead. He gave himself a match point with a forehand volley winner, thought he had it on a serve that was called a let, and polished it off with another winner at the net.

While Lehecka, playing in his first Masters 1000 final, couldn't follow compatriot Jakub Mensik into the Miami winner's circle, he will reach a career-high 14th in the world rankings on Monday. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849266_1_M_20260330082800.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Sinner is just the eighth man in history to complete the elusive 'Sunshine Double'. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:33:48 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849258</id><title><![CDATA[Bezzecchi rides to dominant US MotoGP victory]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849258-20260330.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849258-20260330.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Italy's Marco Bezzecchi captured his fifth consecutive MotoGP victory on Sunday by winning the United States Grand Prix, reclaiming the season points lead in the process.

The 27-year-old rider for Aprilia also set a MotoGP record for consecutive laps led with 121 in taking the 20-lap showdown at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Bezzecchi started second behind Italian pole-sitter Fabio Di Giannantonio, who rides for Valentino Rossi's VR46 team, but the Ducati rider faded quickly to fifth as Bezzecchi seized the lead and kept it to the finish.

In leading the first three laps he broke the previous record for most led in a row of 103 set by Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo of Yamaha in 2015.

His winning time of 40mins 50.653secs was 2.036 seconds ahead of runner up Aprilia teammate Jorge Martin of Spain, who won Saturday's sprint race to take the riders lead by a point. Spain's Pedro Acosta of KTM was third.

Bezzecchi is the first rider since Spain's Marc Marquez in 2014 to win the first three races of a season, Marquez having taking 10 in a row in his run.

"I'm happy. I'm very happy," said Bezzecchi. "Yesterday I made a mistake so it was very important to make a good race today."

He praised the crowd, saying of his supporters, "I was very sad and they gave me a push to bounce back today."

Bezzecchi seized an 81-77 lead over 2024 world champion Martin in the season points standings.

Bezzecchi's victory run also includes last year's closing races at Portugal and Valencia and this year's openers in Thailand and Brazil.

Only reigning world champion Marquez, who was fifth on Sunday just behind Di Giannantonio, and Rossi have had longer modern-era win streaks. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849258_1_M_20260330071914.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Bezzecchi is the first MotoGP rider to win the opening three rounds of a season in twelve years. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:00:59 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849257</id><title><![CDATA[Tudor leaves Spurs after just seven games in charge]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849257-20260330.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849257-20260330.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Tottenham parted company with coach Igor Tudor by mutual consent on Sunday after just seven games in charge as they battle to stay in the Premier League.

Tudor lost five of those matches in a 44-day reign to leave Spurs out of the Champions League and hovering just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League.

The 47-year-old did not appear in front of the media after last weekend's damaging 3-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest after learning of his father's death just after the game ended.

"We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for head coach Igor Tudor to leave the club with immediate effect," Tottenham said in a statement.

"We also acknowledge the bereavement that Igor has recently suffered and send our support to him and his family at this difficult time.

"An update on a new head coach will be provided in due course."

Tottenham are not in action again for another two weeks when they travel to Sunderland.

Former Brighton and Marseille coach Roberto de Zerbi has been linked with the job, while reports have suggested the club could turn to Sean Dyche's Premier League experience to dig them out of trouble for the final seven games of the season.

Tudor was appointed in February following the dismissal of Thomas Frank.

Hired with a reputation of making an immediate impact during a nomadic coaching career, the Croatian was powerless to stop Tottenham's slide towards the relegation trapdoor for the first time since 1977.

The London club, ravaged by injuries this season, have not won a league match since late December and are out of every cup competition.

Even Tudor's sole victory was fruitless as a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid failed to overturn a 5-2 first leg deficit in the Champions League last 16.

His decision to start and then substitute back-up goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after just 17 minutes of the first leg in Madrid summed up a chaotic short-lived reign. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849257_1_M_20260330070959.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Tudor lost five of his seven matches in his 44-day reign of the north London club. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:57:31 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849231</id><title><![CDATA[Antonelli wins Japan GP, makes history in standings]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849231-20260329.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849231-20260329.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday to clinch his second straight Formula ⁠One victory and become the youngest-ever championship leader at the age of 19.

The Italian, who had started from pole but quickly dropped back to sixth, crossed the line 13.7 seconds clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completing the podium.

Antonelli's Mercedes teammate George Russell crossed the line fourth with world champion Lando Norris fifth in the other McLaren, ahead of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.

The teenager's win at Suzuka came ⁠on the heels of his victory in China and gave ⁠him a nine-point lead over ⁠Russell in the overall standings. 

It also made him the first Italian to win two F1 races in a row since ⁠Alberto Ascari in 1953.

Antonelli inherited the lead when his rivals, including teammate Russell, pitted for fresh tyres shortly before a heavy crash by Haas racer Oliver Bearman triggered a safety car.

That gave Antonelli the chance to pit and keep the ⁠lead, leaving Russell, who had stopped just a lap earlier, cursing his luck.

"I was lucky with the safety car but the pace was unbelievable in the end," said Antonelli on the team radio.

"We definitely dodged a bullet today,” his race engineer responded.

Bearman was given the all-clear by doctors after limping away from the high-speed crash, which came after he closed rapidly on Franco Colapinto’s Alpine and went onto the grass before sliding ⁠into the barriers hard.

He was given an X-ray at the circuit’s medical centre which revealed a right knee contusion but no fractures, a Haas spokesperson said.

Norris also pitted under the safety car to move up to third but he was unable to hang on to the podium spot.

Pierre Gasly was seventh for Alpine while Red Bull's four-times world champion Max Verstappen ⁠salvaged some points in eighth.

Liam Lawson was ninth for Racing Bulls with Esteban Ocon 10th in his Haas. (Reuters)


Edited by Edmond Fong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849231_1_M_20260329180914.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Kimi Antonelli and his Mercedes team celebrate victory at Suzuka. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 29 Mar 2026 18:09:13 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849221</id><title><![CDATA[Fok calls for GBA coalition to host sporting events]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849221-20260329.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849221-20260329.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Sports sector lawmaker Kenneth Fok on Sunday called on the authorities in the Greater Bay Area to look into forming a coalition in a bid to secure the rights to host major sporting events in future.

Speaking after taking part in a running event at the Kai Tak Sports Park, he said many cities in the area have the hardware, and that there can be more cooperation in attracting more functions.

"In the next stage, I look forward to the Kai Tak Sports Park having closer liaison and connections with other venues in the Greater Bay Area," he told reporters.

"They might form a coalition, some form of cooperation, so that different venues can go and snatch up some mega-sporting events. This is a possible way to make a bigger pie."

Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong co-hosted the National Games last year.

Fok noted that one of the initiatives in the country's 15th Five-Year Plan is to get the general population to exercise more.

He also said the SAR government can coordinate more functions involving the entire city, so that the drive for a healthier China begins in Hong Kong.

For his part, sports commissioner George Tsoi said since the sports park opened a year ago, it had hosted sporting events in over 200 days.

On some of those days, he said, two or three events were being held concurrently at the venue.

Tsoi also said Sunday's run, which involved many families, was one of those events that encouraged the public to exercise more.


Edited by Edmond Fong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Local]]></catname><catname><![CDATA[Greater China]]></catname><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849221_1_M_20260329161450.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Kenneth Fok says cities in the Greater Bay Area can make a bigger pie by seeking to host more sporting events. Photo: RTHK]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo>1</hasvideo><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 29 Mar 2026 16:43:52 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849202</id><title><![CDATA[Sabalenka sinks Gauff to win 2nd straight Miami Open]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849202-20260329.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849202-20260329.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Aryna Sabalenka won her second straight Miami Open title on Saturday, beating Coco Gauff 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to complete a "Sunshine Double" Indian Wells-Miami sweep.

The world number one from Belarus, fresh off her first triumph in the California desert, became the fifth woman – and the first since Iga Swiatek in 2022 – to win both of the elite early-season hardcourt WTA 1000 titles.

"That sounds crazy, sounds unreal," Sabalenka told Tennis Channel. "I'm just super grateful, super happy and super proud right now."

Sabalenka underscored her WTA dominance in a season in which her only defeat to date was her Australian Open finals loss to Elena Rybakina – who she went on to beat in the Indian Wells title match and in the semi-finals here.

She handed Gauff her first career defeat in a hardcourt final.

The American had won her first nine, including a triumph over Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open championship match.

Gauff had also beaten the Belarusian for the title on the red clay of Roland Garros last year.

So Sabalenka said she wasn't surprised to see Gauff dig in, even after the Belarusian pocketed the first set with a ruthless display of power and precision.

She broke Gauff to open the match and, after Gauff saved three break points in a gritty fifth game, broke the American again in the seventh before serving it out in 37 minutes without facing a break point herself.

In a tense second set, Gauff's first break point chance – from a blistering backhand passing winner in the second game – sparked a jubilant reaction from the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins that is just about an hour away from Gauff's Delray Beach home.

But Gauff couldn't convert, slamming a forehand into the net on the next point as Sabalenka held.

It needed another gutsy hold from Gauff to keep it on serve in the fifth game.

Up 40-0, she wasted three game points with a pair of errors off the ground and a double fault then had to save a break point before taking the game on her fifth game point.

Gauff, finding more depth on her ground strokes to ramp up the pressure on Sabalenka, broke for the first time to take the second set.

"I know Coco quite well," Sabalenka said. "I know that she's not going to, like, give me this final easily. I knew that she's going to be fighting, she's going to be moving well, she's going to be trying to put literally every ball back on my side.

"I lost a couple of opportunities in that second set, but I was just trying to stay mentally positive going into the third set."

And the third set, again, was virtually all Sabalenka.

She broke to open the final frame and broke again when Gauff sailed a backhand long on Sabalenka's first match point.

"What can be better than this month?" said Sabalenka, who along with two prestigious titles acquired a new puppy and got engaged to boyfriend Georgios Frangulis.

Gauff was also feeling grateful after a rocky March that saw her withdraw from her third-round match at Indian Wells with a nerve issue that caused "scary" pain in her left arm.

She had said after a dominant semi-final win over Karolina Muchova that she was making progress with the inconsistencies in her serve and forehand.

And after considering skipping the event, the 22-year-old was thrilled to reach the final for the first time.

"I don't think with the conversations we had earlier that this was the result we were expecting," she said at the trophy presentation.

"So although it sucks to not come out with a bigger trophy today I had a lot of joy this week and that's something that I'm taking away from this the most." (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849202_1_M_20260329155158.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Aryna Sabalenka hits a backhand against Coco Gauff in the Miami Open final. Photo: Mike Frey-Imagn Images via Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 29 Mar 2026 15:51:57 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849159</id><title><![CDATA[Antonelli takes pole position again at Japanese GP]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849159-20260328.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849159-20260328.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Kimi Antonelli took pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix ahead of team-mate George Russell on Saturday as Mercedes tightened their stranglehold on the new Formula One season.

The Silver Arrows have claimed one-two finishes at both grands prix so far this year and they were again ahead of the field in dry conditions in Suzuka.

The 19-year-old Italian Antonelli became the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history two weeks ago in China and he made it two in a row with a fastest lap of one minute and 28.778 seconds.

Early championship leader Russell finished 0.298sec behind while McLaren's Oscar Piastri was third and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth.

"Super-happy with the session, it was a good one, it was a clean one," said Antonelli, who won in Shanghai for his maiden grand prix victory.

"I felt very good in the car and every run was improving."

Russell said he was struggling with his car for most of the qualifying session but still had enough pace to get the job done.

"We were both really fast all weekend, we made some adjustments and then at the beginning of the qualifying we were nowhere," said the Briton.

"Race is tomorrow and still a lot to play for."

McLaren's world champion Lando Norris was fifth, followed by Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Alpine's Pierre Gasly.

Max Verstappen, who has won the Japanese Grand Prix for the past four years, dropped out in Q2 and will start 11th on the grid.

Red Bull's Verstappen, a four-time world champion, took pole last year with a track-record lap time.

Verstappen, who crashed out in Q3 in the season-opener in Australia, said his car was "completely undriveable".

"The car never turns mid-corner and we oversteer a lot on entries," the Dutchman said.

"It is really difficult, unpredictable." (AFP)



Edited by Thomas McAlinden]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849159_1_M_20260328154408.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Kimi Antonelli is in the frame for a second grand prix triumph along with teammate George Russell and third-placed Oscar Piastri. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 28 Mar 2026 21:10:59 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849138</id><title><![CDATA[Tuchel 'learns a lot' from feisty draw against Uruguay]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849138-20260328.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849138-20260328.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[England manager Thomas Tuchel said he had "learned a lot" from England's scrappy 1-1 draw against Uruguay at Wembley even though many of his star players were watching from the stands.

Ben White poked home in the 81st minute to give the home side the lead on Friday but the Arsenal defender was adjudged to have fouled Federico Vinas after a VAR review, with Federico Valverde levelling from the spot in stoppage time.

Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were among the established 11-strong contingent who will join a group that will now be cut down.

England boss Tuchel, who named an expanded 35-man squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, trialled a variety of different players, with Everton midfielder James Garner and Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford making their debuts.

But the German insisted he had learned valuable lessons ahead of the game against Japan on Tuesday – England's final match before the World Cup, which starts in June.

"I learned a lot, because it was a tough opponent and you just see it in the details," he said. "You learn a lot in the details, also the behaviour, and you see the level.

"If you play against [Manuel] Ugarte, if you play against [Federico] Valverde in midfield, you see the level.

"You play against the winners and these defensive players, it's a high level and then you instantly see, so we needed this kind of test."

Tuchel said the match against Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay, who have also qualified for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, had been "the test that I expected".

"It was a bit feisty and tough," he said. "I knew from months ago that Bielsa called me and told me that they will take it very, very seriously and they will play the best possible team.

"You see in the way they did the substitutions, they were not ready to compromise on anything, so it was difficult.

"We had a lot of new players on the pitch, we had a very new formation, a very new XI who had never played with each other.

"They got a lot of information, but they were good in camp and they were good today because I think they put the structure into life, they tried, they helped each other out and they tried to create."

Tuchel, whose England side are among the favourites to win the World Cup, said the players coming in for the Japan game would have to "relearn our principles".

"We have three days of training," he said. "Japan plays a very unique style, with normally a back five, so wing-backs and then two 10s and then switching sides.

"So we need to be on point tactically to have solutions. But this is what we expect from the guys who got a break. We will deliver some solutions and they need to put it into life." (AFP)



Edited by Thomas McAlinden]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849138_1_M_20260328103625.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Ben White taps in the goal for England in the 1-1 draw against Uruguay at Wembley Stadium in London. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 28 Mar 2026 16:30:28 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849132</id><title><![CDATA[Sinner gets shot at Sunshine Double by edging Zverev]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849132-20260328.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849132-20260328.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Second-seeded Jannik Sinner is on the verge of capturing ‌the "Sunshine Double" after beating third-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the semifinals of the Miami Open on Friday in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Standing in the way of the Italian will be No 21 seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic, who registered six aces and swept past ⁠Frenchman Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-2 in the other semifinal.

Only seven men's singles players have completed the Sunshine Double – winning the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open consecutively. Sinner will attempt to join Jim Courier (1991), Michael Chang (1992), Pete Sampras (1994), Marcelo Rios (1998), Andre Agassi (2001), Roger Federer (2005, 2006, 2017) and Novak Djokovic (2011, 2014, 2015, 2016).

Sinner amassed a 15-5 edge in aces and didn't serve a double fault against Zverev, who double-faulted five times. Sinner saved both break points he faced as he advanced to the Miami final for the fourth time. He won the title ⁠in 2024 but lost in the championship match in 2021 and 2023.

"Coming here, ⁠trying to produce some good ⁠tennis, that was my main goal," Sinner said. "Standing here again, in the final, means very, very much to me."

The victory was Sinner's seventh straight head-to-head vs. Zverev.

"Today has been ⁠a tough encounter," Sinner said. "He played some ‌incredible tennis, so I was serving very well in the end, especially in the crucial moments. I am very happy and it means a lot to ‌me."

Lehecka will play in a 1000-level final for the first time. It will be his seventh overall championship match, ⁠and he won two of the previous attempts.

Lehecka, 24, hasn't lost his service even once while excelling in his five Miami Open matches. He is the first player to reach a 1000 final without being broken since Djokovic did so in Shanghai ‌in 2018.

"It feels great. It's definitely something I've been working towards the whole year and the whole preseason," Lehecka said of his strong play. "I really trusted my game and the work I put in. It didn't matter when, but I knew it would come and today was a nice example of how ⁠I want to ‌play. I executed it well, so I'm very happy with today's ‌performance."

Lehecka had 16 winners against 14 unforced errors in the 75-minute semifinal victory over No 28 Fils. He won 27 of 33 first-serve points (81.8 percent).

Lehecka is 0-3 in his career against Sinner entering the Sunday showdown.

"Of course I'm very excited that I'm in a final. It was definitely one of my goals," Lehecka said. "I'm just trying to do ⁠what I do best, and I definitely enjoy being on a court like this. So I'm trying to live in the present and we will see how it goes on Sunday." (Reuters)



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849132_1_M_20260328095846.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Jannik Sinner hit 15 aces and no double faults in his match against Alexander Zverev, with some of the key serves coming at the end of the second set. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:54:23 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849114</id><title><![CDATA[Tiger Woods arrested on suspicion of DUI after crash]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849114-20260328.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849114-20260328.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Tiger Woods was arrested on a charge of driving ⁠under the influence on Friday after his Land Rover rolled over on a two-lane road near his ⁠Jupiter Island home ⁠in Florida, ⁠the Martin County Sheriff's Office ⁠said.

Woods, 50, was found to have shown signs of impairment and ⁠refused to submit to a urine test at the jail, and a breathalyser test returned no trace of ⁠alcohol, with investigators believing the impairment was drug or medication-related.

No injuries were reported. 

News of the incident comes five years after Woods was involved in a serious rollover car crash in California that left him with severe right leg injuries.

The 15-time major winner needed pins inserted in his foot and ankle and a rod in his tibia as well as a follow-up surgery in 2023.

Woods returned from the 2021 crash at the 2022 Masters, where he finished 47th despite struggling to walk Augusta National for all four rounds.
(Reuters/AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849114_1_M_20260328052642.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Woods was involved in another serious rollover car crash in California five years ago. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 28 Mar 2026 05:57:49 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849014</id><title><![CDATA[India eases lockout fears over Cup qualifier with HK]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849014-20260327.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849014-20260327.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[India's 2027 Asian Cup qualifier at home to Hong Kong, China, on Tuesday will go ahead, the national football body said, after players and coach Khalid Jamil were locked out of the stadium.

The hosts' press conference on Thursday was cancelled, according to local media, because the Kerala Football Association had not paid a mandatory security deposit to the city authorities who own Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where the game against Hong Kong will be held.

Several India national players and the coach were denied entry for the press event, the reports said.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) said that, despite the embarrassment, the match on March 31 "will proceed as planned".

"We have full faith that the formalities will be completed by the Kerala Football Association with the local authorities," the AIFF said in a statement.

It added that "we are confident that all necessary procedures will be completed within the stipulated timeframe".

India's hopes of reaching the Asian Cup next year in Saudi Arabia are already over and the men's side are a lowly 141 in the Fifa rankings.

The AIFF recently faced criticism after the women's team were sent undersized kits at the Asian Cup this month, forcing staff to get local jerseys in Australia.

India bowed out in the group stage with three defeats in three games.

They were thrashed 11-0 by eventual champions Japan. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849014_1_M_20260327131353.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[India players and their coach were denied entry for a pre-match press event at Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Kerala Blasters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:25:38 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1849008</id><title><![CDATA[LA Dodgers open three-peat bid with season-opening win]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849008-20260327.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1849008-20260327.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[The Los Angeles Dodgers, sparked by Andy Pages's three-run homer, launched their bid for a World Series three-peat with an 8-2 victory over Arizona on Thursday on a historic day of Major League Baseball season openers.

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series Most Valuable Player, pitched six strong innings, both runs he allowed coming on Geraldo Perdomo's two-run homer in the fourth that staked the Diamondbacks to a 2-0 lead.

Diamondback starting pitcher Zac Gallen gave up a leadoff single to Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, but retired 12 of the next 13 batters he faced before the Dodgers offense heated up in the fifth inning.

Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernandez led off the fifth with base hits and Pages followed with the first home run of the Dodgers' three-peat bid into the left field seats.

They chased Gallen later in the inning, adding another run on a single by Will Smith – who added a two-run homer in a four-run seventh inning.

The evening at Dodger Stadium started with the Dodgers celebrating their 2025 title before opening their bid for a rare third straight title run.

"There's obviously going to be a lot of talk about it, but I think our guys are trying to just think about winning a game today," manager Dave Roberts said. "It's out there, but you've got to kind of block it out and focus." (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1849008_1_M_20260327124134.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages, centered, smashed a three-run home run to give the hosts the lead in the fifth inning. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:12:59 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848990</id><title><![CDATA[Sabalenka to face Gauff in blockbuster Miami final]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848990-20260327.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848990-20260327.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[World No. 1 and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka powered past second-ranked Elena Rybakina 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday to line up a Miami Open title clash with Coco Gauff.

Sabalenka, who fell to Rybakina in the Australian Open final before turning the tables on the Kazakh in the Indian Wells title match this earlier this month, broke the big-serving Rybakina twice in each set to come out on top in the blockbuster semi-final and keep her bid for the "Sunshine Double" of Indian Wells and Miami on track.

"I think I did everything right," said Sabalenka, who applied ruthless pressure on Rybakina's serve while delivering a sterling service performance that featured nine aces – including four in a row across the seventh and ninth games of the opening set.

"She's an incredible player, always pushes me to the limit," Sabalenka said. 

"With her, you have to bring your best tennis and that's why I was able to pull out such great tennis today."

Sabalenka had to save a match point to beat Rybakina in Indian Wells, but she was on the front foot on Thursday, seizing a break for a 3-1 lead in the opening set.

Rybakina recouped the break immediately, but Sabalenka broke again to pocket the set and took command in the second with a break for 2-0 in a game which Rybakina led 4-0.

Trailing 0-4, Rybakina clawed back a break for 4-1 but Sabalenka wouldn't flinch again.

Rybakina saved one match point on her own serve before Sabalenka served it out with a love game punctuated by a fierce forehand winner.

The match marked the first time outside the WTA Finals that the world's two top-ranked players met before a final since Martina Hingis and Jana Novotna in the 1998 US Open semi-finals.

It could only come about because Rybakina was seeded third, her rise to second in the rankings on Monday coming a day after the Miami draw was made. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848990_1_M_20260327105526.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Sabalenka notched her second victory over Rybakina in three meetings since the start of the year. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:16:47 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848970</id><title><![CDATA[SAR's Ceci Lee bags Asian Cycling Championships gold]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848970-20260327.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848970-20260327.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Hong Kong, China cycling star Ceci Lee rode her way to gold at the Asian Track Championships in the Philippines on Thursday, securing the SAR's third overall medal at the event.

The triple gold medallist at the National Games last year maintained her composure to finish ahead of the national team's Chen Ning in the final lap of the elimination race in the southern Luzon city of Tagaytay.

Japan's Misaki Okamoto rounded out the podium in third.

It was third time lucky for Lee at the event, having won silver in the past two years.

Lee's victory came one day after her teammates struck bronzes in the men's team sprint and women's team pursuit.

The Asian Track Cycling Championships run until March 31.



Edited by Raymond Yeung]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848970_1_M_20260327085825.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Lee had won silver in the elimination race at the past two editions of the tournament. Internet photo]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 27 Mar 2026 09:28:27 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848963</id><title><![CDATA[Italy, Sweden advance to World Cup play-off finals]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848963-20260327.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848963-20260327.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Italy's bid to end a 12-year World Cup absence will continue after beating Northern Ireland 2-0 on Thursday to reach the play-off final.

Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean scored the second-half goals which decided a tight game in Bergamo to book Italy a showdown away from home against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.

Tonali's rocket of a strike in the 56th minute and Kean's excellent finish 10 minutes from the end were two rare moments of quality from a match which had huge significance for four-time world champions Italy.

Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso called Thursday's fixture the biggest match of his coaching career and the tension was palpable both in the stands and on the pitch.

The Azzurri missed the last two World Cup finals in Russia and Qatar and struggled to get past a dogged and young Northern Ireland team missing Liverpool defender Conor Bradley – also national team skipper – and Sunderland defender Dan Ballard.

"We didn't create all that much but we did well to make the most of what we did create," Tonali told Italian broadcaster RAI.

"There was some tension at the start of the second half, but once we took the lead we started to feel a bit more free from the pressure."

Gattuso's team will have to be much sharper against Bosnia next week next week if they are to make this summer's finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

"We had to work hard because it was not easy tonight," said Gattuso.

"We knew this game would be tough, all we can do now it to try to recharge the batteries." 

Elsewhere, Viktor Gyokeres scored a hat-trick as Sweden brushed Ukraine aside 3-1 to set up a showdown with Poland for a spot at the 2026 World Cup.

Arsenal striker Gyokeres stabbed in from close range in the sixth minute in Valencia and then doubled Sweden's lead with a well-taken goal early in the second half.

He won and converted a penalty to complete his treble and seal victory for Graham Potter's team on 73 minutes, with Matvii Ponomarenko heading in a late consolation for Ukraine.

Remarkably, it was Sweden's first win of an otherwise dismal qualifying campaign, but one that moved them to the cusp of only a second World Cup appearance in 20 years.

Sweden picked up just two points in six matches in their qualifying group that included Switzerland, Kosovo and Slovenia but earned another shot on the strength of their Nations League performances.

The Swedes will return home to Stockholm to face Poland, who beat Albania 2-1, next Tuesday to decide which country goes to the expanded 48-team finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848963_1_M_20260327073750.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Moise Kean scored Italy's second goal in Bergamo to end Northern Ireland's dreams of a first World Cup since 1986. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:51:15 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848947</id><title><![CDATA[Salah would be 'asset' says San Diego FC owner]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848947-20260327.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848947-20260327.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[San Diego FC's billionaire owner Mohamed Mansour on Thursday said his Egyptian compatriot Mohamed Salah would be an "asset," as speculation builds over the Liverpool forward's next club.

Superstar Salah announced this week he will leave Anfield at the end of the season after a glittering nine-year spell at Liverpool, where he has scored 255 goals and stands alongside the all-time greats.

While Saudi Arabia is thought to be the most likely destination, Salah could choose to follow the likes of Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min and Antoine Griezmann to the United States' burgeoning Major League Soccer.

If he does, recent MLS expansion club San Diego FC – which reached the play-off semi-finals in its debut season last year – has been heavily linked with Salah, not least due to deep-pocketed British-Egyptian owner Mansour.

"He's probably one of the great players today. And any team that will get him, or any country that will get him, he will definitely be an asset," Mansour said on Thursday, on the sidelines of the Business of Soccer summit in Atlanta.

Mansour declined to answer whether he is actively trying to recruit Salah or has previously sounded out a move for the striker.

But he added: "Of course Mo Salah is somebody that, as an Egyptian, my origin, I'm very proud of. He is somebody that reached the world stage as one of the great players."

"And I think he will, if he does decide... wherever he will go, he will add a lot to that league and to that country and to that team for sure. So he's somebody I'm very proud of."

Salah won two Premier League titles along with a Champions League and other silverware with Liverpool, as well as a record-equalling four Golden Boot awards.

He was the poster boy of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool revolution at Anfield, propelling the team back to the summit of English and European football, and is undoubtedly the greatest ever player to emerge from Egypt, or arguably Africa.

Mansour told a panel discussion that the whole of Egypt comes to a halt whenever Salah plays, and named the forward as his favourite footballer of all time.

Salah has endured an uncharacteristically difficult season at Liverpool, scoring just five league goals, and telling reporters in December that he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club after a dramatic dip in form meant he was benched.

While effusive in his praise for Salah, Mansour insisted that footballing recruitment decisions are left to San Diego FC's sports director and coach.

"I let the people in charge" decide, he said.

"I just say, 'I got this opportunity. My belief is so. You guys make the decision. Come back to me.' If you say, 'No, he's not (a) fit,' whoever it is, in whichever sector, then that's it."

That philosophy has paid dividends so far.

San Diego FC became MLS's 30th club last season, after Mansour partnered with the Native American Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation to pay a US$500 million expansion fee.

In the franchise's first season, it broke the record for the most points by an expansion team, with 60, and currently sits fourth and undefeated in the Western Conference.

One of the youngest squads in the MLS, San Diego FC draws from the Right to Dream global academy network run by Mansour, which has operations in Ghana, Egypt and Denmark.

Tottenham and Ghana winger Mohammed Kudus is among the network's alumni.

"What I like about our style of play is it's a team effort, it's resilience, it's energy, it's the winning spirit," said Mansour.

"Soccer, football, is a team sport. It's not a 'one person.'" (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848947_1_M_20260327023624.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[After a glittering nine-year spell at Liverpool, speculation is rife as to where Mo Salah will be playing next season. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:35:22 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848928</id><title><![CDATA[IOC to reintroduce gender testing for 2028 Olympics]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848928-20260326.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848928-20260326.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Thursday it was re-introducing genetic testing for gender to determine eligibility for "any female category event", beginning with the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

"Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females, determined on the basis of a one-time SRY gene screening," IOC said in a statement.

The SRY screening will be done through a saliva test, cheek swab or blood sample and in the vast majority of cases will be a "once-in-a-lifetime test".

The IOC, under its new president Kirsty Coventry, is bringing in the new policy after the women's boxing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics was rocked by a gender row.

Gender-testing was last used at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. (AFP)



Edited by Priscilla Ng]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848928_1_M_20260326213932.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The IOC, under its new president Kirsty Coventry, will reintroduce genetic sex testing to determine eligibility for any female category event. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio>1</hasaudio><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:10:14 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848851</id><title><![CDATA[Yankees shut out Giants to open 2026 MLB season]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848851-20260326.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848851-20260326.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Aaron Judge went hitless on opening day for the first time and struck out four times for the first time since September 2024, but the New York Yankees still produced plenty of offence and beat San Francisco 7-0 on Wednesday night to begin the 2026 Major League Baseball season.

José Caballero drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in a five-run second and also lost the first challenge taken to the league’s so-called robot umpire, unsuccessfully appealing a strike by Giants starter Logan Webb in the fourth.

Max Fried (1-0) allowed two hits in 6 1/3 innings to became just the fifth Yankees pitcher since 1969 with at least 6 1/3 shutout innings on opening day.

New York won an opener with a shutout on the road for the first time since 1967.

Webb (0-1) started the fourth inning with a 90.7 mph sinker on the upper, inner corner that was called a strike by Bill Miller, a major league umpire since 1997. 

Caballero tapped his helmet, and the 12 Hawk-Eye cameras of the Automated Ball-Strike System upheld Miller’s decision in a graphic shown on the Oracle Park scoreboard.

Caballero singled in the second and Ryan McMahon followed with a two-run single before Austin Wells' single prompted a mound visit for Webb. Trent Grisham hit a two-run triple and was checked by medical staff after a hard slide into third.

Judge was booed before the game and during each at-bat as he began his 11th big league season.

The California native had been pursued by the Giants during free agency in 2022 but he ultimately chose the Yankees' US$360 million, nine-year contract offer.

Webb, a 15-game winner last season making his fifth start on opening day, was tagged for six earned runs – seven in all – and nine hits over five innings. (AP)


Edited by Edmond Fong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848851_1_M_20260326114359.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[José Caballero was a key contributor to the Yankees' scoring outburst in the second inning. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:47:44 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848847</id><title><![CDATA[Sabalenka advances in Miami to set up Rybakina rematch]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848847-20260326.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848847-20260326.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and second-ranked Elena Rybakina on Wednesday booked a blockbuster semi-final at the Miami Open.

Defending champion Sabalenka held off big-hitting 45th-ranked American Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 6-4 while Rybakina beat fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula – runner-up to Sabalenka last year – 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

They will return Thursday night at Hard Rock Stadium – home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins – to fight for a place in the final of the elite ATP and WTA event.

Rybakina beat Sabalenka in a nail-biting Australian Open final in January – the world number one's only defeat in 2026 – but the Belarusian avenged it with a victory in the Indian Wells final this month.

"We've been playing a lot of matches, recently actually, and all of them have been a battle, all of them been a show," Sabalenka told the Tennis Channel. "I'm super-excited facing her."

Sabalenka is now two wins away from completing the "Sunshine Double" of Indian Wells and Miami.

Baptiste, playing her first WTA 1000 quarter-final, failed to convert three break points in Sabalenka's first two service games.

Sabalenka finally broke Baptiste when the American double-faulted on set point.

Sabalenka gained an early break in the second, but Baptiste broke back and held confidently to level at 4-4.

But as she served at 4-5 to stay in the match, the American opened with three straight double faults. Sabalenka pounced, converting her second match point with a blistering return. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848847_1_M_20260326105843.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Sabalenka has yet to drop a set at the Masters 1000 event in south Florida. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:25:45 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848816</id><title><![CDATA[NFL champion Seahawks to open season on September 9]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848816-20260326.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848816-20260326.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Reigning NFL champion Seattle will kick off the 2026 campaign at home on September 9, a Wednesday date one day earlier than recent seasons, the league announced on Wednesday.

The opener was moved from its usual Thursday slot because the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will meet in Melbourne in the first NFL regular-season game in Australia on what will be Thursday night in the United States, the league said.

The Rams and 49ers will meet at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, September 11 at 10.35am local time in Australia to set up a prime time telecast over most of the United States.

The Seahawks' opponent for their week one contest in Seattle will be announced when the full NFL schedule is released later.

Tickets for the Australia game will go on sale to the public in April.

An NFL record nine international games will be played in 2026 across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums.

The global line-up includes other games in Mexico City, Madrid, Paris, Munich, Rio de Janeiro and three in London, one at Wembley Stadium and two at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848816_1_M_20260326061849.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The Seahawks' opponent will be announced at a later date. File photo: AFP]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 26 Mar 2026 07:11:34 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848798</id><title><![CDATA[NBA owners approve idea of teams in Seattle, Las Vegas]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848798-20260326.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848798-20260326.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[The NBA Board of Governors voted on Wednesday to authorise the league to explore potential expansion teams for Las Vegas and Seattle that would bring the league to 32 clubs.

The move is the first step in a lengthy process that could lead to a new team in Seattle, where the SuperSonics once played before moving to Oklahoma City, and Las Vegas, which has hosted NBA All-Star events and each year hosts Summer League games involving recruits and free agents.

As part of the process, the NBA engaged investment bank PJT Partners as a strategic adviser to evaluate prospective markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure and broader economic implications of adding two new teams.

"Today's vote reflects our board's interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle – two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.

"We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties."

It would take approval by 23 of the NBA's 30 governors to pass any motion on adding new teams, a move still several steps away.

Team values have skyrocketed in recent years with the price tag for any new club expected to be in the range of US$7 billion to US$10 billion.

Expectations are for the league to add the new teams, if approved, in the 2028-29 campaign.

Should Seattle and Las Vegas both land expansion teams, the league would likely place both in the Western Conference and move one current West team into the Eastern Conference, with Memphis and Minnesota most often mentioned as the likely teams to make that shift. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848798_1_M_20260326002546.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The addition of two teams to the Western Conference would likely mean either Minnesota or Memphis moving to the Eastern Conference. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 26 Mar 2026 05:04:05 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848654</id><title><![CDATA[Consortium buys IPL Royal Challengers Bengaluru]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848654-20260325.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848654-20260325.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[A consortium of investors, including US asset management giant Blackstone, on Tuesday announced the takeover of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), one of the founding clubs of the Indian Premier League, for nearly US$1.8 billion.

The announcement comes just days before the start of the lucrative T20 tournament on Saturday.

The franchise, which won the IPL for the first time last year, was sold by United Spirits Limited, the Indian unit of British alcoholic beverage giant Diageo, for 166.6 billion rupees (US$1.77 billion).

In a statement, the acquiring consortium said it was "proud to become custodians of RCB."

The group includes Bolt Ventures, run by leading sports investor David Blitzer, Indian media conglomerate The Times of India Group, along with Blackstone and Indian corporate giant Aditya Birla Group.

RCB's "championship-winning culture" and its connection to the southern city of Bengaluru and "one of the most passionate fan bases in world sport make this an extraordinary opportunity."

"We are committed to taking RCB to new heights, on the pitch and beyond."

Praveen Someshwar, chief executive at United Spirits Limited, said the deal was a milestone "as we sharpen focus on our core beverage alcohol business to unlock its true potential with sustained growth."

The sale announcement came hours after RCB announced it will keep 11 seats at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium empty in memory of the fans crushed to death in title celebrations last year.

Eleven supporters, aged between 14 and 29, died in a stampede outside the stadium in June a day after RCB won the final against Punjab Kings and returned to a homecoming trophy parade.

Earlier this year, RCB's women's team won their second Women's Premier League title. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848654_1_M_20260325015040.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The RCB won the Indian Premier League for the first time last year. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:36:39 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848651</id><title><![CDATA[Griezmann leaving Atletico to join Orlando]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848651-20260325.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848651-20260325.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Antoine Griezmann will leave Atletico Madrid for MLS side Orlando City at the end of the season, the two clubs announced on Tuesday.

Atletico's all-time record goalscorer has agreed a two-year deal with Orlando and will become the latest veteran star to move to North America.

"The forward travelled to Orlando, with the club's permission, during the two days of rest granted to the first team, to finalise his contract with the Florida side," Atletico said in a statement.

The 35-year-old Griezmann will be hoping to sign off in style and cap his 10th season as an Atletico player with a second major trophy at the Rojiblancos, after the 2018 Europa League.

Atletico will face La Liga rivals Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals next month and take on Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final on April 18 in Seville.

Griezmann, who won the 2018 World Cup with France, retired from international football in 2024 after scoring 44 goals in 137 caps for Les Bleus.

He has netted 211 times for Atletico, surpassing the previous record of 173 set by Luis Aragones.

Griezmann joined Atletico in 2014 from Real Sociedad and has made 488 appearances for the club, who he left for Barcelona in 2019 before returning two years later, initially on loan. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848651_1_M_20260325005612.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Antoine Griezmann is Atletico Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:31:31 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848671</id><title><![CDATA[Sinner marches into Miami Open quarter-finals]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848671-20260325.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848671-20260325.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Jannik Sinner powered into the Miami Open quarter-finals on Tuesday, defeating unseeded American Alex Michelsen in straight sets to stay on course for the "Sunshine Double".

Italian second seed Sinner, who is bidding to follow up his triumph at Indian Wells with victory in Miami, bided his time before completing a 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) win in 1hr 41mins.

The four-time Grand Slam champion, who will face either 19th seed Frances Tiafoe or France's Terence Atmane in the last eight, was made to work hard by the 40th-ranked Michelsen.

After a cagey opening Sinner began to put pressure on Michelsen's serve in the ninth game of the first set, carving out three break points.

Michelsen rode out that storm but Sinner finally broke through in the 11th game before serving out for the first set.

Michelsen hit back in the second set, breaking Sinner for a 4-2 lead before holding to go 5-2 up.

Michelsen though appeared to struggle with the bright late afternoon sunlight on the Hard Rock Stadium's main court, and Sinner pounced on the reprieve.

Sinner, came roaring back to force a tiebreak before sealing the win with a thumping serve that Michelsen could only return wide.

In other fourth round games on Tuesday, Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce, ranked 151st in the world, upset American 32nd seed Sebastian Korda to score a 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 victory.

The win marked another impressive victory for the 20-year-old Landaluce, who eliminated Russian 14th seed Karen Khachanov in the previous round.

Korda, who had beaten world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round, had a match point late in the second set but Landaluce survived to set up a quarter-final meeting with Czech 21st seed Jiri Lehecka.

Landaluce, who had failed to register a single win at tour level in 2026 before arriving in Miami, dedicated his latest success to his late grandmother.

"She would have been 101 last week, and she passed away a few months ago. I wanted to give her the victory," Landaluce said.

"I'm playing really good this week. I knew I had to do it because there are unbelievable players here. I'm super happy to be here playing with these amazing players."

Lehecka booked his place in the quarter-finals after ousting sixth seed Taylor Fritz in three sets, winning 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 in 2hr 25min.

Lehecka credited his "aggressive" approach to the decisive third set for the win.

"I just felt that in the third set, if I wanted to beat a guy like Taylor, I just needed to go for it and be aggressive," Lehecka said.

"I needed to show the courage that I wanted to win the point. That's what I tried to do, and it worked well."

American 22nd seed Tommy Paul set up a quarter-final against France's Arthur Fils after cruising past Argentina's Tomas Etcheverry 6-1, 6-3.

Fils punched his ticket to the last eight with a 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 win over Monaco's Valentin Vacherot. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848671_1_M_20260325071743.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Sinner, left, continues his bid for the elusive "Sunshine Double" after a straight-sets win over Alex Michelsen. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:53:21 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848657</id><title><![CDATA[Salah to leave Liverpool at the end of the season]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848657-20260325.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848657-20260325.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Mohamed Salah is to leave Liverpool at the end of this season, the Premier League champions announced on Tuesday, ending an "illustrious" nine years on Merseyside.

The 33-year-old Egyptian forward arrived at Anfield from Roma in 2017 and has made 435 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 255 goals.

"Mohamed Salah is to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career with Liverpool at the end of the 2025-26 season," said a statement on the club's website.

"The forward has reached an agreement with the Reds that will see him close a remarkable nine-year chapter at Anfield.

"Salah expressed his wish to make this announcement to the supporters at the earliest possible opportunity to provide transparency about his future due to his respect and gratitude for them."

Salah was forced off at Anfield last week after scoring in Liverpool's 4-0 victory against Galatasary, which sealed their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

In-form Salah had scored in three of his past four starts after an uncharacteristic lean spell.

Salah, who is rarely absent through injury, appeared to be back in the fold at Anfield after a dramatic fallout with Liverpool manager Arne Slot earlier in the season, when he was dropped for several games.

Despite his recent good form, Salah has scored just five Premier League goals this season, compared with 29 in Liverpool's title-winning campaign in 2024/25. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848657_1_M_20260325032728.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[In-form Salah had a dramatic fallout with Reds manager Arne Slot earlier in the season. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo>1</hasvideo><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 25 Mar 2026 07:51:35 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848616</id><title><![CDATA[Fifa sued over 'excessive ticket prices' for World Cup]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848616-20260324.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848616-20260324.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[The Football Supporters Europe (FSE) group filed a lawsuit on Tuesday with the European Commission against football's world governing body Fifa over "excessive ticket prices" for this year's World Cup finals.

The FSE and the Euroconsumers group said the tickets for the June 11-July 19 tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico were overpriced and complained that Fifa has a monopoly over the sales.

"Fifa holds a monopoly over ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup and has used that power to impose conditions on fans that would never be acceptable in a competitive market," the FSE said in a statement, adding that prices for the final were way above those for the 2022 final in Qatar.

"The cheapest openly available final tickets now start at US$4,185 – more than seven times the cost of the cheapest 2022 World Cup final ticket," FSE said, adding that, by contrast, the cheapest Uefa Euro 2024 final tickets were 95 euros.

"Fifa's own bid documents projected an average ticket price of US$1,408 but that number has been left far behind," it added.

According to Fifa, almost seven million tickets have been made available. Each person can buy up to four tickets per match and a total of 40 for the whole competition.

There will be a total of 104 matches played at this expanded World Cup, the first ever to feature 48 teams, and ticket prices have soared for the most in-demand games.

FSE said the North American bid had initially promised tickets would be available from as little as US$21, but instead the cheapest tickets to go on sale have been for US$60, for example for the Group J opener between Austria and Jordan at the Levi's Stadium in California.

Most tickets cost at least US$200 for matches involving leading nations.

Some tickets on offer for the final on Fifa's official resale site are being offered at astronomical prices.

One category three seat for the game at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey was being advertised for an eye-watering US$143,750, over 41 times its original face value of US$3,450.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino insists ticket prices are simply a consequence of the huge demand.

"In the US in particular there is this thing called dynamic pricing, meaning the prices will go up or down", depending on the match in question, he has said. (AFP)



Edited by Thomas McAlinden]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848616_1_M_20260324181243.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The cheapest ticket for the 2026 World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey costs US$4,185, over seven times that for the 2022 final. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:14:37 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848542</id><title><![CDATA[Pistons snap Lakers nine-game winning streak]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848542-20260324.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848542-20260324.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Daniss Jenkins scored a career-high 30 points as the Detroit Pistons halted the Los Angeles Lakers' nine-game winning streak with a 113-110 victory on Monday.

A heavyweight showdown between Eastern Conference leaders Detroit and the in-form Lakers did not disappoint, with Los Angeles recovering from a 16-point deficit in the second half to take the game to the wire.

Austin Reaves put the Lakers 110-109 ahead with 30 seconds remaining with a floating jump shot, but Jenkins scored Detroit's final four points for a hard-earned win.

Luka Doncic, who finished with 32 points, launched a last-gasp three-point attempt that could have forced overtime, but his effort fell short.

Detroit lined up again without star point guard Cade Cunningham, absent indefinitely after suffering a collapsed lung.

In Cunningham's absence, Jenkins stepped up to lead the Pistons, while Jalen Duren added 20 points with 11 rebounds and Duncan Robinson 12 points.

"I'm no longer surprised," Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff said of Jenkins. "When he's gotten the opportunity he's delivered for us."

"Whether it's throughout the game or in clutch moments, he finds a way to impact winning. He deserves a lot of credit tonight," he added.

The Lakers will wrap up a six-game road trip against the lowly Indiana Pacers on Wednesday before returning to California.

Doncic's 32 points were complemented by 24 from Reaves.

LeBron James narrowly missed out on a triple-double, scoring of 12 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

Detroit improved to 52-19 to extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to five games clear of the Boston Celtics (47-24).

The Lakers fell to 46-26 and remain third in the Western Conference with a two-game cushion over fourth-placed Houston, who fell to the Chicago Bulls 132-124 at the United Centre. (AFP)


Edited by Aaron Tam]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848542_1_M_20260324110847.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Detroit were gifted a career-high 30 points from Daniss Jenkins to end the Lakers' winning run. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:55:28 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848520</id><title><![CDATA[Chiesa dropped by Italy ahead of World Cup qualifying]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848520-20260324.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848520-20260324.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Federico Chiesa has been dropped by Italy after being found not fit to play in the Azzurri's 2026 World Cup qualifying play-off with Northern Ireland, the country's football federation (FIGC) said on Monday.

Liverpool forward Chiesa "was not considered available for the coming two matches", said the FIGC, referring to Thursday's semi-final with Northern Ireland and a potential final against Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina next week.

Italy face Northern Ireland in Bergamo desperately trying to get through the play-offs and not miss out on a third consecutive World Cup finals.

The FIGC did not specify the 28-year-old's injury, the latest in a long list which has hampered the career of one of Italy's brightest talents.

Chiesa, a back-up player at Liverpool, was a star of Italy's Euro 2020 triumph but he has not played for his country since the dismal defence of their European title in 2024.

Bologna's Nicolo Cambiaghi has been called up to replace Chiesa, while Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni and Atalanta striker Gianluca Scamacca are both trying to shake off knocks ahead of Thursday's match. (AFP)


Edited by Aaron Tam]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848520_1_M_20260324071616.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Chiesa's absence could further complicate Italy's path to World Cup qualification. File photo: AFP]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 24 Mar 2026 10:47:19 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848516</id><title><![CDATA[Ben White gets first England call-up since 2022]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848516-20260324.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848516-20260324.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Arsenal defender Ben White has been called up to the England squad for the first time since the 2022 World Cup.

The 28-year-old right-back has not featured for the national team since leaving the camp in Qatar for personal reasons.

He subsequently made himself unavailable for selection for the remainder of Gareth Southgate's spell in charge.

But he is back in the fold for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, after Bayer Leverkusen's Jarell Quansah withdrew from Thomas Tuchel's 35-man squad with an injury.

White has won four England caps, last featuring in a 3-0 win against Ivory Coast in March 2022.

There is still no place in the squad for Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is also a right-back.

White's Gunners teammate Eberechi Eze is also out of the camp and has been replaced by Newcastle winger Harvey Barnes, 28, who won his only previous cap six years ago.

England host Uruguay at Wembley on Friday, with a match to follow against Japan on March 31. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848516_1_M_20260324064018.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The Arsenal right-back left England's national team midway through the 2022 World Cup over undisclosed personal reasons. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 24 Mar 2026 07:15:33 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848518</id><title><![CDATA[Sabalenka downs Zheng to maintain Miami title defence]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848518-20260324.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848518-20260324.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[World number one Aryna Sabalenka stayed on course for a rare "Sunshine Double" on Monday, downing China's Zheng Qinwen in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals of the Miami Open.

Sabalenka, who is aiming to defend the Miami title she won for the first time last year, eased past 2024 Olympic champion and 23rd seed Zheng 6-3, 6-4 in 1hr 25min to book her place in the last eight.

The 27-year-old four-time Grand Slam champion is bidding to join an elite group of women who have won both the WTA Indian Wells and Miami Open in the same year.

Only four other women – Steffi Graf in 1994 and 1996, Kim Clijsters in 2005, Victoria Azarenka in 2016 and Iga Swiatek in 2022 – have achieved the feat.

Sabalenka, who beat Elena Rybakina to win in Indian Wells earlier this month, will face unseeded American Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848518_1_M_20260324071108.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Sabalenka kept her bid for back-to-back titles in south Florida on track with a straight sets win over Zheng Qinwen. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Tue, 24 Mar 2026 07:14:40 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848412</id><title><![CDATA[SAR's Edgar Cheung claims bronze at Lima Grand Prix]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848412-20260323.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848412-20260323.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Hong Kong, China star fencer Edgar Cheung on Sunday secured a second-straight podium finish by claiming bronze at the Foil Grand Prix in Lima. 

The two-time Olympic gold winner, who entered the competition in Peru on the heels of last month's third-place finish in Turin, fell to Russian fencer Kirill Borodachev 3-15 in the semi-finals.

He had narrowly defeated fellow SAR fencer Ryan Choi 15-13 in the quarter-finals to book his spot in the last four.

Cheung's teammate Harris Ho finished seventh overall after falling to eventual champion Guillaume Bianchi of Italy 13-15 in their quarter-final match-up. 

It is the best result for the 17-year-old at a senior competition, which featured a field of 300 fencers.


Edited by Aaron Tam]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848412_1_M_20260323125717.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Two-time Olympic gold winner Edgar Cheung fell to Russia's Kirill Borodachev, left, 3-15 in the semi-finals. Photo courtesy of the Fencing Association of Hong Kong, China]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:05:49 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848368</id><title><![CDATA[Sunderland outlast rivals Newcastle as Spurs stumble]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848368-20260323.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848368-20260323.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Sunderland compounded a miserable week for Newcastle as Bryan Brobbey's 90th minute winner secured a 2-1 victory for the visitors in the Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday.

Humbled 7-2 by Barcelona to exit the Champions League in midweek, Newcastle's hopes of European football next season were dented after Sunderland came from behind.

Another defeat to their local rivals will sting ever more as the Black Cats extended a club record unbeaten league run against Newcastle to 11 games.

Sunderland's victory also takes them up to 11th and above the Magpies in the table.

A famous victory was soured by a report of racist abuse aimed at Lutsharel Geertruida which briefly halted the game in the second half.

The Premier League said a full investigation will take place after the Dutch defender reported the incident to the officials.

In the first meeting between the sides at St. James' Park for 10 years it looked like Newcastle were finally about to settle some scores.

Anthony Gordon fired Eddie Howe's men into a 10th minute lead after Nick Woltemade pounced as Sunderland tried to play out from the back.

Sven Botman also hit the post just before the break.

But Newcastle's exhausting schedule over recent months caught up with them after the break.

No side in Europe's top five leagues have played more games than Howe's men this season, but their campaign is in danger of fizzling out to an anti-climatic finish.

Defeats for Liverpool and Chelsea on Saturday had opened the door for Newcastle to get back in the race for a top-five finish.

But they remain seven points adrift of fifth and in a battle just to secure Europa or Conference League football next season.

Meanwhile, Tottenham slipped ever closer to relegation from the Premier League with a 3-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.

Spurs have not tasted life outside the English top flight since 1978 but remain the only side without a Premier League win in 2026.

Goals from Igor Jesus, Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi inflicted the latest in a series of damaging defeats on interim Tottenham boss Igor Tudor.

West Ham's 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa ensured Spurs remain one point outside the relegation zone with seven games remaining.

Vitor Pereira's first league win as Forest boss propels his side four points above the drop zone.

Tottenham fans gathered in north London en masse before kick-off to line the streets in a show of support under the banner "all together, always."

But nerves quickly took over the state-of-the-art 63,000 capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after Jesus rose highest to head in a corner just before half-time.

Gibbs-White could have been starting in white rather than red had Forest not stood their ground after Spurs reportedly met his buyout clause last summer.

The Forest captain instead signed a new deal at the City ground and has played a big role in leading his side away from trouble.

Gibbs-White was left completely unmarked to turn in Callum Hudson-Odoi's cross on the hour mark for his third goal in four league games.

No side has taken fewer points at home in the Premier League this season than Tottenham and they failed to muster a response.

Awoniyi inflicted the final blow when he met Neco Williams' cross three minutes from time. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848368_1_M_20260323074714.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Brian Brobbey's 90th minute winner secured all three points for Sunderland in the Tyne–Wear derby. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:59:03 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848365</id><title><![CDATA[Real down Atletico in thrilling Madrid derby]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848365-20260323.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848365-20260323.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Vinicius Junior struck twice as Real Madrid shaded Atletico Madrid 3-2 in a thrilling derby clash on Sunday to stay on leaders Barcelona's tail at the top of La Liga.

After the Catalan giants edged Rayo Vallecano 1-0 earlier, Madrid ensured the gap to the champions stayed at four points by beating Diego Simeone's side at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ademola Lookman put Atletico ahead in the first half but Vinicius and Federico Valverde's strikes gave the hosts the lead soon after the interval.

Nahuel Molina equalised for Atletico, fourth, with a spectacular effort from distance but Vinicius netted again to claim the three points for Los Blancos.

Valverde was sent off for hacking Alex Baena in the final stages but his side held on to win in Alvaro Arbeloa's first derby clash with Atletico since taking over in January.

"We showed mental toughness and strength worthy of this club's badge," Arbeloa told reporters, proud of his team's effort with 10 men.

"It made things hard for us and we had to suffer a lot."

After ousting Manchester City in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, victory against Atletico completed a successful week for Arbeloa and his team.

"We're evolving and working hard so that in games like these Madrid fans can be happy, that the fans can enjoy themselves and that Madrid always win," Vinicius told Real Madrid TV.

"Everyone deserves credit, the coach, the players, the fans, all the work we've done this week. We were sure of our gameplan from the start and that made all the difference."

Vinicius's double brought him to 10 goals in his last 11 matches across all competitions.

"I'm very happy because I've worked all season for games like this," added Vinicius. "When this moment of the season arrives, I don't know why, I always improve."

Arbeloa has praised Vinicius since his first day at the helm and brought the best out of the forward after a barren spell under Xabi Alonso.

"Another great game from Vinicius, another demonstration of bravery and character," said Arbeloa.

"A great goal to give us victory in a tricky moment, I'm so lucky to have him, for his commitment and his talent."

Arbeloa sent on Jude Bellingham as a substitute for his first appearance since February 1 after a hamstring injury, along with French superstar Kylian Mbappe, who returned midweek from a knee sprain.

Neither had much of an influence as Madrid were forced to defend after Valverde's foul on Baena bought him a red card.

Madrid protested it was not severe enough of an offence to merit a dismissal, but to no avail. In 2023 Baena, then at Villarreal, accused Valverde of punching him after a game.

Atletico are a point behind third-place Villarreal after they beat Real Sociedad on Friday. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848365_1_M_20260323073634.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Vinicius Junior scored twice in the second half to lift Real over their city rivals at the Bernabeu. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:39:55 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848364</id><title><![CDATA[Alcaraz sent packing in Miami Open third round]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848364-20260323.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848364-20260323.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[World number one Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the third round of the Miami Open on Sunday, beaten 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 by 36th-ranked American Sebastian Korda.

Korda notched his first victory over a world number one, sending Alcaraz to his second straight early exit in Miami – where Alcaraz lifted the trophy in 2022 but lost his second-round opener to 55th-ranked Belgian David Goffin last year.

It looked like Korda had missed his chance when he served for the match at 5-4 in the second set and was broken at love.

Alcaraz won the next two games to force a third set. The Spaniard stepped up his intensity, but Korda didn't buckle and it was Korda who seized a break for 4-3 in the third when Alcaraz sailed a forehand wide.

He held his next service game with confidence, slamming down an overhead winner on game point and after Alcaraz held serve to force Korda to serve for the match again, the American made no mistake, sealing victory on his second match point as Alcaraz sent a service return long.

"It feels great," said Korda, who has been ranked as high as 15th in the world but has endured two seasons disrupted by injury.

"I took the scenic route, that's for sure – a little more stress than I would want but happy with how I played, happy with how I stayed with it.

"He's unbelievable in every aspect of his game, movement, volleys, forehand, backhand, there's nothing he can't do," Korda said of Alcaraz, who won the Australian Open in January to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

The 22-year-old Spaniard had followed that up with a title in Doha and had pushed his unbeaten 2026 record to 16-0 before falling in the semi-finals at Indian Wells this month. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848364_1_M_20260323072121.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The result marked a second consecutive early exit for Alcaraz at the ATP Masters 1000 event. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:30:10 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848358</id><title><![CDATA[Man City see off Arsenal to win English League Cup]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848358-20260323.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848358-20260323.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Manchester City punished Kepa Arrizabalaga's howler to lift the League Cup as Nico O'Reilly's double sealed a 2-0 win against Arsenal in Sunday's final at Wembley.

Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa already had a tortured relationship with the League Cup and the Spaniard's latest mishap in the tournament's showpiece proved decisive.

Allowing Rayan Cherki's cross to slip through his fingers, Kepa presented O'Reilly with the chance to put City ahead in the second half.

O'Reilly struck again just four minutes later to seal City's ninth League Cup, giving boss Pep Guardiola a record fifth triumph in the competition.

Mikel Arteta chose to ignore Kepa's League Cup history when he selected the former Chelsea keeper instead of first-choice David Raya, but the gamble backfired spectacularly.

Playing for Chelsea in the 2019 final, he infamously refused to be substituted just before the shoot-out, then failed to save a single kick, while in the 2022 defeat against Liverpool he missed a penalty in a shoot-out.

Arsenal's failure to win the first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup was a painful blow, ending their bid to land an unprecedented quadruple.

But the season is far from over for the north Londoners.

They remain firmly in control of their bid for a first English title since 2004, while also facing Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals and Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter-finals.

After failing to win silverware last season and falling well behind Arsenal in this season's Premier League title race, this was a vital success for City, coming just days after their Champions League last-16 exit against Real Madrid.

Guardiola has yet to confirm whether he will remain at City next season after another season of speculation that this could be his latest campaign in Manchester.

But the Spaniard's frenzied celebration of his 15th major trophy at City suggested his passion is undimmed.

Now Guardiola can focus on using City's first win over Arsenal since 2023 as a springboard to close the nine-point gap on the Premier League leaders. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848358_1_M_20260323054520.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The triumph marks City's ninth trophy in the annual domestic competition. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:28:50 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848344</id><title><![CDATA[Nepal cancels football friendly against HK]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848344-20260322.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848344-20260322.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[The Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) announced on Sunday that an international friendly match between the SAR and Nepal has been cancelled. 

In a statement, the HKFA said it's been notified by the All-Nepal Football Association that the match, originally slated to take place on March 26 in Kathmandu, has to be called off due to rising political tension there. 

The HKFA said it understands and respects the organiser's decision, adding that the Hong Kong, China squad will focus on preparing for its game against India in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers that will take place at the end of the month. 



Edited by Priscilla Ng]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848344_1_M_20260322205658.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The HKFA announced on its social media page that Nepal has called off the match due to rising political tension there.]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 22 Mar 2026 20:56:58 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848283</id><title><![CDATA[Pogacar claims landmark victory at Milan-San Remo]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848283-20260322.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848283-20260322.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[World champion Tadej Pogacar further cemented his place among cycling's greats when he beat Tom Pidcock by half a wheel to win the 298-km Milan–San Remo race for the first time on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Slovenian, who won his fourth Tour de France title last year, shook off a crash involving several riders during a climb that left him with torn shorts and scrapes on his leg to outwit Briton ⁠Pidcock in the final stretch.

Belgium's Wout van Aert, who was also involved in the crash 32 kilometres from the finish line, finished third after his attack in the last kilometre was foiled by Pidcock and Pogacar, who sped ahead of the peloton for a two-rider photo finish.

"Not the most beautiful because I'll be licking the wounds. But I'm just really happy to take the win," said Pogacar, who has now won four of the five "monuments", ⁠cycling's most  prestigious one-day events, with Paris-Roubaix the exception.

"You never know after such a long race but I knew one thing, that Tom's a super fast guy. He looked super good through all the race," ⁠twice world champion Pogacar added. (Reuters)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848283_1_M_20260322015314.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Pogacar (left) pipped Tom Pidcock in an enthralling two-man sprint climax, even after a crash a few kilometres before the key Cipressa climb. Photo: AFP]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 22 Mar 2026 07:50:59 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848292</id><title><![CDATA[Liverpool, Chelsea slip up in Champions League race]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848292-20260322.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848292-20260322.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Chelsea failed to take advantage of another Liverpool stumble in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League on Saturday, thumped 3-0 by Everton to remain outside the top five of the English Premier League.

Champions Liverpool had slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Brighton in the early kick-off – their 10th loss of a dismal Premier League title defence.

But Chelsea's thumping reverse at the Hill Dickinson Stadium gives renewed hope to a clutch of clubs below them, including Everton themselves, Brentford and Fulham.

The top five teams in the Premier League are almost guaranteed to play Champions League football next season due to the strong showing of English clubs in Europe.

Arsenal are hot favourites to land the Premier League title for the first time since 2004, with second-placed Manchester City well clear of city rivals Manchester United in third. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848292_1_M_20260322045024.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Liverpool boss Arne Slot pointed to key injury absentees and a swift turnaround from Champions League commitments to explain the damaging defeat. Photo: AFP]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sun, 22 Mar 2026 07:34:00 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848245</id><title><![CDATA[James doesn't spare the horses in passing Oliver mark]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848245-20260321.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848245-20260321.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Champion jockey James McDonald became the prolific Group 1 winner on Saturday in Australian horse racing history, surpassing Damien Oliver when he steered Autumn Boy to victory in the Rosehill Guineas.

Heading into the day at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney, McDonald needed two more wins to overtake Oliver's 129 triumphs in the highest level of thoroughbred racing.

He delivered by first steering Aeliana over the line first in the Ranvet Stakes before guiding the Chris Waller-trained Autumn Boy to victory in the Rosehill Guineas an hour later.

Both races were over 2,000m.

"There's no two ways about it, that I do ride the best horses and most favourites each race and I'm blessed to have that opportunity," said the New Zealand-born McDonald, the world's top-ranked jockey.

"To get to a mark like this, it's obviously special. Especially with how I look up to Damien Oliver.

"When I was growing up as a 10-year-old kid, he was riding Melbourne Cup winners."

Still just 34 years old, the two-time World Jockey of the Year added: "I'll get to 200, you watch."

McDonald's Group 1 wins have come primarily in Australia but also in New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Among his notable victories was the 2021 Melbourne Cup, multiple Cox Plates and Hong Kong Cups and the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. (AFP)



Edited by Thomas McAlinden]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[World News]]></catname><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848245_1_M_20260321155954.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[James McDonald celebrates after winning the Hong Kong Cup race in Sha Tin on December 10, 2023. File photo: AFP]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 21 Mar 2026 17:40:28 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848227</id><title><![CDATA[Alcaraz, Sabalenka show grit in seeing off opponents]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848227-20260321.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848227-20260321.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[World number one Carlos Alcaraz was dialled in as he powering past rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 6-4, 6-4 to reach the third round of the Miami Open.

The 22-year-old Spaniard used an early break in each set and saved all three break points he faced in a confident performance at Hard Rock Stadium, where 19-year-old Fonseca was cheered by a raucous contingent of fans on Friday.

"I was really good from the beginning until the last ball," Alcaraz said. "I know how good Joao is and that's why I was really focused, every point, every shot, trying to figure out what is the best possible shot for me."

Alcaraz bounced back from his semi-final loss to Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells last week to improve to 17-1 in 2026.

That includes an Australian Open title that made him the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam and a title in Doha.

"He had a lot of chances to stay in the match to [keep it] tight, so I'm just happy to stay calm, stay positive at these moments," said Alcaraz, who next faces American Sebastian Korda, a 6-0, 6-3 winner over Camilo Ugo.

Women's number one Aryna Sabalenka held off determined American Ann Li 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to launch her Miami title defence.

The Belarusian was pleased to get through in straight sets against her 39th-ranked foe in a match moved to the third show court as organizers hustled to get the rain-hit tournament back on schedule.

"I was there, I was fighting no matter what, even though my game probably wasn't the best one that I have," Sabalenka said.

Fourth-seeded American Coco Gauff and sixth-seeded compatriot Amanda Anisimova also reached the third round.

French Open champion Gauff rallied to beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a match delayed several hours by rain while Anisimova outlasted Australian veteran Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.

In other men's action, 56th-ranked American Ethan Quinn upset Norway's 11th-seeded Casper Ruud 6-4, 7-6 (9/7), saving seven set points in the second set on the way to victory.

Japanese wildcard Rei Sakamoto bagged his maiden ATP match win, converting his fifth match point in a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7) first-round victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic.

The 19-year-old ranked 164th booked a showdown with in-form Indian Wells finalist Medvedev. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848227_1_M_20260321122718.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Carlos Alcaraz tries to hit a running shot return against Joao Fonseca at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Photo: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images/Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 21 Mar 2026 13:27:30 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848219</id><title><![CDATA[Siobhan Haughey secures two more medals in Shenzhen]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848219-20260321.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848219-20260321.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Hong Kong, China’s "flying fish" Siobhan Haughey continued her impressive run at the China Swimming Open in Shenzhen on Friday, adding two more medals to her tally.

The SAR swimmer secured gold in the women’s 50-metre freestyle, clocking 24.41 seconds to narrowly edge out Cheng Yujie from the national team.

Haughey followed up with silver in the 200-metre freestyle, touching the wall in one minute and 54.91 seconds. 

The gold went to Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan, whom Haughey had defeated in the 100-metre freestyle a day earlier to claim her first gold of the meet.

With two golds and a silver so far, Haughey has one event remaining – the 100-metre breaststroke.

In other action, Australia’s Cameron McEvoy broke the long-standing men’s 50-metre freestyle world record. 

McEvoy, the reigning Olympic champion in the event, posted a time of 20.88 seconds, erasing the previous mark of 20.91 set by Brazil’s Cesar Cielo in 2009.



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848219_1_M_20260321102906.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Siobhan Haughey waves at the end of the medals ceremony after winning gold in the women’s 50-metre freestyle. Photo: Xinhua]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 21 Mar 2026 11:22:58 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848203</id><title><![CDATA[Man Utd held by Bournemouth after Maguire sees red]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848203-20260321.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848203-20260321.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Manchester United's charge towards the Champions League stalled after twice blowing the lead to draw 2-2 at Bournemouth on Friday.

Michael Carrick has lost just once in his 10 games since taking charge of the Red Devils, but his team were left hanging on for a point after Harry Maguire's late red card.

In a tale of three penalties – two of which were given and one not – Bruno Fernandes rolled United into the lead early in the second half.

Bournemouth levelled through Ryan Christie just seconds after United claimed they should have been awarded a second spot-kick.

James Hill's own goal restored the visitors' lead, but Maguire was dismissed for pulling down Evanilson inside the box and Junior Kroupi salvaged a point for Andoni Iraola's men.

United, who have missed out on the Champions League in the past two seasons, remained third in the Premier League and stretched their advantage over sixth-placed Chelsea to seven points.

A place in the top five will almost certainly guarantee qualification for the Champions League due to the strong performance of English sides in European competition this season.

The sides shared a thrilling 4-4 draw when they last met in December and could have produced a similar scoreline in an encounter that raged from end-to-end.

United had the better chances of a goal-less first half as Djordje Petrovic produced excellent saves to deny Fernandes and Amad Diallo.

Instead, all four goals came in a 20-minute period in the second half.

Fernandes coolly slotted home the opener from the penalty spot after Matheus Cunha was brought down by Alex Jimenez.

Moments later the visitors wanted another spot-kick when Diallo crumpled under pressure from Adrien Truffert.

As referee Stuart Attwell waved play on, Bournemouth sprang clear on the counter-attack to level with Truffert providing the assist for Christie to prod home an equaliser.

It took United just four minutes to restore their lead as Hill turned Fernandes' corner into his own net.

Alex Scott rattled the United bar as Bournemouth again sought an immediate response and they did indeed salvage a point.

On the day Maguire earned a recall to the England squad for the first time since September 2024, he was sent-off for pulling back Evanilson as the Brazilian bore down on goal.

Junior Kroupi took responsibility from the spot to send Senne Lammens the wrong way and register the ninth Premier League goal of his impressive debut season in England.

Bournemouth surged forward to try and make their man advantage count in the final 20 minutes.

But they had to settle for extending their unbeaten league run to 11 games.

The Cherries' run of five consecutive draws, though, has done little for their chances of European football next season as they sit 10th. (AFP)



Edited by Robert Kemp]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848203_1_M_20260321062522.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Junior Kroupi levels from the spot after Harry Maguire fouled Evanilson. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:09:25 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848128</id><title><![CDATA[Haughey kicks off China Swimming Open with 100m gold]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848128-20260320.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848128-20260320.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Hong Kong, China swimming star Siobhan Haughey kicked off the inaugural China Swimming Open in thrilling fashion on Thursday, claiming gold in the women’s 100-metre freestyle by the slimmest of margins. 

She edged out Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan by just one hundredth of a second, touching the wall in 52.79 seconds.

The two Olympians were locked in an epic battle on the first night of competition in Shenzhen, with Haughey ultimately prevailing in the nail-biting finish. 

American Kate Douglass took third place with a time of 53.40 seconds.

The tournament is being held at the Shenzhen Universiade Center Natatorium, a venue that holds fond memories for Haughey. 

It was there that she enjoyed a successful debut run at last year’s National Games, where she captured four medals – including a gold in the 100-metre freestyle event.

Haughey has a busy schedule ahead: she will also compete in her signature 200-metre freestyle, along with the 50-metre freestyle and the 100-metre breaststroke.

Prize money will be awarded to each event's top finishers, with gold medallists taking home US$10,000, followed by US$6,000 for silver and US$4,000 for bronze.


Edited by Aaron Tam]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848128_1_M_20260320160216.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Siobhan Haughey has edged out Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan by just one hundredth of a second in the China Swimming Open 100-metre freestyle race. Photo: Xinhua]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:18:29 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848110</id><title><![CDATA['Sports and entertainment combine to boost economy']]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848110-20260320.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848110-20260320.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Representatives from the sports sector are optimistic about Hong Kong’s growing sports scene, with many highlighting the potential of combining athletics with entertainment to boost the city’s global image and economic vitality.

Kenneth Fok, vice-president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, expressed hope for a stronger event economy, especially with new world-class venues like the Kai Tak Sports Park coming online.

"Now that we have Kai Tak and all these world-class stadiums in our city. So how do we change?" he said. 

"Not just to make the competition better, but more importantly how to add in elements of entertainment and also culture and tourism into our existing infrastructure."

Fok also revealed plans to form a research group to gather input from across the sports sector, with the goal of feeding those insights into the city’s upcoming five-year plan.

"This work will start as soon as possible, and I look forward to meeting with our sports counterparts and listening to their views and see how we could contribute positively, not just to sports development, but to the overall well-being of Hong Kong," he said.

During a panel discussion, Michael Cheng, president of the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, echoed the need for a cross-sector approach. 

He pointed to the city’s history of hosting major international tennis events as a foundation to build upon.

"When we did the ATP and WTA events, in Asia only Tokyo and Beijing had them. We were the third city to do it," he said.

"We started to see the development of sports entertainment. We hope to be at the front of it so that the integration of culture, sports and entertainment will promote Hong Kong’s image. 

"It projects an image of vitality, drives the economy and also engages young people."

Andy Kwok, captain of the Hong Kong Golf Club, reflected on the success of the LIV Golf tournament, which was introduced to the city three years ago. 

He said the event was designed from the outset to use sports as a driver for tourism and economic growth.

Kwok noted that the tournament attracted high-spending spectators, with over 40 percent coming from overseas or other Greater Bay Area cities. 

That influx, he said, helped boost local consumption and overnight stays.

"It had a very positive effect for promoting Hong Kong’s reputation as a major events city worldwide," he said. 

Meanwhile, Eric Fok, chairman of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China, highlighted the growing enthusiasm for local football. 

He said attendance records were broken last year, with multiple matches selling out.

He stressed the importance of cross-industry collaboration to drive spending and make events more appealing.

Fok also teased upcoming plans for the Hong Kong Football Festival, revealing that the association hopes to invite several European teams to participate, with more details expected to be announced soon.


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Local]]></catname><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848110_1_M_20260320135820.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[A seminar brought together sports leaders and athletes to share perspectives on the role of sports in advancing social development. Photo: RTHK]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo>1</hasvideo><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:30:00 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848105</id><title><![CDATA[San Antonio ends seven-year NBA playoff drought]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848105-20260320.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848105-20260320.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Victor Wembanyama's game-winner lifted the San Antonio Spurs to a 101-100 triumph over Phoenix and into the NBA playoffs on Thursday as the Los Angeles Lakers kept up their postseason push with an eighth straight victory.

Luka Doncic scored 60 points and 41-year-old LeBron James hit another NBA milestone in style with a 19-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in the Lakers' 134-126 victory over the Heat in Miami.

The Lakers' surge has seen them climb from sixth to third in the Western Conference, where second-placed San Antonio have now joined reigning champions Oklahoma City with their first playoff berth since 2019.

Knowing they could punch their playoff ticket with a win, the Spurs trailed by 10 with 4:50 left to play.

They were five back with 1:01 remaining when Wembanyama drained a pair of free throws and De'Aaron Fox drove for a layup to cut the deficit to one with 26.6 seconds left.

The Spurs bottled up Devin Booker to force the Suns to call a timeout and on the ensuing inbounds Wembanyama fouled rookie Rasheer Fleming — who missed both free throws.

When Wembanyama's basket over Oso Ighodaro swished through the net the crowd at Frost Bank Center went wild.

"We haven't had a game like this in a while," said Wembanyama, who led all scorers with 34 points and added 12 rebounds. 

"Feels good to know we've still got it."

The 22-year-old French star was trying to take a measured approach now that his first trip to the playoffs is assured.

"Of course the first instinct is to be proud of it and to love it because we're part of it," he said. 

"But the key for me is to try to not care because we want to attack 82 games.

"I'm scared to become complacent."

In Miami, James tied Robert Parish's record for most NBA regular-season games played with his 1,611th, a mark he can surpass when the Lakers play in Orlando on Saturday.

Both James and Doncic were listed as "questionable" on the Lakers' early injury report after the team arrived in Miami at 4am in the wake of their win in Houston on Wednesday.

"I was tired," said Doncic, who scored 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers cemented victory, having taken their first lead in the third quarter. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848105_1_M_20260320130452.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Victor Wembanyama drained the game-winning shot in the dying seconds to lift San Antonio over the Phoenix Suns. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:49:51 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848059</id><title><![CDATA[Pistons' Cunningham sidelined over collapsed lung]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848059-20260320.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848059-20260320.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Cade Cunningham, who has sparked the Detroit Pistons to the NBA Eastern Conference lead, will miss at least two weeks with a collapsed left lung, the team announced on Thursday.

Cunningham leads the Pistons with 24.5 points and 9.9 assists a game and also has 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest.

The 24-year-old American guard left Tuesday's 130-117 victory at Washington in the first quarter with what was thought to be back spasms as he dove for a loose ball and collided with Wizards guard Tre Johnson.

"After further testing, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been diagnosed with a left lung pneumothorax," the Pistons said in a statement. "He will be re-evaluated in two weeks."

That means Cunningham will miss at least eight games for the Pistons as they cling to the top seed in the East for the upcoming NBA playoffs.

At 49-19, the Pistons lead Boston (46-23) by 3.5 games in the East.

Cunningham will miss games against Washington, Golden State, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta, New Orleans, Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Toronto.

His earliest possible return would be April 2 in a home game against Minnesota.

The Pistons have not won a playoff series since 2008. They have only reached the playoffs three times since 2009 and had not managed a winning season since 2016 until last year, when they fell to the Knicks in the first round. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848059_1_M_20260320075146.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Two-time NBA All-Star Cade Cunningham currently leads Detroit in points and assists per game this season. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:08:13 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848054</id><title><![CDATA[Palace progress to Conference League last eight]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848054-20260320.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848054-20260320.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Ismaila Sarr scored twice as Crystal Palace reached the Conference League quarter-finals on Thursday with a 2-1 extra-time victory over AEK Larnaca in Cyprus, winning by the same score on aggregate.

Palace will face two-time Conference League runners-up Fiorentina in the last eight after the Italian club won 2-1 at Rakow Czestochowa in Poland, completing a 4-2 aggregate success.

The Eagles have endured a stop-start season, hit by the departure of centre-back Marc Guehi to Manchester City and the announcement that manager Oliver Glasner will leave at the end of the campaign.

But the English club remain in contention to add to their first ever major trophy, the FA Cup won last season, in their maiden European campaign.

Palace named a strong side for the last-16 second leg after two wins in four matches in recent weeks eased their Premier League relegation fears.

The visitors took a 13th-minute lead when Sarr was played in behind by Adam Wharton's deflected pass.

The Senegal winger kept his cool to round home goalkeeper Zlatan Alomerovic, who had advanced out of his area, and roll the ball into an empty net.

Sarr thought he had doubled the lead shortly afterwards but was flagged offside.

Larnarca managed to stay in the tie despite prolonged Palace pressure, though, and levelled 18 minutes into the second half through Enric Saborit's header.

The Spanish left-back was then sent off in the 73rd minute after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Sarr, but the hosts held on to force extra time.

The Cypriots could not keep Palace at bay with 10 men until penalties, as Sarr fired home in the 99th minute from Daichi Kamada's pullback after a short corner.

It was Palace who looked more likely to score the game's fourth goal, as Sarr rattled the crossbar and then Jorgen Strand Larsen headed against the post, with the Dane and Jean-Philippe Mateta somehow contriving to fail put the rebound in between them.

Larnaca defender Petros Ioannou was dismissed late on for a foul on Mateta, but Palace still had to survive a nervy late set-piece to avoid a shoot-out.

Mainz saw off Czechs Sigma Olomouc 2-0 in Germany, winning by the same score on aggregate, to set up a quarter-final tie against either Strasbourg or Rijeka. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848054_1_M_20260320071733.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Ismaila Sarr scored twice to book Palace's spot in the quarter-finals. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:43:00 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848053</id><title><![CDATA[Forest, Villa move into Europa League quarter-finals]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848053-20260320.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848053-20260320.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Nottingham Forest reached the Europa League quarter-finals after Midtjylland missed all three of their penalties in the last-16 second-leg shoot-out, while John McGinn inspired Aston Villa's 2-0 win against Lille on Thursday.

Vitor Pereira's Forest won 2-1 after extra-time at the MCH Arena in Denmark to level the tie at 2-2 on aggregate.

That set up the farcical shoot-out as Midtjylland's Cho Gue-sung and Aral Simsir both hit the post before Edward Chilufya slipped and blazed over in the shoot-out.

Morgan Gibbs-White, Ibrahim Sangare and Neco Williams converted Forest's three kicks to extend the club's first European campaign since 1995-96, when they reached the Uefa Cup quarter-finals.

The Premier League strugglers will play Porto in the quarter-finals after the Portuguese outfit beat Stuttgart 2-0.

William Carvalho and Victor Froholdt netted to clinch Porto's 4-1 aggregate victory, with Stuttgart's Nikolas Nartey sent off in the closing stages.

Admitting he needed his players to be "fresh mentally and and physically", Pereira prioritised Sunday's vital clash with relegation rivals Tottenham as he made nine changes from last weekend's 0-0 draw against Fulham.

Forest's understudies rose to the challenge and took the lead in the 41st minute.

Climbing to meet Nikola Milenkovic's flick, Nicolas Dominguez craned his neck to loop a header over Elias Olafsson from six yards.

Midtjylland were breached again in the 52nd minute when Ryan Yates lashed home from 25 yards before Martin Erlic's 69th minute reply for the hosts set up the shoot-out.

"It's important, the energy and spirit is different when we win," Pereira said.

"I don't have any doubt that we have the quality. We will compete for our targets."

At Villa Park, Unai Emery's side, defending a 1-0 first-leg lead, went ahead in the 54th minute with a perfectly executed route one move.

Emiliano Martinez launched a mammoth kick towards Jadon Sancho and his pass across the Lille penalty area was tucked away with aplomb by McGinn.

It was the Scotland midfielder's first goal since January 3 after two months on the sidelines with a knee injury.

Leon Bailey's 86th-minute tap-in from Ollie Watkins' pass ensured Villa advanced to a European quarter-final for a third successive season.

Villa's dismal run of two wins from 10 Premier League games has put their bid to qualify for the Champions League in jeopardy.

Yet they have thrived in continental action and Emery remains in contention for a fifth Europa League crown after winning three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848053_1_M_20260320071241.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Forest advanced to the last eight after outlasting Midtjylland on penalties. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:41:40 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1848036</id><title><![CDATA[Senegal to appeal CAF Africa Cup of Nations decision]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848036-20260320.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1848036-20260320.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[The Senegalese Football Federation announced on Thursday it has instructed its lawyers to lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after the national team were stripped of its Africa Cup of Nations title.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed Senegal's win on Tuesday, awarding the title to Morocco two months after the final.

"Senegal will remain standing and will legitimately defend this victory on the field which we acquired on the field with the talent of our players," the federation's president Abdoulaye Fall told a press conference.

"We have given our lawyers a mandate to pursue this procedure at the level of the Court of Arbitration for Sport," he added.

The contintent's showpiece football final, in Rabat on January 18, descended into chaos when several Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest after the hosts were awarded a penalty late in second-half stoppage time.

Senegal's players were coaxed back onto the pitch by captain Sadio Mane, but Morocco missed the penalty. Pape Gueye went on to score the goal in extra time that gave Senegal a 1-0 victory.

CAF said that having studied an appeal by Morocco, "the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match" and the result was "officially recorded as 3-0" in favour of Morocco.

Asked what would happen to the trophy in the meantime, Fall told reporters the team would "comply with the statutory and regulatory provisions of CAF."

The revocation of the win elicited a strong response from fans in Senegal, where authorities called for an "independent international investigation" into corruption.

In a resolution issued by the federation's executive committee and read at the press conference, the federation said it would "use all possible legal, institutional and jurisdictional means to assert its rights and restore sporting fairness."

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye appeared in his office in front of the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in a social media post on Wednesday, expressing his "outrage" at CAF's decision.

The Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), meanwhile has said the decision "upholds the rules and ensures the stability necessary for the smooth running of international competitions." (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1848036_1_M_20260320022630.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The showpiece final in January was marred by chaos both on and off the pitch after hosts Morocco were awarded a penalty. File photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:36:02 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1847895</id><title><![CDATA[Lionel Messi bags 900th career goal]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847895-20260319.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847895-20260319.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Argentine superstar Lionel Messi bagged the 900th goal of his glittering career on Wednesday but could not prevent Inter Miami from crashing out of the Concacaf Champions Cup on away goals after a 1-1 draw with Nashville.

Messi, 38, scored his milestone goal after just seven minutes to put Miami 1-0 up in the second leg of their last-16 clash in the regional club competition.

But Nashville's Cristian Espinoza lashed in a 74th-minute equalizer to make it 1-1 on aggregate, and after holding Miami at bay for the remainder of the game, the visitors from Tennessee advanced to the quarter-finals on the away goals rule.

Miami's exit was a bittersweet ending to what had promised to be a night of celebration after Messi's early opener in what was the club's final game at their Chase Stadium home in Fort Lauderdale.

Messi's strike took the Argentine's tally to 81 goals for the MLS champions following his move to Florida in 2023.

The eight-time Ballon D'Or winner previously scored 672 goals for Spanish giants Barcelona, 32 for France's Paris Saint-Germain, and a further 115 international goals for Argentina.

Goal number 900 came some 21 years after Messi's first goal in senior football, when he scored for Barcelona in a 2-0 win over Albacete in 2005 as a fresh-faced 17-year-old.

Messi, widely regarded as the greatest player in football history, still has some way to go before he catches his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old Portuguese superstar who is on 965 career goals.

Speaking ahead of Messi's 900th goal, Miami manager and former Argentina and Barcelona team-mate Javier Mascherano described the star's goals total as "insane."

"I've been lucky enough to see most, or many, of the goals he's scored, much closer than you all, and that's a privilege," Mascherano said.

"The number (900) we're talking about is insane, and that's why Leo is a one of a kind." (AFP)
_____________________________
Last updated: 2026-03-19 HKT 10:05



Edited by Raymond Yeung]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1847895_1_M_20260319074418.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Messi scored seven minutes into Inter Miami's Concacaf Champions Cup clash with Nashville to reach his latest career milestone. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:54:17 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1847893</id><title><![CDATA[Barca, Liverpool reach Champions League last eight]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847893-20260319.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847893-20260319.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Barcelona hit Newcastle United for seven to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday, while Liverpool overturned a first-leg deficit to beat Galatasaray in their last-16 tie and both Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid advanced to the next round.

Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski both scored twice as La Liga leaders Barcelona tore apart Newcastle at the Camp Nou, winning 7-2 in the second leg of their last-16 encounter to progress 8-3 on aggregate.

A spectacular match saw Anthony Elanga twice score for Newcastle inside the opening half-hour to cancel out goals by Raphinha and Marc Bernal.

However, the Catalans went back in front when Lamine Yamal converted a penalty deep in first-half stoppage time to make it 3-2 on the night, and they never looked back.

Fermin Lopez ran through for 4-2 early in the second half before Lewandowski added a quick-fire double either side of the hour mark, and Raphinha completed the scoring in the 72nd minute.

"The confidence that we got in the second half was good to see," said Barca coach Hansi Flick.

It was a chastening defeat for Newcastle and just the third time since 1955 that an English team has conceded at least eight goals on aggregate in a European tie – one of the other occasions was this week, when Chelsea lost 8-2 on aggregate to Paris Saint-Germain.

"When the game was effectively over we didn't react well to that, so it became a very difficult second half," said Newcastle coach Eddie Howe.

It was also just the third time Barcelona have scored seven in a Champions League game, and Flick's side can now look forward to an all-Spanish quarter-final next month against Atletico.

Diego Simeone's men lost 3-2 on the night to Tottenham Hotspur in London, but progressed 7-5 on aggregate thanks to their 5-2 victory last week.

Randal Kolo Muani headed in on the half-hour to give Spurs the lead on the night and suggest a stunning comeback in the tie was possible.

A superb Julian Alvarez strike just after half-time doused the home side's hopes, even if a fine Xavi Simons effort put Tottenham back in front.

David Hancko headed in Atletico's second on the night, before Simons converted a last-minute penalty for his second of the game as Spurs rescued some pride by ending a run of eight matches without a win. 

It wasn't all doom and gloom for English teams as Liverpool shrugged off their Premier League malaise to storm into the Champions League quarter-finals by thrashing Galatasaray 4-0 at Anfield.

Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit for Arne Slot's men to set up a reunion with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1847893_1_M_20260319073430.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Barcelona put Newcastle to bed with a crushing 7-2 second leg win at Camp Nou. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:52:47 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1847777</id><title><![CDATA[OKC first team of NBA season to clinch play-off berth]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847777-20260318.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847777-20260318.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a 40-point scoring performance as the Oklahoma City Thunder became the first team to punch their ticket to the NBA playoffs with a 113-108 defeat of the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

Gilgeous-Alexander was backed with 20 points and 12 rebounds from Chet Holmgren while Ajay Mitchell's 16 point-display helped the NBA champions slam the door on the Magic in the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma City's ninth straight victory leaves them on 54-15 at the top of the Western Conference, ahead of the second-placed San Antonio Spurs.

Orlando fell to 38-30 to remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference tables. 

Paolo Banchero led Orlando's scoring with 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander saluted the Thunder's resilience after a mixed first-half performance.

"We got off to a good start but then the car kind of came off the road for a little bit," Gilgeous-Alexander said.

"But that's what great teams do – they figure out a way to get the car back on the road, they figure out a way to go into a building and win a game when the chips are stacked against you, and we did that tonight."

Gilgeous-Alexander's virtuoso display extended his record-breaking streak of consecutive games scoring 20 points or more to 129.

San Antonio stayed in touch with Oklahoma City after rolling to a 132-104 blowout over the Sacramento Kings.

A balanced offensive performance saw seven San Antonio players finish in double figures, with Victor Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson leading the scoring with 18 points apiece.

In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons cruised past the Washington Wizards 130-117 to tighten their grip at the top of the table.

The Pistons improved to 49-19 thanks to 36 points from Jalen Duren but the victory was overshadowed by an injury to Cade Cunningham.

Cunningham, who is one of the contenders for the NBA's MVP award, left the game in the first quarter with a back problem.

The New York Knicks remain in third place in the East after a 136-110 romp against the hapless Indiana Pacers, last year's NBA Finals runners-up who are languishing on 15-54 this season. (AFP)


Edited by Tony Sabine]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1847777_1_M_20260318124055.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 40 points in Oklahoma City's ninth straight win. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:19:36 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1847759</id><title><![CDATA[Venezuela beats US to win World Baseball Classic]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847759-20260318.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847759-20260318.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Venezuela has won the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time, rebounding from a blown eighth-inning lead to beat the United States 3-2 on Tuesday night on Eugenio Suárez’s tie-breaking double in the ninth.

Maikel Garcia’s third-inning sacrifice fly and Wilyer Abreu’s fifth-inning homer off Nolan McLean built a 2-0 lead before a roaring pro-Latin America crowd at loanDepot Park in Miami.

Meanwhile, left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez and lights-out relievers limited the Americans to two hits through the seventh inning.

In the eighth, Bobby Witt Jr. walked with two outs and Bryce Harper drove the second straight change-up from Andrés Machado over the centrefield fence for a two-run homer that tied it.

Luis Arraez walked against Garrett Whitlock starting the ninth, before pinch-runner Javier Sanoja stole second just ahead of catcher Will Smith's throw and came home when Suárez doubled to the left-centre gap.

Suárez spread his arms wide and pointed to the sky at second base while teammates streamed from the dugout to greet Sanoja at the plate.

Daniel Palencia struck out two in a perfect bottom half to finish a three-hitter and get his third save of the WBC, striking out Roman Anthony to end the game. 

Venezuelans ran onto the infield to celebrate as the Americans stared while leaning on their dugout railing.

“Nobody believed in Venezuela but now we win the championship,” Suárez said. “This is a celebration for all the Venezuelan country.”

Despite a heralded roster of stars led by Aaron Judge, Harper and Paul Skenes, the US lost its second straight final of baseball's premier international event and remained without a title since 2017.

Ahead of a matchup with political overtones, players and coaches avoided discussing the government turmoil between the nations, heightened when the US military captured Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in January. 

The sellout crowd of 36,190 was heavily pro-Venezuela, with some booing American players during the introductions.

Venezuela became the second Latin American nation to win the WBC, after the Dominican Republic in 2013. 

The US lost the 2023 final to three-time champions Japan on this same field. (AP)



Edited by Edmond Fong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1847759_1_M_20260318112810.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[The triumph marks Venezuela's first title in the tournament that began in 2006. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:42:54 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1847736</id><title><![CDATA[Sporting storm back to reach Champions League quarters]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847736-20260318.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847736-20260318.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Sporting Lisbon made an impressive comeback to hammer Norwegian giant-killers Bodo/Glimt 5-0 on Tuesday and reach the Champions League quarter-finals 5-3 on aggregate.

After a 3-0 last 16 first leg defeat last week north of the Arctic Circle, Sporting produced a ruthless display in Portugal to book a spot in the last eight for the first time since the 1982/83 season.

Bodo/Glimt have drawn admirers across the world for their superb performances in this season's Champions League but once Goncalo Inacio opened the scoring, the Portuguese champions never looked back.

Pedro Goncalves and Luis Suarez netted to force extra-time and Maximiliano Araujo scored in the 92nd minute to put Sporting ahead for the first time in the tie, before Rafael Nel smashed home a fifth late on.

"We had the right intensity and energy, we did what we didn't do there," forward Francisco Trincao told Sport TV.

"We had a different energy, a different kind of joy, and we played a historic game.

"Everyone believed, the fans also made us feel that energy, and during the game as time went on we realised we were capable and we carried that through to the end."

Bodo/Glimt shocked last season's runners-up Inter Milan in the play-off round and defeated Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the league phase before that.

Those astonishing results were followed up by the first leg rout of Sporting at the Norwegians' 8,000-capacity Aspmyra Stadium, giving Kjetil Knutsen's side a tantalising sight of the last eight.

Perhaps it daunted them, as they seemed to be playing with fear from the start in Lisbon.

"We've had a fantastic journey, then we enter a game where it seems to me that we're not playing the game, we're playing the opportunity – and that opportunity is going to be too big for us," Knutsen said.

"We were thinking about the consequences from the first kick. We were so far from our identity."

The hosts dominated, racking up shots at nearly the same rate the Norwegian side were completing passes in the opening phases.

Around 2,000 Bodo/Glimt fans made the long trek to Jose Alvalade stadium, where their dream was mercilessly crushed under the rain. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1847736_1_M_20260318074642.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Sporting are in the last eight of Europe's top-tier competition for the first time since the 1982-83 season. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo>1</hasvideo><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:48:44 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1847734</id><title><![CDATA[PSG, Real book Champions League last eight spots]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847734-20260318.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847734-20260318.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Paris Saint-Germain snuffed out any chance of a Chelsea comeback with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia among the scorers in a clinical 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday which took the holders through to the Champions League quarter-finals 8-2 on aggregate.

The Georgian's early opener was soon followed by a brilliant Bradley Barcola strike, quickly ending Chelsea's hopes of turning around their 5-2 deficit from the first leg of the last-16 tie last week.

Substitute Senny Mayulu then fired in PSG's third in the second half, as Luis Enrique's men march on to a last-eight tie next month against either Liverpool or Galatasaray – the Turkish side go to Anfield with a 1-0 first-leg advantage on Wednesday.

PSG's dream of retaining the Champions League title remains very much alive, a year after winning the trophy for the first time in their history.

The Qatar-backed side's comprehensive victory in this tie gives them revenge for their loss to the Blues in last July's Club World Cup final, and indicates that they might be finding their very best form again at just the right time.

"It is amazing. To score three goals away against Chelsea is good and the important thing is that we continue to play very well, so we have to keep going like this," Kvaratskhelia told broadcaster Canal Plus.

This was their fourth win in a two-legged knockout tie against Premier League opposition since the start of last year, but while that record is impressive, Chelsea looked a long way short of the level required in Europe's elite club competition.

Liam Rosenior's team never really appeared to believe they could come back from their collapse six days ago at the Parc des Princes, when they conceded three late goals to go from 2-2 to 5-2 down.

"A tough night. We knew it was a tough ask and then we started the game in the manner that we did," Rosenior said.

Their attention will now turn back to the fight to qualify for the Champions League again next season, after a miserable week in which two defeats against PSG have come either side of a loss at home to Newcastle United in the Premier League.

"When you go through a difficult run, you have to make sure your habits are right," Rosenior added.

Meanwhile, Vinicius Junior said "everything changes" for Real Madrid in the Champions League after his double dumped out Manchester City to take the 15-time winners into the quarter-finals 5-1 on aggregate.

Most of the damage for Pep Guardiola's men was inflicted last week in a 3-0 first leg defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.

A 2-1 home defeat confirmed City's fourth Champions League exit to Madrid in the last five seasons, including each of the past three years.

But the Spanish giants began the tie as underdogs due to their unconvincing form, that led to Xabi Alonso replacing Alvaro Arbeloa as coach in January.

"All of us players know that the good games are coming and when Madrid play in this competition, everything changes," said Vinicius, who has twice scored in Champions League finals for Los Blancos in 2022 and 2024.

"The fans change, the players change and we're prepared for more. That is coming soon."

Any doubt over the outcome of the tie was killed just 20 minutes in when City captain Bernardo Silva was sent off for deflecting a Vinicius shot off the line with his arm.

The Brazilian converted from the spot and should have added many more before he rounded off the scoring deep into stoppage time after Erling Haaland levelled for City.

Arsenal eased into the quarter-finals as Eberechi Eze's stunning strike inspired a 2-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16 second leg.

Often derided for winning in ugly fashion this season, Mikel Arteta's side produced a pair of eye-catching goals to seal their 3-1 aggregate victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Eze broke the deadlock with a long-range rocket late in the first half and Declan Rice's composed finish killed off outclassed Leverkusen after the interval.

Arsenal needed Kai Havertz's late penalty to rescue a 1-1 draw in the first leg last week, but they were far more commanding in the rematch as they reached the quarter-finals for a third successive season. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1847734_1_M_20260318073933.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[PSG's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia struck six minutes into the second leg at Stamford Bridge. Photo: Reuters]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:47:45 +0800]]></pubDate></item><item><id>1847732</id><title><![CDATA[Senegal stripped of Afcon title, Morocco named winners]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847732-20260318.htm]]></link><link2><![CDATA[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1847732-20260318.htm]]></link2><description><![CDATA[Senegal were sensationally stripped of the African Cup of Nations title on Tuesday as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) declared Morocco champions.

Several Senegalese players had walked off the pitch in Rabat on January 18 in protest when the host nation were awarded a penalty late in second-half stoppage time.

After Senegal's players eventually returned, Morocco missed the penalty and Pape Gueye went on to score the goal in extra time that gave his nation a 1-0 victory in the final.

The governing body said that having studied Morocco's appeal, "the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match," and the result was "officially recorded as 3-0" in favour of Morocco.

The CAF Appeals Committee justified its decision by applying Articles 82 and 84 of Afcon Regulations, which state that if a team "refuses to play or leaves the pitch before the scheduled end of the match it will be considered the loser and will be definitively eliminated from the competition".

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) said in a statement its appeal "was never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition regulations".

"The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, to the clarity of the competitive framework, and to the stability of African competitions," the statement added.

Minutes before the end of the match, some Senegalese supporters attempted a pitch invasion, while Senegal's players halted the game for nearly 20 minutes to protest the late penalty awarded to Morocco.

The controversial penalty was awarded by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala right at the end of the allotted eight added minutes in normal time following a VAR check for a challenge on Diaz by El Hadji Malick Diouf.

Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with the spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time.

But Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted 'Panenka' chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.

The game at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium then went to extra time, and Gueye's brilliant 94th-minute strike handed them the title.

The decisions of the CAF Appeals Committee can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within ten days.

At the end of January, CAF imposed a series of disciplinary sanctions, including fines amounting to several hundred thousand euros, on the federations of both countries for unsportsmanlike conduct and violations of fair play principles.

The appeal trial of 18 Senegalese supporters, imprisoned since the final and sentenced to prison terms ranging from three months to one year for "hooliganism," which was scheduled to take place on Monday, has been postponed until March 30. (AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong]]></description><categories><catname><![CDATA[Sport]]></catname></categories><photo><![CDATA[https://newsstatic.rthk.hk/images/mfile_1847732_1_M_20260318071504.jpg]]></photo><caption><![CDATA[Several Senegal players had left the pitch late in the final against Morocco to protest a refereeing decision. File photo: AFP]]></caption><haspics>1</haspics><hasaudio/><hasvideo/><pubDate><![CDATA[Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:38:33 +0800]]></pubDate></item></channel>
