May 26 - June 1, 2018
Sports Interational
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TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS
NFL teams to be fined if players kneel during anthem
Washington Capitals have not reached the Stanley Cup final since 1998.
Stanley Cup: Washington Capitals beat Tampa Bay Lightning to reach final WASHINGTON Capitals will play Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL’s Stanley Cup final after a dominant deciding-game victory over Tampa Bay Lightning. Andre Burakovsky found the net twice in a 4-0 win as Washington took the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final 4-3. Alex Ovechkin scored after just 62 seconds to set his side on course for a first Stanley Cup final in 20 years. “It’s unbelievable,” said Ovechkin, 32, who has reached the final for the first time. “I can’t explain my emotions.” Ovechkin was described as a “beast” by Capitals coach Barry Trotz and his early finish took his season tally to 49, the highest in the
NHL. “We’re really happy but we’re not finished, not done yet,” Ovechkin added. “We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.” Ovechkin also praised goaltender Braden Holtby, stating the Canadian was “unstoppable” as he became only the fifth goalie in NHL play-off history to register shutouts in games six and seven, making 60 saves across the two matches. Nicklas Backstrom completed the scoring for the Capitals, who begin their seven-game final on Monday in Las Vegas. Priced at 500-1 to win the Stanley Cup at the start of the campaign, the Knights became the first expansion team in 50 years to reach the Stanley Cup finals in their first season. (BBC)
AB de Villiers retires from international cricket FORMER South Africa Test captain AB de Villiers said he had “run out of gas” as he announced his retirement from international cricket. The 34-year-old has played in 114 Test matches, 228 one-day internationals and 78 Twenty20 matches for the Proteas. He took time away from Test cricket in 2017, missing the series against England that summer, but returned to the red-ball side in December. “I’ve had my turn and, to be honest, I’m tired,” he said. “This is a tough decision. I’ve thought long and hard about it and I’d like to retire still playing decent cricket. “It would not be right for me to pick and choose where, when and in what format I play for the Proteas. “For me, in green and gold, it must be everything or nothing.”
De Villiers made his international debut in the Test series against England in 2004 and played in a limited-overs match a year later. He scored 8,765 Test runs for South Africa and has a batting average of over 50 in both Test and ODI cricket. De Villiers’ 22nd - and final - Test century came against Australia in March. A former Test captain, he holds the record for the fastest one-day century, reaching three figures in just 31 balls against West Indies in January 2015. He also holds the record for the fastest Test century by a South African, making 100 from 75 balls against India in 2011. “AB is one of the all-time greats of South African cricket who has thrilled spectators around the world,” Cricket South Africa president Chris Nenzani said.
NFL teams will be fined if players kneel for the US national anthem under a new policy. The American football league said players who do not stand for the Star-Spangled Banner can stay in the locker room until it has been performed. The NFL also vowed to “impose appropriate discipline on league personnel who do not stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem”.? Players said the protests were against police brutality of African Americans. “It was unfortunate that on-field protests created a false perception among many that thousands of NFL players were unpatriotic,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement accompanying Wednesday’s new policy. “This is not and was never the case. This season, all league and team personnel shall stand and show respect for the flag and the Anthem.” NFL players were previously required to be on the field for the anthem, but there was no firm directive to stand during the song. The policy includes the provision that clubs can develop their own rules - so long as they abide by the league’s directive - to handle players who do not wish to stand. It does not state how much clubs will be fined should their athletes protest on the field, but gives them
Players said the protests were against police brutality of African Americans.
the option to impose penalties on any player who breaks the new rules. The statement comes a day after NFL teams pledged $90m (£67m) towards social justice initiatives, under an agreement reached with all 32 teams in the league. The debate over the kneeling protests began in 2016, when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the anthem. Similar demonstrations spread across the league, where most players are African American. Some kneeled, as Mr Kaepernick had done, while others linked arms to show solidarity for the movement. President Donald Trump was
highly critical of the protests, calling them “disgraceful” and unpatriotic. He also urged the players to be fired. US Vice-President Mike Pence walked out of an NFL game because players from Mr Kaepernick’s team knelt during the anthem. The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) issued a statement following the policy announcement saying they were not consulted. “NFL players have shown their patriotism through their social activism, their community service, in support of our military and law enforcement and yes, through their protests to raise awareness about the issues they care about,” the statement reads.
Barcelona legend Iniesta signs with Japanese club Kobe BARCELONA legend Andres Iniesta has signed with Japanese club Vissel Kobe, he announced at a press conference in Tokyo Thursday. “This is a very special day for me. It’s a very important challenge in my sporting career. Both me and my family are looking forward to be here,” Iniesta told a crowd of 300 journalists after he was presented with a number 8 playing shirt. “I had a lot of offers, other clubs showed an interest in me,” said the Spain international, who is reported to be on a $30m (£22.39m) annual salary. Vissel Kobe’s chairman Hiroshi Mikitani appeared alongside the player at the press conference, saying that Iniesta will “inspire Japan and Asian football to bring it in to the next phase.” Late Wednesday, the 34-year-old Iniesta posted a photo on Twitter of him shaking hands with Mikitani, the billionaire chief executive of Rakuten and chairman of the J1 League side, aboard Mikitani’s
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta celebrates after his team won the Spanish league against Deportivo Coruna to claim its 25th La Liga title.
private jet. “Heading to my new home, with my friend (Mikitani),” Iniesta wrote in Spanish and English. Kobe are currently sixth in the J1 League table, after a ninth place finish in the 2017 season.
Last month an emotional Iniesta announced that, after 22 years as a Barcelona player -- 16 of which a first-teamer -- this would be his last season with his long-time club. The announcement prompted a lengthy ovation from assembled journalists.