Athletics: Dutch multi-national retail chain SPAR International announced yesterday that it had extended a commitment to European Athletics for a further three years from 2017. SPAR has been an international partner of European Athletics’ major events since 1996 but no figures were revealed for the new contract which commences in January 2017.
Rugby Union: Winger Chris Ashton has been given the chance to resurrect his stalled England career after being named in Stuart Lancaster’s bulging 50-man rugby World Cup training squad yesterday. Ashton, joint leading try scorer at the last World Cup, has featured in just two internationals since 2013 but his relentless try-scoring for Saracens this season made an irresistible case for a recall. The 28-year-old will now battle with Jack Nowell, Anthony Watson, Jonny May, Marland Yarde and David Strettle, another surprise recall who has not featured since 2013, for the wing berths as Christian Wade misses out. Yesterday, Ashton’s Saracens team-mate Maro Itoje was among five uncapped players in the squad, which will be trimmed to 31 in August.
Basket, NBA: Stephen Curry won his personal duel with James Harden as Golden State Warriors overcame an early deficit and survived a late scare to edge Houston Rockets 110-106 in Game One of the Western Conference Finals. Curry poured in 34 points, six rebounds and five assists and added key buckets in the closing stages to give the top-seeded Warriors a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series in front of a raucous home crowd.
Baseball: Japan will host arch rivals South Korea in the opening game of the inaugural ‘Premier12’ baseball tournament, with the semi-finals and final of the international competition to be staged at the iconic Tokyo Dome, organisers said. The new tournament, which will be staged in both Japan and Taiwan in November, brings together eight teams including the United States, Cuba and Dominican Republic and is hoped to showcase the sport’s global popularity. Baseball and softball are keen to return to the Olympic programme in 2020.
Motor Racing: Canadian James Hinchcliffe’s condition is improving but the driver has been ruled out of competition for the foreseeable future following a fiery crash while practising for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. Hinchcliffe remains in stable condition at an Indianapolis hospital where he will undergo further evaluations following Monday’s crash, according to a report on IndyCar’s website. “Words can’t describe how thankful I am to the Holmatro Safety Team,” Hinchcliffe said. “Those guys, in addition to the doctors and staff at the hospital, are my heroes.”
Motorcycling: MotoGP’s Espargaro brothers Aleix and Pol have both undergone surgery on the same day after last weekend’s French Grand Prix. Yamaha Tech 3 rider Pol had an operation on his right forearm in Madrid on Tuesday after experiencing problems with muscle tensing, also known as ‘arm pump’ during the race at Le Mans. Suzuki rider Aleix Espargaro had surgery in Barcelona to repair ligament damage to his right thumb after crashing heavily in practice at Le Mans.