Snooker: Veteran Leeds cueman Peter Lines produced a major shock by sinking defending champion Neil Robertson in the first round at the UK Championship. With Robertson out of sorts, Lines took full advantage and a deserved 6-3 victory thrilled the small army of fans who made the short trip to support him at York’s Barbican Centre. At the age of 46, Lines lost his tour card in the summer after almost 25 seasons as a professional. He is nominally considered an amateur, although that does not stop him earning prize money, and he pockets a modest £5,000 for now after one of the best wins of his career.
Boxing: Filipino boxer and Senator Manny Pacquiao said he would carry on fighting next year after unveiling a new boxing gym in downtown Tokyo yesterday. The 37-year-old southpaw returned to the ring after a seven-month retirement to claim the WBO welterweight title by beating Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas earlier this month. “I think about it, I can still fight and my body is still okay so I decided to come back and I’m here, my journey is continued,” Pacquiao told reporters.
Cricket: Limited overs specialist Jos Buttler will replace the struggling Ben Duckett in a re-jigged England batting line-up, skipper Alastair Cook confirmed ahead of his team’s third test against India beginning today. The tourists will also miss the services of paceman Stuart Broad and left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari through injuries as they press for a series-levelling victory at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium. Buttler played the last of his 15 tests against Pakistan last year.
Winter Games: China wants to get 300 million citizens involved in winter sports by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The country’s top economic planner said yesterday that the number and scale of China’s current facilities did not match its winter sports development targets. “At the moment... there is a large gap with other developed countries with winter sports,” the National Development and Reform Commission said. Beijing’s bid for the Winter Games is dogged by concerns over issues ranging from the city’s notorious smog problem to a lack of snow – and the country’s poor record on human rights.
Boxing: Orlando Cruz will become the first openly gay world champion if he defeats Terry Flanagan to win the WBO lightweight title in Cardiff tonight. The 35-year-old Puerto Rican has fought nine times since coming out in 2012 and says he hopes his success will give others the courage to open up about their sexuality. Cruz will be fighting at the lightweight limit for the first time today. He lost a world featherweight title bid against Orlando Salido in Las Vegas in October 2013. Cruz said: “I want to inspire the gay community by becoming a world champion.”