SUMO

Ozeki Takakeisho withdraws from New Year meet

Sumo

Ozeki Takakeisho withdraws from New Year meet

Ozeki Takakeisho pulled out of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday following a run of poor results that wiped out his bid for promotion to the sport's highest rank of yokozuna. According to his stablemaster Tokiwayama, the 24-year-old Takakeisho injured his ankle on ...

SOCCER

FIFA report highlights pandemic's impact on transfer market

Soccer

FIFA report highlights pandemic's impact on transfer market

The number of international transfers of male soccer players in 2020 dropped by 5.4% compared to the previous year, while total transfer fees were down significantly — by 23.4% — due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a FIFA report published Monday revealed. In ...

BASEBALL

TENNIS

New coronavirus cases hit troubled Australian Open build-up

Tennis

New coronavirus cases hit troubled Australian Open build-up

Three new coronavirus cases hit the Australian Open's troubled build-up on Tuesday as a backlash grew against international tennis players flown in during a raging pandemic. Two of the new cases were players, state health officials said, taking the total infections to seven since more ...

BASKETBALL

RUGBY

OLYMPICS

FIGURE SKATING

Nathan Chen wins fifth straight U.S. title

Figure Skating

Nathan Chen wins fifth straight U.S. title

Nathan Chen landed four clean quadruple jumps in the free skate on Sunday to win the U.S. men's figure skating title for a fifth straight season. Chen's triumph in Las Vegas, Nevada, made him the first man to win five straight U.S. titles since Dick ...

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WHAT PEOPLE ARE READING

A man wearing a mask walks past a poster featuring Tokyo 2020 mascot Miraitowa in Tokyo on June 4, 2020.

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Hopes for Tokyo’s Summer Olympics growing dim

by Matthew Futterman

Plans for the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games are growing more uncertain by the day. As coronavirus cases rise throughout Japan and in several large countries in Europe and the Americas, officials both in Tokyo and with the International Olympic Committee have begun to acknowledge that holding a...

The Japan Sumo Association has come under criticism for forcing lower-division wrestler Kotokantetsu to retire rather than sit out of the New Year Basho out of fear of being infected with the coronavirus.

Sumo stables deserve more scrutiny after wrestler’s shock retirement

by John Gunning

Lower-division wrestler Kotokantetsu caused a stir on Jan. 9 by announcing his retirement from sumo over fears of catching COVID-19. The Sadogatake stable wrestler broke the news himself on Twitter — avoiding a Japan Sumo Association imposed social media ban by handing in his retirement papers...