Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 2 December 12:30 pm

Good day, let’s look at the latest sports news and scores:

# We begin with cricket: Proteas fast bowler Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka, and the upcoming all-format tour against Pakistan due to a groin injury. The 24-year-old experienced discomfort during the first Test in Durban on Saturday. The results of the scan revealed a right groin muscle strain. He will be sidelined for four to six weeks. Lions youngster Kwena Maphaka has been called up as a replacement for Coetzee for the second Test, which starts at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on Thursday.

# Rugby: The Springbok Sevens finished a disappointing sixth at the Dubai Sevens. They went down 17-15 to France in the fifth-place playoff after being knocked out of the Cup quarterfinals when they were beaten 24-17 by New Zealand. Fiji defeated Spain 17-5 in the final to take the early lead in the 2024/’25 season standings. It is the first time in six years that a side other than the Blitzboks has won in Dubai. Coach Philip Snyman says their overall performance was disappointing:

# Athletics: Olympic champions Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands were named male and female athlete of the year at the World Athletics Awards in Monaco. Twenty-one-year-old Tebogo became Botswana’s first Olympic champion when he won the 200-metres in Paris. He also picked up the male track athlete of the year award. American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was named female track athlete of the year. Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis, who broke his own world record in winning pole vault gold, was named male field athlete of the year.

# Soccer: Liverpool stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League table by beating reigning champions Manchester City two-nil at Anfield. Goals from Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah secured the win for the Reds, moving them eleven points clear of City in fifth. City have now lost their last four Premier League games for the first time since August 2008. City manager, Pep Guardiola, who signed a new two-year contract extension last month, says he remains confident in his players:

# And finally, motorsport: Seven-time Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton, says the disappointing form on which he is ending his Mercedes career does not define their 12-year journey. The British driver incurred two penalties on his way to finishing 12th in the Qatar Grand Prix. He will drive his final race for the Silver Arrows at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this weekend, as he is set to join Ferrari next season. Hamilton says he will give it his best shot in the final race:

Stay tuned for more news………….