Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 27 May 12:30 pm

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

# We start with athletics: The DA has called for calm and unity ahead of Athletics South Africa’s elections on Saturday. This follows after A-S-A president James Moloi requested police presence at the elections, a move the party says signals deep dysfunction and instability within the federation. The DA’s Joe McGluwa says the ongoing infighting, legal threats, and withdrawal of key provincial nominees reflect poor governance that continues to overshadow the achievements of athletes:

# Cricket: Proteas Women head coach, Mandla Mashimbyi, says he is very excited to have Marizanne Kapp, Tumi Sekhukhune, and Ayanda Hlubi back into the mix. The trio is part of the squad for the white-ball tour to the West Indies next month, consisting of three one-day internationals and three T20s. Kapp missed the ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka to undergo a structured conditioning block. Mashimbyi says having an experienced player like her will bode well for the team:

More cricket news: Punjab Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by seven wickets to guarantee a top-two finish in the Indian Premier League before the playoffs. Mumbai posted 184 for seven in their 20 overs. In reply, Josh Inglis and Priyansh Arya smashed 109 runs off 59 balls for the second wicket as Punjab reached the target with nine balls to spare. They will meet either Royal Challengers Bengaluru or Gujarat Titans in Thursday’s qualifier.

# And tennis: Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz got his French Open title defence to a winning start, beating Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri in straight sets to move to the second round. World number one, Jannik Sinner of Italy, defeated France’s Arthur Rinderknech, while 2021 finalist, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, saw off Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry. In the women’s draw, defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland claimed a 6-3, 6-3 win over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramková. There were also victories for Britain’s Emma Raducanu and American Madison Keys.

And, it didn’t take long for Rafael Nadal tribute T-shirts to hit the black market. The organisers of the French Open handed out 10-thousand brick-red T-shirts with the words “Merci Rafa” for Sunday’s farewell ceremony to the 14-time Spanish champion at Roland Garros, which formed a dramatic backdrop to the emotional event. But many of the T-shirts were offered for sale since, with prices ranging from three- to ten-thousand-rand. The French Tennis Federation expressed disappointment at people trying to make money from the iconic occasion.

Stay tuned for more news………….