Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 19 May 12:30 pm

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

# We start with cricket: All tickets have reportedly been sold out for the New Year’s Test between the Proteas and England at Newlands in Cape Town. The super popular date returns after it was skipped this year. Ticket sales opened yesterday, with Cricket South Africa confirming shortly afterwards all tickets were snatched up. The match will be the third and final one in England’s first Test series in South Africa since 2019. The first Test starts in Johannesburg on 17 December, and the second in Centurion on the 26th.

Other cricket news: Five teams are fighting it out for the only remaining spot in the play-offs of the Indian Premier League. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad have already qualified, while Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants have been eliminated. This leaves Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Kolkata Knight Riders vying for the fourth qualifying spot. The first qualifier will be played next Tuesday, the eliminator the next day, the second qualifier next Friday and the final next Sunday.

# Rugby: Springbok Women head coach Swys de Bruin has picked a strong 28-player squad for the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup set to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from Saturday. Anathi Qolo will captain the side, which includes nine uncapped players and eight capped players who are returning to international action. South Africa, who are the defending champions, will face Uganda, Madagascar and hosts Kenya. De Bruin says this tournament is a perfect opportunity to blood new players and give some capped players proper game time.

# Soccer: Thirty-four-year-old forward, Neymar, has been included in Brazil’s 26-man squad for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA. He is Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 79 goals, but has not played for his country since 2023 after struggling with injuries. Manager Carlo Ancelotti has also included La Liga stars Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid and Barcelona’s Raphinha. Premier League players, including Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, and Manchester United’s Casemiro and Matheus Cunha, are also in the squad. Brazil has won the World Cup five times.

# And golf: LIV Golf is reportedly seeking approximately 4.15-billion-rand in investment capital beyond this year. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced last month it will no longer fund the league beyond this season. The sovereign wealth fund is taking a strategic pivot towards domestic programmes, cutting expenditures on global ventures that have failed to generate returns. LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil is reportedly also looking at a secondary 2.5-billion-rand investment plan, contingent on team sales and a new media rights deal bridging the gap.

Stay tuned for more news………….