Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 12 March 12:30 pm

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

# We start off with athletics: A former South African long jump star is making a comeback today after serving a second drug ban. Luvo Manyonga served a ban in 2012 before clinching silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016, and gold at the world championships in 2017. He was banned again in 2020 for missing a mandatory drug test. Thirty-four-year-old Manyonga will participate in Athletics South Africa’s Grand Prix meeting in Pretoria tonight. His last competitive meeting was in London in 2019, where he jumped a season’s best of 8.37-metre.

# Cricket: The Proteas Women will compete in a one-day international tri-series against Sri Lanka and India in Colombo next month. This will be an important preparation for the World Cup in India later this year. The tour will also mark South Africa’s first trip to Sri Lanka since the 2017 World Cup qualifiers, in which the Proteas lost by one wicket to India in the final. Coach Mandla Mashimbyi says the tour will allow them to check which combinations work best for the conditions.

# Motorsport: Australian Oscar Piastri has agreed to a new multi-year contract extension with Formula One team McLaren. His current contract expires next year. The 23-year-old, who joined the team in 2023, finished a career-best fourth in the drivers’ championship last year, which played a key role in McLaren securing the constructors’ title for the first time since 1998. Piastri says it is a great feeling knowing that he is part of McLaren’s long-term vision:

# Tennis: Defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland is through to the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Masters in the US. The world number two, who is bidding to become the first woman to win the tournament three times, thrashed Czech Karolina Muchova 6-1, 6-1. Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina battled past American Jessica Pegula. In the men’s draw, Denmark’s Holger Rune defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to end the Greek’s seven-match winning streak.

# And finally, golf: Fifteen-time major champion Tiger Woods has undergone surgery after rupturing his left Achilles tendon while ramping up training at home. The 49-year-old says the surgery went well, and he expects to make a full recovery. Woods, who last competed in an official PGA Tour event in July last year, could miss The Masters at Augusta National next month.

Stay tuned for more news………….