Sports News 12:30

BULLETIN SPORTS NEWS 11 March 12:30 pm

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

# We start off with motorsport: South Africa’s Brad Binder finished second for MotoGP team Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix. Italy’s reigning world champion, Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia, stormed into the lead in the opening lap and held it until the end to win the race. Polesitter Spain’s Jorge Martin of Pramac Racing had to settle for third. Bagnaia leads the world championship standings with 31 points followed by Binder in second and Martin in third.

Meanwhile, British teenager Oliver Bearman says there wasn’t much more he could do to prove he was ready for a full-time position in Formula One. This follows his dream debut when he replaced sick Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz in the weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The 18-year-old delivered an impressive performance to finish seventh. Red Bull’s drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, took the first two positions, followed by Charles Leclerc of Ferrari. Bearman was thrilled to score points in his debut race:

# Tennis: Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is through to the fourth round at Indian Wells. The Spaniard defeated Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2, 6-3 to extend his winning streak in the US tournament to eight matches. Italian third seed Jannik Sinner beat German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4 to progress to the round of 16, while 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece defeated American Frances Tiafoe in straight sets. Alcaraz says he is really happy with his level at the moment:

# Golf: Mexican Abraham Ancer won the inaugural LIV Golf tournament in Hong Kong in a playoff. He held a five-shot lead going into the final round but a two-over 72 dropped him back to 13 under for the tournament alongside Australia’s Cameron Smith and England’s Paul Casey. Ancer regrouped on the first play-off hole with a brilliant birdie to capture his first LIV victory. He describes the victory as difficult but special:

# And finally, figure skating: The South African National Figure Skating Championships are taking place at The Ice Station at Grandwest in Cape Town today until Wednesday. Today, the public can watch short programmes featuring solo dance patterns and rhythm dance from two in the afternoon until ten in the evening. Tomorrow, there will be more solo dances and synchronised skating, culminating in the prizegiving ceremony for all sections except dance. On Wednesday, the competition ends with more figure skating. Tickets cost 75-rand per person today and tomorrow, and 50-rand on Wednesday.

Stay tuned for more news………….