Football

Soccer-Champions League race overshadowed as Serie A serves up fixture chaos

May 14 (Reuters) - The penultimate round of ⁠the Serie A campaign promises an intriguing fight for places in next season's Champions League, but a fixture scheduling stand-off ⁠between the league and local authorities has left the weekend's matches shrouded in uncertainty.

Football

Soccer-Chelsea seek FA Cup salvation after tumultuous season, Man City still eye treble

LONDON, May 14 (Reuters) - A season that began ⁠with Chelsea as FIFA Club World Cup winners has unravelled into poor form, managerial upheaval and fan protests, but redemption could ⁠still come in Saturday's FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Golf

Golf-McIlroy makes bogey start to PGA Championship as Aronimink awaits defending champion Scheffler

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pennsylvania, May 14 (Reuters) - Masters ⁠champion Rory McIlroy opened his bid for a second consecutive major title with a bogey ⁠in the first round of the PGA Championship where he was among a trio ‌of high-profile groups that headed out well before Scottie Scheffler began his quest to become the event's first repeat winner since 2019.

Rugby

Rugby-Springbok prop Ntlabakanye banned for 18 months following doping violation

May 14 (Reuters) - South Africa prop ⁠Asenathi Ntlabakanye has been banned for 18 months due to an ⁠anti-doping rule violation, his Lions franchise confirmed on Thursday, ruling ‌the player out of the 2027 Rugby World Cup barring a successful appeal.

Tennis

Tennis-Unstoppable Sinner surges into Rome semis with record 32nd straight Masters 1000 win

ROME, May 14 (Reuters) - Jannik Sinner continued his ⁠ominous form ahead of the French Open as the Italian world number one set a record with ⁠his 32nd consecutive Masters 1000 victory, brushing aside Russia's Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-4 to reach the Italian ‌Open semi-finals on Thursday.

Football

Soccer-PIF named 2026 World Cup official tournament supporter as Saudi steps up football ambitions

May 14 - Saudi Arabia's Public ⁠Investment Fund (PIF) was on Thursday named an official tournament supporter ⁠in North America and Asia for this year's World Cup, as ‌the country deepens its ties with international football ahead of hosting the 2034 tournament.

Football

Soccer-Potter's stormy season set to end on World Cup high with Sweden

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, May 14 (Reuters) - Few coaches have ⁠experienced the highs and lows that Graham Potter has this season, which started with his sacking by Premier League club West Ham United ⁠in September and will end with him leading Sweden at the World Cup in June. 

Football

Soccer-Celtic must win, Hearts need a draw in Scottish title showdown

LONDON, May 14 (Reuters) - The destination of Scotland's ⁠Premiership title will be decided at Parkhead on Saturday when Celtic need victory to become champions for the 56th time while Hearts will ⁠take the crown for the first time in 66 years and fifth in all if they win or draw.

Football

Soccer-Ancelotti close to extending Brazil contract as World Cup beckons

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 14 (Reuters) - Carlo Ancelotti arrived in Brazil with ⁠five Champions League titles as a manager, league trophies from Europe's big five competitions and a reputation for making elite dressing rooms breathe a little easier.

Football

Soccer-Title door wide open for Arsenal, but no time for a stumble

LONDON, May 14 (Reuters) - Two games, two wins, ⁠one huge north London party. It sounds such a simple scenario for Arsenal as they close in on their first Premier League title ⁠for 22 years.

Badminton

Canada's Victor adds Malaysian flavour to coaching team

PETALING JAYA: Former national player Lim Yin Siong has joined Canada's Victor Lai as part of the rising shuttler's coaching team.

Rugby

Rugby-Chiefs seek win over Highlanders to keep heat on Hurricanes

MELBOURNE, May 14 (Reuters) - The Waikato ⁠Chiefs will look to keep the pressure on the leading Wellington Hurricanes with victory over the Otago ⁠Highlanders on Friday as the playoffs race heats up in Super Rugby Pacific.

Football

Soccer-Liverpool boss Slot says Salah fit for cameo against Aston Villa

May 14 (Reuters) - Forward Mohamed Salah ⁠could make his return from injury in Liverpool's Premier League game at Aston ⁠Villa this week, manager Arne Slot said on Thursday.

Football

Soccer-Italian studio Balich to stage 'challenging' World Cup ceremonies

MILAN, May 14 (Reuters) - Italy may ⁠be absent from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the pitch but it will still leave its ⁠mark, with Milan-based Balich Wonder Studio (BWS) directing - for the first time - interconnected opening ceremonies across three countries.

Rugby

Rugby-France need to find something special to prevent another England Women's Grand Slam

LONDON, May 14 (Reuters) - When France edged England ⁠by a point in Grenoble to win the 2018 Women's Six Nations title nobody could have possibly imagined that, eight years later, ⁠that would remain the Red Roses' last defeat in a competition they have utterly dominated since.

Football

Soccer-Madonna, BTS and Shakira to headline first World Cup final halftime show

May 14 (Reuters) - Madonna ⁠and Shakira will line up with K-pop ⁠supergroup BTS to headline the first-ever World ‌Cup final halftime show at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, FIFA said on Thursday.

Badminton

Sze Fei braves through dizzy spell to reach Thai Open quarters with Izzuddin

PETALING JAYA: Men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani overcame a scare to march into the Thailand Open quarter-finals after defeating China's Huang Di-Liu Yang on Thursday (May 14).

Badminton

Farewell, former Thomas Cup captain Kew San - remembered as mentor, legend

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian sports lost one of their former greats after 1967 Thomas Cup captain Datuk Teh Kew San passed away on Thursday (May 14) at the age of 91.

Cricket

Cricket-Former England women's stumper Taylor named men's fielding coach for NZ series

May 14 (Reuters) - Former ⁠England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor will become the first ⁠female coach to work with the men's ‌senior team after being named fielding coach for next month's three-test series against New Zealand.

Cricket

Cricket-Kohli keeps putting up the numbers but it's love of the game that motivates him

NEW DELHI, May 14 (Reuters) - ⁠Virat Kohli says he wants to get the most out of the final ⁠few years of his all-time great career and the 37-year-old produced another ‌batting master class with an unbeaten hundred to send Royal Challengers Bengaluru top of the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.