The United States had its back on Thursday at the basketball World Cup in China, after escaping Tuesday defeat to Turkey. Team USA looked at Japan on the third day of the first group stage 98-45 (halftime: 56-23). The Americans, who have to do without their biggest stars in Shenzhen, had already created a gap of 53 points after three quarters. Top scorer Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics) was the best at 20 points. His future teammate Kemba Walker also made a big contribution with 15 points. With three victories at the same number of group matches, the United States is the first to finish in group E. The Czech Republic, which surprisingly took the upper hand of Turkey (91-76) on the final day of the game, will be runner-up to the second group stage. In it, the battered American team of coach Gregg Popovich immediately takes on Greece and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), the MVP of the last season in the NBA. Since the draw for the World Cup, this top poster has been eagerly awaited. The Greeks surprisingly went wrong in a second game against a clear Brazil, but secured their place in the next round with a victory against New Zealand (103-97). Antetokounmpo set the tone with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Australia confirmed its ambitions by winning the top match of the final match day against Lithuania with 87-82. The best players were Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs) and Aron Baynes (Phoenix Suns), who scored 23 and 21 points respectively. The first two countries of the eight groups advance to the second group stage, in which four groups of four countries are put together. The top two advance to the quarterfinals. Continue on https://m.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20190905_04593863

Arabian fights: inside the UFC’s long-term partnership with the UAE The UFC returns to the UAE for the first time in five years on Saturday, but the promotion is steeped in controversy By Karim Zidan On Saturday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will return to the United Arab Emirates for the first time following a five-year hiatus with an intriguing pay-per-view event headlined by lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov against Dustin Poirier. It will also mark the first event since MMA’s leading promotion announced a five-year partnership with Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi), which guarantees a constant stream of title fights in the Emirati capital until 2024. Sportswashing: how Saudi Arabia lobbies the US's largest sports bodies Read more The UFC 242 event will take place at the Arena on Yas Island as the culminating event of Abu Dhabi’s Showdown Week, which also includes live events such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Abu Dhabi Sports and Fitness Expo. The UFC’s inclusion as the crown jewel of the festivities is the result of the emirate’s Advantage Abu Dhabi program, which is designed to help organizers arrange festivals and shows in the region. According to a press release sent out by the UFC at the time, the partnership demonstrates the “power of the programme in creating new business opportunities in Abu Dhabi”. Continue on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/sep/04/arabian-fights-inside-the-ufcs-long-term-partnership-with-the-uae?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1RoZVJlY2FwLTE5MDkwNg%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=TheRecap&CMP=recap_email

Golfers and rugby players show cannabis is going mainstream in sport Top golfers take CBD for calmness, while Saracens locks George Kruis and Dominic Day were so impressed with it they launched their own business Andy Bull PHOTO George Kruis The first time I saw Charley Hoffman play, you would not have looked at him twice. That was at the Masters in 2015, where he stopped by the 1st tee box to beg autographs off Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. He was 38 already, a little tubby, a little schlubby, in a hat that looked two sizes too big and a pair of wraparound sunglasses so tight they gave him tan lines. Then he went and shot a 67. Well, like the old salts say at Augusta, the bars of Chicago are full of people who led majors after one round and Charley finished up tied ninth. But still, after 15 years playing pro golf, it was his first top-20 finish in a major. CONTINUE ON https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/sep/03/golfers-rugby-players-cannabis-going-mainstream?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1RoZVJlY2FwLTE5MDkwNg%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=TheRecap&CMP=recap_email

Turning our clubs into global brands means there will be more Burys Jonathan Wilson The concentration of wealth and attention on a tiny number of globalised superclubs is leading to moments of remarkable drama and quality – but at a terrible price PHOTO A scarf hanging at Bury’s Gigg Lane ground this week. A recent Set-Piece Menu podcast eloquently made the case for fandom as a broad church. When the Premier League is marketed so aggressively all over the world, when overseas television rights bring it so much revenue, when players and managers and owners are often foreign, they argued – quite reasonably – who is to deny the travelling supporter from Baltimore or Bangalore their seat in the stadium, the right to call themselves a fan? All of that made sense. On an intellectual level I agreed with it. It fitted my general liberal, globalised worldview. And yet, I realised, viscerally I disagreed: of course, I paid lip service to all that but actually I regarded my form of fandom as being more authentic and more important. 'I don't have a team any more': Bury fans on the club's collapse Read more Sunderland is part of me in a way that is beyond choice. I grew up there and my family is from there. Sunderland is the unsatisfactory repository for the emotions linked to memories of my dad and of all the mates I went to games with as a teenager. Continue on https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2019/aug/31/turning-clubs-global-brands-means-more-burys?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX1RoZVJlY2FwLTE5MDkwNg%3D%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=TheRecap&CMP=recap_email

FOTO Ronaldinho was named Minister of Tourism in Brazil, but he already has big problems with the law Ronaldinho (38 years old), the former Brazilian international, was named Minister of Tourism in his native country, but the winner of the Golden Ball has already encountered a big problem. The former star of world football can not use his passport, which was confiscated, due to an unpaid fine, worth 8 million euros . Ronaldinho was sanctioned as a result of the "illegal construction of buildings". The Brazilian was named Minister of Tourism, but he, for the moment, cannot leave the country until he has paid the fine. Ronaldinho, impressive career Ronaldinho collected 626 matches, both for club teams and for the national team, in which he scored 229 goals. In his career, the Brazilian has evolved for Fluminese, Queretaro, Flamengo, Atletic Mineiro, PSG, AC Milan and Barcelona. Ronaldinho has an incredible track record: 1x Golden Ball 1x World Championship (Brazil) 1x Champions League (Barcelona) 2x Championship of Spain (Barcelona) 2x Super Cup of Spain (Barcelona) 1x Italian Championship (AC Milan) 1x Copa Libertadores (Atletico Mineiro) 1x Copa America (Brazil) 1x Confederations Cup (Brazil) Continue on https://m.digisport.ro/special/ronaldinho-a-fost-numit-ministru-al-turismului-in-brazilia-dar-are-deja-probleme-mari-cu-legea-719533

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