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China Ends Japan's Long Reign to Win Women's Basketball Asia Cup Title

China's Han Xu, right, and Li Meng embrace as they celebrate after defeating Japan in the Asia Cup women's basketball final in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, July 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
China's Han Xu, right, and Li Meng embrace as they celebrate after defeating Japan in the Asia Cup women's basketball final in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, July 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
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China Ends Japan's Long Reign to Win Women's Basketball Asia Cup Title

China's Han Xu, right, and Li Meng embrace as they celebrate after defeating Japan in the Asia Cup women's basketball final in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, July 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
China's Han Xu, right, and Li Meng embrace as they celebrate after defeating Japan in the Asia Cup women's basketball final in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, July 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

China rallied to claim its first women’s basketball Asia Cup title since 2012 as they beat five-time defending champion Japan 73-71 in an epic final on Sunday.
Trailing at halftime it appeared China may fall for a third consecutive time in a title game as reigning champions Japan scored the last 14 points of the first half to lead by nine points.
Led by player of the tournament center Xu Han, China seized the momentum early in the third quarter and took what proved a match-winning lead late in the game to end their 12-year wait for a gold medal in front of a large crowd in Sydney.
Xu finished with a match-defining 26 points and 10 rebounds to complete the feat of recording a double-double in every game of the tournament. Siyu Wang scored 17 points.
Maki Takada led Japan with 17 points and four rebounds, with Saki Hayashi scoring 12 points for Japan.
China's title follows its silver medal at the women’s basketball World Cup, also held in Sydney, late last year.
Japan and China met in the 2019 and 2021 title games with the Japanese prevailing in both to claim their fourth and fifth titles.
Earlier Saturday, host nation Australia claimed its third consecutive bronze medal as they cruised past New Zealand 81-59 to repeat its result from Bengaluru, India in 2019 and Amman, Jordan in 2021.
Alice Kunek contributed a team high 19 points and Anneli Maley completed a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Tess Madgen scored 14 points with five rebounds and three steals for the Opals.
The eight-team regional tournament doubled as qualifying for next year’s Olympics, with the semifinalists — Japan, Australia, China and New Zealand — qualifying for Paris 2024.

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Liverpool Condemns 'Dehumanizing, Cowardly' Racist Abuse of Konate

Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool in action during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd leg match between Liverpool and Galatasaray in Liverpool, Great Britain, 18 March 2026. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool in action during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd leg match between Liverpool and Galatasaray in Liverpool, Great Britain, 18 March 2026. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
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Liverpool Condemns 'Dehumanizing, Cowardly' Racist Abuse of Konate

Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool in action during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd leg match between Liverpool and Galatasaray in Liverpool, Great Britain, 18 March 2026. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool in action during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd leg match between Liverpool and Galatasaray in Liverpool, Great Britain, 18 March 2026. EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate was the target of “vile and abhorrent” racist abuse online, the Premier League club said Friday.

Konate was targeted after Wednesday's Champions League victory against Galatasaray when he was involved in an incident that led to opposition striker Victor Osimhen sustaining a fractured arm.

Liverpool condemned the abuse as “dehumanizing, cowardly and rooted in hate.” It called on social media companies to do more to stamp it out, The Associated Press reported.

“Our players are not targets. They are human beings. The abuse that continues to be directed at players, often hidden behind anonymous accounts, is a stain on the game and on the platforms that allow it to persist,” the club said in a statement.

Liverpool said social media companies had the power and technology to prevent abuse.

“Allowing racist hatred to spread unchecked is a choice – and it is one that continues to harm players, families and communities across the game.”

Liverpool said it was supporting Konate and working with authorities to try to identify those responsible for the abuse.

Last month four Premier League players were targeted with racist abuse online over the same weekend.

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana, Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri and Wolverhampton striker Tolu Arokodare shared images of messages they were sent on Instagram. Sunderland winger Romaine Mundle was also subjected to “vile online racist abuse,” his club said in a statement.

Kick It Out, a British-based anti-discrimination charity, repeated its calls for platforms to do more to address the problem that persists in elite soccer.

At the last Women's European Championship, England defender Jess Carter revealed she had been subject to racial abuse online.

“The current situation cannot be allowed to continue. It must be confronted, challenged and eradicated – not tomorrow, but now,” Liverpool said.

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Excited Arteta Says Trophyless Run will Add to Arsenal's Drive in League Cup Final 

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (File Photo/AFP)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (File Photo/AFP)
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Excited Arteta Says Trophyless Run will Add to Arsenal's Drive in League Cup Final 

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (File Photo/AFP)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (File Photo/AFP)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta shook off the nerves ahead of Sunday's League Cup final against Manchester City, saying his team were determined to win their first silverware in six years.

Arsenal, who finished second in the Premier League in the last three seasons, have not won a major trophy since the FA Cup in 2020.

With Arsenal sitting nine points above second-placed City in the English top flight and reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the FA Cup, Arteta said their trophy drought added to their drive ahead of this weekend's showdown at Wembley, Reuters reported.

"When you have been in this position and years without a trophy, it adds more necessity but also more drive. That's something that we have, it's important for us and something we've been looking to achieve for a while," Arteta told reporters on Friday.

Arteta was an assistant coach at City when Pep Guardiola's side beat Arsenal at the League Cup final in 2018. City have won the Premier League six times since then, also lifting the FA Cup twice and the Champions League in 2022-23.

Asked if a win on Sunday can help Arsenal win more trophies down the line, Arteta said it would be a massive boost for the players.

"We want it so much," the Spaniard said.

But the 43-year-old denied being under extra pressure ahead of facing City, who have not beaten Arsenal in their last four meetings, although three of those matches ended in draws.

"Excited. Enthusiastic. Positive," Arteta said when asked about nerves.

With four trophies still up for grabs this season, Arteta played down talk of achieving a quadruple.

"No, we need to go game by game. Trophy by trophy," he said.

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Injured Salah Out of Liverpool's Brighton Trip and Egypt's Game with Spain

Liverpool's Egyptian forward #11 Mohamed Salah applauds as he leaves the pitch after being substituted during the UEFA Champions League, round of 16 second leg football match between Liverpool and Galatasaray at Anfield in Liverpool, north-west England on March 18, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian forward #11 Mohamed Salah applauds as he leaves the pitch after being substituted during the UEFA Champions League, round of 16 second leg football match between Liverpool and Galatasaray at Anfield in Liverpool, north-west England on March 18, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
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Injured Salah Out of Liverpool's Brighton Trip and Egypt's Game with Spain

Liverpool's Egyptian forward #11 Mohamed Salah applauds as he leaves the pitch after being substituted during the UEFA Champions League, round of 16 second leg football match between Liverpool and Galatasaray at Anfield in Liverpool, north-west England on March 18, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian forward #11 Mohamed Salah applauds as he leaves the pitch after being substituted during the UEFA Champions League, round of 16 second leg football match between Liverpool and Galatasaray at Anfield in Liverpool, north-west England on March 18, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

Injured Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah will miss Saturday's trip to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League and Egypt's friendly with Spain on March 31, manager Arne Slot said on Friday.

The injury caused Salah to ask to be substituted during Wednesday's 4-0 Champions League win over Galatasaray, after the 33-year-old shrugged off a missed penalty to score the final goal of the last-16 tie, which Liverpool won 4-1 on aggregate.

"He is not available for tomorrow. Good thing for Liverpool is we go ⁠to the international ⁠break. Bad news for Egypt, he can't go there," Slot told reporters, adding that Salah had a muscle issue.

"Mo has shown in the past he can recover faster than other players. He takes such good care of his body, he can be ⁠back earlier than others as history has shown. But it's only two weeks until we go again so let's hope in that period of time he can be back."

Salah, who has netted four goals and provided four assists in his last nine appearances for Liverpool, was scheduled to travel to Barcelona where Egypt are set to face Spain in a match that was originally scheduled to take place in ⁠Qatar.

The match ⁠was moved due to the conflict in the Middle East, the Egyptian Football Association said on Thursday.

Liverpool, who sit two points below fourth-placed Aston Villa in their Premier League title defense, are looking for their first win in three English top-flight games.

"We only have 60 hours of rest after putting in an enormous physical performance. Brighton has always been a team who want to play, bring the ball out from the back, and make it a very intense game," Slot added.