ATHLETICS
2023 LONDON MARATHON: Reigning Olympic 5,000- and 10,000-meter champion Sifan Hassan says she is ready to take a “step into the unknown” when she takes on the London Marathon.
The Dutch athlete, who also won Olympic 1500-meter bronze in Tokyo, will come up against a trio of world record holders in her marathon debut on April 23. But she will still also target a summer track season as she considers her plans for the next Olympics in Paris in 2024.
Hassan is only the second woman to complete an Olympic distance double. In the men’s competition, Mo Farah is preparing to say an “emotional” London Marathon “goodbye” to his home support after confirming his participation in April’s race. The four-time Olympic champion, 39, expects 2023 to be his final year of racing before retirement.
BASKETBALL
The Dallas Mavericks struck a deal with the Brooklyn Nets on February 5 to land Kyrie Irving, just days after he requested a trade out of Brooklyn. The teams officially completed the deal on February 6.
Cricket
Former England captain Michael Vaughan is the only charged individual still set to appear at a disciplinary hearing at the start of next month in relation to racism allegations made by his ex-Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq.
The England and Wales Cricket Board announced on February 7 that former Yorkshire player and bowling coach Richard Pyrah had informed he would not be attending, joining Andrew Gale, Matthew Hoggard, John Blain and Tim Bresnan in refusing to engage with the process.
FOOTBALL
Turkish goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan has died as a result of the February 4 earthquake in his home country, according to his club Yeni Malatyaspor.
So sad ! Goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan of Malatyaspor dies from the earthquake. RIP!
per @yagosabuncuogluHe was a team mate of Ghana’s Godfred Donsah. #earthquakeinturkey pic.twitter.com/2jeeyGNexj
— Yaw (@anaman_osagyefo) February 7, 2023
On February 6, the Premier League charged Manchester City with more than 100 breaches of its financial rules following a four-year investigation. Man City, who won their sixth Premier League title since the 2008 takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group, has been referred to an independent commission over alleged rule breaches between 2009 and 2018. Man City is accused of not cooperating with investigators.
The commission can impose punishments ranging from a fine and point deduction to expulsion from the Premier League. “As such, we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.”
Former Germany international Mesut Özil is ready to walk away from football, according to media reports on February 3.
The former Arsenal playmaker is set to end his career after a spell in Türkiye, where he is about to have his second club contract mutually terminated. Özil currently plays for Istanbul Başakşehir F.K., a club he joined in the summer of 2022.
The 34-year-old signed a one-year deal with the club, with the option for an additional year, after agreeing to rip up his contract at Süper Lig rivals Fenerbahçe.
FEBRUARY TRANSFER: Arsenal have confirmed Omar Rekik will join Championship side Wigan Athletic on loan until the end of the season – a move that sees his loan spell with Sparta Rotterdam cut short. The 21-year-old only made five appearances in the Eredivisie, with his current deal at the Gunners running until 2025. The Tunisia international joined Arsenal in 2021 and is yet to make a senior appearance.
MMA
UFC 284: Perth, Australia (Feb 12): Islam Makhachev retained his lightweight title by unanimous decision over home favourite and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Russian Makhachev’s counter-striking and offensive wrestling gave him the win over a valiant Volkanovski in a close fight.
The UFC promoted the fight as the first meeting between their current pound-for-pound champion, Volkanovski, and their number two-ranked fighter, Makhachev. Volkanovski, who has dominated the featherweight division since winning the title in 2019, was stepping up to lightweight in the hopes of becoming the fifth simultaneous UFC champion, joining Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes, Daniel Cormier, and Henry Cejudo. Meanwhile, Makhachev was making his first title defence since defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 in October.
TENNIS
World number three Ons Jabeur has pulled out of WTA tournaments in Doha and Dubai later this month after opting to have minor surgery, the 28-year-old said on February 8.
“In order to take care of my health situation. My medical team have decided that I need to get a minor surgery in order to be able to be back on the courts and perform well,” Jabeur, last year’s Wimbledon and US Open runner-up, said on Instagram.
Photo: Sifan Hassan (Credit: Mustafa Yalçın/Anadolu Agency)
