TOKYO: China has won the right to host the 2019 basketball World Cup, beating the Philippines in Friday’s vote in Tokyo.
The sport’s international ruling body FIBA chose basketball-mad China following a presentation by the country’s delegation, helped by former NBA giant Yao Ming.
“I’m very excited to bring the 2019 World Cup to China,” said the one-time Houston Rockets great, who represented China at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“I’m sure millions of Chinese fans share the same joy. I know the feeling to play in your home country and I’m sure that same feeling will encourage many young athletes to play basketball.
“We have to make sure we deliver on the promises we’ve made,” added Yao, arguably his country’s biggest sporting celebrity.
“We have to develop the level of basketball in China, in the national team, in the professional league, in high school and college.”
The Philippines lost out, meanwhile, despite the support of boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, himself an avid basketball fan, who was on hand in Tokyo to press his country’s case.
China beats Philippines in vote for FIBA World Cup
China beats Philippines in vote for FIBA World Cup
Sweden’s Ekstrom takes Dakar stage seven win in Saudi Arabia
- Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah stays top in the car category
WADI AL-DAWASI: Mattias Ekstrom won stage seven of the Dakar Rally on Sunday as the field started the second week in Saudi Arabia with late drama for Toyota’s Henk Lategan while Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah stayed top in the car category.
South African Lategan had looked like taking the stage and overall lead but let both slip through his fingers after the day’s final checkpoint.
Instead, Sweden’s Ekstrom, winner of the prologue in a Ford Raptor, became the first driver in the top car category to take more than one stage this year.
Lategan had led Ekstrom after 417 of 459km from Riyadh to Wadi Al-Dawasir, but finished eight minutes and 35 seconds behind the winner after having to stop for 10 minutes at the 428km mark.
Ekstrom moved up to second overall, four minutes and 47 seconds behind Dacia Sandriders’ five-times Dakar winner Al-Attiyah with Lategan third.
Spaniard Nani Roma was fourth for Ford after being reinstated by stewards late on Saturday’s rest day as winner of stage five and having a one minute and 10 second penalty rescinded.
In the motorcycle category, Australian Daniel Sanders extended his lead over American rival Ricky Brabec to four minutes and 25 seconds with Argentine rider Luciano Benavides a further 15 seconds adrift.
Sanders had been a mere 45 seconds clear after Friday’s sixth stage but Honda’s Brabec finished the 459km stage 10th to the Australian’s fourth.
Argentine Benavides won the stage, his second triumph of the event, in a one-two for the Red Bull KTM factory team with Spaniard Edgar Canet, while Honda’s French challenger Adrien Van Beveren was third.
Monday’s 481km stage eight is the longest of the race with riders and drivers navigating canyons and dunes around Wadi Ad Dawasir.
