PARIS: International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said at the Paris Games on Saturday he will not seek to remain in charge for a third term.
“New times are calling for new leaders,” the 70-year-old German lawyer, who has been in charge since 2013, told a session of IOC members in the French capital.
Bach said he was asked to stay in his role but insisted he would not attempt to extend his mandate by changing the Olympic charter that limits the president to a maximum of 12 years in the role.
“I know with this decision I am disappointing many of you... But it is in the best interests of our beloved Olympic movement,” he said.
His successor will be elected during the IOC’s 143rd session in Athens from March 18-21, 2025 and will take office the following June.
The jostling to succeed Bach will now begin, with some well-informed IOC watchers tipping Zimbabwean former swimmer Kirsty Coventry, 40, for the role.
Aruban Nicole Hoevertsz, a 60-year-old former synchronized swimmer and IOC vice president, has also been cited as a possible contender along with World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe, a British two-time Olympic gold medallist over 1,500m.
Bach, who won gold for West Germany in the foil fencing team event at the 1976 Olympics, was elected an IOC member at the age of 37 and went on to play a series of influential roles within the organization, notably as a founding member of the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, before taking over from Jacques Rogge.
When he was elected in 2013, the Bavarian claimed to embody the renewal of Olympism — in particular with less expensive and more environmentally friendly Games — with the slogan “change or be changed.”
“This mantra also applies to myself,” he said, before pausing for a few moments, with tears in his eyes.
Bach has repeatedly voiced his opposition to sports boycotts, attempting to establish a watertight boundary between political conflicts and the Olympics.
The next president will be able to prepare for the future with peace of mind with the summer and winter Olympic Games awarded until 2034, with “significant” interest in the 2036 and 2040 editions, Bach said.
Olympics chief Thomas Bach says will not seek third term
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Olympics chief Thomas Bach says will not seek third term
- “New times are calling for new leaders,” the 70-year-old German lawyer told a session of IOC members
- “I know with this decision I am disappointing many of you... But it is in the best interests of our beloved Olympic movement“
No Jokic, no problem as Gordon, Nuggets stun Warriors
- A dazzling display from Aaron Gordon inspired what was ultimately a comfortable win for the Denver Nuggets
- Gordon scored 38 points, six rebounds and three assists to halt the Golden State Warriors’ seven-game winning streak
LOS ANGELES, United States: Aaron Gordon scored 38 points as the Denver Nuggets shrugged off the absence of Nikola Jokic to halt the Golden State Warriors’ seven-game winning streak with a 114-105 victory over their NBA Western Conference rivals on Monday.
A dazzling display from Gordon inspired what was ultimately a comfortable win for Denver, who were missing regular starters Jokic and Jamal Murray from their line-up.
The absentees were barely felt by Denver though, who startled the Warriors early at San Francisco’s Chase Center and led for most of the game.
The Warriors threatened to stage a late rally after slashing the Nuggets’ fourth-quarter lead from 15 points to three points, but Denver pulled away in the closing stages to secure a deserved win.
Gordon finished with 38 points, six rebounds and three assists while Michael Porter Jr. provided offensive support with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
The Warriors were always chasing the game after failing to threaten from long range, making just eight of 33 three-point attempts. Jimmy Butler led the Golden State scorers with 23 points.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr lambasted his side’s “awful” performance.
“We played poorly out of the gate and never found rhythm and they played great,” Kerr said. “The right team won. We didn’t deserve that. We were awful.”
Denver improved to 44-25 to remain in third place in the West. The Warriors dropped to 39-29 and are sixth in the standings.
The Los Angeles Lakers are just behind Denver in fourth place in the West after a 125-109 blowout over the San Antonio Spurs.
With LeBron James still injured, Austin Reaves led the Lakers scoring with 30 points while Luka Doncic had 21 points with nine rebounds and 14 assists.
Elsewhere, the in-form Houston Rockets staged an incredible second-half comeback to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers, overturning a 25-point third-quarter deficit to win 144-137 in an overtime thriller.
The struggling Sixers – who received another gloomy injury bulletin with news that Paul George would miss the remainder of the regular season – stunned Houston after outscoring the hosts 44-28 in the first quarter.
After leading 78-57 at half-time, the Sixers stretched their advantage to 25 points early in the third quarter.
But Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks led a dramatic turnaround as the Rockets suddenly began to find their shooting range, outscoring the Sixers 45-24 in the third quarter.
The Rockets knotted the score at 131-131 with 3.9secs remaining, before dominating overtime to bring up their seventh straight win to remain second in the Western Conference on 44-25, 12.5 games behind leaders Oklahoma City.
Quentin Grimes led Philadelphia with 46 points including eight three-pointers, while Green and Jabari Smith Jr. topped the Houston scoring with 30 points apiece.
There was another overtime thriller in Minnesota, where Obi Toppin finished with 34 points, 10 rebounds and two assists to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 132-130 win over the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards led the Wolves scoring with 38 points.
In New York, 28 points from Mikal Bridges powered the Knicks to a 116-95 defeat of the visiting Miami Heat.
The Knicks, who improved to 43-24 to remain third in the Eastern Conference rankings, effectively decided the contest after blitzing Miami 41-15 in the third quarter, stretching the lead to 27 points early in the fourth before cruising home.
Miami fell to 29-39 and are ninth in the East.
The Detroit Pistons continued their pursuit of the Knicks in the East with a 127-81 thrashing of the New Orleans Pelicans in the Big Easy.
Detroit improved to 38-31 to stay in sixth place in the East.
The Pelicans are now 18-51, one place off the bottom of the Western Conference ahead of Utah, who slumped to their 54th defeat of the campaign in a 111-97 loss to Chicago.
Big-hitting New Zealand crush Pakistan by five wickets for 2-0 lead
- New Zealand reached 137-5 with 11 balls to spare after Pakistan posted 135-9 off 15 overs
- New Zealand can wrap up series if they are victorious in game three in Auckland on Friday
Dunedin, New Zealand: New Zealand’s openers went on a six-hitting blitz on Tuesday to thrash Pakistan by five wickets and go 2-0 up in their Twenty20 series.
The home side reached 137-5 with 11 balls to spare in Dunedin to take control of the five-match series after Pakistan posted 135-9 off 15 overs in a rain-reduced second match.
New Zealand’s highlight was a ferocious opening stand between Tim Seifert and Finn Allen in which seven of the first eight scoring shots were sixes.
Remarkably, Seifert played out a maiden off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s opening over before Allen cleared the small University Oval boundary three times in the second over, bowled by Mohammad Ali.
Seifert then smashed 26 off Afridi’s second over, including four sixes.
Seifert, who top-scored with 44 in the nine-wicket win in Christchurch on Sunday, departed on 45 off 22 balls.
Allen fell soon afterwards for 38 off 16, with the openers hammering five sixes each.
Four New Zealand wickets fell in the space of four overs midway through the chase before Mitch Hay’s unbeaten 21 made the outcome safe.
Earlier, captain Salman Agha top-scored with 46 off 28 balls, launching a recovery after Pakistan were sent in and lost opener Hasan Nawaz without scoring for the second time in the series.
They were 19-2 in the fourth over before the skipper embarked on a knock that featured four fours and three sixes.
Shadab Khan was aggressive in the middle order with 26 off 14 balls and Afridi was not-out 22 off 14.
Four New Zealand bowlers took two wickets, including seamer Ben Sears and all-rounder Jimmy Neesham, who were both recalled, in place of Tim Robinson and Kyle Jamieson.
New Zealand can wrap up the series if victorious in game three in Auckland on Friday.
Pakistan Tekken 8 team delivers historic victory in Seoul, dismantling South Korea
- Pakistan wins with seven of the best players from both countries taking part in special Tekken 8 team event
- Winning team included Pakistan’s Arslan Siddique, considered one of the greatest Tekken players in the world currently
ISLAMABAD: A team from Pakistan delivered a historic victory in Seoul this week in a special Tekken 8 event, dismantling South Korea’s long-standing dominance in competitive Tekken esports.
South Korea had for years been the leading force in competitive Tekken until Pakistan’s Arslan Siddique, better known as Arslan Ash, began to gain prominence by winning major international tournaments. He is a five-time EVO champion, having emerged victorious in EVO Las Vegas 2019, 2023, 2024 as well as EVO Japan 2019 and 2023.
Considered one of the greatest Tekken players in the world currently, Ash became the first professional gamer in 2023 to win the global Tekken 7 title four times. Ash also won the Tekken World Tour Finals 2023 and has made the Tekken battle between Pakistan and South Korea one of the most enduring and celebrated storylines in the esports community.
“Pakistan is the best Tekken region in the world again,” Ash posted on X, after Pakistan’s win against South Korea, with seven of the best players from each country taking part.
The players participating in the Pakistan team event were TM|Arslan Ash, DRX|Knee, Falcons|Atif, KDF|Ulsan, Falcons|Farzeen, Varrel|Rangchu, QAD|TheJon, KDF|CBM, Fate|Numan Ch, VIT|JeonDDing, ROC|Usama Abbasi, KDF|Mulgold, TM|Hafiz Tanveer and DRX|Chanel.
“With yet another Pakistan Tekken victory, the nation has cemented its position at the pinnacle of competitive Tekken,” Pakistan’s top tech news and media outlet, TechJuice, reported on Monday.
“Once seen as challengers, Pakistan’s Tekken warriors have rewritten history, proving that the Tekken esports landscape belongs to them.”
March Madness tips off with First Four in Dayton
- The Tar Heels (22-13) seemed a long shot to make the tournament with a 1-12 record in Quadrant 1 games, but were chosen Sunday
- The No. 11 seed is the lowest ever for North Carolina, who are making their 54th NCAA Tournament appearance, second-most to Kentucky’s 62
DAYTON, Ohio: North Carolina was a controversial selection for the NCAA Tournament, but the Tar Heels can silence some skeptics with a win over San Diego State on Tuesday night at the First Four.
The winner will face No. 6 seed Mississippi on Friday in Milwaukee.
The Tar Heels (22-13) seemed a long shot to make the tournament with a 1-12 record in Quadrant 1 games, but were chosen Sunday thanks to a strong nonconference schedule and other metrics.
“I didn’t listen to bracketology,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said Monday. “I didn’t listen after our name was selected on CBS. I didn’t listen to the telecasts. I haven’t listened to anybody’s comments in regards to selections, seedings. I know that we’re really excited to be a part of this, and we’re looking forward to tomorrow night.”
UNC’s inclusion fueled some conspiracy theories, with athletic director Bubba Cunningham being chair of the selection committee.
Rules state that Cunningham could not participate in the debate about his team, so the vice chair, Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill, presided over discussions about the Tar Heels.
The knock against North Carolina was a lack of Quad 1 wins. But the Tar Heels played the nation’s fifth-toughest nonconference schedule, which included games against No. 1 NCAA Tournament seeds Auburn and Florida, No. 2 seeds Alabama and Michigan State, and a trip to Kansas, which earned a No. 7 seed.
And the Tar Heels had higher rankings in the NET (36th), KenPom (33rd) and BPI (25th) than West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio State and Boise State, the first four teams left out of the field.
Additionally, they finished slightly ahead of the Mountaineers for best among that group in Wins Above Bubble (WAB), a metric added this year looking at how many more or fewer wins a team has against its schedule compared to what a bubble team would expect.
Regardless, San Diego State (21-9) isn’t going to make things easy for the Tar Heels.
The Aztecs lead the nation in field goal percentage defense (.378) and rank 13th in defensive efficiency.
“I think our identity is in our defense and our effort,” forward Jared Coleman-Jones said. “I think that if we play really good defense and we play with effort and we play with swagger, I think everything else is going to handle itself.”
RJ Davis carries the load for the Tar Heels, averaging 17 points and 3.7 assists per game.
The No. 11 seed is the lowest ever for North Carolina, who are making their 54th NCAA Tournament appearance, second-most to Kentucky’s 62.
Despite the questions about their resume, the Tar Heels practiced on Sunday and prepared to play.
“I think we’ve all kind of felt the hate, the disagreement, all that,” guard Seth Trimble said. “We’re just running with it. We definitely feel like we’ve got something to prove.”
Familiar foes
When No. 11 seeds Texas and Xavier play on Wednesday night in Dayton, it will mark the fourth time since 1990 the teams have met in the NCAA Tournament.
The Longhorns (19-15) beat the Musketeers 83-71 in the 2023 Sweet 16. In 2004, Xavier beat Texas 79-71 to reach the Elite Eight before losing to top-seeded Duke 66-63.
Zach Freemantle returned from injury and averaged 19.8 points during a seven-game winning streak to close the regular season, helping the Musketeers (21-11) return to the tournament after missing out last year.
The First Four extends the standout freshman season for Longhorns guard Tre Johnson, who led the SEC in scoring with 19.8 points per game.
The Longhorns and Musketeers were firmly on the bubble entering Selection Sunday. The winner will face No. 6 seed Illinois on Friday night in Milwaukee.
“It’s so difficult to make the tournament,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “There’s so much invested. We played our best basketball as we entered March.”
Unlikely dancers
Saint Francis (PA) made an unlikely return to the University of Dayton Arena after becoming the 19th team to reach the NCAA Tournament with a losing record.
The Red Flashes (16-17) lost their season opener 87-57 to the Dayton Flyers on Nov. 4, and few would have predicted they’d return to the same building in March.
“We’re obviously very excited we’ve already played here before,” Saint Francis guard Riley Parker said. “The first game we played here didn’t turn out our way, so we’re just trying to come back here and make it right.”
Saint Francis are making theirvsecond NCAA Tournament appearance, first since 1991.
The Red Flashes face Alabama State (19-15) in a matchup of No. 16 seeds on Tuesday night. The Hornets’ last tournament appearance was in 2011. The winner will face No. 1 overall seed Auburn on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky.
Teams with losing records entering the NCAA Tournament have gone 0-18.
Deep threat
No. 16 seeds American (22-12) and Mount St. Mary’s (22-12) meet in Dayton on Wednesday night, with the winner earning a date with No. 1 seed Duke in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday.
The player to watch for American is 6-foot-9 Matt Rogers, who leads the team with 59 3-pointers. His 1.7 made 3s per game ranked 12th in the Patriot League.
Dola Adebayo leads Mount St. Mary’s with 13.2 points per game. The Mountaineers averaged more than 70 points per game and shot 34 percent from 3-point range this season.
The two Washington D.C. area programs have a long history. This will be the 71st meeting between the schools. American leads the series 37-33, including four straight wins entering Wednesday.
Messi out of World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to adductor injury
- Inter Miami said Messi underwent an MRI “to assess the extent of the discomfort in his adductor region”
- Argentine media initially reported Messi suffered a sore left thigh on Sunday during Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: Lionel Messi will miss Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil over the next eight days because of an injury to his adductor.
The 37-year-old Messi was not included in the 25-man squad announced on Monday by coach Lionel Scaloni. Later Monday, Inter Miami said Messi — the reigning Major League Soccer MVP — underwent an MRI “to assess the extent of the discomfort in his adductor region,” an injury that the team said occurred in Sunday’s win over Atlanta United.
“The examination’s findings confirmed the presence of a low-grade injury in the adductor muscle,” Inter Miami said. “His clinical progress and response to treatment will determine his availability for competition.”
Argentine media initially reported Messi suffered a sore left thigh on Sunday during Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory.
Argentina, who lead South America, will visit second-placed Uruguay on Friday and host fifth-placed Brazil four days later at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.
Messi was not the only absentee for the two matches that could seal Argentina’s qualification. Also ruled out were Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Montiel and Giovani Lo Celso.
Scaloni also dropped Alejandro Garnacho and Claudio Echeverri from the larger squad announced on March 2.
Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner who captained and led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, has been sidelined several times by Inter Miami this season because of injury concerns.
This month, Messi missed three games but returned on Thursday for the second leg of the round-of-16 CONCACAF Champions Cup tie against Cavalier SC.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said Messi was fit to start against Atlanta on Sunday. Messi scored in the 20th minute, just before he was reported to have been injured.
