Sports
D’Tigress qualify for 2024 Olympics despite loss to US
D’Tigress of Nigeria have qualified for the women’s basketball event of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Nigeria booked a place after Belgium defeated Senegal on Friday at the ongoing 2024 Olympics qualification tournament in Belgium.
Earlier, D’Tigress had lost to the US 100-46 in their second game at the competition, but a favourable result in the other match in the group sent them on their way to Paris.
🇳🇬 D'TIGRESS BOOKED THEIR SPOT AT #Paris2024 🇳🇬#FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/QQc6Ab2Psr
— FIBA (@FIBA) February 9, 2024
Nigeria also defeated Senegal 72-65 in their first game of the tournament, which gave the team a massive advantage over their West African neighbours.
The appearance in Paris will be the third time D’Tigress will be qualifying for the Olympic Games.
The ladies qualified for Athens 2004 and featured at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
D’Tigress are yet to register a win in the competition. In 2004, they lost all five games and conceded over 400 points.
In Tokyo, they were defeated 87-62 at the hands of France in their first game and also lost 81-72 to the US in their second game before a 102-83 loss to Japan in the last fixture.
D’Tigers failed to qualify for the Paris Games after falling short at the pre-qualifiers for the Olympics.
The 2024 Olympics is billed to be held between July 26 and August 11.
Sports
AC Milan appoints Sergio Conceicao as new coach
Sergio Conceicao was named the new coach of AC Milan replacing his fellow Portuguese Paulo Fonseca who was sacked earlier on Monday, the Serie A club announced.
“AC Milan announces that Sergio Paulo Marceneiro da Conceicao has been appointed as the Head Coach of the men’s first team until June 30, 2026,” Milan said in a statement.
Conceicao takes over a Milan side that lies eighth in Serie A, eight points off the Champions League places.
Sports
Mike Tyson confirms return to ring in 2025
Boxing legend Mike Tyson has confirmed his return to the ring in 2025, but this time it’s not in the way fans might expect, Marca reports Monday.
Tyson, whose last fight ended in a loss to Jake Paul on November 15, 2023, has been teasing a major comeback, much to the curiosity of the boxing world.
The 58-year-old’s last appearance in the ring was against Paul at the AT&T Stadium, a fight that raised eyebrows due to the 29-year age gap between the two competitors.
Despite the scrutiny, Tyson expressed gratitude for the opportunity and even admitted he couldn’t remember the fight.
“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won,” Tyson said in an interview with Netflix after the final bell. “I’m grateful for last night. To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you.”
The fight, which ended in an unconvincing defeat for Tyson, may have marked the end of his boxing career, but fans are still holding on to the hope of one more iconic appearance from the former undisputed heavyweight champion.
Should Tyson officially retire, he will bow out of a career that spanned over four decades, leaving behind a remarkable 50-7-0 record, 44 knockouts, and a legacy as the youngest boxing champion in history.
However, Tyson’s potential return to the ring is now being overshadowed by an unlikely new challenger: Joe Gatto of Impractical Jokers fame. Gatto, known for his comedic antics, has thrown his hat into the ring, joking that he will be facing off against Tyson in 2025.
The announcement was made with a mock poster of the two fighters promoting the “bout” as part of a marketing stunt.
“Exciting news,” Gatto wrote on Instagram on Saturday. “In 2025, I will enter the ring with the legendary @MikeTyson. Training starts 1/1/25 and you can watch it all on @hulu.”
“My new show #FightingWeight will document my transformation from fat to fit as I push myself to the limit. I appreciate the support of my team to make this happen and of course to @bellagio for hosting the event this summer. New year. New me.”
While this may seem like an outlandish idea, Gatto’s playful announcement is actually a clever marketing move for his upcoming health and fitness television show, FightingWeight.
The show will document Gatto’s transformation as he strives to lose weight and improve his physical fitness, pushing his body to the limit in a way fans have never seen before.
“My new show #FightingWeight will document my transformation from fat to fit as I push myself to the limit,” Gatto continued in his post. “I appreciate the support of all who made this happen & to @Bellagio for hosting the event this summer. New year. New me.”
As the boxing world eagerly awaits Tyson’s next move, it’s clear that while the legend himself may be stepping back from professional fighting, the excitement surrounding his potential return will continue to captivate fans for years to come.
Whether it’s a final farewell or the beginning of an unexpected chapter, the sport media noted that Tyson’s legacy remains undeniably intact—one that forever changed the world of boxing.
Sports
AC Milan sack coach Paulo Fonseca after just six months
AC Milan sacked coach Paulo Fonseca on Monday with the Italian giants failing to maintain a consistent push for Champions League places in Serie A.
The 51-year-old Portuguese handler had pre-empted the announcement by saying he had been fired as he left the San Siro following his press conference after the draw with AS Roma on Sunday.
His compatriot Sergio Conceicao is expected to replace the former Shakhtar Donetsk, Roma and Lille coach.
The 1-1 draw was the sixth of the season and left them in seventh spot eight points off Lazio in the fourth and final Champions League place, and also a massive 12 adrift of city rivals Inter, who are challenging for the title.
“AC Milan announces that Paulo Fonseca has been relieved from his duties as Head Coach of the Men’s First Team,” read a statement from the club.
“The Club extends its gratitude to Paulo for his great professionalism and wishes him the very best in his future endeavours.”
Conceicao has Serie A experience as a player and is available after the 50-year-old ended a seven-year spell as Porto coach in June this year.
Milan, the seven-time European champions, have been battling inconsistent form and fan anger.
Fonseca has been in open conflict with senior players and questioned his squad’s commitment, repeatedly going after countryman and star winger Rafael Leao and dropping France full-back Theo Hernandez for a teenage academy player in a dismal goalless draw with Genoa earlier this month.
Meanwhile the cub’s fans are on a war footing, attacking the owners on December 21 when a celebration of the club’s 125th birthday was marred not just by a poor match and the very obvious absence of Paolo Maldini among the iconic players parading on the pitch, but also chants demanding that owners, US investment fund RedBird, sell up.
Supporters then turned up outside a private party for the anniversary, barracking most of the arriving players and displaying banners with messages like “a club with no ambition, you’re not worthy of our history”.
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