Barbados-based seven-year-old Ashton O’Kola is back in the Caribbean after his latest triumph at the Doral Jr Classic Golf Tournament in Miami.
The best of the pint-sized O’Kola, whose parents are Jamaican, was on display at the tournament, as he came from two strokes behind after the first day to win his division with a low par of 34.
“It feels good to shoot such a low score at Doral because it’s a very tricky course and this was a really big tournament,” O’Kola said following his success.
He won ahead of Dacio Diaz (36) of Florida, and Canada's bronze medallist Edouard Marchand (38).
O’Kola is no stranger to international competitions, and this victory basically capped what was a successful year for the impressive young golfer.
Earlier in the year, he placed first in tournaments in Uganda and South Africa and won the lowest round in both tournaments. Those results followed a successful 2022 season in which he won the Pepsi Little People’s Tournament in Quincy, Illinois with a score of 29, which was one of the lowest scores in the history of the tournament.
O’Kola, who attends Providence Elementary School, also came first at Doral, and was on the podium at tournaments in Italy and Brazil.
Brian Boodramsingh is celebrating a ninth jockeys’ championship title in Trinidad and Tobago after missing almost six months of the racing year while on a stint in Canada.
On Tuesday’s Boxing Day card, the final day of the Trinidad and Tobago racing year, Boodramsingh rode three winners to survive a “tough battle” with apprentice Tristan Phillips. He achieved another championship feat with 14 wins, one ahead of Phillips and Dillon Khelawan in the 14-meet racing year.
“It was good to come back and win the championship. I believed that I could, and the trainer and owners gave me what was needed,” said Boodramsingh.
With the battle between the top three being tense throughout the race card, Boodramsingh snatched the title with victory aboard the 3-5 favourite Theory of Colours in the final race of the year, decisively edging Phillips’ mount Alpha Cetauri (5-1) by a length in a title-clinching result.
“I must thank my trainer John O’Brien for his kindness and skill in getting his horses ready to perform in the manner that they did. I thank everyone, the grooms for their support in my venture. My first two winners were easy, but I had to ride for my final victory,” Boodramsingh noted.
This was fifth-consecutive title. Boodramsingh also rode 21 winners on his just over five-month stint in Canada, where he rode predominantly at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver, with some brief trips to Century Mile in Edmonton.
Rangers have announced the loan signing of Portuguese forward Fabio Silva from Wolves until the end of the season.
Silva is set to join Rangers from January 1, subject to international clearance, and will become the first new arrival under manager Philippe Clement.
After joining Wolves from Porto in the summer of 2020 for what was then a club-record fee in the region of £35.6million, Silva had loan spells at both Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven last season.
Silva, 21, has made more than 60 Premier League appearances, the last coming as a late substitute in the defeat at Sheffield United on November 4.
“I am very happy, when I spoke to people about Glasgow and about Rangers, everyone told me good things about the club and the history,” Silva said on the Rangers website.
“I played here once with Porto in the Europa League, so I already know the warm club, the environment and the stadium, so everything is perfect.
“I am very happy to be here, and I can’t wait to start training with the team.”
Clement is confident Silva can make an impact at Ibrox.
“He is a highly rated striker and it is fantastic to have him joining our squad for the remainder of the season,” the Rangers boss said.
“He is a young player who already has some great experience in his career in both England and in Europe. I am looking forward to working with him moving forward.”
Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs feels Silva will benefit from the move to Scotland.
“This is a simple one – Fabio needs to play,” Hobbs said on the Wolves website.
“He is not getting enough opportunities here, so it’s a chance to go out and score goals and we’ll look at the future in the summer.
“Rangers don’t have a buying option, but hopefully he plays and scores goals and we’ll see where we’re at in the summer.”
West Indian cricket and broadcasting icon Michael Holding has blasted the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to charge Australian opener Usman Khawaja for wearing a black armband during the Perth Test against Pakistan.
Khawaja has been told by the ICC to keep his humanitarian appeal for the people of Palestine away from the cricket field. He was officially warned for wearing a black armband during the first Test between Australia and Pakistan in Perth.
He wanted to sport a black dove on his shoe and bat in the upcoming Boxing Day Test but even that was rejected by the ICC, and Holding says he is not “surprised” by their stance of “hypocrisy”.
“The ICC regulations say re messaging ‘approval shall not be granted for messages which relate to political, religious or racial activities or causes,” Holding explained.
“So how the f*** people were allowed to take a knee for BLM (Black Lives Matter), and stumps were covered with LGBTQ colors?” Holding questioned while speaking to The Weekend Australian.
Holding argued that the ICC has not made their stance clear.
“If it would have been some other organisation with a consistent track record, I would have been surprised, but not the ICC," he declared.
The fast-bowling legend accused the ICC of being “hypocrite” and have shown again that “they lack spine as a governing body”.
Like Holding, other observers believe that by banning Khawaja's move, as well as his subsequent request to adorn his bat with the peace symbol of a dove holding an olive branch, the ICC has inadvertently boosted his message, while revealing its own hypocrisy.
Teenage sensation Luke Littler wants to show his beloved Manchester United how to win a trophy by lifting the World Championship.
The 16-year-old has taken the Alexandra Palace tournament by storm and became the youngest player to ever qualify for the last 16 when he beat Matt Campbell on Wednesday night.
Littler, who won the World Youth Championship in November, would cause one of the biggest shocks in sporting history if he manages to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy next week.
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The teenager, who received tickets for the stadium tour at Old Trafford for Christmas and messages some of the United youth team, is hoping he can inspire his favourite side.
Asked whether he will be parading some silverware when he visits United’s home ground, he replied: “Hopefully I’ll show them how to win one.
“For Christmas I got stuff for my Xbox, a controller, gift cards and got two tickets for the Manchester United stadium tour so I will go to that after the Worlds.”
Littler’s life has changed immeasurably over the last fortnight as he has stolen the headlines for his performance on the Ally Pally stage.
He is enjoying celebrity status, with social media taking a keen interest in Littler’s love of a kebab.
“I have been on social media for a few years and I still have my own account set up, I know what is going on on there but I tend to stay off it,” he admitted.
“If there is nice things my dad will say and if there are bad things he won’t mention it.
“My Instagram was on 4,000 and now it is up to 29.2k, that is on Instagram, Twitter or X has gone up to 25 so with both I have gained 50,000 followers.”
Asked who the most famous person to message him was, he replied: “Probably JaackMaate. I have had a few of the youngsters from the Man United squad, they have been messaging me and then a few from the Warrington Wolves have been messaging me.”
And as for his go-to kebab choice, Littler added: “Doner meat, wrap with lettuce and mayonnaise.”
Napoli head coach Walter Mazzarri warned his side cannot afford any more slip-ups as they look to kick-start their campaign against Monza.
The Partenopei return to action after the Christmas break looking to avoid a third straight Serie A defeat with a lengthy injury list.
Brazilian defender Natan is the latest player facing a spell out because of a dislocated shoulder while midfielder Stanislav Lobotka has a cracked rib.
Forwards Victor Osimhen and Matteo Politano are also both missing through suspension following their dismissals in the defeat at Roma.
Mazzarri, though, maintains the squad will just have to cope as best they can as the defending champions aim to close on the top four.
“It’s a huge game against Monza. We need to play with attacking impetus and also strike the right balance,” Mazzarri told a press conference.
“We can’t have any more slip-ups. We need to get back to our brilliant selves and restore our confidence levels.”
Mazzarri, who returned for a second spell at Napoli in November, added: “We have deserved two or three more points from my first cycle back in charge based on how we have performed and how we have played on the front foot.
“That is my only regret, but I’m here to help the lads out and I’m confident we can improve.
“When we’re playing well, we usually impose our game on everyone. We’re also improving defensively.
“Unfortunately, we’ve paid for some mistakes which have led to us dropping points. The aim is to have attacking threat while striking the right balance and remaining solid.”
Mazzarri feels Napoli are not far away from turning promising performances into positive results.
“I can see that mentally this team has fire on the inside and is acquiring the sort of spirit that I like. We need to channel that energy in a positive way,” he said.
“I am sure that as soon as a few things go our way, we will see a Napoli side that never gives up and shows what we are capable of – that is what will show we are on the right path.”
Monza coach Raffaele Palladino feels his side must be “hungry” to get themselves back on track following their own run of three defeats from the past four games.
“We want to put in a great performance,” said Palladino, who returns to his hometown club. “We face the Italian champions who have great players.
“I saw a good week (of training). We worked well and we want to score points. We have to start doing well again. I want a team hungry for results.”
Simone Inzaghi believes Inter Milan can head into 2024 with plenty of enthusiasm as his side aim to finish the campaign with more silverware.
The Serie A leaders return to action after the Christmas break at Genoa on Friday night for their final match of the year.
While there was disappointment in defeat by Manchester City in the 2023 Champions League final, Inter lifted both the Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia.
Inzaghi feels Inter can continue to build on progress over the past year as they look to maintain the pace at the top of the table and also make an impact again in Europe, having been drawn against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16.
“2023 has been very satisfying. We’ve won a couple of trophies and played a very exciting Champions League final,” Inzaghi told Inter TV.
“It’s nice not to forget what we’ve achieved, but we have plenty of ambition and are looking ahead to the new year with plenty of enthusiasm. We want to go far together with our fans.”
Inzaghi added: “We are happy with our numbers from the first 17 matches. We still have 21 games to play and will need to maintain our excellent attacking and defensive numbers.
“The secret is the real willingness that all the players are displaying.”
Inter should have French defender Benjamin Pavard available again for the trip to Genoa, but Lautaro Martinez, Federico Dimarco and Juan Cuadrado remain out injured.
“The rotation of the squad needs to be a solution and mustn’t become a problem,” Inzaghi said.
“It is something that has served us well during periods where we have had so many matches in quick succession.”
Genoa held Juventus to a 1-1 draw in their last home game and Inzaghi is expecting a stern test against the Rossoblu.
“It will be a hard-fought game,” he said. “Genoa are in good form and have high-quality players and a well-prepared coach who is doing well.
“We will have to be shrewd and play with real intensity.”
Genoa coach Alberto Gilardino hopes his side can produce another positive display to build on their win at Sassuolo ahead of the Christmas break.
“We face the strongest team in the championship, one of the best defences in Europe and a very good coach,” Gilardino said at a press conference.
“We come to play this match after two positive results, so we must face this match in the best way.
“We must not allow ourselves to lose even a millimetre in our approach.
“The boys are eager to get a positive result and have a positive attitude in the match.”
England will be without Manu Tuilagi for the start of the Six Nations after he suffered a groin injury in Sale’s Gallagher Premiership victory over Saracens last Friday.
Tuilagi limped off early in the second half with a grade three tear and has been told he faces six weeks of rehabilitation, although he does not require surgery.
The powerful 32-year-old centre, who was a regular in England’s midfield during the recent World Cup, will miss at least the Championship opener against Italy on February 3.
“Manu has pulled his groin and we think he’s going to be back during the Six Nations, but not for the first week,” Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson said.
“I spoke to him and he’s like ‘I need to play and if I’m good to play it’s up to England regarding selection’.
“He was in the frame before and I’ve stated before his intent to keep playing international rugby.
“Six weeks is the recommended time for the injury and Manu is saying four.”
Tuilagi, who returned from the World Cup with a broken hand, was plagued by a long-term groin problem earlier in his career and more recently has been troubled by damage to both hamstrings.
Sale prop Bevan Rodd will miss the entire Six Nations after undergoing toe surgery.
Chris Dobey overcame a scare from Ross Smith to win 4-2 at the World Darts Championships.
A back-and-forth contest that saw 27 maximums posted throughout started with Dobey taking the first set with a 116 checkout before continuing his ruthless run to clinch the second with an average of 122.
The world number 17 took the opening two legs in the third, but was unable to find the crucial doubles as Smith dragged himself back into the game to pull one back.
Smith drew level but another tight set saw Dobey edge ahead and he hit double 16 for the match to set up a meeting with reigning world champion Michael Smith in the last 16.
Another close contest saw Joe Cullen reach the next round with a 4-2 win over Ryan Searle.
Cullen breezed through the opening two sets but Searle found some rhythm to take the third.
“Heavy Metal” put up a fightback in the fourth, where a tight deciding leg saw him take advantage of Cullen’s missed double with a 124 finish on the bullseye to level the match.
A cagey set followed as “The Rockstar” edged to victory and another tight set followed, but Cullen managed to hit double top for the win.
Stephen Bunting produced a stunning performance to beat Florian Hempel 4-0.
An electric opening saw Bunting set the tone with two 180s in his opening leg before winning the next one, but an excellent 164 checkout spurred Hempel on as he took the next two legs.
With the first set level at 2-2, the “Bullet” took the decider with an average of 115.62 and from there the momentum was firmly with Bunting as he swept Hempel away with a whitewash, averaging 101.15 throughout.
Victory means Bunting will now face Michael van Gerwen in the last 16.
Isco has signed a contract extension with Real Betis until 2027, the club have announced.
The midfield player, who joined Betis from Sevilla in the summer, has scored twice in 17 LaLiga appearances this season.
The former Real Madrid man has been an important player for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who sit in seventh place ahead of their trip to Celta Vigo next week.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight (135 lbs.) Champion Aljamain Sterling will try his luck in a new division when he takes on Calvin Kattar in a featherweight (145 lbs.) contest at UFC 300 in Las Vegas on April 13.
The 34-year-old Sterling, born in New York to Jamaican parents, will be looking to rebound from losing his bantamweight title via second round TKO to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in Boston on August 19.
Before that fight, Sterling was unbeaten in nine fights since a 2017 loss to former title challenger, Brazilian Marlon Moraes.
In 2021, Sterling won the title in controversial fashion after UFC 259 opponent Petr Yan was disqualified after throwing an illegal knee.
A year later at UFC 273, Sterling successfully beat Yan in a rematch before producing two more successful title defenses over former champions TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo at UFC 280 and 288, respectively.
His three successful title defenses are the most in the history of the UFC Bantamweight division.
UFC 300 marks the start of a new chapter of Sterling’s career with the move up to featherweight.
His opponent for the showpiece event, Calvin Kattar, is currently seventh on the UFC Featherweight rankings and is coming off a pair of losses to Josh Emmett (currently ranked #6) and Arnold Allen (currently ranked #4).
“I think this is going to be a banger fight,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel.
“I feel good about how everything’s been going. I’m loving the training right now. We’ve been able to add some new stuff to the game working on some technical things,” he added.
Sterling was usually able to use a wrestling-heavy style at bantamweight because of a size advantage over most of his opponents.
Most people would think that with a move up in weight, his style would change as well. Sterling says this will not be the case.
“My game is not going to change. I’m not going to change what got me to the show but it’s always good to evolve in case Calvin puts me in these situations where I’m forced to fight a certain way, we’ll be ready and that’s the most important thing,” he said.
As for the move up to featherweight, Sterling says he’s excited for the new chapter.
“I can’t wait. There are so many good fights, so many good guys. It’s going to be a dog pack to get through and, if I can get through this the same way I did at 35, that’s going to be a huge feather in my cap and something that I’m going to appreciate for the rest of my career and the rest of my life,” he said.
“It’s not easy changing weight classes. There’s a couple of things you have to get used to mentally. Coming from guys who are lighter where I kind of had my way in terms of grappling, it’s going to be interesting to see how this transition is going to pay off for me in the future,” Sterling added.
Galopin Des Champs returned to his brilliant best with a stunning display in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown.
Beaten by Fastorslow in his two races since winning the Gold Cup in March, his task was eased when that rival was declared a non-runner on account of the ground, but Willie Mullins’ seven-year-old still impressed with a wide-margin win.
Having raced a little lethargically on his comeback in the John Durkan Chase, he looked full of enthusiasm on this occasion.
With Conflated setting a generous gallop in front, Paul Townend was content to take a lead in second with Gerri Colombe, Gordon Elliott’s big hope, just in behind.
The order stayed pretty much the same throughout but Galopin Des Champs was making several lengths with his brilliant jumping on the way round.
Henry de Bromhead’s A Plus Tard, himself a previous Gold Cup winner, could not get on terms at any stage and Gerri Colombe was under pressure a long way from home.
Townend took a wide course coming off the final bend and with just the last fence standing between him and victory, Galopin Des Champs flew it before pulling further and further clear, with the 6-4 favourite winning by 23 lengths from Gerri Colombe.
Coral make Galopin Des Champs even money for a second Gold Cup in March, with Betfair and Paddy Power slightly bigger at 5-4.
Gaelic Warrior ran out a tremendous winner of the Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick.
Racing in the famous pink and green Susannah and Rich Ricci colours that Faugheen sported throughout his illustrious career, he looks booked for the very top.
While in the past connections have hinted at a preference for going right-handed, the 4-7 favourite jumped as straight as an arrow on this occasion in the hands of Patrick Mullins.
The leading amateur also rode Faugheen to glory in the corresponding race in 2019, a highlight he still refers to as one of the best days of his career.
He will surely have never ridden an easier Grade One winner as, despite coming up against the smart American Mike, who had lowered the colours of subsequent impressive winner Fact To File last time out, and stablemate Il Etait Temps, a Grade One winner over hurdles, the five-year-old proved in a different league.
Gaelic Warrior’s only worry was when Danny Mullins attempted to sneak up the inner of his stablemate and cousin on the run to the second-last, but once he came out on top in the brief skirmish the race was over.
He crossed the line five and a half lengths clear without coming off the bridle and Willie Mullins will now have to decide which race he runs in at Cheltenham in March, with all options seemingly open trip-wise.
Perhaps tellingly, Betfair go only 7-1 for next year’s King George.
Irish Point announced himself as a major player in the staying division with an authoritative display in the Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Trained by Gordon Elliott, the five-year-old was a Grade One-winning novice at Aintree in the spring and returned to action this season with a victory over the useful mare Magical Zoe.
This represented a steep rise in grade, however, against last year’s winner Home By The Lee, Asterion Forlonge and Buddy One.
By the time Home By The Lee had cried enough on the turn for home, Jack Kennedy came looming up between horses on Irish Point, the heavily backed even-money favourite.
Asterion Forlonge was the only one to go with him but only briefly and Irish Point cruised to an 11-length success.
He runs in Brian Acheson’s Robcour colours, who already have one legitimate Stayers’ Hurdle contender in Teahupoo. Coral make the pair their 4-1 joint-favourites for the race in March.
“Jack said he would have done more in a piece of work at home,” said Elliott.
“He was very professional, settled and did everything great.
“You are always worried stepping up to three miles. It’s a nice race to win, we’ve a couple for that division now and it’s a good problem to have.
“We’ve a great bunch of horses and Jack said to me there that all I have to do now is to make sure to split them up.
“He could be a horse that we’d keep for Aintree, we’ll enjoy today and see what happens. The horse was very good and I thought it was a great performance.
“I thought he was so relaxed that he ticked all the boxes to stay, but you are always nervous until he does it.
“Jack said he actually thought halfway down the back that he was so relaxed, but he said when he gave him a squeeze he leapt straight back on it.”
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