Jamaica’s Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson was left with a mixed bag of emotions after his Reggae Boyz suffered a tough 1-3 loss to Ecuador in a hard-fought Copa America encounter in Las Vegas, on Wednesday.

While he lauded his players’ efforts and resilience on the pitch at the Allegiant Stadium, Hallgrimsson did not shy away from expressing his disappointment with the officiating that he believes marred the match, and ultimately eliminated his team from the tournament.

An historic first Copa America goal scored by Michail Antonio in the 54th minute, highlighted Jamaica’s stout-hearted performance, which Hallgrimsson believes could have brought about a more positive result if a potential penalty was awarded to his team by Chilean Referee Cristian Reyes.

Antonio’s strike, his fourth since joining the Jamaican setup, was also the country’s first across its three appearances in the prestigious CONMEBOL tournament. They also graced the tournament in 2015 and 2016.

Ecuador’s goals were courtesy of Kasey Palmer’s 14th-minute own-goal, with Kendry Paez’s 45+4-minute penalty and Alan Minda (90+2) being the others.

“First half was difficult for us Ecuador came out strong which we knew they would so we give them credit for that. We then tweaked or tactics and we started going at them with a high pressing line in the second half because we had nothing to lose at two-nil down. We scored one goal early which was important we should have had a penalty.

“If the first one was a penalty the second one should have been a penalty as well because they were identical incidents, but one was given in favour of Ecuador and we didn’t get ours. So give credit to my players for never giving up until the end, we took risk and Ecuador did well in one counter attack and scored the third goal,” a disappointed Hallgrimsson said in a post-match conference.

“I think it was just more positivity, more power, more on the front foot. We had nothing to lose [being] two under so we decided to go all in. I must give my players credit for everything they gave for the second half; they left everything on the pitch [but], sadly, results didn’t go in our favour. There’s a lot of things that didn’t go to us in this game. We deserved to have more — especially after the second-half performance,” he added.

Hallgrimsson stressed the contentious decision by the referee, as he recounted the incident, emphasizing the need for fair play and consistency in officiating.

The incident in question happened in 70th minute when Michael Hector toed the ball onto the outstretched hand of Steven Franco, but referee Reyes saw no issue with the infringement, even after a lengthy VAR check.  This served as a slap in the face of the Boyz, who were on the other end of a similar incident in the first half when a ball clipped Greg Leigh’s elbow and a penalty awarded to Ecuador.

“I thought we should have had a penalty, like Ecuador had a penalty. I don’t see a difference between the two instances so I don’t know why the referee, after looking at it, decided not to give us a penalty but decided to give them a penalty,” Hallgrimsson argued

“I cannot, for the love of God, I don’t want to say much but I don’t understand the difference between those two. I haven’t got the reason. I’ve seen the replay and, for the love of God, I don’t know why this wasn’t a penalty if the other one was a penalty. I can’t answer for [the referee]. I wish they could sit here and answer that question for me,” he reasoned.

Despite the officiating controversies, Hallgrimsson took some of his players to task, even as he remained focused on the positives.

The Jamaicans, who are rooted at the bottom of group B with no point, will close another failed Copa America campaign against Venezuela, in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.

“Too many players had an off day for us in the first half and when you play these kind of tournaments you cannot have that, but we just didn’t have a response to the pressure that Ecuador applied early. But I don’t think the game was a 3-1 scoreline, we played better than that so it is kind of embarrassing to go with that scoreline,” he ended.

Conor Benn admits he fell out of love with boxing following his failed drugs tests but is willing to “spend every last penny” to prove his innocence in the appeal.

Benn’s career was thrown into turmoil in October 2022 after he twice tested positive for the banned drug clomifene in the lead-up to a bout against Chris Eubank Jr that was subsequently shelved in fight week.

His provisional suspension was lifted by the independent National Anti-Doping Panel, although the British Boxing Board of Control and UK Anti-Doping have lodged an appeal against that decision.

The 27-year-old was hoping to face Eubank Jr in a rearranged clash following the collapse of the initial fight until talks fell through and is now instead preparing for his second fight since returning to the ring, against Peter Dobson on February 3 in Las Vegas.

Benn emotionally explained his struggles to stay motivated in the aftermath of the failed tests.

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He said: “I’m willing to spend every last penny I have to fight my innocence, that’s how much this means to me.

“I know how hard it is to drag myself to the gym, fall out of love with boxing and still have to stay disciplined.

“I’ve been so demotivated for the past year-and-a-half. It wasn’t motivation that got me through, it was discipline and determination to do what’s right.

“I will continue to shout it from the rooftops for my innocence because I am.”

Benn made a first high-profile public appearance since the episode when Anthony Joshua fought Jermaine Franklin in April 2023 at the O2 Arena and was overwhelmed with the attention he received.

The son of former two-division world champion Nigel Benn felt his family’s name had been tarnished and has spoken about how the news of the failed tests left him feeling suicidal.

“That (affecting family reputation) was the worst thing to deal with, the shame. You get so emotional talking about it. My dad still loves me, I still love him,” he said.

“I went to AJ v Franklin in April. When I talk about anxiety, I thought I’m not ready to front this and had security with me and I thought I’d have it there for different reasons. I got mobbed, I couldn’t walk.

“I didn’t leave the house – when I walked to Sainsbury’s, I had to walk back and forget the shop because I couldn’t handle it. I’m one hell of a fighter, I’m bold, fearless, but I’m still human. I care about my name.

“It has been taxing, testing, like I’ve been through hell and back. Some days I’ve not been motivated and down in the dumps, some days I have been suicidal. I’ve learned a lot in the process and it’s made me a better man.”

Benn now switches his attention to the fight with American Dobson, his second consecutive fight outside the UK.

Benn is looking forward to coming back and fighting in the UK in the future but knows he has a job to do before he starts thinking about bigger fights.

He added: “I treat him (Dobson) as the world title fight, the big fight because without him there is no big fight.

“Fighting in Orlando and now Vegas is not under the best conditions, but it’s a big chapter and I like the way my book’s coming along.

“I just can’t wait for the homecoming. I’m excited to fight in America because that’s where all the world titles are. It’s every fighter’s dream to show in America, let alone Vegas, the home of boxing over there.”

:: Conor Benn and Peter Dobson will put their unbeaten records on the line live on DAZN

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers savoured "a very special" night after they saw off the Boston Celtics in the closing stages of a dramatic in-season tournament quarterfinal.

Indiana has reached the final four stage in Las Vegas and will face the winner of Tuesday's game between the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks in the semifinals.

The Pacers won 122-112 on Monday, spurred on by a tiebreaking four-point play from Haliburton with 1:33 left, which delighted an electric home crowd and sparked a decisive 9-0 run.

Haliburton had 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds to record his first career triple-double at the perfect time, putting his team two wins away from NBA Cup glory.

He had missed Saturday's win over the Miami Heat with a respiratory infection and conceded he felt "dead" in a first half where he struggled with his breathing, but after using an inhaler at halftime the 23-year-old was able to produce a memorable second-half performance that led his team to a famous victory.

Haliburton was thrilled to upset the odds against Boston, who blew out Indiana 155-104 in November and came into the quarterfinal with a league-leading 15-4 record.

"We have wanted to be in this situation all year – and here we are," Haliburton said, per ESPN.

"Now it's not just about being here. It's about winning.

"It feels good to win, especially in a game where nobody expected us to. The atmosphere was crazy.

"It means the world to me to represent Indiana and this organization. I don't even know if it was as much about what was at stake, as it was about what they did to us the last time. I think that left a bad taste in our mouths."

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle felt the tournament clash was like a playoff game.

"The thing about the in-season tournament is that as you advance, you're going to play two more games – win or lose in the quarterfinals – against better opponents," he said. 

"And so this is something that's great for us because we need high level competition. 

"It really is another thing that is a simulator of playoff basketball. So it really helps us. And so, coming out with the win was big for a lot of reasons that I mentioned.

"But I know this is very special to Tyrese as well."

Center Myles Turner has been with the Pacers since 2015 so is well qualified to put the atmosphere and occasion into context.

"I haven't heard it like this here in like three or four years, probably since Victor Oladipo was here," he said after scoring 17 points and adding 10 boards.

"The energy was just incredible. I think this city really started rallying around this team. The story, the backstory of it all makes it the most special.

"And the fact that he [Haliburton] got his opportunity, he is able to take it and run with it ... I mean, it's just dope to see where this franchise, where I started with to what it's becoming and what it potentially can become from the same level. 

"It's honestly, like I said, it goes back to the atmosphere. I haven't heard MVP chants, maybe when Oladipo was here, but Ty's really come in and taken over and it's fun stuff."

Jayson Tatum had 32 points and 12 rebounds for Boston, while Jaylen Brown scored 30 points and added nine boards.

But those efforts were still not enough to prevent elimination as Boston played without injured All-Star Kristaps Porzingis.

The defeat left Tatum disappointed to miss out on the Las Vegas showpiece as the in-season tournament continues to gain momentum and popularity.

"We got to just be more connected defensively," he said. "But, I mean, it's the NBA. Sometimes guys are going to make plays.

"He [Haliburton] hit some tough shots. So it's kind of two fold. Guys get paid a lot of money to play basketball, and they're pretty good.

"Yeah. I wanted to go to Vegas, I didn't want to go home. I wanted to go Vegas, so yeah, I'm mad. Next year, I guess."

Indiana's semifinal will be on Thursday, a day before Boston hosts the loser of the New York-Milwaukee quarterfinal in their next game.

Ricky Hatton won his light-heavyweight bout with Paulie Malignaggi after the American’s corner retired him in the 11th round on this day in 2008.

Hatton, breaking from his trademark brawling style in his first fight under new trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr, was a different class against the slick but light-punching Malignaggi.

The victory took Hatton’s professional record to 45-1 (32 KOs) in the same ring he had suffered his only defeat almost a year earlier, a 10th-round stoppage by Floyd Mayweather Jr at welterweight.

This time it was Hatton, 30, bringing proceedings to an early halt as referee Kenny Bayless stepped in to record a TKO verdict when Malignaggi’s corner retired their man 28 seconds into the penultimate round.

“I think bearing in mind I’ve only done seven weeks with Floyd, I showed the changes that we’ve been working on,” Hatton said, after defeating Malignaggi.

“I don’t think you’ve seen Ricky Hatton move his head as much or jab as much. Sometimes the red mist set in and I put my foot on the gas but Rome wasn’t built in a day and I think with the changes that me and Floyd have been working on what I did tonight was quite impressive.

“So I’d like to thank Floyd for bringing back my hunger for the game.”

Hatton only fought twice more after that victory, losing to Manny Pacquiao six months later before ending his career three years later following a loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz are left to pick up the pieces of another failed Concacaf Gold Cup campaign, as they again fell by the wayside at the semi-final stage, losing 0-3 to Mexico in an entertaining encounter at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, on Wednesday.

Henry Martin opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, before Luis Chavez (30th) inflicted more pain, leaving substitute Roberto Alvarado (90+3) to throw salt in the Jamaicans wounds and send eight-time champions Mexico into their third-consecutive Gold Cup final.

They will meet 2005 and 2013 finalists Panama in Sunday’s final, after the Central Americans defeated United States 5-4 on sudden-death penalty after playing out a 1-1 stalemate in full and extra time at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.

With a large turnout of Jamaican spectators inside the 61,000-capacity stadium, the Reggae Boyz, who were finalists in the 2015 and 2017 tournaments, and also 2019 semi-finalist, started with a burst of purpose but it evaporated as briskly as it started.

This, as Mexico won possession from the failed Jamaican attack, in the middle of the park and broke down the right channel.  A long pass switching the point of attack was picked up by Jesus Gallardo, whose pass across the 18-yard box found an unmarked Martin, who applied an easy finish beyond Andre Blake.

The Mexicans went close to doubling the lead eight minutes later, but Blake diving full stretch to his left, denied Erick Sanchez’s left-footed effort from the top of the 18-yard box.

Though the Jamaicans orchestrated a few quick breaks, using their speed an athleticism down the channels, they were unable to make it count in the final third, where the lacked composure.

In fact, it wasn’t until the 24th minute that they got a shot off at Guillermo Ochoa’s goal when Demarai Gray found space for a right-footer from outside the 18-yard box that was easily collected by the Mexican shot stopper.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, they soon found themselves two goals down at the half-hour mark when Chavez’s delightfully taken left-footed free kick from about 25 yards out, rendered a five-man wall useless, beating Blake’s full stretch dive to his right.

While the action remained lively for the most parts, neither team was able to create any more meaningful chances in the latter stages of the half, as they went to the break with the score unchanged.

Heimir Hallgrimsson made a tactical change at the top of the second half, bringing on striker Shamar Nicholson for holding midfielder Kevon Lambert and the move worked to some extent, as the Reggae Boyz started seeing more possession of the ball in the attacking third.

They went close to pulling on back in the 54th minute, after Leon Bailey orchestrated a decent buildup in which he switched the attack to Michail Antonio, who whipped a one-time pass across the face of goal, but Nicholson was late in arriving at the far post.

As the Jamaicans continued to enjoy a good passage of play with Mexico at a lull, Antonio had the opportunity to hit the target from a solo run in the 75^th minute. However, the West Ham United man was hesitant in pulling the trigger and the belated effort was charged down.

Both teams continued the probe for goals, the Jamaicans moreso, but while they came up empty in their hunt, Jaime Lozano’s side helped themselves to another. Poor defending by Damion Lowe allowed Gallardo a free run in the box to play a pass across the face of goal for Alvarado to tap in from close range in time added.

Teams: Jamaica- Andre Blake, Damion Lowe, Javain Brown (Dexter Lembikisa 51st), Kevon Lambert (Shamar Nicholson 46th), Bobby Reid, Amari'i Bell, Dishon Bernard, Joel Latibeaudiere (Daniel Johnson 85^th), Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Michail Antonio (Dujuan Richards 85^th)

Subs not used: Jahmali Waite, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Adrian Mariappa, Kemar Lawrence, Jonathan Russell, Kaheem Parris, Corey Burke,

Booked: Brown (29^th), Lambert (39^th), Bernard (55^th)

Mexico –Guillermo Ochoa, Jorge Sanchez, Cesar Montes, Johan Vasquez, Jesus Gallardo, Erick Sanchez (Carlos Rodriguez 62^nd), Luis Romo, Luis Chavez (Edson Alvarez 72nd), Uriel Antuna (Roberto Alvarado 72^nd), Henry Martin (Santiago Gimenez 63^rd), Orbelin Pineda (Diego Lainez 87^th)

Subs not used: Antonio Rodriguez, Angel Malagon, Julian Araujo, Gerardo Arteaga, Ozziel Herrera, Israel Reyes, Victor Guzman

Booked: Antuna (61^st), Alvarez (90^th)

Referee: Mario Escobar (Guatemala)

Assistant referee: Luis Ventura (Guatemala); Humberto Panjoj (Guatemala)

Fourth Official: Bryan Lopez (Guatemala)

Undisputed world super-middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has announced he will return to the ring against Jermell Charlo in September.

The bout between the Mexican superstar and the super-welterweight champion from America is set to take place in Las Vegas on September 30, the two fighters posted on social media.

Alvarez successfully defended his world titles against Britain’s John Ryder on May 6 this year.

The 32-year-old won by unanimous decision in front of more than 50,000 people in Guadalajara, Mexico, improving his overall record to 59-2-2.

Charlo, 33, is currently the undisputed super-welterweight champion, holding the WBO, IBF, WBA and WBC belts having won 35 of his 37 fights with just one loss back in 2018.

Alvarez had previously been linked with a clash against Jermell’s twin brother Jermall, who fights at middleweight level.

Jamaican mixed martial artist Randy Brown secured a unanimous decision win over Brazilian veteran Francisco Trinaldo at UFC Fight Night: Dern vs Yan in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Trinaldo, 44, went into the fight with a 28-8 record in MMA and 18-7 in the UFC, including wins in his last two outings.

“Trinaldo was a heck of a test. I don’t think that was my best work. I know my coaches know that and I think the fans watching at home know it as well,” he said in the post-fight interview.

“I’m excited. He was a true veteran, absolute honor to just get in there and mix it up with him. I definitely felt that experience in there so much love to Trinaldo and I appreciate that,” he added.

Brown, 32, is now 16-4 in his MMA career (9-4 in the UFC) and has four wins in a row in a loaded welterweight division and made it known where his focus is going forward.

“It doesn’t really matter to me to be honest, I’m ready. I want to just bounce back in and get one more for the year. I just want to keep moving forward and keep running it up and getting cheques. That’s what it’s about. I want to take care of my family and leave a legacy,” he said.

Ten-time Jamaican national shot put champion Dorian Scott has been appointed head coach of the women's track & field/cross country programs at UNLV, the university announced on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old Scott takes up the appointment after serving for the last nine years as the Director of Field Events and Throws Coach at Florida State University where he coached the likes of Gleneve Grange, Shanice Love, Kellion Knibb, who were each national junior record holders as well as Emmanuel Oniya and Chadwick DaCosta.

According to UNLV’s Athletics Director Desiree Reed-Francois, Scott, a two-time Olympian was the best fit for the school.

"Dorian's values-based leadership, preparation both as an Olympic athlete and as a coach at the highest levels, along with his commitment to the student-athletes holistic development became apparent throughout this process," Reed-Francois said.

"He has an infectious enthusiasm, a relentless work ethic and he will bring a very high energy to our program. His focus on excellence both on and off the track and field, as well as his coaching and recruiting experience at Florida State will continue our upward trajectory and positive momentum.

 "Dorian's plan and vision for the future of the UNLV track & field and cross country programs were impressive, and we look forward to competing for championships under his direction in the near future. Thank you to Sarah Wattenberg and the search committee for their leadership throughout this search."

Scott, who is also a two-time Commonwealth Games silver medalist said he was grateful for the opportunity.

"I would like to thank UNLV President Keith E. Whitfield and Director of Athletics Desiree Reed-Francois for the opportunity to join such an exciting and dynamic athletics department. It is a true honour to become the head coach of track and field/cross country at UNLV,” he said.

“I'm excited to elevate the program and to bring some special student-athletes to this amazing city. My family and I can't wait to join the UNLV community!

"I would also like to thank the administration and staff at Florida State, especially head coach Bob Braman, for his leadership and support. He entrusted me to help build up the field events and gave me a lot of freedom to make FSU throws my own. I would not be the coach I am without my experience at FSU."

During Scott’s tenure at FSU, the women’s programme won seven ACC titles while the men have won nine. His throwers have also set seven school records.

Scott, who was named the 2017 USATFCCA South Region Women's Assistant Coach of the Year, rejoined the Florida State program in 2012 after coaching the 2012 season at San Diego State University as an assistant. While there, he coached one of SDSU's student-athletes to the 2012 NCAA Outdoor discus title, which contributed to the Aztecs finishing in the top 10.

 As a student-athlete at Florida State, Scott became the No. 2 shot-putter in school history. He earned first-team All-America honours in 2005, contributing to the team's fourth-place national finish - the program's best in 25 years. The 2005 ACC Outdoor shot put champion, he was a five-time All-ACC honoree and part of five conference team titles. He still holds FSU's Mike Long Track record (21.45 meters/70-4.50), which he set as a professional in 2008 prior to the Beijing Olympics. Scott also became the first Jamaican thrower to reach the finals in the shot put during the 2012 London Olympics.