Digest

SURFING

World's elite making waves in Hainan

Dozens of the world's best surfers descended on China's tropical island province of Hainan on Monday for the Corona Open China tournament.

A total of 188 surfers－110 male and 78 female－are fighting for Olympic qualification points at Riyuewan Beach in the eastern coastal city of Wanning.

"Since surfing was included on the program at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, more and more people in China have begun to focus on and love this sport," said Zhang Min, an official from the General Administration of Sport of China.

"We are already seeing Chinese surfers developing very quickly," said the World Surf League's Asia general manager, Steve Robertson, adding that a number of Chinese surfers will feature inside the world's top 100 after this event.

Known for its abundant natural resources, cultural heritage and beautiful environment, Wanning's Riyue Bay is considered one of the best locations for surfing in China.

The Corona Open China concludes on Jan 12.

SOCCER

Roma great De Rossi calls time on career

Veteran former Italy international Daniele De Rossi announced his retirement on Monday, just six months after joining Argentine giant Boca Juniors.

De Rossi played only seven matches for the Buenos Aires outfit, scoring once, and said he needed to return home for family reasons.

"I need to go home. I'm leaving Boca and soccer," said the 36-yearold former Roma midfielder.

"I'm leaving a club that has entered my heart, this sport, my passion." De Rossi, who suffered several injuries during his time in Argentina, insisted that he has "no serious health problems" but merely felt "the need to be closer to my family, to my daughter".

"I miss them and they miss me," he added.

De Rossi spent 18 years at Roma before leaving the club at the end of last season.

He played 117 times for Italy from 2004-17 and won the World Cup in 2006.

Celtic's Christie banned for crotch grab incident

Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie has been handed a three-match ban for pulling down Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos by the genitals in last month's Old Firm derby.

Christie, who has scored 17 goals in all competitions this season, was given a two-match ban for violent conduct by the Scottish Football Association on Monday.

An extra match was added to the 24-year-old's suspension because of his sending-off earlier in the season at Livingston.

Christie was penalized for a foul, but escaped without being shown a second yellow card for the incident against Rangers.

Morelos was sent off in stoppage time as the Steven Gerrard-managed Gers claimed their first win at Celtic Park in nine years.

Celtic claimed Christie was the victim of a similar offense at the hands of Morelos in Rangers' 1-0 Old Firm win in December 2018, but the Colombian did not face any sanction.

WEIGHTLIFTING

IOC to probe German TV's corruption claims

The International Olympic Committee said on Monday it will ask a German broadcaster to share evidence of allegations of doping cover-ups and financial irregularities linked to weightlifting's revenues from the Games.

The program broadcast on Sunday by ARD implicated the International Weightlifting Federation and its long-time president, Tamas Ajan, an IOC honorary member from Hungary.

"The accusations are very serious and worrying," the IOC said in a statement.

Because the broadcast "may contain new information" since a previous complaint in 2010 about the Ajan-led IWF's finances, the IOC said its chief ethics official "will ask ARD for all the documentation in its possession in order to properly address it".

ARD's previous work detailed doping scandals in Russia.

The allegations are the latest to hit weightlifting after dozens of doping cases were revealed in retests of samples from Olympics since the 2008 Beijing Games.

BASEBALL

Reds acquire Japan's Akiyama in21m deal

The Cincinnati Reds signed free agent outfielder Shogo Akiyama to a three-year, $21 million contract through the 2022 season, the team announced on Monday.

Akiyama, who will be formally introduced on Wednesday, will receive $6 million in 2020,$7 million in 2021 and $8 million in 2022.

"We scouted Shogo for several years in anticipation of his free agency," said Dick Williams, Cincinnati's president of baseball operations.

"We like his approach at the plate as well as his outfield defense, and we think he will complement our team very well."

Akiyama will be the first Japan-born player to appear in a game for the Reds in franchise history.

Xinhua - Agencies