Digest

BASKETBALL

Royal Fighters' Wang wowed by Jordan doc

Beijing Royal Fighters star Wang Shaojie says The Last Dance documentary has given him a new-found admiration of Michael Jordan.

Having not seen Jordan play live, Wang admits that he has found the 10-episode show－which has been the talk of basketball in recent months－fascinating viewing.

"Mentally, Jordan was so strong, and he believed he could beat his opponents deep in his heart. Every great athlete shares that determination and desire," said 23-year-old forward Wang, who was last year's top pick in the CBA draft.

"I can relate to his desire to win and obsession with reaching his goals. Every part of Jordan's experience deserves my appreciation and learning.

"After the Detroit Pistons defeated him, he turned to intensive strength training, which he had never done before. He always pushed to his limits. Whenever you watch his interviews, training and matches, you can feel the power inside."

SOCCER

Bayern, Lewan resume where they left off

Robert Lewandowski bagged his 26th league goal this season as leader Bayern Munich resumed its Bundesliga title chase with a 2-0 win at Union Berlin behind closed doors in their first match in two months on Sunday.

The Bundesliga on Saturday became the first top European league to restart during the coronavirus pandemic.

Polish striker Lewandowski, who missed two games with injury before the league was interrupted in mid-March, reached 40 goals for the campaign in all competitions as Bayern restored its four-point lead over Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund, which thrashed Schalke 4-0 in the Ruhr derby on Saturday, hosts Bayern in a pivotal fixture on May 26, another game that will be behind closed doors.

"I have to say, each minute is very long when there are no fans and no noise," said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer. "It was a different atmosphere to what you would expect at the Alten Forsterei (Union's home), but, OK, it's about motivation and attitude."

Wenger: Fan-less games a short-term solution

Staging soccer matches without spectators must only be a short-term fix during the COVID-19 pandemic as the prolonged absence of fans could damage the game, former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has said.

The German Bundesliga became the first major soccer league to resume since the coronavirus outbreak shut down sports earlier this year, and its return behind closed doors is being closely watched by other leagues.

"Will it survive long-term? Will it damage the show long-term without supporters? I am convinced of that," FIFA's head of global development Wenger said.

"You cannot imagine a whole season without any spectators. That's why I believe that it's a short-term solution.

"It is still the best possible way to get a verdict for the end of the season. It's better than any other decision."

MOTOR SPORTS

Silent stands 'weird' for NASCAR star Harvick

Kevin Harvick and NASCAR both celebrated victories on Sunday as the stock-car series returned to live racing from a two-month coronavirus-enforced hiatus at an empty Darlington Raceway in South Carolina.

While the day unfolded with none of the bells and whistles that have made NASCAR North America's most popular motor sport, on the track the race delivered as promised with plenty of bumper-to-bumper action.

Harvick, winner of the 2007 Daytona 500, produced a masterful drive to pull away after a late restart to cross 2.15 seconds clear of Alex Bowman and Kurt Busch to collect his 50th career Cup win.

The 44-year-old driver celebrated his victory in what has become typical NASCAR fashion with some tire-burning donuts that would normally spark a massive roar of approval from the stands, but in this race there was no one to witness the show.

Not even the growl from 40 V8 stock-car engines could make up for the silence as drivers exited the track to muffled applause from pit crews and officials.

"I didn't think it was going to be that much different and then we won the race and it is dead silent out here, so we miss the fans," said a bewildered Harvick, standing alone on the track. "It is weird just because there is nobody up there.

"Usually you get out of the car and the crowd is screaming and yelling...today it was like, well, I don't know really what to do here. We got done, everybody left."

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

Raiders defend picking under-fire Arnette

The Las Vegas Raiders raised a few eyebrows following their selection of Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette with their second pick in the first round of last month's NFL draft.

Raiders coach Jon Gruden, however, defended the Raiders' decision to take Arnette with the 19th overall pick.

"I just look at his tape," Gruden told the San Jose Mercury News. "I've heard people say, 'He's not a first-round pick on our board.' Well, whose board are we talking about? Then if you're in to analytics, according to ProFootballFocus.com, he had the best QB rating against him of any corner in the draft.

"I mean, he's a hell of a player. That's why I like him. He played at Ohio State. He played big in big games. He's an excellent tackler, a confident corner. He's comfortable in bump and run. When we watched him play against good receivers he played good. And he just gives us something we need, something we cherish here. A physical, press-confident corner that's not afraid to hit you."

Gruden's assessment is in line with that of general manager Mike Mayock, who said he liked Arnette just as much as Jeffrey Okudah, another Ohio State cornerback who was the third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Xinhua - Agencies