BEB Weekend Sports: News!

Dortmund beaten by Freiburg as disappointing season continued 

Borussia Dortmund's disappointing Bundesliga season continued as they were beaten by Freiburg.
Jeong Woo-yeong fired the hosts into the lead with a fine 25-yard strike.

Jonathan Schmid doubled their lead three minutes later with a powerful shot from the corner of the box which keeper Marwin Hitz should have saved.

Erling Braut Haaland set up 16-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko to pull one back, his second Bundesliga goal, but Dortmund could not find an equaliser.

They sit sixth but are one point closer to the relegation play-off place than leaders Bayern Munich - who are 16 points above them.

Onana banned for 12 months for doping violation

Ajax and Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana has been banned from football for a year for a doping violation.
The 24-year-old failed an out-of-competition drugs test in October when the banned substance furosemide was found in his urine sample.

Ajax said Onana had mistakenly taken medication prescribed for his wife while feeling unwell.
The club and Onana will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the suspension, imposed by Uefa.

In a statement on social media, Onana said he had mistaken his wife's medicine for aspirin because the packaging was "almost identical" and called his ban "excessive and disproportionate".

"Everything was the result of a human mistake," he said. 

"Everyone knows that I lead a very healthy life, and since I started my sporting career, I have always been strongly against any use of doping and I condemn any unsportsmanlike conduct. 

"I have no need to resort to doping to further enhance my sporting career."

Ajax said in a statement that Uefa had agreed Onana had not intentionally cheated but that the governing body believed "an athlete has a duty at all times to ensure that no banned substances enter the body".

Conqueror of Muhammad Ali, dies at 67

Former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks has died aged 67.
The American achieved a famous upset win over Muhammad Ali in 1978, in just his eighth professional fight.

He had suffered with health issues in his later years and was diagnosed with advanced stage prostate cancer in 2019.

"His final fight was fought with the same skill, grace and grit that had carried him through so many lifetime challenges," said a statement from his management company.

The former US marine died on Friday evening in Henderson, Nevada, with his wife Brenda Glur Spinks by his side.

"Leon fought his battle with numerous illnesses resiliently, never losing his trademark smile. Showing true Spinks determination, he never threw in the towel," the statement added.

Born in St Louis, Spinks won gold at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, then rose to greater prominence a little more than 18 months later, given the nod via a split decision to stun Ali and claim the WBC, WBA and lineal heavyweight titles.

In one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport, Spinks defied his 10-1 underdog odds with bookmakers to prevail after 15 rounds, winning 145-140 and 144-141 on two scorecards while a third went 143-142 in favour of Ali.

His reign as world champion lasted exactly seven months as a sharper and fitter Ali gained revenge in a rematch in September 1978, becoming the first three-time lineal heavyweight champion after a comfortable points win.

First Scottish win at Twickenham since 1983

Scotland claimed a first win at Twickenham since 1983 as returning fly-half Finn Russell orchestrated a shock 11-6 Rugby Six Nations victory over England.

Capitalising on the hosts' ill discipline, Russell gave Scotland a three-point lead before helping to set up Duhan van der Merwe's try.

Defending champions England clawed back six points and Russell's charge was briefly halted by a yellow card.
But a resilient Scotland were undeterred and added another penalty.

England had been favourites to win the tournament but, with France having opened their Six Nations with a 50-10 defeat of Italy, their chances suddenly seem much slimmer.

Scotland, on the other hand, look likely to improve on last year's fourth-place finish with Wales their opponents at Murrayfield next weekend.

from Bola Esho's Blog