WORLD OF SPORT
▷▷▷ ‘Derailed’ Mayweather cancels Japan bout Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather has scrapped a planned fight with a Japanese kickboxer, claiming he had been duped into agreeing to the contest. In a statement posted on social media, Mayweather said he had been “blindsided” by organisers of the proposed bout against Tenshin Nasukawa, set for New Year’s Eve in Saitama. “I want it to be clear that I, Floyd Mayweather, never agreed to an official bout with Tenshin Nasukawa,” Mayweather wrote on Instagram. The 41-yearold retired welterweight champion said he had travelled to Japan last week to discuss a private bout against Nasukawa for a “small group of wealthy spectators”. “This exhibition was previously arranged as a ‘Special Bout’ purely for entertainment purposes with no intentions of being represented as an official fight nor televised worldwide,” wrote Mayweather, who added he had been “completely derailed by the new direction this event was going. We should have put a stop to it immediately.”
▷▷▷ Kohli criticised for ‘leave India’ attack on fan India cricket captain Virat Kohli was in the eye of a storm on social media on Thursday after he suggested a local cricket fan relocate to another country for preferring to watch English or Australian batsmen. Kohli, 30, was reading out tweets when he came across one which described him as “overrated” and that Australian and English batsmen were more pleasing to watch. “I don’t think you should live in India then,” Kohli said in a video posted on his new app. “You should go and live somewhere else, you know. Why are you living in our country and loving other countries? I don’t mind you not liking me but I don’t think you should live in our country ... Get your priorities right.” Kohli’s comments evoked sharp reactions as people on social media pulled out a 2008 video, in which Kohli described South African Herschelle Gibbs as his favourite batsman.
Badminton star Lee set for return after cancer Malaysian star Lee Chong Wei says he plans to return to badminton after successful treatment for nose cancer, insisting he had no intention of retiring. The former world No 1 said he could resume training as early as next month and was targeting a competitive comeback at the All England Open in March. “I finished all my treatment ... and have recovered very well,” a cheerful and a healthy-looking Lee, 36, told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur. “I want to come back to court,” he said, adding: “As of now, I am not retiring.”