Nets hire Canada's national coach
Jordi Fernandez was hired Monday as coach of the Brooklyn Nets, who are looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs for the first time in six years.
The Nets finished 32-50 and fired Jacque Vaughn at the all-star break. Kevin Ollie finished out the season as the interim coach.
Fernandez spent the last two seasons as associate head coach of the Sacramento Kings, helping them reach the playoffs last year for the first time since 2006.
The native of Badalona, Spain, also coaches Canada's men's national team, leading the country to a bronze medal last year in the Basketball World Cup.
International captain Mike Weir will have plenty of Presidents Cup experience at his side this September at Royal Montreal.
On Monday, Weir announced Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas as captain's assistants for the Presidents Cup, set for Sept. 26-29.
“The four of them each have their own special history with this event and today's announcement is a mere formality, as we have been working closely together through the years to ensure the international team continues its momentum from 2019 and 2022,” Weir said. “The culture and close-knit nature tied to this team is foundational to everything we will do heading into Montreal.”
“Mike has been a longtime friend, is a true icon of sport in his home country, and it's an honour to participate as his captain's assistant ... (in) Montreal in 2024,” Els said.
A report shows two in three Canadians between the ages of 13 and 65 consider themselves to be fans of women's sports.
The report titled It's Time: Unlocking the Power of Pro Women's Sport Fans was commissioned by Canadian Women & Sport with its research partner IMI Consulting.
This study was conducted in October with a representative sample of over 2,000 Canadians aged 13-65.
It also found two in five Canadians consider themselves “avid fans” and regularly watch women's professional or elite sport.
That includes tuning in for major events like the Olympics and Paralympics, as well as the FIFA Women's World Cup.
Six in 10 fans responded that brands should do more to support women's sport in Canada, with four in 10 more likely to support brands involved with women's sport.
Police in Greece raided multiple homes in Athens and detained dozens of suspects in a crackdown on violence that led to the death of a police officer in December.
Police officer Giorgos Lyggeridis, 31, died on Dec. 27 after being hit by a flare during violence between rival fans at a volleyball game in Athens. Violent soccer fans in Greece often choose lightly policed events in other sports to confront rivals.