world of sport

athletics

Olympic sprinter James Dasaolu last night appealed for the public’s help to pay for vital surgery, which he says will save his career.

The two-time Olympian, who missed this year’s Commonwealth Games through injury, ruptured his Achilles tendon in training on Friday.

Dasaolu needs to raise £25,000 if he is to have any chance of reaching Tokyo 2020.

“This is the biggest challenge I’ve faced in my career,” he said yesterday.

“I have been feeling great and fast, but just felt a pop in my heel in training on Friday.”

Rehabilitation from fully-ruptured Achilles tendon injuries can take up to two years, but advanced techniques can help reduce that to six-12 months.

Winter Olympian John Jackson had a similar procedure less than a year before the Sochi 2014 Games and made a rapid recovery.

“The surgeon has told me I need a specific type of surgery if I want to have any chance of returning to top-level sprinting,” said Dasaolu. “That needs to happen in the next two weeks.”

rugby sevens

England finished third in the Dubai Rugby Sevens yesterday as New Zealand claimed the first of the 10-stage World Series.

Two Tom Mitchell tries helped England to a 22-5 win over South Africa and Tom Bowen scored in the semi-final, but England lost it 7-5 to New Zealand.

Michael Ellery and Harry Glover crossed as England came from 14-5 down to beat Australia 15-14 and secure bronze, with Scotland seventh and Wales 13th.

The Kiwis won the Dubai title with a 19-5 victory against the USA.

It completed a Dubai double for New Zealand, who also won the women’s competition on Friday.

In yesterday’s men’s knockout section, Scotland lost in the quarterfinals to New Zealand, who scored three tries in the first 11 minutes and won 21-7, Harvey Elms scoring for the Scots.

The fifth place play-off saw Scotland beaten 29-0 by South Africa, who scored five tries in the opening 12 minutes.

cricket Bangladesh are on course for an emphatic victory against West Indies in the second Test in Mirpur.

The hosts, who won the series opener in Chittagong by 64 runs, recorded a huge first innings total of 508. Mahmudullah hit a career-best 136 while captain Shakib Al Hasan (80), Shadman Islam (76) and Liton Das (54) all contributed half-centuries.

In response, the West Indies were 75-5 at stumps at the end of the second day. Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan (3-36) and left-arm spinner Shakib (2-15) did the damage with the ball.

The tourists still need 234 more runs to avoid the prospect of following on.