Tennis: Czech player Kvitova stabbed at her home
Czech tennis player Petra Kvitova speaks during a news conference, in Prague, Czech Republic, December 23, 2016, after she was injured when she fought off an intruder in her home. /CFP Photo
Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova was injured in a knife attack at her home last Tuesday. The Czech tennis player had to undergo surgery after being stabbed in her left hand. Leaving the hospital on Friday, she said she felt well and planned to return to the tennis circuit as soon as possible. The 26-year-old, currently ranked 11 in the world, won her last tournament in Wimbledon in 2014.
Football: Oscar joins Shanghai SIPG
West Ham United's Cheikhou Kouyate (left) and Chelsea's Oscar battle for the ball during the EFL Cup, round of 16 match at the London Stadium. /CFP Photo
It’s been confirmed: Chelsea midfielder Oscar will join Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG in January, the London club announced on Friday. The 25-year-old Brazilian international is reportedly switching continents on a 60-million-pound (74 million US dollars) deal, which would make it an Asian record. Oscar made 203 appearances with Chelsea over the last four and a half years. At Shanghai, he will link up with former Chelsea coach Andrea Villas-Boas.
Figure skating: Peng/Jin, Jin Boyang see Chinese gold
China's Peng Cheng and Jin Yang compete in the senior pairs short program at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, on December 8, 2016 in Marseille, southern France. /CFP Photo
China’s 2018 Olympic hopefuls Peng Cheng and Jin Yang won the pairs title at the Chinese figure skating championship this weekend in northeastern Jilin Province. This was the first national title for the duo, which only began skating together earlier this year. At the ISU Grand Prix last month they finished sixth. In the men’s category, 19-year-old sensation Jin Boyang, bronze medalist at this year’s World Championships, took his third straight Chinese crown, while 18-year-old Zhao Ziquan topped the women’s podium.
Sailing: France’s Coville breaks world record
French skipper Thomas Coville navigates aboard his multihull "Sodebo Ultim" on October 12, 2016 off La Trinite-sur-Mer, western France. /CFP Photo
French sailor Thomas Coville broke the world record for solo non-stop trip around the world on Sunday, completing it in 49 days, 3 hours and 7 minutes, a whole eight days faster than the previous record. Colville had departed from the western French coast of Brittany on November 6 in his 31-foot trimaran. It was his fifth attempt to break the record set by his countryman, Francis Joyon, in 2008.
Football: Bend it like FC Santa Claus
A fan dressed as Santa Claus is seen waving a Tottenham Hotspur flag during a UEFA Champions League match at Wembley Stadium on December 7, 2016 in London, England. /CFP Photo
While most major sports have put competitions on hold over the Christmas holidays, for one team this time of year is clearly the most important one. FC Santa Claus is the real name of a local site in the northern Finnish city of Rovaniemi. The team plays in a lower league but can count on probably the jolliest fan of all: Santa himself. Founded in 1993, the team, located in the Arctic Circle, has reportedly been growing in popularity ever since. And clearly, its renown stretches farther than just the North Pole: this week, the team will play a friendly match against a local team in Beijing, according to CNN.
