Tottenham Hotspur will take its players to Hong Kong for a "showpiece friendly against local opposition as soon as the Premier League season finishes." The "money-spinning long-haul trip has not been met with universal delight" within Mauricio Pochettino's squad, but it has been signed off by the club. The timing has been "problematic" because there is an int'l program after the FA Cup final on May 27, with "some European countries having fixtures in the week that follows the cup final" (London GUARDIAN, 5/7).
Malaysia will travel to Pyongyang on June 8 to face North Korea in a 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers Group B match. In a statement, the Asian Football Confederation said, "Following confirmation from the FA of Malaysia (FAM) that no government travel restrictions are in place, we have agreed that the match will be held in Pyongyang." The match, which was supposed to be held on March 28, was postponed "due to travel restrictions imposed by Malaysia" (NEW STRAITS TIMES, 5/8).
Australia's Ashes quest "will start before a sellout crowd" at the Brisbane Cricket Ground on November 23 as Queensland fans on Monday "responded to calls to beat the scalpers." There were "only a few hundred tickets left for the first day of the first Test at the close of business as Ashes tickets were placed on sale to all-comers for the first time." Strong second and third-day sales "indicated these days would also be sellouts" (Brisbane COURIER-MAIL, 5/8).
There was "embarrassment at Lord's" Cricket Ground on Sunday after the £25M ($32.4M) Warner Stand "experienced several technical issues during England's match with Ireland." The new stand "suffered a power cut during play," which meant that the bars and toilets were "out of use for members and guests." There were also "problems with the lifts." Lord's insisted the "issues will be corrected" by the time England faces South Africa in the one-day int'l on May 29 (LONDON TIMES, 5/8).
The National Basketball League final four will be played from June 16-17 at ASB BayPark Arena in Tauranga, New Zealand. The semifinals will take place on June 16 at 5pm and 7pm, with the final scheduled for June 17 at 5pm. Tauranga is a "surprising choice" given it does not have a side in the league. The city "submitted a bid to compete in the NBL for the first time for next year and beyond," along with the Manawatu Jets, which are "attempting to rejoin the league" (STUFF, 5/8).
