It’s been tough few weeks for South Africans. Under president Jacob Zuma, the country has been rocked by the kind of scandals that destroy political…
Business of Sport
If sport were only about winning and losing, there would be no stadiums, and weekend TV would be incredibly dull. Thankfully, sport is a business—a global business, into which passionate fans and smart corporations pour hundreds of billions of dollars. The business of sport ranges from the field to executives suites to televisions worldwide.
WAYDE'S WORLD
Usain Bolt is certain this sprinter is world athletics’ next big superstar
When Wayde van Niekerk returned home to South Africa with his first major gold medal from the 2015 World Championship in Beijing, only his mother…
A PUNCHER'S CHANCE
Only Floyd Mayweather could turn a man’s first boxing match into the biggest fight ever
Two years ago, we speculated that Floyd Mayweather was retiring from boxing after matching Rocky Marciano’s undefeated record of 49-0 simply as a ruse to…
STOP THEM YOUNG
Kenya thinks a five-fold tax hike on its betting sector can deter child gambling
Kenya’s government has introduced a five-fold tax hike on online betting in a bid to discourage minors from gambling, and to raise funds that would…
STAMP IT OUT
FIFA is finally stepping up its anti-racism measures in soccer
After being faced with accusations of treating racism lightly for years, FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, is stepping up its fight against discrimination in the…
BEAM ME UP
A new at-home training method is letting climbers summit Everest in half the time
When Brooks Entwistle started making plans to climb Mount Everest this spring, he had one big question for his expedition leaders: Would it be okay…
IN THE ARENA
An American documentary captures the odds against being a soccer player from Somalia
After his surprise election in March, the first country the newly-elected chairman of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) visited was Somalia. Ahmad—who only goes…
VOLLEYBOTS
Japan has enlisted robots to train their national volleyball team
Japan is using a six-handed volleyball-playing robot to train its national team. The “volleybot” is designed to help teams practice their spikes: a forceful, downward,…
JUST COULDN'T DO IT
Even in Nike’s specially rigged race, runners couldn’t break the two-hour marathon mark
Eliud Kipchoge began today’s race with a calm smile. For two years, he had been preparing to smash the world record and finish a marathon…
LOSING GAME
The dismal saga of basketball star Lonzo Ball’s doomed $495 sneaker
Lonzo Ball is just 19, but the UCLA point guard is easily among the most promising players to be hitting the NBA draft in June.…
26 MILES IN THEIR SHOES
Running the North Korea marathon showed me a surprising side of the country I didn’t know existed
“Bali! Bali!” (Quicker! Quicker!) When I first heard those words, I was only 17 kilometers into the marathon’s 42, and I was already in all…
E-SPORT
Move aside football, American college students can now play video games as a varsity sport
The esports industry has boomed in recent years, commanding an audience of nearly 150 million people who are tuning in to watch competitive gamers. Now…
