SPORTS BRIEFS

Argentina icon Lionel Messi has officially acquired Eldense, the Spanish second-division club announced on Thursday. Eldense, based just in-land from Alicante, have become the former Barcelona attacker’s second venture into Spanish soccer ownership after his purchase of Cornella, near Barcelona, in April. “Club Deportivo Eldense officially announce [their] acquisition by Leo Messi,” the club wrote in a statement. Messi, 39, has been playing for Inter Miami since 2023, where, according to media reports, his contract includes a provision for him to become a shareholder in the Major League Soccer club after he retires from the game. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner announced his retirement from international soccer in late August following the loss to Spain in this year’s World Cup final.

Photo: Joseph Maiorana, Imagn Images

GOLF

China’s ‘Sherry’ wins in US

Xiaolong “Sherry” Zhong made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole and matched pars on the final hole at Portland Golf Club to defeat Amandine Vincent of France and become the first player from China to win the US Senior Women’s Amateur. Zhong, who turned 50 in March and was low amateur at the US Senior Women’s Open, was the medalist in qualifying, won her final three matches on the 18th hole. Zhong built a 3-up lead through 10 holes until Vincent rallied by winning the par-5 15th with a bogey and the par-4 16th with a birdie. Zhong went with 8-iron on the 17th and it paid off with her birdie to take the final lead of the match. Zhong is the sixth player from China to win a USGA championship, and the first since Aaron Du and Sampson Zheng won the US Amateur Four-ball in 2023.

TENNIS

WTA to give equal prize

All combined WTA 1000 tournaments would award women equal prize money to the men from next year, the Women’s Tennis Association said on Thursday, with the Italian Open and other major events joining the rest of the category in offering the same payouts. The move brings the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open and Italian Open into line with other combined 1000-level events at Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and China, as well as the United Cup and the four Grand Slams, in offering equal prize money to women and men. “Achieving equal prize money across all combined WTA 1000 tournaments is a major milestone for tennis,” said Valerie Camillo, Chair of the WTA.

BASKETBALL

Player released from ICE

A Kentucky State University women’s basketball player from Senegal, who was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has been granted a motion by an immigration judge that reopens her immigration proceedings and rescinds a deportation order. Aminata Seck was detained on Aug. 7 at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport as she was planning to travel with her team to a tournament. The department said in a statement that Seck legally entered the US in 2019, then “chose to overstay her welcome in violation of our nation’s laws.” Seck was named to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference Third Team last season after she led the team with 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds.