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FOOTBALL

Jacobs defends celebration

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs said he was paying homage to a gospel song rather than making light of his recent arrest when he briefly had his hands behind his back while celebrating a touchdown on Thursday. Jacobs was previously on the exempt list after charges were filed against him in August stemming from a May altercation with his then-girlfriend during which she said he threw her to the ground. Jacobs pleaded no contest last month to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property. Jacobs had just scored on a 1 yard run in the second quarter of the Packers’ 27-19 victory over the Carolina Panthers when he put his hands behind his back for a moment while accepting congratulations from teammates. The video garnered plenty of attention on social media as some who watched on television believed Jacobs was simulating getting handcuffed. Jacobs said he instead was modeling his celebration after a gospel song called Break Every Chain. “The guys did it with me,” Jacobs said. “I didn’t think it was going to be a thing that can be perceived a certain type of way. But it’s 2026, and it is what it is.”

Photo: AFP

TENNIS

Taiwanese make final

Taiwanese sisters Cho I-hsuan and Cho Yi-tsen yesterday won a spot in the women’s doubles final at the Guangzhou Open at the Guangzhou International Tennis Center in China. The Cho sisters eliminated Kazakh Zhibek Kulambayeva and Isabelle Haverlagon of the Netherlands 6-1, 6-1 to book a spot in tomorrow’s final. On Thursday at the US$283,347 hardcourt tournament, the Taiwanese pair downed Hungary’s Fanny Stollar and Wu Fang-hsien of Taiwan 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 10-6 in the quarter-finals. At the Utsubo Tennis Center in Tokyo yesterday, Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani defeated Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Miyu Kato of Japan 6-2, 4-6, 10-7 in the women’s doubles quarter-finals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open.

SOCCER

AFCON reverts schedule

The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is to be held every two years, not four as was planned, governing body the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Thursday after reversing an earlier decision. The tournament has traditionally been staged every two years and CAF’s decision in December last year to move to a four-year cycle was not widely welcomed. “The Confederation of African Football executive committee today unanimously decided that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations will return to taking place every two years,” CAF said in a statement. “The decision by the CAF executive committee to reinstate the organization of the AFCON every two years aims to advance, protect and promote the interests of African football and the 54 CAF member associations, as well as those of African players playing for clubs outside the continent,” CAF president Patrice Motsepe said.