■ Cricket
Brian Lara judges facilities
West Indies skipper Brian Lara criticized his home club's pitches and practice facilities ahead of this weekend's two one-day internationals against Australia. "The practice facilities in Trinidad and Tobago are easily among the worst in years," Lara said. "What we are seeing in first-class cricket out in the middle are pitches which will not breed top-class cricketers." Construction on a stand at the Queen's Park Cricket Club, home of the Oval ground for the weekend internationals, hinders the bowlers' run-up. Apart from the wicket in Antigua, which hosted the fourth test, all of the other regional pitches in the test and one-day series have come in for criticism for being unresponsive to fast bowlers, and not allowing batsmen to play their shots freely.
■ Soccer
Gadhafi's son eyes CAF
The son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi announced Friday he will nominate himself to head the African soccer confederation CAF when current chairman Issa Hayatou's term ends next year. "More than 20 African [soccer] unions support my nomination for the post," said Al-Saadi Gadhafi, captain of the national soccer team and deputy chief of the Libyan Soccer Federation. Gadhafi said he was also supported by the chairmen of the Asian and the South American federations. Nominations will be officially presented in September, and the elections will be in March 2004 in Tunisia. Dressed in a training suit and cap while addressing Arab and foreign reporters, Gadhafi vouched he would "present new ideas to serve the interests of the African federation." If appointed to the post, he said he would stop playing soccer.
■ Ryder Cup
Langer may be a captain
Ian Woosnam would like to see Bernhard Langer named as Europe's next Ryder Cup captain and then take over the job himself in 2006. "I would rather see maybe Langer do it this time because I think it would be perfect in America," said Woosnam, who was Sam Torrance's assistant at The Belfry last September when the European team regained the cup. "I think I'd do a good job in Ireland [in 2006]. That would be perfect really." Woosnam, Langer and former British Open and Masters champion Sandy Lyle are the only candidates at the moment for the 2004 Ryder Cup, to be staged at Oakland Hills in Michigan. Woosnam, of Wales, and Langer, of Germany, are both in favor of a "double ticket" arrangement whereby the 2004 and 2006 captains would be named at the same time.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was