■Baseball
World Cup considered
Major league baseball's staff made a presentation Tuesday on a proposed World Cup that could start before the 2005 season. The proposal was very broad and there are many details still to be determined. While commissioner Bud Selig has said he is in favor of a World Cup, major league baseball has not made any decisions on whether to proceed with a tournament, how many nations to include and where to play the games. The presentation was made to the task force Selig appointed in January, which is called "Major League Baseball in the 21st century."
■ Boxing
Bruno applies for license
Former WBC world heavyweight champion Frank Bruno has made an official application for the return of his boxing license at age 41 although an eye problem could well lead to rejection. Bruno has not fought since losing his title in two rounds to Mike Tyson in Las Vegas more than seven years ago and has since discovered that he has a damaged retina. But the Southern Area Council confirmed on Tuesday he had applied for his license back with a view to a big money fight with former Olympic superheavyweight champion Audley Harrison who has won his 10 fights as a pro.
■ Extreme sports
Winter X goes to Aspen
The Winter X Games are headed back to Aspen. The games will take place in Aspen-Snowmass for the third straight year. The eighth version of Winter X will be staged Jan. 22 to Jan. 25. About 250 athletes are expected to compete moto X, skiing, snowboarding and snowmobile events. Last year's games drew more than 48,000 to the slopes of Buttermilk Mountain in three days. The X Games were created in 1995 by ESPN. Winter X started two years later at Big Bear Lake, California. The X Games are scheduled Aug. 14 to Aug. 17 in Los Angeles.
■ Rugby
Controversial player fined
Australian rugby league international John Hopoate, who was banned in 2001 for poking his fingers up the backsides of opposition players, was fined by his club on Wednesday after admitting to playing under a false name in a rugby union match. Hopoate received a 12-match ban in 2001 for his crude tactics while playing for Australia National Rugby League (NRL) club Wests Tigers, who sacked him. The 106kg winger, who has returned to his original NRL club Manly, was fined A$5,000 (US$3,350) after admitting he had breached his contract by playing in a fifth-grade rugby union match in Sydney on June 9.
Agencies
STILL IN THE HUNT: Rasmus Hojlund took his goal tally for SSC Napoli to nine as the champions cruised to a win at US Cremonese and stayed two points behind the leaders Inter on Sunday stayed at the Serie A summit after beating Atalanta BC 1-0 to maintain their slender lead over local rivals AC Milan. Lautaro Martinez netted the only goal of the game in Bergamo for Inter, who lead Milan, 3-0 winners against Hellas Verona thanks to Christoper Nkunku’s first Serie A goals, by a single point at the top of the division. The Argentina striker has scored in four consecutive league matches to end what has been a tricky year in positive style. “I ended last season in a lot of pain... I kept going during the Club World Cup and international
Hosts Morocco on Friday were held to a 1-1 draw by Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations, ending their world record run of wins and leaving them still to make sure of progress to the next stage. Midfielder Brahim Diaz tucked away a penalty in stoppage-time at the end of the first half, but Mali equalized from the spot midway through the second half through Lassine Sinayoko. Both penalties were awarded after video reviews in a tempestuous clash at the end of a busy day of action at the tournament. Morocco were atop the Group A standings with four points, while Zambia,
Algeria on Sunday became the third country after Egypt and Nigeria to qualify for the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations by edging Burkina Faso 1-0 in Rabat through a Riyad Mahrez penalty. Defending champions Ivory Coast failed to join the trio after drawing 1-1 with Cameroon in a lively showdown in Marrakesh. Elsewhere, Mozambique ended a 39-match wait for a first victory by beating Gabon 3-2, while Sudan got back into contention for a last-16 slot by beating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Casablanca. Captain Mahrez converted from the penalty spot midway through the first half and Algeria then held on
Supermaxis Master Lock Comanche and defending champions LawConnect yesterday continued their close duel on the second day of the 80th running of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Just over 27 hours into the race that began on Friday in Sydney Harbour and is to end on the island state of Tasmania, Comanche had a 4 nautical mile (7.4km) lead over LawConnect. LawConnect was forced to contend with a broken mainsheet and halyard overnight, but fixed both issues and remained in pursuit of Comanche, which is skippered by Matt Allen and James Mayo. “We had a few things slow us down and Comanche’s
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