■ Olympics
Lost bronze medal found
Barbara Roles Williams hasn't seen her Olympic bronze medal for figure skating since it was stolen from her car 20 years ago. That's about to change. After months of detective work and help from two collectors, the medal is now at the Colorado Springs, Colorado, offices of the US Figure Skating Association, which plans to return it to Williams, a spokesman said Friday. Williams won the medal at the 1960 games in Squaw Valley, California, when she was 18. She told USA Today it was stolen from her car in 1983 as she prepared to move from Colorado Springs to California. She had given it up for lost. But after retelling the story to a collector, she happened to meet in January, Williams renewed her search. She located a collector in Long Island, New York, who believed he had her medal. She told the newspaper he offered to sell it to her, and she was willing to pay his US$4,300 price.
■ Soccer
Bangladesh fans have riot
Hundreds of rival fans fought each other with spears and sticks over a disputed goal in a village soccer match in eastern Bangladesh, injuring at least 50 people, police said yesterday. Police fired a few shots in the air to stop the rioting on Friday in Khariwala village in Brahmmanbaria district, 80km east of the capital, Dhaka. Teams from two neighboring villages were playing a match when the violence erupted, a police official said on condition of anonymity. Angry fans clashed after players from one team walked off the field when the referee disallowed a first-half goal for offside. The match was canceled. Soccer is the most popular sport in this South Asian country of 130 million people, and such violence is common.
■ Rugby
Tonga faces Australia
Tonga opened its two-match Australian rugby union tour Saturday with a 24-12 win over Queensland A, scoring four tries to two over the second-string Reds Super 12 side. Captain Inoki Afeaki was named man of the match after scoring the only try of the second half. Tonga led 19-12 at halftime and Afeaki drove over soon after the break. Despite enjoying the bulk of possession in the second half, Tonga could not consistently recycle the ball. Tongan coach Jim Love was disappointed with his side's performance as well as the refereeing of Sydney referee James Dickson. "I thought the referee allowed them to kill our ball in the rucks and mauls," Love said.
■ Soccer
Beckham talks driving
Soccer superstar David Beckham kicked off a safe driving campaign for the Japanese branch of motor oil giant Castrol Oil yesterday, telling motorists not to use mobile phones while driving. "My family is very important to me," Beckham told invited guests at Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum. "I don't use my mobile while driving and you shouldn't either." Japanese media have reported that Beckham is raking in as much as ?2 billion (US$17 million) through his tour of Asia, where he is hugely popular. Members of the foreign press have been banned from Beckham's appearances in Japan and only Japanese reporters were allowed into Saturday's event at Ariake. In the "No, mobile-driving. Yes, Beckham" campaign, Beckham appears alongside Japanese F1 racer Takuma Sato to alert drivers to the dangers of using their cellphones when driving.
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