■ Top fighter admits fixing
One of Thailand's most popular kick boxers said yesterday he threw a match for 200,000 baht (US$4,800) because he needed the money to care for his ailing mother. "I'm about to quit boxing anyway, and I needed that money," Sanit Thiyamayta told police and reporters. "I'm sorry I've betrayed my profession. I probably won't go back to Thai boxing again." Police arrested the 22-year-old bantamweight Thai boxer known professionally as Samson, Son of the Mighty Spirit Mahaesak, after a Tuesday night fight where the referee chased him out of the ring at the end of the five-round match on suspicion that the fight was fixed. He was held on a charge of accepting goods in exchange for purposely losing a match, punishable by up to five years in prison and a 100,000 baht (US$2,400) fine.
■ Soccer
Arsenal thrashes Rangers
Arsenal demonstrated the gulf in class between the top of the English and Scottish premier leagues with an efficient 3-0 thrashing of Rangers in Tuesday's pre-season friendly clash. Arsenal were without key men Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Sylvian Wiltord at Ibrox but still managed to outclass the Scottish champions in their final warm-up before Sunday's community shield match with Manchester United in Cardiff. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger declared himself content with his side's efforts on Tuesday following Saturday's less dynamic 1-1 draw with Rangers' Glasgow rivals Celtic.
■ Soccer
Fan killed in Turkey
One fan was killed and dozens of others were injured amid fighting at a Turkish soccer match, an official said yesterday. The fighting broke out between fans of Karsiyaka and Goztepe, two rival second-division clubs from the Aegean port city of Izmir, before a practice match on Tuesday, said Halil Tatas, Izmir's police chief. Fans threw stones, stabbed each other, and beat each other with sticks, Tatas said. Murat Kongu, 23, was stabbed and died at a local hospital. Tatas said Kongu was stabbed by a fellow Karsiyaka fan and police have detained five people suspected of involvement in his death.
■ Cricket
Clean sweep for Australia
Skipper Ricky Ponting blazed a century yesterday as the world champions Australia crushed Bangladesh by 112 runs to complete an undefeated test and limited-overs series against the touring cricket minnows. Ponting won the toss and elected to bat first for the first time in three limited-overs matches, scoring 101 from 118 balls as Australia reached 254 for seven from 50 overs. Bangladesh was skittled for 142 in 47.3 overs in reply, with all-rounder Ian Harvey snaring four wickets.
■ Rugby Union
Lomu comeback delayed
Jonah Lomu's comeback to high-level rugby from a rare kidney disorder was on hold yesterday when Wellington coach John Plumtree delayed announcing his lineup for a National Provincial Championships warmup match. Lomu, undergoing dialysis treatment three times a week for nephrotic syndrome and awaiting a kidney transplant, survived his first training session in three months with the Wellington squad earlier yesterday and declared himself available for selection. But Plumtree said he needed 24 hours to weigh up Lomu's condition and the possible risks of bringing him back too soon in Saturday's non-championship clash against Taranaki.
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
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but