■ Soccer
Fan concussed by ball
A Sunderland player could face police questioning after a female fan was knocked out when he kicked a ball into the stands during Saturday's division one game game at West Bromwich Albion. West Midlands police asked West Brom for a video of the game so they can review the first half incident involving defender Darren Williams. An unidentified woman, in her 20s and wearing a West Brom shirt, required hospital treatment for a concussion. Williams, who could also face Football Association disciplinary action, insisted he was only trying to clear an extra ball from the pitch and didn't mean to harm anyone. "It was a complete accident," he said. "There were two balls on the pitch and I kicked one of them off. It was never my intention to hurt anybody and I deeply regret what has happened." The game ended 0-0.
■ Soccer
Valencia heads table
Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira netted a hat trick on Sunday as Valencia cruised over 10-man Mallorca 5-0 and moved to the top of the Spanish league. Valencia rises above Real Madrid, which beat Athletic de Bilbao 3-0 on Saturday. Both teams have 23 points but Valencia's goal difference is two goals better. Deportivo de La Coruna, which drew 0-0 with Murcia, lies third. Osasuna stays fourth with 17 points. Mallorca never recovered from a dismal start when defender Fernando Nino was adjudged to have tripped Oliveira in the opening minute. Nino was ejected -- although television replays suggested that he hadn't touched the striker -- and midfielder Jorge Lopez netted the penalty. Valencia took just five minutes to double its lead when Oliveira took full advantage of a pass by Argentine midfielder Pablo Aimar which pierced Mallorca's defense.
■ Tennis
I'm no tax refugee: Becker
Three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker denied Sunday he's a "tax refugee," a charge leveled at him and several other German sports stars by the country's finance minister. Minister Hans Eichel used the term to describe Becker, soccer great Franz Beckenbauer and Formula One champion Michael Schumacher for taking up residence in Switzerland and Austria, where taxes are lower than their homeland. "As far as I'm concerned, its factually wrong," Becker told the mass-circulation weekly Bild am Sonntag. "With all my businesses, with all my contracts that I finished before moving to Switzerland, I will continue to pay taxes in Germany." Becker announced last month he was moving to Switzerland.
■ Rugby
Samoan fan fined
A Samoan supporter who knocked himself out trying to tackle South African flyhalf Louis Koen in a Rugby World Cup match on Saturday was fined 1,200 Australian dollars (US$840) Monday in a Brisbane court. Tapumanaia Lautasi, a 29-year-old Sydney laborer, later apologized to both the Samoan and South African teams and the host Australian Rugby Union (ARU). He pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court to a charge of interfering with a person engaged in a sport at a sporting facility. Magistrate Michael O'Driscoll labeled Lautasi a disgrace after being told the man dived at the replacement South African player as he was kicking a conversion in the closing stages of South Africa's 60-10 win over Samoa at Suncorp Stadium. The Samoan-born man told the court he had consumed eight full-strength beers in an hour and had no recollection of his actions.
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