■ Soccer
Leeds looks for savior
Debt-ridden English premier league club Leeds United said yesterday they were being circled by an unspecified number of prospective bidders, but warned that a bid for their shares was not on the table. Leeds, second from bottom of the premier league, have been given until Jan. 19 by their creditors to find a buyer or major investor as they try to avoid going into administration. The English club, who are also battling against relegation after selling off a number of key players in a bid to cut debts, said the prospective bidders were interested either in buying or providing funds. "However, none of these interested parties' proposals contemplates an offer for the company's shares," the club said in a statement. Shares in the club have been the focus of frequent takeover rumors over the past two months. In December, the stock hit a 20-month high on talk of a possible takeover by Chinese businessman Xu Ming. Industry sources said that outgoing chairman John McKenzie could spearhead a takeover bid by a group of wealthy Chinese investors as the club attempt to find a way to cut their US$147.5 million of debt.
■ Olympics
India enters 2016 bid
The Indian Olympic Association said yesterday it had decided to bid for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in the capital, New Delhi. The brief announcement of the Sunday decision was made in a press release, which noted India's recent success in being named the host country for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the world's second largest sports competition after the Olympics. India hosted the first ever Afro-Asian Games last year, after moving the event from New Delhi to the southern city of Hyderabad and postponing it by a year. Shortly after those Games went off well, New Delhi beat Hamilton, Canada, by a vote of 46 to 22 to host the Commonwealth Games, in a controversial balloting that came after both cities offered millions of dollars in training to the sports teams of other countries. The Indian Olympic Association had long promoted the Afro-Asian Games, and the Commonwealth Games, as events that would prove its ability to hold the Olympics.
■ Soccer
Coach tells player to dive
Perugia coach Serse Cosmi has criticized his English striker Jay Bothroyd for not falling when he was touched inside the penalty area. Perugia lost 1-0 at home to Serie A leaders AS Roma on Sunday but there was controversy on the hour when Bothroyd appeared to be held by Roma's Greek defender Traianos Dellas inside the area. Bothroyd did not go down, but his team mate Giovanni Tedesco was booked after strong protests to the referee. "I think he was naive to not fall because I think he was held," Cosmi said. "A normal player, not a `diver' would go down in that situation. Just as we have had so many campaigns against divers now lets have one against heroes as well," added the Perugia coach.
■ Handball
Crowd fight injures three
Opposing fans fought on Sunday after a qualifying match for the world handball championships, and three people were treated for minor injuries, Dutch television reported. At least one fight occurred before host Netherlands beat Bosnia 27-22 in Volendam, 20km north of Amsterdam. But several dozen of the 300 people attending the match rushed the court after it ended. According to NOS television, two policemen and one player had minor injuries, and one Bosnian fan was arrested.
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