■ Cricket
Warne ready for action
Australia leg spinner Shane Warne, banned for a year after a positive drugs test, will return to the national side today for a warm-up match against a Sri Lanka President's XI. Warne, 34, missed last year's World Cup after he was suspended for taking a diuretic. He was recalled to the Australia side for their tour of Sri Lanka after one first class match. "It's good to have him back around us again," captain Ricky Ponting told reporters yesterday. "Everyone understands that it has been a pretty tough 12 months for him. He has worked exceptionally hard, looks in great shape and is apparently bowling very well. He is one of the all-time greats and if you can slot those kind of guys back into your side then you will have a bit more of an aura when you take the field."
■ Soccer
Goalkeeper dies in match
Guatemala international goalkeeper Danny Ortiz died Sunday after colliding with an opponent during a Guatemalan league soccer match. Ortiz, who was playing for Municipal, crashed into Comunicaciones forward Mario Rodriguez, suffering a hard blow to the chest that left him briefly unconscious on the field. The 27-year-old was taken to a hospital, where he was said to be in stable condition, but he later died. "Unfortunately, his heart did not respond," said team physician Dr. Jorge Jerez in a joint news conference with hospital doctors. Comunicaciones won the match between Guatemala's two most popular clubs 2-0. Ortiz debuted in the first division in 1998, and also played for Comunicaciones. Two years ago, Municipal player Johnny Aldana died during a training session.
■ Motor racing
Hornish wins Indy 300
The IRL season opener turned into a Penske shootout, with newcomer Sam Hornish passing teammate Helio Castroneves on the last lap to win Sunday's Toyota Indy 300. "I just got the right move at the right time," said Hornish, a two-time IndyCar Series champion and now a three-time winner in four tries at Homestead Miami Speedway. The 200-lap race on the 2.4km oval was filled with passing and two- and three-wide racing that kept fans on their feet. Castroneves recalled that Hornish passed him on the outside on the last lap of the 2002 season at Texas to take away the series championship. "I said, `This guy's not going to beat me on the outside,"' Castroneves said. "If I let him go on the outside, I would not sleep today. Unfortunately, he beat me on the inside anyway."
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to