■ Soccer
Taiwan match postponed
The Asian World Cup qualifying match between Taiwan and Palestine in Zurich, Switzerland, scheduled for today has been postponed for a day, FIFA said on Monday. The match was rescheduled for tomorrow to allow proper preparation time for the Palestinian team, FIFA said. FIFA said cooperation with the Palestinian and Israeli soccer associations as well as the Israeli government allowed the team to obtain the necessary exit visas for the temporarily delayed Palestinian players. "I am pleased that the tireless effort and cooperation between the FIFA administration and our colleagues at the Palestinian and Israeli FAs in consultation with the Israeli government resulted in fair play coming out the winner in this situation," FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.
■ Baseball
Two die in Rivera's pool
Mariano Rivera flew home to comfort relatives after two family members were electrocuted in his pool, but planned to be back in New York yesterday when the Yankees open their playoff series with the Boston Red Sox. "I am going back to New York tomorrow, after the funeral, and rejoin the team," Rivera told a half-dozen reporters gathered outside his home in Puerto Caimito, Panama, a fishing town 65km west of Panama City, where the accident occurred. Victor Dario Avila, a cousin of Rivera's wife, Clara, was electrocuted on Saturday when he tried to rescue his 14-year-old son -- also named Victor -- while cleaning the pool at the pitcher's luxurious home in Puerto Caimito. The local police said that a suspended electrical cable fell into the pool while the younger Avila was in the water.
■ Golf
Fiji honors Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh, who last month ended Tiger Woods' 264-week reign as golf's No. 1 player, has been awarded a Companion of the Order of Fiji -- one of the Pacific nation's highest honors. Singh and the country's chief justice, Daniel Fatiaki, were among nine people receiving civic honors conferred by the president, Ratu Josefa Iloilo. The names of the recipients were published yesterday in Fiji's Government Gazette. According to a citation published in the gazette, Singh was awarded the honor for "eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Fiji or to humanity at large." Singh, a Fijian of Indian descent, reportedly didn't receive the award in person. He retains membership of Fiji's PGA, but lives in Florida and has rarely visited Fiji since he joined the US PGA Tour in 1993.
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