■ Soccer
Larsson wins Golden Ball
Henrik Larsson won the Swedish Golden Ball for the second time in his career on Monday. The 33-year-old striker came back from national team retirement this year to play at the European Championship in Portugal where he helped Sweden to reach the quarterfinals, scoring three goals in the group stages. Sweden went on to lose to the Netherlands on penalties. After the tournament Larsson signed with Barcelona as a free agent, having spent seven seasons with Glasgow Celtic. Larsson, who has scored 32 goals in 82 appearances for Sweden, won his first Golden Ball award in 1998.
■ Soccer
Man U shares fall after folly
Shares of Manchester United fell on Monday as investors questioned the likelihood of a ?800 million (US$1.5 billion) bid from Malcolm Glazer after the US tycoon's bankers resigned. On Friday Glazer acted against his bankers' advice by using his 28.11 percent stake in the world's richest club to vote against the re-election of three United directors in retribution for the board's not giving him access to the club's books. The move infuriated adviser J.P. Morgan Chase & Co, which immediately resigned and took Glazer's public relations firm, Brunswick, leaving the takeover of United in uncertain limbo. Manchester United has said it wants to sit down with its two largest shareholders -- Glazer and Irish horseracing magnates J.P. McManus and John Magnier -- as soon as possible and thrash out an agreement on ownership of the 126-year-old club.
■ Golf
Four heroes in Hall of Fame
Japan's Isao Aoki, American Tom Kite and color-barrier conqueror Charlie Sifford were among four people inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida on Monday. Also joining the elite honor society was amateur standout Marlene Stewart Streit, the first Canadian enshrined. "Aoki, Charlie and Marlene are an example that golf belongs to the world," golf legend Arnold Palmer said. Aoki was the first Japanese player to win a US PGA Tour event, dropping a wedge shot on the final hole to capture the 1983 Hawaiian Open. The wedge used for the winning shot will be part of the display. Sifford, 82, was kept off the US PGA Tour in his prime because he is black. He became the first black in the hall and on the tour, winning his first title at age 45 and paving the path that Tiger Woods has followed into stardom. Streit, 70, won the 2003 US Women's Senior Amateur, defeating some rivals 20 years younger. She has been winning titles for six decades and has claimed Australian, British, US and Canadian women's amateur crowns in her career.
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