■ Baseball
Court reduces sentences
A Taiwan court on Friday cut a number of sentences against 23 baseball players and trainers involved in the nation's biggest sporting scandal after hearing their appeals. The game-fixing scandal rocked baseball -- Taiwan's most popular sport -- in 1996. The next year, the 23 accused were convicted of throwing games and received jail terms of up to 2 years and 6 months. In the appeals verdict Friday, the High Court still found 22 of the 23 guilty, but cut most of their sentences, often by half. One player, Tsai Ming-hung of the Times Eagles, was acquitted because he had never set foot on the field during the games, court spokesman Wen Yao-yuan said. Tsai had been sentenced to 8 months in jail in the 1997 trial. The accused were banned from the sport after the first trial, and were forced to find other work.
■ Tennis
Martina keeps on ticking
Martina Navratilova has two perfectly good reasons to keep her stellar tennis career going: she's good, and she's always improving. So stop asking the 48-year-old champion why she is still playing. "I've been asked that question for the past five years and frankly I consider it an insult," said Navratilova, entered in the doubles draw at the Australian hardcourt championships at Royal Pines. "Women's tennis is really strong and all I can say is I'm that damn good. "I'm sorry but I really have to blow my own horn here -- I'm still that good. The ball doesn't know how old you are." Navratilova, winner of 58 Grand Slam titles, accused the media of double standards when reporting on male athletes coming back from retirement and playing well. "Mario Lemieux came back after two years and started scoring goals and all the reporters were saying, `Wow he's really good,'" Navratilova said Friday.
■ Hockey
Saku Koivu comes home
Saku Koivu has found that you can go home again. The Montreal Canadiens captain capped his Finnish League comeback with 38 seconds remaining Thursday night when he scored an empty-net goal for TPS of Turku. Koivu had a goal and assist in a 2-0 victory over Espoo 2-0 -- giving him 139 points in as many games in the league. He left home in the spring of 1995 after helping TPS to the championship, and a few weeks later led Finland to its only World Championship gold medal. Koivu was then off to the NHL. Now during the North American league's lockout, Koivu is making TPS a likely title contender again. "For long, I will remember this game, having the opportunity to play in my home town. I acknowledge the expectations and the pressure as a reality, but I hope I can enjoy this into the spring," Koivu said.
■ Athletics
Holmes made a dame
Dual Olympic gold medalist Kelly Holmes was awarded the highest royal honor when she was made a dame in Queen Elizabeth II's New Year list. Holmes joined rower Matthew Pinsent, who was knighted Friday after winning his fourth gold medal in as many Games, in a list loaded with Olympic medalists. Holmes won the 800m and 1,500m in Athens, despite being a 100-1 underdog to pull off the double. She was the first Briton to win both events since Albert Hill in Antwerp in 1920. Pinsent led Britain to victory in the coxless fours in Athens by only eighty one-hundredths of a second. Pinsent also won golds in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympics.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
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
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and