■ Boxing
Devout boxer facing ban
Champion Australian boxer Omar Shaick faces a two-year ban after refusing a urine sample under the supervision of testing officers. Coach Chris McCullen said yesterday that Omar's Muslim faith meant that no one was allowed to see his genitals. "I've got to say that Omar is the most strictest religious person I've come across," McCullen said.
■ Soccer
Ibrahimovic joins Inter
Sweden forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined Inter Milan, becoming the latest player to leave demoted Juventus. Juventus said in a statement yesterday that it would get 24.8 million euros (US$32 million) from Inter over the next three years. Gazzetta dello Sport and other reports said the player signed a four-year contract. Ibrahimovic had been seeking to leave Juventus, even threatening to take legal action to secure his release. But Juventus earlier this week had reportedly rebuffed an Inter offer as too low. Juventus was stripped of its last two Serie A titles, relegated to Serie B and docked points for next season by a sports tribunal last month for its role in Italy's match-fixing scandal. The sanctions sparked an exodus of players, including Gianluca Zambrotta, Lilian Thuram, Emerson, Fabio Cannavaro and Patrick Vieira.
■ Soccer
Adriaanse quits FC Porto
Dutch coach Co Adriaanse resigned on Wednesday from FC Porto after just one season with the Portuguese champions, the club said in a statement. FC Porto gave no reason for his departure, but earlier on Wednesday Dutch news agency ANP said a "rift in confidence" between the 59-year-old coach and the club's management was behind his decision to leave. Assistant coach Rui Barros, a former FC Porto midfielder, will step in as caretaker coach until a permanent replacement is found. Assistant Jan Olde Riekerink, skills coach Chris Kronshorst and goalkeeping coach Wil Coort also resigned along with Adriaanse, according to ANP. Adriaanse joined FC Porto in May last year after previous spells at Dutch sides AZ Alkmaar and Willem II Tilburg, becoming the fourth manager to sign for the club since the departure of Jose Mourinho in June 2004 to Chelsea. Under his guidance FC Porto captured the Portuguese league and cup double. His departure comes just three weeks before the start of the new Portuguese premier league season and on the eve of the club's trip to England where it will stage a number of training sessions and matches.
■ Ice Hockey
Bruins' Sinden steps down
Harry Sinden, president of the Boston Bruins for the past 17 years, has stepped down but will serve as an adviser to owner Jeremy Jacobs, the National Hockey League club announced. Sinden, 74, has served as coach and general manager during 40 years associated with the team, including Stanley Cup championships in 1970 and 1972 that are the Bruins' only NHL titles since 1941. Sinden's job will not be immediately filled, leaving new general manager Peter Chiarelli to oversee operations. Sinden became coach of the Buins in 1966 and guided the club to a title in his fourth season. He took over general manager's duties in October 1972 and finished with a 1,170-763-301 record and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. Sinden fired former general manager Mike O'Connell in March after the Bruins missed the NHL playoffs for the first time in four seasons.
■ Rugby Union
Sailor won't appeal dope ban
Australian rugby winger Wendell Sailor will not appeal again against a two-year ban for drug use. Sailor's original appeal failed because his argument that taking cocaine at least four days before a match was not performance-enhancing was "without foundation," the Australian Rugby Union ruled last month. He had three weeks to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but his lawyer has informed the ARU that Sailor would not be taking up the option of reviewing the decision, Australian Broadcasting Corp radio reported yesterday. Sailor, 32, tested positive for cocaine following the New South Wales Waratahs' Super 14 match against the ACT Brumbies in Sydney on April 16. Sailor cannot play rugby league or rugby union anywhere in the world for 24 months.
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