■ Boxing
Ex-champ jailed over fight
Former WBC light heavyweight champion Graciano Rocchigiani will serve five months in jail for hitting a taxi driver. The 42-year-old German, already on probation, was sentenced on Friday by a Berlin court for the incident two years ago in which he hit the taxi driver, then damaged his car. Rocchigiani has a long history of run-ins with the law, including a conviction for assaulting a police officer. He won a US$31 million judgment against the WBC in 1998 over the loss of his light heavyweight title, but settled for less when the WBC planned to dissolve itself under bankruptcy laws. The WBC declared its light heavyweight title vacant when champion Roy Jones Jr said he was moving up to the heavyweight division and Rocchigiani won the vacant title against Michael Nunn. When Jones Jr returned, he was restored as light heavyweight champion. The WBC wrote to the German saying the official rankings that had him as champ were a "typographical error."
■ Rugby Union
Wellington fixed on circuit
The Wellington rugby sevens tournament will be a fixed part of the International Rugby Board's world circuit for the next five years, the New Zealand Rugby Union said yesterday. The tournament is one of seven confirmed on the 2006-2007 circuit which starts in Dubai. Other tournaments will be played at George in South Africa, San Diego, Hong Kong, Adelaide in Australia and London. The venue for the eighth tournament has yet to be confirmed. "The New Zealand International Sevens tournament has been a commercial success as well as a sporting and social event triumph and the IRB has recognized that," New Zealand union deputy chief executive Steve Tew said.
■ Basketball
All-Stars beat Yulong
World champion Serbia and Montenegro easily defeated Argentina 83-64 on the first day of the Singapore Cup on Friday. Serbia and Montenegro took an early lead over Argentina, who were led by San Antonio Spurs player Manu Ginobili. Fifth-ranked Spain beat Slovenia 96-85. The four countries are using this tournament as a warmup for the world championship starting next week in Japan. The competition also includes regional club teams. The Singapore All-Stars beat Taiwan's Yulong Club 80-74. The competition continued yesterday, when Argentina took on Slovenia, and Spain met Serbia and Montenegro.
■ Basketball
Lithuania edge South Korea
Forward Linus Kleiza of the Denver Nuggets scored 12 points yesterday as Lithuania edged South Korea 83-81 at the World Basketball Challenge. Kleiza scored six points in the fourth quarter when the Lithuanians outscored their opponents 25-22 en route to their first win of the tournament. South Korea dropped to 0-2. In yesterday's final game, Turkey defeated Italy 72-61 to improve to 1-1. Italy is 0-1.
■ Soccer
Brawling coaches banned
Two coaches have been fined and banned in Colombia after exchanging insults and punches on the touchline and being sent off in a game last Sunday. Jorge Luis Pinto of Cucuta was suspended for six games and fined the equivalent of US$466 while Julio Comesana of Real Cartagena was banned for eight games and fined US$1,700. The Colombian league said former Costa Rica coach Pinto was guilty of "slandering the referee and provoking his opposite number" by saying that Comesana had bribed the official. Comesana, a Uruguayan, was sanctioned for violent conduct after he aimed a punch at Pinto in the 80th minute incident during the 1-1 draw.
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