■ Soccer
Dracena to Fenerbahce
Cruzeiro defender Edu Dracena reached a four-year agreement on Saturday to play for Turkey's Fenerbahce. The 16-time Turkish league champ paid 5.7 million euros (US$7.2 million) for the 25-year-old Brazilian, whose full name is Eduardo Luis Abonisio de Souza, Cruzeiro said on its Web site. The deal was completed on Saturday afternoon in Cruzeiro's hometown of Belo Horizonte after a meeting between representatives from both clubs. Dracena played 161 matches for Cruzeiro since being acquired in 2003, scoring 13 times. He helped the club win the Brazilian Cup and the Brazilian league in 2003. Dracena, a member of Brazil's national squad in the 2003 Confederations Cup, previously played for Brazilian club Guarani and Greece's Olympiakos.
■ Soccer
Official's daughter released
Kidnappers released the 14-year-old daughter of a top official of the Honduran soccer federation, which had postponed five top-division soccer matches this weekend to express solidarity with the family, authorities said on Saturday. Veronica Isabel Sabillon, daughter of Argelio Sabillon, the head of the federation's disciplinary and referees commission, was released unharmed late on Friday in a village about 200km northwest of the capital of Tegucigalpa, the elder Sabillon said.
■ Golf
Kelly, Ramsay in final
Scotland's Richie Ramsay withstood his second penalty in two days to hold off Webb Simpson on Saturday in the semi-finals of the US Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Ramsay was to play University of Missouri senior John Kelly yesterday with the chance to become the first player from Scotland to win the US Amateur since Findlay Douglas in 1898. By advancing to yesterday's finals, Kelly and Ramsay earned an invitation to the US Open and the Masters. "That will be awesome," Kelly said.
■ Horse racing
Bernardini takes Travers
Bernardini dominated Bluegrass Cat in the stretch and easily won the US$1 million Travers Stakes in Saratoga Springs, New York, by seven-and-a-half lengths on Saturday, added to series of impressive perforances. Following wins in the Jim Dandy by nine lengths and the Preakness by five-and-a-half lengths, Bernardini seized the lead just after the start and controlled all the way around the track under cloudy skies at a packed Saratoga Race Course. When Haskell winner Bluegrass Cat moved within a half-length of Bernardini around the turn, the three-year-old colt responded to jockey Javier Castellano by pulling away.
■ Golf
Davies leads at SAS Masters
Laura Davies shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take the lead after the second round of the SAS Masters. The four-time major winner was 7-under 137 after 36 holes. Sarah Kemp (67) was two strokes behind in second place, followed by Sherry Byrnes (72) and overnight leader Virginie Lagoutte (74) at 3 under. The 54-hole tournament is played at Bogstad, a parklands course that is Norway's oldest.
■ Soccer
Ferdinand doubt for England
England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand picked up a toe injury that could keep him out of England's upcoming European Championship qualifying games. Ferdinand sustained the injury on Saturday in Man United's 2-1 victory at Watford in the Premier League. "We think Rio might have a broken toe, so I don't think he will be joining up with England," United manager Alex Ferguson said.
■ Soccer
AC Milan move for Oliveira
Brazilian striker Ricardo Oliveira passed a medical exam with AC Milan on Saturday and is close to signing with the team. Milan moved to sign Oliveira from Real Betis after talks to acquire Ronaldo from Real Madrid failed. Milan is seeking a striker to replace Andriy Shevchenko, who left for Chelsea. The 26-year-old Oliveira joined Betis from Valencia in 2004 and was the team's leading scorer in his first season with 22 goals. He moved to Sao Paulo on loan in April to aid his recovery from a serious knee ligament injury and recently returned to Spain.
■ Athletics
US triumphs in DecaNation
The US won the DecaNation on Saturday, an athletics meet that pits teams against each other in the decathlon's 10 events. The US won six events and finished with 104.5 points, while Germany -- which won three events -- was second with 100. Poland took third place with 90.5 points, finishing ahead of France, Ukraine, Russia and Spain. France also won six events. Defending long jump world champion Tianna Madison recorded her best performance of the year, leaping 6.60m, while team captain Reese Hoffa won a shot put with a throw of 21.29m. Other US winners included Ryan Wilson in the men's 100 hurdles (13.40 seconds), Jesse Williams in the men's high jump (2.25m), Brianna Glenn in the women's 100 (11.27 seconds) and Dee Trotter in the women's 400m (50.85 seconds).
■ Cricket
Windies eye series in India
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is finalizing plans for a four-match limited-overs series against India in late January, an official said on Saturday. The board was negotiating with the Board for Cricket Control of India for the series to be played in India, said Zorol Barthley, the WICB's cricket operations manager. The series was originally planned as a triangular with Sri Lanka. However, Indian authorities have decided to play four matches against both teams. "We are still finalizing discussions, but it is looking like four one-dayers against India in India. If we had played the tri-series we would have had four matches play a final, so you could say we are one match short," Barthley said. The Indian board decided to split the series so they could get eight matches in preparation for next year's World Cup -- which will be held in the Caribbean for the first time. "It will be good preparation for us as well. Once all is put in place we will be quite happy with the arrangements," Barthley said.
DRIVING AMBITION: ‘I was excited by playing at the Olympics ... Who knows what’s going to happen? Hopefully, I could have a chance to win a medal,’ Tiffany Chan said After just three tournaments this year, a chance of Olympic glory postponed and two weeks alone in quarantine, golfer Tiffany Chan could be forgiven for feeling sorry for herself. Instead, Hong Kong’s first LPGA Tour player is sporting a broad grin and taking the positives from the game’s COVID-19 shutdown, determined to establish herself in the fiercely competitive world of women’s golf. The talented 26-year-old kept herself fit physically and mentally during the lockdown, and is happy to be back on the fairways since the easing of coronavirus restrictions last month. “When I came back to Hong Kong [in March], I actually did
Eleven-year-old skateboarder Sky Brown, who is hoping to become Britain’s youngest Olympian next year, fractured her skull and broke bones in her left hand after falling from a ramp during a training session in California. Brown posted a video of the accident on Instagram, but reassured supporters that she was fine. “I don’t usually post my falls or talk about them ... but this was my worst fall. I just want everyone to know that it’s OK — don’t worry, I’m OK,” she said. “I’m going to push boundaries for girls with my skating and surfing. I’m going for gold in 2021
Zhu Ting stands tall in China — and not just because she is 1.98m tall. The 25-year-old farmer’s daughter has emerged from a poor village life to become a totem of the country’s sporting ambitions. As captain and figurehead of China’s women’s volleyball team, the reigning Olympic champions, Zhu is one of the country’s biggest stars. State television once feted her as “an invincible and dominant superhero.” A nurse fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in March posted a photograph of herself wearing a white protective suit with a picture of the volleyball star drawn on it — also scribbled were the words: “Proud that
A feel-good campaign allowing fans to have cardboard cutouts of themselves at Australian rugby league games has been hijacked by pranksters, with a notorious serial killer among those making an appearance — while one TV show edited an image of Adolf Hitler into the crowd. The NRL launched “Fan In The Stand” to coincide with the sport’s return at the weekend after its season was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporters are barred from stadiums under strict health protocols, but can pay A$22 (US$15) to have their photograph printed on a life-size cutout and placed in the stands of
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