■ Baskeball
Yao blasts shorter season
Yao Ming has blasted China's decision to shorten its pro basketball season, saying players need more competition if they hope to improve. "We will pay for that," the Houston Rockets star, a Chinese national team stalwart, was quoting as saying by the official China Daily newspaper. "It is like killing the hen to get the eggs," said the 2.26m center. The Chinese Basketball Association's decision to cut 100 games from the season was intended to allow the national team more time for training ahead of the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, in December. However, Yao said more competition, not drills, was what was really needed. "The lack of matches will effect the passion of players and coaches," Yao said.
PHOTO: AP
■ Motor racing
Date set for Brock funeral
Victorian state Premier Steve Bracks yesterday announced details of a state funeral for Australian motor racing legend Peter Brock, as police continue to investigate the rallying accident that killed him. Brock's family had approved a state funeral in Melbourne next Tuesday and a public memorial service on Sept. 22 at Melbourne's Sandown raceway, where the touring car champion achieved many of his finest wins, Bracks said. Brock, 61, died last Friday when the Daytona Coupe racecar he was driving skidded off the road and struck a tree during the Targa West rally near the Western Australian city of Perth.
■ Soccer
Aragones decides to stay
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Monday said it had rejected an offer by national team coach Luis Aragones to resign. Aragones has been under fire after a humiliating 3-2 defeat by Northern Ireland last week in a Euro 2008 qualifier. An RFEF spokesman said on Monday that Aragones "met the federation president this morning and indicated to him he wanted to go." The spokesman said the RFEF had reiterated that the veteran coach still enjoyed "the full confidence" of the organization, adding that Aragones was going to spend "a couple of days" thinking things over. The RFEF later quoted Aragones as saying "that having thought it through I've decided to stay on."
■ Basketball
Kukoc set to retire
Toni Kukoc is set to conclude his NBA career, the 13-year veteran saying he plans to call it quits because the only clubs near his home are not interested in him. "It looks like I'm done," Kukoc told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Monday at a charity golf tournament. "There are teams that want me but I don't want to go far from home." The Croatian forward, who lives in suburban Chicago, spent six seasons with the Bulls and the past four with the Milwaukee Bucks. "Milwaukee is going with a young team and Chicago is in need of a big guy, so that's it," said Kukoc, who turns 38 in a week. "It's time for me to move away from basketball. It was a huge part of my life and gave me pretty much everything I desired but there comes a time when you just can't take it anymore."
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at