■ Soccer
Clubs fined over violence
Panathinaikos and AEK Athens were fined 120,000 euros (US$152,100) on Friday following the violence which marred their derby match earlier in the week. Monday's game was delayed by 20 minutes after fighting between rival fans led to 20 people being injured. A spokesman for AEK said the club had already lodged an appeal against the fine. Panathinaikos are expected to follow suit. Another Athens club Ionikos have been docked four points and fined 80,000 euros after club president Christos Kanellakis was found guilty of trying to hit a referee after a league game.
■ Baseball
Bonds to be free agent
San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds will become a free agent at the earliest opportunity and the team has yet to enter talks with him about staying, his agent said on Friday. Bonds, 21 home runs away from breaking Hank Aaron's career record of 755, will be able to file for free agency the day after the World Series concludes. "We've had no discussion up to this point," Jeff Borris, Bonds' agent said in a telephone interview, referring to the Giants. Bonds, 42, has been with the Giants for 14 of his 21 years in Major League Baseball and played a major role in the BALCO steroids scandal that plagued professional sports.
■ Golf
University drops range idea
Peking University has dropped a plan to build a golf practice range on its campus because of charges that the sport is too elitist, the official Xinhua news agency said yesterday. The prestigious university, a birthplace of the anti-establishment Cultural Revolution movement in the 1960s, announced in August that it would build the range as part of its physical education program. The plan sparked controversy among students and internet bloggers. Some said the sport was healthy and a useful networking skill, but others complained it was an activity for the rich and inappropriate at a university serving students from a range of backgrounds.
■ Soccer
Club denies razor rumor
Sheffield United have insisted that the training ground confrontation between striker Ade Akinbiyi and Claude Davis has been resolved. According to Friday's edition of the Daily Mail, Davis approached Akinbiyi while holding a razor as an argument, following the defender's sending-off against Everton last week, escalated. In a statement later Friday, the club said: "Following the allegations in a national newspaper concerning an alleged flare-up between Claude Davis and Ade Akinbiyi, Sheffield United has concluded its investigation. "The two players did have a difference of opinion, the sort of which occurs often in dressing-rooms throughout the land. Contrary to reports, no razors or knives were involved, the pair have shaken hands and the disagreement has been resolved."
■ Soccer
Bayern's Podolski out
German international forward Lukas Podolski is out for three weeks, his club Bayern Munich said on Friday, after suffering an injury in training. Podolski, who signed for the German double winners from relegated Cologne in the close season, has injured his heel and is also out of Germany's Euro 2008 qualifier against Cyprus on Nov. 15. The 21-year-old, young player of the tournament at the World Cup, was injured in a clash with Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel. He is struggling this season, though, having scored only one league goal, despite boasting an impressive record of 24 strikes in 38 international matches.
■ Basketball
Swift out for season
Seattle center Robert Swift is out for the entire NBA season after suffering a knee injury, his team said on Friday. Swift, who had only regained his place in the starting line-up at the expense of France's Johan Petro during the pre-season, injured his ligaments in a friendly against Sacramento on Wednesday. The 20-year-old will need to undergo an operation and will be out for around eight months. The injury leaves the SuperSonics with two relatively inexperienced centers in Petro, playing in only his second season, and Senegalese Mouhamed Sene, who is making his debut in the NBA. Both players are also just 20.
■ Golf
Canada lead in Eisenhower
Three-time Canadian Amateur champion Richard Scott birdied his final hole to help Canada take a one-stroke lead over the US after the second round of the Eisenhower Trophy on Friday. Scott finished with a 4-under 68 on the De Zalze course to share the individual lead at 7 under with the US' Chris Kirk, a former teammate at the University of Georgia. Kirk shot a 66 on the Stellenbosch course. Andrew Parr had a 71 and James Love added a 75. Only the top two scores count each day, leaving Canada with a 5-under 139 total and an overall score of 10-under 278. Mexico and the Netherlands were tied for third, three strokes back.
■ Golf
Tiger to skip Championship
Tiger Woods is skipping the US Tour Championship next week for the first time in his career, saying he was mentally and physically tired from a hectic stretch through the Ryder Cup. "I'm confident that this extended break will help me to recharge my batteries for the 2007 season," Woods said on his Web site. It was a huge blow to the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake for the top 30 players on the US PGA Tour money list. Masters champion Phil Mickelson previously has said he was done playing for the year. And with Stephen Ames out with a back injury, the 27-man field will be the smallest since the Tour Championship began in 1987.
■ Baseball
Houston legend Niekro dies
Former major league pitcher Joe Niekro, Houston's career victory leader, died on Friday, Astros president Tal Smith said. He was 61. The two-time 20-game winner suffered a brain aneurysm on Thursday and was taken to hospital in nearby Plant City, where he lived. He later was transferred to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died. Niekro, father of San Francisco Giants first baseman Lance Niekro, won 221 games in his career but never became as well known as his Hall of Fame brother, Phil. Like his older brother, who won 318 games, Joe Niekro found success after developing the knuckleball and pitched into his 40s. They had a combined 539 major league victories, a record for brothers.
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
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
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
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care