■ Soccer
Nemeth suffers embolism
Slovakian international striker Szilard Nemeth will be out of action for three months after suffering an embolism, his German club Alemannia Aachen said on Wednesday. The 29-year-old former Middlesbrough forward is currently in hospital for the blood clot but should return home at the end of the week according to his paymasters.
■ Olympics
North Korea calls for unity
North Korea has called for renewed talks with South Korea on forming a unified team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, a South Korean official said yesterday. The North also proposed that athletes from the two Koreas march together at the opening and closing ceremonies at next month's Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, said Park Chul-geun, an official from the South Korean Olympic committee. North Korea asked for the talks on the joint Olympic team to take place in Doha, Park said.
■ Basketball
Spectator sues Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant is being sued by a man who claims the LA Lakers star deliberately elbowed him during a Memphis Grizzlies' game last year. Bill Geeslin sat in the stands when the Lakers played in Memphis last Nov. 14. His three-page federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday claims Bryant came off the court during play, landed on Geeslin and "without provocation" committed assault and battery when he struck Geeslin with his elbow. Geeslin is seeking more than US$75,000 in damages for unspecified injuries.
■ Baseball
Devil Rays win Iwamura
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays won US Major League Baseball negotiating rights to Yakult Swallows third baseman Akinori Iwamura on Wednesday, submitting a winning bid of about US$4.5 million for the power hitter. The Devil Rays have 30 days to finalize a contract with Iwamura. If he is not signed by Dec. 15, Tampa Bay's bid is void and Iwamura returns to play in Japan. The 27-year-old Iwamura was a five-time All-Star in eight seasons with the Swallows. A left-handed hitter, he batted .311 with 32 homers and 77 RBIs in 145 games last season.
■ Tennis
Indonesia fined for no show
The International Tennis Federation has fined Indonesia US$31,600 and banned it from next year's tournament for canceling its July Fed Cup match against Israel at Tel Aviv. The Indonesian Tennis Association is expected to appeal the ruling before the Dec. 20 deadline, Ferry Raturandang, secretary general of the ITA, said yesterday after being informed of the decision by e-mail. Muslim-dominated Indonesia, which has no diplomatic relations with Israel, had asked that the venue of its World Group II playoff match be moved to another country. Raturandang said Indonesia was told it must pay US$5,000 for pulling out of the match and US$20,000 to host Israel.
■ Soccer
Real sell rights for US$1bn
Real Madrid agreed to sell its TV rights for 800 million euros (US$1.02 billion) in a seven-year deal, club president Ramon Calderon said on Tuesday. Calderon didn't disclose the buyer, saying the club would give details in the next few days. "It is the biggest contract in the history of world sport," Calderon was quoted as saying by the Web site of sports daily Marca. Spain's ABC newspaper recently reported that Madrid's regional government -- through its free-to-air network Telemadrid -- and bank Caja Madrid lodged a 600 million euro bid to broadcast Real Madrid games for five seasons from 2009 to 2013.
■ Cricket
Schoolboys rack up 721
Two schoolboys in the southern city of Hyderabad set a record partnership on Wednesday, evoking memories of a similar knock between batting great Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli nearly two decades ago. Openers Manoj Kumar and Mohammad Shaibaz Tumbi both scored triple centuries and put on 721 runs as they batted through a full 40 overs in an under-13s inter-school limited-overs match. Local journalists were quick to recall the 1988 exploits of a teenage Tendulkar and Kambli, who both hit triple centuries in Mumbai's Harris Shield schools competition. Tendulkar and Kambli put on a record 664 runs for the third wicket for Shardashram against St Xavier's. Manoj scored 320 off 127 balls and Tumbi 324 off 116 balls for St Peter's School and they ran up the highest total, highest partnership and eventually the highest margin of victory (700 runs) in any class of the limited-overs game. A stunned St Phillip's School were bundled out for a paltry 21 in just seven overs.
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