■ Soccer
Reggae Boyz must improve
Bora Milutinovic, the new coach of Jamaica's Reggae Boyz, said the squad would need to study its sport more thoroughly if they expected to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. "They have the speed and the talent but we've got to work on the mental part of their game," the Serbian-born Milutinovic said on Thursday. Milutinovic said he would be evaluating overseas players and hoped to schedule more friendlies. The Jamaica Football Federation last month contracted the 62-year-old Milutinovic, the only man to coach five different teams at the World Cup, to a four-year deal which will pay him US$1 million a year.
■ Cricket
Sangakkara spurs recovery
An unbeaten century by batting machine Kumar Sangakkara helped Sri Lanka overcome an atrocious start to take first-day honors in the second cricket Test against New Zealand in Wellington yesterday. A determined Sangakkara was at his majestic best as he produced a near flawless 156 not out while wickets tumbled around him, with Sri Lanka all out for 268 and New Zealand 66 for four in reply at stumps. In a frenetic day fourteen wickets fell including six ducks. In a repeat of the opening stanza in the first Test, Mahela Jayawardene again won the toss, chose to bat, and was let down by his openers.
■ Rugby Union
Four Wallabies cut
Prop Al Baxter and hooker Tai McIssac were among four rugby players who toured Europe with the Wallabies last month and were cut yesterday from a 45-man Australian Rugby World Cup train-on squad. Center Gene Fairbanks and loose forward Scott Fava also missed the list to attend a three-day camp early next month at the Australian Institute of Sport. Queensland Reds flyhalf Berrick Barnes, Reds prop Ben Coutts and ACT Brumbies flanker Julian Salvi were the only players named in the squad who have yet to wear the Wallabies jersey. Several players who missed the European tour -- including Greg Holmes, Jeremy Paul, Adam Freier, Al Kanaar, Daniel Heenan, David Croft, Sam Cordingley and Digby Ioane -- have won back squad places.
■ Soccer
Zidane cheered in Algeria
Zinedine Zidane performed a ceremonial kickoff at an Algerian league match on Thursday, and pledged to help advise Algerian soccer teams. In chilling rain, thousands of fans cheered as the three-time FIFA player of the year took the field with the Algerian sports minister and the president of the Algerian Soccer Federation before a match between USM Algiers and JSM Bejaia. Zidane is in Algeria, the birthplace of his parents, for the first time in 20 years on an invitation from Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. His visit has been a major event.
■ Soccer
Nedved's ban appealed
Juventus will appeal midfielder Pavel Nedved's five-match ban after a soccer disciplinary board upheld a ruling by the Italian league. "We were hoping for a reduction of the ban, which we continue to regard as excessive. For this reason we have further decided to appeal to the Federal Appeals Court," Juventus director of sport Alessio Secco said on Thursday. The disciplinary board upheld last week's ruling that Nedved had deliberately stepped on an opponent in the closing minutes of Juventus' 1-1 draw with Genoa two weeks ago.
■ Baskeball
Home beckons for Hornets
Hornets owner George Shinn is now leaning toward playing a full home schedule in New Orleans, backing away from the idea of asking the NBA's permission to play some home games in Oklahoma City next season. "Probably the best thing to do is give it a 100 percent chance here and if it doesn't work it doesn't work. And if it works, God bless us," Shinn said on Thursday. "We're going to need a lot of help. I know it's not going to be easy, but we're going to give it our best shot."
■ Soccer
RFK to host MLS Cup
Aging RFK Stadium was chosen to host next year's MLS Cup, becoming the first arena to stage Major League Soccer's title game three times. The championship will be played on Nov. 18. RFK Stadium, which opened in 1961, also hosted the MLS Cup in 1997 -- won by DC United, still the only team to capture the title on home turf -- and in 2000. "Once you're in the seats in RFK Stadium and the stands start bouncing and the noise starts, you can't hear yourself think," DC United president and CEO Kevin Payne said.
■ Baseball
Iwamura nears Rays deal
The Devil Rays were closing in on an agreement with Japanese star infielder Akinori Iwamura and were likely to finalize a deal yesterday in what would be Tampa Bay's first major move of the offseason. The team submitted a winning bid of US$4.55 million for rights to negotiate with the six-time Gold Glove third baseman. Iwamura's agent, Alan Nero, said the two sides were "very close" and was optimistic a deal will be struck. Iwamura has already taken a physical.
■ Alpine Skiing
Miller pans hotel rule
Bode Miller is frustrated with the US Ski Team's new rules that prevent him from sleeping in his personal trailer as he prepares for World Cup races in Val Gardena, where he's never won. The team is requiring skiers to sleep in the team hotel rather than personal trailers. The rule appears designed to rein in Miller, who left the Turin Olympics last winter with no medals but plenty of criticism for his late-night partying. "It's a pain. It's obviously a lot less convenient," Miller said on Thursday while walked back to his RV after finishing eighth in a downhill training run.
■ NFL
Bears tackle arrested
Chicago Bears tackle Terry Johnson was arrested on Thursday on six firearms charges after a six-week police investigation led to a search of his home. A news release from the Chicago police department said Johnson was arrested and charged with six counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. Johnson, 25, was released after posting a US$100 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 9, the statement said. A search warrant for Johnson's residence was executed after a six-week investigation by Gurnee Police, the release said.
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
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but