■ Badminton
Lin DanTM
Badminton world champion Lin Dan of China is having trouble cashing in on his new fame. Lin, who won the men's world singles title last year, has discovered that his name has already been trademarked -- not once, but twice. According to yesterday's state-run China Daily newspaper, Lin's name has been trademarked by a health products company and by a food processing plant. One trademark is in Chinese and the other in pinyin.
■ Table tennis
Tiananmen tourney planned
Table Tennis is big in China. Very big. Officials have announced plans to hold a tournament in the middle of this year in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, with a field of about 10,000 players expected. The event will be part of the city's sixth sports festival, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported. "I think nothing is more exciting than playing ping pong at Tiananmen Square," Sun Kanglin, head of Beijing's Municipal Sports Bureau, was quoted as saying in yesterday's edition of the Beijing Daily Messenger. To qualify, players will have to advance through local tournaments.
■ Rugby union
Naqelevuki fails dope test
Fiji sevens star Sireli Naqelevuki tested positive for a banned substance after the first round of the International Rugby Board's sevens circuit in Dubai last month, the Fiji Times reported yesterday. The former Fiji sevens captain, who had hoped to play for the Stormers Super 14 side in South Africa, has asked for his B sample to be tested and has been suspended from all rugby until tests have been completed. "We can't make any further comment until the B sample results are known," Fiji Rugby Union chairman Keni Dakuidreketi said. "The IRB have provisionally suspended Naqelevuki from all levels of rugby pending the completion of this case."
■ Cricket
Gibbs' appeal heard today
Herschelle Gibbs' appeal against his two-Test ban for breaching the ICC's code of conduct will be held today. Former Australia captain Richie Benaud will conduct the hearing by teleconference. Gibbs was banned on Jan. 15 after he was heard calling Pakistan supporters "a bunch of bloody animals" during the first Test. He was found guilty of using "language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, color, descent or national or ethic origin." Gibbs said he was provoked by the fans, but Broad rejected this defense and said the remark was "racially offensive." He was also due to appear before a Cricket South Africa disciplinary board.
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