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Sports Briefs

■ Nascar
Waltrip team found cheating
The pit crew chief and team director of prominent US stock-car driver Michael Waltrip were banished on Wednesday from the season-opening Daytona 500, penalized for using a substance likened to jet fuel. Officials would not reveal what they found in the intake manifold of Waltrip's Toyota Camry during an inspection, but a person with knowledge of the investigation told reporters it was a property contained in jet fuel. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the details.

■ Tennis
Sharapova to fight poverty
Tennis world No. 1 Maria Sharapova on Wednesday became the latest celebrity to be appointed goodwill ambassador of the UN Development Program (UNDP), pledging to use her charisma and fame to galvanize support for the fight against world poverty. At a crowded news conference at UN headquarters, the 19-year-old US-based Russian star also donated US$100,000 to eight UNDP recovery projects in rural communities in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine still affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. "Today, it is poverty and lack of opportunities that pose the greatest threat for young people in the Chernobyl region," she said.

■ Boxing
BWAA honors Pacquaio
Filipino Manny Pacquaio was honored as fighter of the year by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), while his trainer, Freddie Roach, was the trainer of the year. Pacquaio won three times last year, stopping Erik Morales in two of the bouts. Roach was in the corner for all three bouts for the left-handed super featherweight. The World Boxing Association super bantamweight title bout in France between Somsak Sithchatchawal and Mahyar Monshipour on March 18 was named fight of the year. Muhammad Ali was honored with the Pat Putnam Award for Perseverance. Other award winners included television commentators Larry Merchant for long and meritorious service, and Steve Albert for broadcast excellence.

■ Cricket
Only two vie for top ICC job
David Morgan of England and Sharad Pawar of India are the contenders to be the next president of the International Cricket Council (ICC). President Percy Sonn steps down next year and Morgan, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, and Pawar, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, were the only candidates interviewed by the ICC nominations committee in Dubai on Wednesday. The nominations committee will submit a recommendation to the ICC executive committee at its March 1 meeting. The executive committee will then make its own recommendation, which will be voted on when all 10 members of the ICC meet at their annual conference in London in June.

■ Horse racing
Munce trial to close today
Closing arguments were planned for today in the Hong Kong trial of Australian champion jockey Chris Munce, accused of offering a local businessman racing tips in exchange for placing bets on his behalf. Judge Kevin Browne said a verdict would likely be issued on March 2. The former Melbourne Cup winner allegedly offered racing tips to businessman Andy Lau (劉維正) so he would place bets on Hong Kong races for the jockey and relay the winnings. The tips allegedly included races Munce competed in.

■ Rugby Union
Royal visits France side
Segolene Royal, the Socialist candidate in April's French presidential election, paid a surprise visit to the French rugby team training camp in Bondoufle on Wednesday. Royal, accompanied by her special adviser, Jack Lang, and Bernard Lapasset, president of the French Rugby Federation, spent a few minutes on the pitch meeting the players. She stopped to chat to Vincent Clerc, the winger who scored the last gasp try to gift France a 20-17 win over Ireland in the Six Nations game at Croke Park on Sunday.

■ Rugby Union
Bruno, Chabal in action
Hooker Sebastien Bruno and third row Sebastien Chabal, of English club Sale, will be the only players of France's enlarged, 39-man, Six Nations squad in action for their club this weekend, manager Jo Maso said on Wednesday. Bruno is set to start and Chabal will be on the replacements bench against London side Wasps. Wasps hooker Raphael Ibanez has been excused from playing against Sale while fullback Thomas Castaignede, who is recovering from a muscular injury, will not play for Saracens at home to Gloucester. The other 35 players, who have been based at France's training headquarters at Marcoussis for the duration of the Six Nations championship, will rest as the French championship has been stopped until March 23 to help France in their preparations.

■ Baseball
Sox milk Matsuzaka
The Boston Red Sox are finding ways to recoup some of the US$103.11 million that Daisuke Matsuzaka cost them -- including adding a Japanese sponsor at their spring training complex. The club announced on Wednesday an agreement with Funai Electric Co, which makes and sells televisions, DVD players and recorders, cameras and other electronic equipment. Funai has a big white tent with its blue-and-white logo on the roof at the training facility. Japanese media members will use it for interviews with pitchers Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima.

■ Soccer
Eto'o won't be punished
Barcelona decided on Wednesday not to punish Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o, who sparked controversy when he called coach Frank Rijkaard "a bad person" and criticized several of his teammates. "It was just a misunderstanding," Barca sports manager Txiki Begiristain said after a crisis meeting with Rijkaard. The coach asked that Eto'o not be penalized. Rijkaard told a news conference after the meeting that the controversy would generate a "positive reaction" in the team, "which will start to work with more energy." Eto'o has recently returned from an injury-enforced absence.

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