Sports Briefs

■ Baseball
Card sells for US$2.35m
The "Holy Grail of baseball cards," the famous 1909 Honus Wagner tobacco card once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has sold for a record-setting US$2.35 million, the seller of the card said on Monday. The anonymous buyer has only been identified as a Southern California collector. There are about 60 of the tobacco cards in existence featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop, one of the first five players to be inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame. The seller, Brian Seigel, paid a then-record US$1.26 million in 2000 for the prize card, which is in better condition than the rest. The Wagner cards are so rare that even those in much worse condition will sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, Seigel said. The others "you could stick in the middle of the street and let cars drive over it through the day, take it in your hand and crumple it up, and it still would be a US$100,000 card," said Seigel, who lives in Las Vegas.

■ Football
Ex-player jailed over HIV sex
A former pro gridiron football player infected with HIV is going to prison for five-and-a-half years for knowingly exposing two women to the virus by having unprotected sex with them. Trevis Smith, a linebacker who attended the University of Alabama and later played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League, was found guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual assault earlier this month and was sentenced in Regina, Saskatchewan, on Monday. Judge Kenn Bellerose also sentenced Smith to an additional six months in prison for various bail violations.

■ Basketball
Yao Ming recovering slowly
Yao Ming's (姚明) return to the NBA from a broken right leg might take longer than expected, Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy told the Houston Chronicle. Van Gundy said the superstar center has not practiced well with a brace on the injured leg. Yao broke a bone under the right knee on Dec. 23. The Rockets have said they expect Yao to return to games next month. "He has to wear this cumbersome brace. He feels that's a huge issue to his mobility, to his jumping, to his natural running gait. He's worrying about hurting something else because of the change to his natural running gait," the coach said.

■ Football
Favre undergoes surgery
Brett Favre, American football's all-time completions leader, underwent left ankle surgery in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Monday, but is not expected to miss any off-season workouts for the Packers. The 37-year-old quarterback considered retirement for the second year in a row before telling the Packers earlier this month that he would return for his 16th season with the club, one where he could shatter career passing records.

■ Soccer
USSF approves 2018 bid
The US Soccer Federation's (USSF) board unanimously approved an effort to bid for the 2018 World Cup. The board gave its approval last Friday in Los Angeles, and the vote was endorsed by the USSF national council the following day, the USSF said on Monday. The US hosted the tournament in 1994. The British government has agreed to back a bid by England bid to stage the 2018 tournament. South Africa is host in 2010, and FIFA's executive committee said the 2014 World Cup will be in South America. Brazil and Colombia have expressed interest in bidding for 2014.

■ Cricket
Drought will not affect Cup
Jamaica enough food to feed fans attending the cricket World Cup despite a drought in the Caribbean country, the agriculture minister said on Monday. Lack of rain in the past seven months has affected the central Jamaica farm belt parishes of Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth. Two weeks ago, St. Elizabeth farmers said they would not meet the demands of supermarkets and hotels. They blamed the lack of a proper irrigation system for their crop shortfalls. Agriculture Minister Roger Clarke said he was concerned about a shortage of vegetables, such as cabbage and tomatoes, but there would be sufficient stock to feed the thousands of visitors expected for the World Cup.

■ Tennis
Henin, Clijsters to miss Cup
Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters will not play for Belgium in its Fed Cup World Group match against the US. Both second-ranked Henin and fourth-ranked Clijsters cited a busy schedule, the Belgian tennis federation said on Monday. The first round match takes place in Delray Beach, Florida, on April 21-22. Belgium's team is headed by Kirsten Flipkens, who is ranked 112th. and Caroline Maes, ranked 229th. Belgium reached the final of the Fed Cup last year, when it lost 3-2 to Italy.

■ Soccer
QPR charged over brawl
Queens Park Rangers was charged on Monday with misconduct by the Football Association for its brawl with China's Olympic team. The FA said the English club failed to ensure "that its players and/or officials conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refraining from violent and/or threatening and/or provocative behavior." The Feb. 7 match between China's under-23 team and QPR ended 15 minutes early after players from both teams fought on the field. China's Zheng Tao, who was left unconscious after the brawl, was hospitalized with a broken jaw. Seven members of the Chinese team were sent home early. QPR suspended assistant manager Richard Hill after the brawl and he has been separately charged with violent conduct by the FA.

■ Rugby Union
Brennan fails in delay bid
Trevor Brennan will go before a disciplinary committee on March 16, to answer a misconduct charge for an alleged assault on a spectator during a European Cup tie, after his attempt to have the hearing delayed failed on Monday. The former Ireland lock is alleged to have entered a stand during Toulouse's 28-13 European Cup victory at home to Ulster last month and punched a supporter, who has now begun criminal and civil proceedings against the player. Brennan is alleged to have struck Patrick Bamford, leaving the 25-year-old accountant requiring medical treatment at the ground and on his return home to London. Brennan claimed he was provoked by derogatory chants during the game.