■ SOCCER
Culina signs contract
Branko Culina has signed a two-year contract to coach Sydney FC in Australia's A-League, the team's third coach in less than a year. Culina, 49, was made interim coach after the departure of former England captain Terry Butcher in early February. Culina has led Sydney FC to five wins in eight games, including a 2-1 away win over China's Shanghai Shenhua in the AFC Champions League. Butcher was fired after Sydney FC lost in the first round of the A-League playoffs. Culina's first match as full-time coach will be tomorrow's AFC Champions League game against Indonesia's Persik Kediri.
■ HOCKEY
Russians take gold
Alexei Cherepanov and Egor Averin scored late in the third period to help Russia beat the US 6-5 on Sunday in the final of the under-18 world championship. It was Russia's first podium finish since winning gold in 2004. Cherepanov beat goalie Josh Unice with a wrist shot to give Russia a 5-4 lead at 11:52. Averin made it 6-4 at 17:45, beating Unice with a shot between the pads. The US pulled Unice for an extra skater with 40 seconds left and with only six seconds to go Colin Wilson got the US within a goal. But it was too late.
■ SOCCER
Thaksin eyes English team
Deposed Thai prime minister and soccer fan Thaksin Shinawatra, who once tried to purchase Liverpool, may be considering buying another English Premier League team, his lawyer hinted yesterday. Noppadol Pattama would not confirm local press reports that the billionaire Thaksin, in exile in Britain since his September ouster, would try to buy a stake in Manchester City. But he said Thaksin was considering a stake in an English club. "He is looking to do some business, and it is possible that he will buy a team because he loves soccer," Noppadol said. "But I cannot confirm or deny it yet. It will be more clear in the next few weeks."
■ EQUESTRAIN
Mandli claims trophy
Beat Mandli of Switzerland and his mount, Ideo du Thot, jumped all 12 obstacles perfectly in their final ride to win the championship at the Rolex Equestrian World Cup Final on Sunday. The 38-year-old finished the three-phase competition with a score of five penalties to claim the trophy. Mandli and Ideo placed ninth in Thursday's speed jumping event and second in Friday's jump-off test to enter Sunday's two-round finale in third place with one penalty point. Ideo pulled the top rail from the 13th and final fence in the first ride to incur four additional penalties. But a fault-free second ride won the duo the championship.
■ YACHTING
US, Italian teams unbeaten
The second day of Louis Vuitton Cup racing started on Sunday after five of the previous six days had been postponed due to a lack of wind. US entry BMW Oracle Racing beat Shosholoza of South Africa and Italian syndicate Luna Rossa won against United Internet Team Germany. BMW Oracle Racing and Luna Rossa remain undefeated after three flights and lead the standings with six points. Victory Challenge of Sweden won its second race of the first round-robin stage beating China Team. Emirates Team New Zealand rebounded from an opening flight loss with a convincing victory over +39 Challenge. Desafio Espanol of Spain appeared to lose a spinnaker pole as it rounded the second marker before losing the lead and the race to Areva Challenge.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set