■ Boxing
Hector Camacho sent to jail
Three-time champion Hector "Macho" Camacho was sent to jail on Monday after pleading guilty to a 2004 burglary charge. Camacho faces up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to US$10,000. In Gulfport, Mississippi, Circuit Judge Steve Simpson delayed sentencing, but ordered Camacho sent straight to jail because a bail bond agent said he hadn't heard from the boxer for more than two years, the Sun Herald reported on its Web site. Camacho, who is being held at the Harrison County Adult Detention Center in Mississippi, won super lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight world titles in the 1980s.
■ Baseball
Igawa shipped to minors
The New York Yankees shipped struggling pitcher Kei Igawa to the minors on Monday to make room on the roster for right-hander Matt DeSalvo. Igawa was optioned to the Yankees' Class-A team in Tampa, Florida, keeping right-hander Darrell Rasner in the big leagues after he pitched five-and-two-thirds shutout innings on Sunday in a victory over the Seattle Mariners. New York had planned to send Rasner right back to their Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre team after his start, but changed course on Monday. Rasner, 1-1 with a 2.75 ERA in four starts, is likely to get the ball again on Friday in Seattle.
■ Baseball
Salas suspended 50 games
Tampa Bay Devil Rays relief pitcher Juan Salas was suspended for 50 games after becoming the first player this year to flunk a drug test under Major League Baseball's testing program on Monday. Salas tested positive for an undisclosed performance-enhancing substance, the commissioner's office said. His suspension was scheduled to start yesterday. There were just three suspensions last year under the major league program, including New York Mets pitcher Yusaku Iriki, former Arizona pitcher Jason Grimsley and Mets reliever Guillermo Mota, who is serving his 50-game penalty at the start of this season.
■ Baseball
Mateo apologizes for arrest
Seattle Mariners reliever Julio Mateo apologized on Monday for his arrest following a dispute with his wife at a New York hotel. Mateo was suspended for 10 days without pay on Sunday, a penalty the players' association may challenge this week. Mateo was arrested the day before on a charge of third-degree assault. He posted bond and was released. Police said his wife needed five stitches to her mouth. Mateo apologized in a statement released by the team during its game on Monday at Yankee Stadium. "I am personally embarrassed by the incident on Saturday morning, which resulted in my arrest and absence from my team," he said.
■ Baseball
Proctor, Torre suspended
Yankees reliever Scott Proctor was suspended for four games and manager Joe Torre was penalized one game by Major League Baseball on Monday, a day after a skirmish between New York and the Seattle Mariners. Proctor appealed his suspension, meaning he can pitch until a hearing is held and a ruling is issued. Torre will miss Monday's game against the Mariners. The conflict started after Josh Phelps slid hard into Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima. When Phelps came up again, Jarrod Washburn hit him in the back with the first pitch. Proctor threw an inside pitch to Yuniesky Betancourt in the seventh and the benches and bullpens emptied.
■ Soccer
Maradona released
Diego Maradona has been conditionally released from a psychiatric clinic where he has been treated for alcoholism, his doctor, Alfredo Cahe, said on Monday. "It's a very positive step for his treatment," Cahe told reporters after Maradona spent his first night since April 21 outside the Avril clinic. Maradona is still supposed to report to the clinic for treatment three times a week. Maradona, 46, has been treated at several clinics since he was brought to a hospital on March 28. Doctors say excessive alcohol consumption led to a form of hepatitis. Maradona has battled obesity and cocaine addiction since his 1997 retirement and has been hospitalized eight times in that time.
■ Cricket
Death probe `inconclusive'
The probe into the death of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer is "inconclusive" and has not proved that he was murdered, a Pakistani investigator said on Monday. The comments by Mir Zubair Mahmood, a senior Karachi detective who was sent to Jamaica to help in the investigation into the death of the former England test player, casts doubt over earlier assertions by police there that Woolmer was murdered. Jamaican police have said that Woolmer was found strangled in his room in an upscale hotel in Kingston on March 18, a day after his Pakistan squad was eliminated from the World Cup by minnows Ireland in an upset defeat. But Mahmood said that the cause of the coach's death has yet to be determined.
■ Cricket
Cancel tour, says Downer
The Australian government has called on the national cricket team to cancel their planned tour of Zimbabwe for later this year. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he would meet Cricket Australia officials this week in the hope of persuading them to scrap the three one-dayers scheduled for September. "My view is that the tour shouldn't go ahead," Downer told reporters on Monday. "If it were to go ahead then Australia, which is after all the world championship team, would give Zimbabwe's regime and its president a propaganda victory," Downer said. "We shouldn't do that -- this is a horrific regime in Zimbabwe and we should take a stand."
■ Soccer
Blatter backs SA over Cup
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said yesterday that South Africa will "definitely" host the 2010 World Cup, dismissing concerns about the country's ability to hold the event. "I can tell you that if there is no catastrophe which is a natural catastrophe, then the World Cup 2010 will definitely be organized and played in South Africa. This is my last statement on that," Blatter told reporters in Malaysia. South Africa won the rights to host the tournament in 2004, but it faces logistical problems in overhauling its transport system, updating infrastructure and boosting hotel capacity to cope with the expected influx of visitors. Local organizing chief Danny Jordaan has repeatedly said that South Africa is on, if not ahead of, schedule. South African officials also say they will tighten security to fight crime and protect visitors.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care