■ SOCCER
Spurs sign Wales' Bale
Tottenham Hotspur have signed Southampton's Wales left back Gareth Bale, the English Premier League club said on their Web site on Friday. The Cardiff-born defender, who turns 18 in July, was linked with several top clubs, including Manchester United, during the January transfer window and has opted to join Spurs. Southampton said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange that Bale had been sold for a fee of up to £10 million (US$19.85 million) with an immediate payment of ?5 million. Bale, who made 45 appearances for Southampton, scoring five goals, became the youngest player to feature for Wales when he came on as a substitute against Trinidad and Tobago last summer.
■ SOCCER
Deschamps quit story denied
Juventus said yesterday that coach Didier Deschamps had not resigned, denying a report on Italy's SKY television yesterday. Frenchman Deschamps took Juventus back to Serie A this season after they were demoted last year because of their role in Italy's match-fixing scandal. Deschamps, who said this week that he wanted to manage the club in the top division, has been talking to Juventus officials. SKY television said that the club's denial was a delaying tactic.
■ TENNIS
Navratilova slams Bush
Czech-born but US passport-carrying tennis legend Martina Navratilova said in a newspaper interview yesterday that she could receive Czech citizenship by the end of the year. "By the end of the year I could get it [Czech citizenship]," the 50-year-old told the Czech daily Lidove Noviny. "I do not have it yet. I am not sufficiently organized," she said in an interview in which she harshly criticized the current state of the US under President George W Bush. Navratilova said she used to be ashamed of the former communist Czechoslovakia, which she quit in 1975 for the US, receiving US citizenship six years later. "Now, I can be ashamed of what is happening in America," she explained.
■ ICE HOCKEY
Tocchet pleads guilty
Former NHL player Rick Tocchet pleaded guilty on Friday to running a sports gambling ring, but might not have to serve any jail time. Tocchet, who played for six NHL teams in a 22-year career, is on leave from his job as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. He pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to promote gambling and promoting gambling. Such offenses usually do not carry a jail sentence for first-time offenders. "It's a huge operation and I think it exposes to people the allure of gambling, illegal gambling, in New Jersey," state Criminal Justice Director Gregory Paw said outside the courthouse.
■ SOCCER
Barcelona sue French daily
Barcelona have joined fellow Spanish giants Real Madrid in suing French daily newspaper Le Monde for publishing information linking them to Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, who allegedly ran a blood-doping network involving various sports. "Operation Puerto" was the name given to a raid last May on Fuentes premises, where Madrid police uncovered bags of blood and doping products, along with codenames, allegedly of cyclists, and documents which pointed to organized doping. In the aftermath of the scandal it was also alleged that Fuentes had worked closely with top athletes from other sports, including soccer -- allegations which four Spanish clubs later denied.
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