■ SOCCER
Ballack left off roster
Chelsea has left Germany captain Michael Ballack off its squad for the group stage of the Champions League. Ballack was linked with a transfer, most notably to Real Madrid, during the offseason but Chelsea said it omitted the midfielder because the ankle injury that has prevented him from playing this season may keep him out of the majority of the club's six group matches. However, Germany manager Joachim Loew has said he hopes Ballack will be fit for a European Championship qualifier at Ireland on Oct. 13, suggesting the 30-year-old midfielder would miss just two Champions League matches.
■ SOCCER
US, Catalonia match vetoed
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Monday vetoed a friendly international between the eastern region of Catalonia and the US that had been scheduled for Oct. 14. The Catalan regional federation (FCF) had reached agreement for the game with US counterparts but the RFEF board rejected the idea by 18 votes to three, FCF sources said. One of the reasons put forward was that Spain are playing Denmark a day earlier in a Euro qualifier and then playing a friendly against Finland three days later. RFEF spokesman Jorge Carretero told the Europa Press news agency that the date was not appropriate.
■ HORSE RACING
New Zealand clear of flu
New Zealand has been found to be clear of equine influenza after blood tests taken from horses that arrived from Australia proved negative, Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) said yesterday. BNZ has carried out tests on all horses that arrived in New Zealand from Australia since Aug. 1, giving priority to horses that had landed in the last 10 days, when the highly contagious disease had spread widely through New South Wales and Queensland states. Horses that had been in contact with imported animals had also tested negative, BNZ Director Peter Thomson said. "There is currently no evidence of equine influenza in New Zealand," he said.
■ SOCCER
Solomons, Vanuatu advance
The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu joined Fiji and New Caledonia in the semi-finals of the Oceania Confederation World Cup qualifying soccer tournament in Samoa's capital on Monday with final-round victories. The Solomons, led by Benjamin Totori's two goals, beat host Samoa 3-0 to finish first in Pool B. Seule Soromon scored three goals to lead second-place Vanuatu past Tonga 4-1. Fiji and New Caledonia later played to a 1-1 draw, leaving both teams with three wins and a draw. But Fiji's superior goals-for and goals-against ratio gave it first place in Pool A. In today's semi-finals, Fiji takes on Vanuatu while the Solomon Islands, 4-0, take on New Caledonia.
■ CRICKET
Chandana calls it quits
Sri Lankan all-rounder Upul Chandana has retired from international cricket amid speculation he will sign up with the breakaway Indian Cricket League, reports said yesterday. Chandana, 35, gave his decision to Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Duleep Mendis in a letter without specifying the reason for his retirement, the reports said. Chandana, a leg-spinner and useful lower-order batsman, played 16 Tests and 147 one-dayers but failed to find a regular place in the Sri Lankan team. Sri Lanka has said it will ban any player joining the rebel Indian league.
■ MOTORSPORT
India on course to stage GP
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said on Monday it was on course to stage a Formula One grand prix after an inspection of possible sites around New Delhi. Formula One circuit designer Hermann Tilke began a two-day visit of the venues and would provide his feedback to F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. "He has gone around and we have shown him a few places," IOA president Suresh Kalmadi said. "He will go back and give his views to Bernie. We are happy with the progress," he said. "We are on track." The IOA took up a conditional offer in June to stage a Formula One grand prix in 2009 following a letter from Ecclestone to Kalmadi listing tough conditions including various commercial agreements to be signed by the end of this month. Kalmadi was confident the IOA, busy with preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, would meet the deadline.
■ OLYMPICS
All faiths to be welcomed
Beijing 2008 organizers say they plan to build a multi-faith worship center in the Olympic Village, a striking move in a country that heavily restricts all religious activity. "All will be arranged in accordance with the practices ... adopted by other Olympic host cities," Liu Bainian (劉柏年), vice president of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, was quoted as saying in the China Daily newspaper. Liu said Chinese Catholics were preparing to welcome visitors to churches in Beijing and the six other host cities with multi-lingual priests. The Chinese Communist Party-controlled association governs China's Catholic churches, while other state-controlled bodies keep watch over the country's Buddhists, Taoists, Muslims, and Protestants. Worship in non-state recognized churches and temples is illegal and other religions such as Judaism have no official recognition.
■ MOTORSPORT
Spyker preparing new car
Formula One tailenders Spyker hope their heavily revamped car will move them up the starting grid when it makes its race debut at Monza this weekend. "We could see an increase in our race and qualifying pace and be up there in the mix of the midfield if everything works out," chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne said in a statement on Monday. "This is just the start and there are many areas of the car we will revisit, there is a lot more to come from this team," he said. Spyker, who could soon be owned by billionaire Indian businessman Vijay Mallya after he made a US$109.3 million bid for the team with Spyker's director of Formula One Michiel Mol last Friday, have scored no points this season. The B specification car was supposed to have made its debut at last month's Turkish Grand Prix, but that had to be delayed after it failed a rear crash test. The car has since passed the test and the Ferrari-powered team ran it for two days in testing at the Italian Grand Prix circuit last week with no mechanical problems.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was