■ UNITED KINGDOM
Alex Ferguson attacked
A man has been charged with assault after an alleged attack on Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson at a train station. According to British Transport Police (BTP), who are responsible for dealing with crime on the train services, Ferguson received injuries to his leg after an incident at Euston Station in London on Monday afternoon after he had traveled from Manchester. BTP issued a statement confirming the alleged attack and said the Red Devils manager was not badly hurt and was able to continue to the function he was on the due to attend. The police said that a 40-year-old man had been charged with assault.
■ UNITED KINGDOM
Ian Porterfield dies
Ian Porterfield, who scored a legendary FA Cup final winner and later managed Chelsea and a string of national teams, died on Tuesday, his family said. He was 61. Tributes were paid yesterday to the Armenia manager, who was diagnosed with colon cancer earlier this year. He died in a hospice in Surrey, southwest of London. Porterfield scored the only goal in the 1973 FA Cup final as second-tier Sunderland defeated English top-flight giants Leeds United 1-0 at Wembley, one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup final history.
■ JAPAN
Japan win tournament
Late second-half substitute Kisho Yano scored in injury time to give Japan a 4-3 victory over Switzerland on Tuesday, and send them home with the title in a four-nation friendly tournament. After Japan fell behind 2-0 by the 13th minute, Shunsuke Nakamura converted a pair of second-half penalties and Seiichiro Maki had another to put the Asians ahead 3-2 by the 78th. But Swiss substitute Johan Djourou equalized from a corner kick in the 79th setting the stage for Yano's dramatic winner. After the 0-0 draw with Austria on Friday, Japan finished with four points -- one better than Switzerland and Chile, who beat Austria 2-0 on Tuesday. Austria finished with two points.
■ ASIA
Player of the year finalists
Iraq captain Younis Mahmoud and South Korean World Cup veteran Lee Woon-jae are among 33 players in the running for the Asian Football Confederation's Player of the Year award. Contenders include five players from Asian Cup champion Iraq, four from Japan, three from Saudi Arabia, two each from Iran, South Korea, Thailand, Kuwait, Vietnam, Oman and Syria, and one each from the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Bahrain, Uzbekistan, North Korea, Tajikistan and China, the AFC said in a statement yesterday. The AFC Annual Awards ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 28 in Sydney, Australia. Players who have earned 40 or more points in this year's AFC or FIFA competitions have been included in the shortlist.
■ UNITED STATES
Chivas snap up Hunter
Former National Hockey League and National Basketball Association executive Shawn Hunter has been hired as president and chief executive officer of Chivas USA. The 44-year-old Hunter will assume responsibility of the day-to-day operation for the Mexico-based ownership of the Major League Soccer team. Chivas USA shares the Home Depot Center in Carson with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Chivas has the fourth-best record this season, but the team's attendance for home games is down from last year.
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