■ ICE HOCKEY
Emile Francis' wife found
The wife of former National Hockey League star goalie Emile "The Cat" Francis was found unharmed at a hotel in Florida after going missing on Tuesday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported on Wednesday. Emma Francis, 77, who had been missing since dropping off her husband at the airport on Sunday, reportedly checked into the Best Western Palm Beach Lakes Inn Hotel because of heavy rain rather than make the 15-minute drive back home.
■ BASKETBALL
Kwame Brown faces charges
Los Angeles Lakers center Kwame Brown was charged with disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer after his cousin was charged with drunken driving in Valdosta, Georgia. Brown faces misdemeanor charges after police pulled over Charles Warren Jr early on Saturday for driving the wrong way down a one-way street, police said on Wednesday. Brown, who happened to be in the area, approached the officers and told them the vehicle was his and that he was Warren's cousin, police said. Brown became disruptive, which led to his arrest, police said.
■ OLYMPICS
Beijing to showcase wushu
Wushu's on-again, off-again ticket to the Olympics is on again -- sort of. Chinese Olympic Committee vice president Zhang Faqiang (張發強) said the sport will be showcased at the "2008 Beijing Olympic Games Wushu Competition," coinciding with the Games next August. It will be neither a medal or a demonstration sport, but its association with the Olympics will have "significant implications" for its eventual entry as a competitive event, the China Daily quoted China Martial Arts Association chairman Li Jie (李杰) as saying.
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