■ Rudolph extends deal
Former South Africa batsman Jacques Rudolph has extended his contract at Yorkshire until 2011, at which time he would be able to represent England. The two-year extension will keep him at Yorkshire until the end of 2011, and a player must have been a resident in England for four years to qualify for the country's national team. "When he signed his first contract with us, he said he had no intentions of signing a contract to play for South Africa again," Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan said on Friday. "He's said that on a number of occasions but now he's putting his money where his mouth is ... The longer deal allows Jacques the potential opportunity to qualify for, and go on to represent, England in the future." Rudolph joined Yorkshire in April under the Kolpak ruling which allows a foreigner to sign a contract as a domestic player. He had to sign a declaration saying he didn't intend to play international cricket for South Africa in the future.
■ Soccer
Hannover extend streak
Hannover 96 extended their unbeaten streak to five matches in the Bundesliga with a 0-0 draw on Friday against Eintracht Frankfurt. Hannover's best chance came in the 34th minute when Szabolcs Huszti's attempt from distance missed an empty goal after Frankfurt keeper Markus Proell was forced well off his line to block a shot. The game went without a shot on goal for the first 30 minutes, but both teams expressed satisfaction with the result. "Our team definitely earned the point, but the 0-0 is absolutely OK for us," said Hannover coach Dieter Hecking, whose club climbed into seventh place.
■ Soccer
Pennant out till next year
Jermaine Pennant needs surgery on his right leg, Liverpool revealed on Friday, meaning he will be out of action for 10 weeks. The winger limped out of the Reds' Champions League defeat at Besiktas on Wednesday night and the club have now confirmed he has been carrying a problem for almost the whole of the season.
■ Soccer
PSV star banned for spitting
PSV Eindhoven's Ghanaian defender Eric Addo has been suspended for four games by European soccer's governing body, UEFA, for spitting at an opponent. The incident occurred during PSV's Champions League 0-0 draw with Turkish side Fenerbahce on Tuesday, video footage of which was reviewed by UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body. "During a break in play due to an injury around 25 minutes in [the body] saw an incident involving Addo and Fenerbahce forward Semih Senturk, after which Addo spat in the face of his opponent," it said. "The referee, Howard Webb, was focusing on the injured player and was unable to see the incident." UEFA added: "Spitting at an opponent has always been considered as an act of assault by the UEFA disciplinary bodies, who did not accept that Addo was provoked by the Fenerbahce player."
■ Soccer
Totti doubtful for Milan clash
Injured Roma captain and striker Francesco Totti is in doubt for today's Serie A match against AC Milan, coach Luciano Spalletti said on Friday. "It will be difficult for Totti to take the field against Milan on Sunday, and there is also some doubt about [Rodrigo] Taddei," Spalletti told Italian agency ANSA. Totti picked up an ankle knock in Roma's 2-1 Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon in midweek.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
If all goes well when the biggest marathon field ever gathered in Australia races 42km through the streets of Sydney on Sunday, World Marathon Majors (WMM) will soon add a seventh race to the elite series. The Sydney Marathon is to become the first race since Tokyo in 2013 to join long-established majors in New York, London, Boston, Berlin and Chicago if it passes the WMM assessment criteria for the second straight year. “We’re really excited for Sunday to arrive,” race director Wayne Larden told a news conference in Sydney yesterday. “We’re prepared, we’re ready. All of our plans look good on
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the leader of the organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote. No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) went on without it. What effect the information could have had on Valieva’s case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later