■ RUGBY UNION
Gatland close to Wales job
Former Ireland rugby union coach Warren Gatland is close to being appointed Wales boss, the New Zealander told BBC Wales on Monday. The 44-year-old former hooker -- who was never capped by the All Blacks despite being on the bench many times as understudy to Sean Fitzgerald -- said that there were only minor issues to be resolved after holding talks with the Wales Rugby Union over the weekend. Gatland, who coached Ireland from 1998 to 2001 when he was sacked and replaced by his assistant Eddie O'Sullivan, has enjoyed success with English Premiership side Wasps before going back to New Zealand to be coach of the Waikato National Provincial Championship side. He was one of three candidates interviewed as a replacement for Gareth Jenkins, who was sacked when Wales exited at the first stage of the World Cup.
■ SOCCER
Figo under knife over tibula
Inter Milan's veteran midfielder Luis Figo was to undergo surgery yesterday on a fractured fibula suffered in his club's 1-1 draw with Juventus at the weekend. Figo's injury comes at a bad time for Inter who are already without the services of defender Marco Materazzi and midfielders Patrick Vieira and Dejan Stankovic. The former Portual international suffered the leg injury in a clash with Juventus' Pavel Nedved on Sunday, his 35th birthday. Inter reported in a statement on Monday: "Luis Figo underwent a series of medical tests today to determine the extent of the injury which forced him out of the match against Juventus." The Italian league leaders, who face CSKA Moscow in the Champions League today, added that doctors had detected a multiple fracture of his fibula on his right leg. The statement did not specify how long the 2002 Ballon d'Or would be unavailable.
■ RUGBY
Pelous looks set to retire
France's caps recordholder and former captain Fabien Pelous looks set to announce his international retirement in Paris today after announcing that he was to hold a press conference at the French Rugby Federation's headquarters. The Toulouse lock, who will turn 34 on Dec. 7, won the last of his 118 caps in the World Cup semi-final defeat by England last month but while he has not said what he is announcing -- even his club did not learn of the press conference until Monday, it appears likely that he will bring down the curtain on a stellar international career. Pelous, who has not played for Toulouse this season because of a rib injury suffered in the defeat by England, was a member of the French side that reached the 1999 World Cup final, losing to Australia, and two successive semi-finals, both times losing to the English.
■ HORSE RACING
Emir buys broodmare
The Emir of Dubai paid US$10.5 million to buy Irish-bred Playful Act at Keeneland's Breeding Stock Sale on Monday, a world record auction price for a broodmare. The bidding was another showdown between two titans of the horse breeding industry, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Darley Stud and Coolmore Stud of Ireland. "When those two teams hook up, neither one of them wants to stop," said John Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale Bloodstock, who consigned the horse for Swettenham Stud of Australia. "It's a test of wills, test of ego. They bought a fantastic mare. Obviously we wish them nothing but the best and hope she'll bring a champion." John Ferguson, the buyer for the sheik, said he was determined to get the horse, in part to honor Swettenham's late owner, Robert Sangster, who always talked her up.
■SOCCER
Croatian police probe club
Croatian police were investigating reports on Monday that fans of local soccer club Hajduk Split sold and wore T-shirts bearing Nazi symbols. The Hajduk fans were "walking proudly in Split wearing T-shirts reading `Hajduk Jugend,' a direct allusion to the `Hitler Jugend,'" the Slobodna Dalmacija reported. The T-shirts, sold on the fans' Web site www.torcida.org, depict an eagle carrying the Hajduk coat of arms in its claws, which the daily said replaced the swastika in the Nazi version. "We will check those reports to establish whether the law has been broken," said Marina Kraljevic Gudelj, a police spokeswoman in the southern town of Split. A Croatian soccer association spokesman said the governing body had no knowledge of the case.
■ OLYMPICS
Henin might not defend gold
Justin Henin might not defend her Olympic gold medal in Beijing because the city's air pollution triggers her asthma. Henin withdrew from the China Open in September because of her asthma and is worried she might also be forced to skip the Beijing Games next August. "I've had asthma for a few months now and I felt very bad in New York at the end of the [US Open], so Beijing, I was really concerned about that," Henin said on Monday at the Sony Ericsson Championships. "I was pretty disappointed because I wanted to play the tournament and get used to the conditions." Henin said she had recovered from that bout after visiting a specialist.
■ SOCCER
Beckham plays for charity
David Beckham, Anthony LaPaglia and several actors and retired players joined forces to raise more than US$90,000 for the victims of last month's wildfires in Southern California in a soccer exhibition on Sunday. With England coach Steve McClaren watching, Beckham scored two goals and had three assists in 83 minutes in a 12-4 rout of LaPaglia's Hollywood United. McClaren is trying to determine if Beckham is fit enough to rejoin the national team. The game was also the last for Galaxy coach Frank Yallop, who announced his resignation to the players afterward, Beckham said. The 83 minutes was the most that Beckham played since joining the Galaxy in July. "It's probably the best I've felt in quite a few months now," Beckham said. "It was important for me to get a good workout tonight. I've been working hard trying to get myself fit," he said.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care