■ BOXING
Fighter in a coma
A South Korean boxer who lost consciousness after his WBO intercontinental flyweight bout is in a coma due to a brain injury, a hospital official said yesterday. Choi Yoi-sam lost consciousness and was rushed to a hospital shortly after winning Tuesday's contest against Indonesian challenger Heri Amol. The 33-year-old South Korean boxer was knocked down in the final round of the 12-round fight, but it was not known whether that caused him to pass out. "Choi's condition is very bad. He is in a coma," said Lee Mi-jong, a spokesman at Soonchunhyang University Hospital in Seoul. The boxer had surgery on Tuesday to stop the swelling of his brain, he said.
■ BASKETBALL
McGrady gets good news
The sore knee that forced Houston Rockets swingman Tracy McGrady out of a game on Sunday involves no structural damage to the joint, the Houston Chronicle reported on its Web site on Tuesday. "There was no structural damage," said Rockets trainer Keith Jones of the results of an MRI exam. "There was some inflammation in the tendon by the kneecap where the tendon starts. That's really it. Now, we stay aggressive with it. We'll change a few things and get it stronger and see where it goes. He's still day-to-day, and we'll see what happens." McGrady was originally hurt his left knee on Dec. 15 in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. On Sunday, the 28-year-old left at half-time against Detroit after aggravating the injury. McGrady said on Sunday that he likely won't play tomorrow at Memphis.
■ SOCCER
Osim leaves intensive care
Japan's former national team coach Ivica Osim has left intensive care and started rehabilitation after suffering a serious stroke last month, local media reported. The 66-year-old Bosnian collapsed while climbing the stairs at his home after watching soccer on television and was in a coma for some time. "He's in higher spirits than I would have imagined," Japan Football Association General Secretary Kozo Tashima told reporters on Tuesday after visiting Osim. Tajima was also forced to break the news that Osim had been replaced as coach by Takeshi Okada, 51, who previously served in the same job 10 years ago. Osim's family had previously insisted information about his successor be kept from him until he was on the road to recovery, Kyodo news agency said. "He's a very intelligent person, so I believe he is able to remain objective," Tashima told reporters.
■ SOCCER
Vietnam lines up Brazilian
Vietnam has granted citizenship to a Brazilian-born goalkeeper enabling him to play for the national team, officials said yesterday. Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet signed a decision on Tuesday to grant citizenship to Fabio Dos Santos, a player with Dong Tam Long An in the topflight V-League, the club's executive director Pham Phu Hoa said. Santos, 27, is the first foreign soccer player to be granted Vietnamese citizenship, Hoa said. He has been playing for Dong Tam Long An for the past five years. "Santos is Vietnam's best goalkeeper at the moment, and his chances of being called for the national squad are very high," Hoa said. Tran Quoc Tuan, the general secretary of the Vietnam Football Federation, praised the decision. "This is very good for Vietnam's soccer," Tuan said. "It reflects that V-League is very attractive to foreign players. It may pave the way for other foreign players to join Vietnamese citizenship.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
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
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and