■ CRICKET
Butt’s century sets record
Opener Salman Butt smashed a record-breaking century to help Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 150 runs in the fifth and final day-night international on Saturday for a 5-0 series whitewash. The left-hander scored a career-best 136 to lift Pakistan to their highest one-day total against Bangladesh of 329-9 in their 50 overs, before the tourists succumbed to 179 all out in 40.5 overs at the National Stadium. The 23-year-old opener, who had scores of 33, 76, 132 and 74 in the series, amassed 451 in all. It was the highest ever aggregate in a bilateral five-match one-day series, beating countryman Mohammad Yousuf’s 405 against Zimbabwe in 2002. Pakistan’s previous highest total against Bangladesh was achieved in the first match of this series in Lahore when they made 322-5.
■ SWIMMING
Germans want LZR suits
German swimmers fear a disastrous performance at the Beijing Olympics because they will be wearing the wrong swimsuits. The country’s Olympic trials have been overshadowed by the swimmers’ demands to be allowed to compete in the Speedo LZR Racer. Twenty-two world records have been shattered in the high-tech suit since its introduction in February. The Germans say their medal chances are bleak at the Games unless they can wear Speedo instead of Adidas. “The German swim federation has to seriously consider it, otherwise we will sink completely into mediocrity,” Thomas Rupprath, one of Germany’s top swimmers, said on Saturday.
■ BOXING
Diaconu wins on points
Romanian Adrian Diaconu registered a unanimous points win over Chris Henry of the US to become the World Boxing Council’s interim light-heavyweight champion on Saturday. The three judges scored the contest 116-113, 115-113 and 115-113 as Montreal-based Diaconu took his unbeaten record to 22 fights. Henry controlled the opening round before Diaconu, cheered on by a lively crowd of 6,000, slowly seized the initiative. The Romanian, known as “The Shark,” piled on the pressure in the eighth round and appeared to be on the brink of a knockdown when his opponent was saved by the bell.
■ SOCCER
Brazil take final Games spot
World Cup runners-up Brazil beat Ghana 5-1 in a playoff on Saturday to clinch the final place at the Olympic women’s soccer tournament. World Player of the Year Marta scored from a 20m free-kick in the 19th minute and set up another for Cristiane just before halftime. Cristiane scored a second following a headed strike by her captain Aline in the second half. Rosana contributed Brazil’s fifth after 74 minutes and Ghana’s Anita Amankwa put away a consolation effort two minutes later. Brazil, ranked fourth in the world, were forced into the playoff with the African runners-up after Argentina earned the South American qualifying spot.
■ BASEBALL
Farnsworth appeals ban
New York Yankees reliever Kyle Farnsworth was suspended for three games and fined on Saturday for throwing a fastball behind the neck of Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez last week. Farnsworth appealed the penalty, which was to start on Saturday. He will be eligible to pitch until a hearing is held. Ramirez hit two home runs on Thursday as the Red Sox beat the Yankees 7-5. When he came up again in the seventh inning, Farnsworth threw a 156kph pitch behind him.
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
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but