Print

Mail

wiki links

Sports Briefs

■ SOCCER

Venezuela shock Brazil

Venezuela claimed their first ever victory over Brazil on Friday when they shocked the South American soccer power 2-0 in a friendly international match in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Giancarlo Maldonado, who plays for Atlante of Mexico, opened the scoring in the sixth minute, and Ronald Vargas made it 2-0 for Venezuela in the 44th. Venezuela had never beaten Brazil in 17 previous encounters at international level. This duel, played before a crowd of 54,045 fans at Gilette Stadium, was part of both teams’ preparation for upcoming World Cup qualifiers.



■ BOXING

Mayweather to retire

Floyd Mayweather Jr announced his retirement on Friday. “I have decided to permanently retire from boxing,” Mayweather said in a statement. “This decision was not an easy one for me to make as boxing is all I have done since I was a child. However, these past few years have been extremely difficult for me to find the desire and joy to continue in the sport.” Mayweather’s sudden announcement — not the first time he has voiced an intention to retire — appears to scotch an expected rematch with Oscar De La Hoya in September. Mayweather, 31, won a split decision over De La Hoya in May last year in a bout that earned the highest pay-per-view television revenues in history. In his last appearance in the ring, Mayweather knocked out Briton Ricky Hatton in December.



■ BASEBALL

Bonds trial set for March

Barry Bonds is headed to trial next March on federal charges of lying to a grand jury about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. The trial date was set on Friday in San Francisco after Major League Baseball’s home run king pleaded not guilty when he was re-arraigned on 15 felony counts of lying under oath and obstruction of justice. Lead Bonds attorney Allen Ruby pleaded not guilty to the charges on the slugger’s behalf, while Bonds stood silently in front of the judge. Ninety minutes later, Ruby agreed to a March 2 trial date before a second judge.



■ MOTOGP

Lorenzo hospitalized

Jorge Lorenzo injured his right hand and had temporary memory loss after a fall during the second free practice session for the Catalunya Grand Prix in Barcelona on Friday and was taken by helicopter to the hospital. Lorenzo, who is third in this season’s MotoGP standings behind Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedroza, lost control of his Yamaha 14 minutes into the session and appeared to briefly lose consciousness following the fall. He also had severe ankle pain, the Circuit de Catalunya said on its Web site. Lorenzo, who fractured bones in his ankles a month ago in Shanghai, was flown to the Dexeus hospital in Barcelona, the circuit said in a statement.



■ ATHLETICS

‘I will be back,’ Gatlin says

Olympic 100m champion Justin Gatlin said on Friday his running career was not over, even though he has lost his appeal against a four-year doping ban. “I will definitely be back on the track,” Gatlin, 26, said in a telephone interview from his home in Pensacola, Florida. “I have plans for the next two years but I will be back running.” A Court of Arbitration for Sport panel upheld Gatlin’s doping ban for a 2006 positive test earlier on Friday. The decision means he will not be eligible to compete until July 2010 unless he finds other legal recourse. The 2005 world champion said he wanted his legal team to continue to seek ways for him to return to the track before 2010.


This story has been viewed 680 times.