Print

Mail

wiki links

Sport Briefs

■ FOOTBALL

NFL to reinstate Favre

Disgruntled quarterback Brett Favre was be reinstated by the National Football League (NFL) yesterday, the league said. The three-time NFL MVP announced his retirement in March, but has had a change of heart and now wants to play again. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said this week he hopes the Packers and the 38-year-old Favre can come to an agreement on where and when he will play again. Despite leading them to a Super Bowl championship, the Packers have not welcomed Favre back with open arms, creating a circus-like standoff. Once he is reinstated, Green Bay will have 24 hours to put Favre on their 80-man roster, trade him or release him. The attention-craving Favre has also reportedly been mulling a multimillion dollar marketing offer from the Packers — a scenario in which the team would pay him as much as US$25 million to stay retired.

■ RUGBY UNION

Sonny Bill in Toulon

New Zealand back-rower Sonny Bill Williams, a star rugby league player in Australia, will be in Toulon on Monday or Tuesday to finalize his contract, the French club said. The president of the Toulon club, Mourad Boudjellal, said everything was on course for him to sign for the club and make his debut in a friendly on Friday. Boudjellal told reporters: “Williams will be in Toulon on Monday or Tuesday. We have discussed things with his agents and we are going to try and complete the move. If everything goes well, he will have his medical on Tuesday and could make his debut in a friendly match on Friday” against Carqueirannes-Hyeres. The 22-year-old, a star player for Australian rugby league side Canterbury, has decided to move to the 15-a-side game and team up with Toulon coach and compatriot Tana Umaga.

■ SWIMMING

Thorpe to sue French paper

Five-time Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe has decided to pursue legal proceedings against a French newspaper and journalist he alleges defamed him by publishing claims he used performance-enhancing drugs. A story written by Damien Ressiot and published by the daily sports newspaper L’Equipe in March last year reported that Thorpe gave a urine sample in 2006 that showed abnormal levels of testosterone. The report also said the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) knew of the results but chose not to proceed because of a lack of evidence. In June, Thorpe completed an “issue of intention” in the New South Wales Supreme Court to keep the case active. On Monday, the court in Sydney set a date of Sept. 22 for lawyers on both sides to meet. Thorpe’s lawyer, Tony O’Reilly, said Thorpe wanted to repair the damage done to his reputation by the claims. In August last year, ASADA cleared Thorpe, who retired in December 2006, and said there was no evidence to support the allegation he used performance-enhancing drugs. FINA, swimming’s world governing body, made similar findings.

■ CRICKET

Steyn to miss fourth Test

South African Dale Steyn has been ruled out of this week’s fourth Test against England at the Oval, but should be back for the one-day series, the BBC reported on Sunday. The 24-year-old paceman suffered a fracture to the base of his left thumb and is due to be in a plaster for another week, so he will miss the Oval fixture which starts on Thursday. Steyn missed South Africa’s series-clinching third Test against England at Edgbaston with the injury.
This story has been viewed 835 times.