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Sports Briefs

■BASEBALL

Officials meet batmakers

After collecting more than 1,700 broken bats over two-and-a-half months, Major League Baseball (MLB) officials have started meeting with manufacturers to discuss quality control. Although commissioner Bud Selig has expressed concern over the increase in broken bats among maple models, no action has been taken. He can’t ban maple bats unilaterally because their use is subject to collective bargaining. MLB’s safety and health advisory committee, which includes players’ union officials, said on Tuesday it collected every broken bat from July 2 through Sunday and compiled “its manufacturer, the model, its dimensions, the situation of the game when it was broken, the area in which the bat fragments landed, and video footage from MLB.com.”

■WRESTLING

Youngster beats up Ric Flair

A fight between former professional wrestler Ric Flair and his daughter’s 22-year-old boyfriend left the 59-year-old Flair bloodied and bruised, police said on Tuesday. Neither man was charged by police in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, but Flair’s daughter, Ashley Elizabeth Fliehr, was charged for resisting police after she became belligerent and kicked an officer, police Lieutenant Kevin Gunter said. Neighbors called police at about 2:30am on Friday about a fight at an apartment in the city about 48km northwest of Raleigh. Officers followed a trail of blood to the wrestler’s apartment. Officers found Flair, whose real name is Richard Fliehr, on a bed in the back room. The boyfriend was in another part of the apartment. Flair admitted fighting with the boyfriend but said he did not want to press charges, Gunter said. Flair, known for his platinum blond hair, fur-lined robes and signature “Wooooo!” catchphrase, retired earlier this year after a 36-year career. He had wrestled for a number of big-name organizations, including World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment.

■BASKETBALL

Bryant to skip pinkie surgery

National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Kobe Bryant has decided to forgo surgery on his right pinkie finger after learning it could sideline him for 12 weeks. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar and newly minted Olympic gold medalist said on Tuesday on his Web site, kb24.com, that he has decided against an operation before the start of the season. “When the doctors told me recovery from a procedure could be 12 weeks, I just decided now was not the time to have surgery,” Bryant said. Bryant, 30, played in all 82 games and averaged 28.3 points last season despite suffering ligament damage in the pinkie against the New Jersey Nets on Feb. 5. “I’ve always felt that I can still focus and play at a high level even through various injuries,” Bryant said. “That’s just part of the game.”

■RALLYING

Australia to rejoin series

Australia will return to the World Rally Championship, with the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport announcing yesterday that a race would be held in northern New South Wales state next year. Australia last held a leg of the rally car world championship in 2006 near Perth. Organizers expect the race, to be held on the east coast every second year on an alternating basis with Rally New Zealand, would inject in excess of A$100 million (US$82 million) into the local economy. The Sept. 3 to Sept. 6 leg next year will contain 16 stages in and around the coastal hinterland towns of Kyogle, Murwillumbah and Mullumbimby, just south of the popular tourist destination of the Gold Coast.

■SOCCER

Poyet dismisses speculation

Gus Poyet insisted there is “nothing at all” to reports persistently linking him to the vacant manager’s job at Newcastle. Tottenham’s first team coach told the club’s Web site on Tuesday that he is very happy at Spurs and is looking forward to upcoming games against Aston Villa in the Premier League and Wisla Krakow in the UEFA Cup. “It’s very clear that it’s nothing at all,” Poyet said when asked about reports linking him to the Newcastle post. “I’m very happy here. This is just speculation and it’s all too easy because of my relationship with Dennis Wise. It’s nothing to worry about.” The Uruguayan has been installed as one of the favorites to replace Kevin Keegan after his departure from the Newcastle job.

■SOCCER

Viola fans hit by travel ban

Fiorentina fans have been banned from traveling to this weekend’s away game at Napoli, according to Italy’s committee for the analysis of security at sporting events (Casms) on Tuesday. The move was first drawn up last week, but the disciplinary body has only now rubber-stamped the plans. Casms also imposed restrictions on the sale of tickets to Bologna fans for their trip to Fiorentina on Sept. 21. Several lower league matches have also been subject to restrictions. The move comes just a day after Napoli were fined 10,000 euros (US$14,200) and ordered to close two parts of their stands for four league games after violent scenes during a match against AS Roma last month.

■CRICKET

Akhtar strikes on debut

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar took a wicket for Surrey on his debut for the county but Hampshire had the better of a rain-affected first day at The Oval on Tuesday. Akhtar had Michael Carberry caught behind on the opening day of the County Championship First Division clash on his way to figures of one for 23 in eight overs. But Hampshire still managed to make 116 for two in the 39 overs that were possible in south London. Shoaib, 33, is currently appealing against an 18-month ban and a fine of 7 million rupees (US$93,000) imposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board following his public criticisms of his country’s cricket chiefs in January this year after he was dropped from a list of 15 centrally contracted players.

■SOCCER

Top CFA official gets boot

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has removed its top official following intense criticism of the performance of its men’s team at last month’s Beijing Olympic Games. Xie Yalong is being assigned to attend a course at a government management academy, the CFA said in a brief notice on its Web site yesterday. Xie’s duties have been assumed by the association’s Communist Party branch chairman Nan Yong, the notice said. Chinese newspapers portrayed the switch to Nan as a face-saving way of removing Xie from his duties in response to a public panning of the association’s management, blamed for a string of sub-par performances by the men’s team. China have failed to qualify for the World Cup finals in South Africa in 2010 and bounced out in the Olympic tournament in the preliminary round with two losses and a draw. Fans at China’s games chanted “Xie Yalong must go” and local media have speculated for weeks on his possible future. The CFA said the final decision to shift Xie out of his post was made by the government’s Sports General Administration.