■SOCCER
Not nuts about ‘Squirrels’
Authorities in Benin have decided to drop the national team’s long-time nickname of “The Squirrels” in the belief it is uncomplimentary, the sports ministry said on Wednesday. “We were asked about it last year in parliament by lawmakers and they reproached us for making national teams bear the name of an animal which runs off when it is afraid,” sports minister Galiou Soglo said. “We are going to suggest to the government the name ‘Emerging Panthers.’ This proposal will be communicated to the Cabinet,” Soglo said. The issue of dropping the Squirrels designation, first adopted in 1965 — a former national leader maintained it referred to a small animal which can climb high — has been the subject of regular debate.
■ BOXING
Gunman killed ex-champ
A gunman was found guilty on Wednesday of murdering a former boxing champion who had asked a group of men to stop smoking in a bar. Kanyanta Mulenga, 23, shot James Oyebola in the neck and leg after an argument in the London bar, three weeks after a ban on smoking in enclosed public places came into force in July last year. Oyebola, 46, died in hospital four days later. The boxer won the British heavyweight title in 1994 and the bronze medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.
■ RUGBY UNION
England stars in bust-up
Danny Cipriani’s club Wasps confirmed he was involved in a training ground bust-up with Josh Lewsey following reports the star flyhalf had been knocked out by his team-mate. Reports claimed the golden boy of English rugby was left dazed and nursing a split lip following a right hook from fellow international Lewsey, who had reportedly criticized Cipriani for missing a couple of tackles. The club insisted the spat was blown out of proportion. “Rugby is a fiery and physical game and incidents like this happen in training sessions all the time,” a spokesman said. “There is no issue and there is no problem between Danny and Josh. They are friends and team-mates.”
■FORMULA ONE
Tires go green for Japan GP
Formula One cars will use green-grooved tires at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix to promote a campaign by the sport’s governing body to reduce the impact of motoring on the environment. “We hope the launch of the ‘Make Cars Green’ tire will draw public attention to the many environmental initiatives in and around Formula One,” Bridgestone chief executive Shoshi Arakawa told a news conference on Wednesday. The “Make Cars Green” campaign was launched in June with various targets, including the introduction of new technologies to help motorists monitor their environmental impact and improved tire design to help save energy.
■ SOCCER
Spain still ranked No. 1
Spain extended their lead as the world’s No. 1 nation in the latest FIFA rankings published on Wednesday. Italy and Germany remain second and third-ranked. Brazil are South America’s best, climbing two places to No. 4 overall, while pushing the Netherlands and Croatia down a place each. Argentina remain ranked seventh. The one change in the top 10 has Russia at No. 9 at the expense of Turkey, who drop to No. 13. Cameroon are the leading African nation, climbing two places to No. 12. Israel climb three to reach their best-ever ranking of No. 16. Japan leads the Asian Confederation at No. 32. Taiwan are ranked joint 173rd, along with Belize.
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