■ RUGBY LEAGUE
Aussie coach Stuart sorry
Australian coach Ricky Stuart has apologized for what he has described as his “offensive” behavior toward Rugby League World Cup officials after the Kangaroos’ shock defeat in last weekend’s final. Stuart’s management issued a statement yesterday in which he expressed deep regret to referee Ashley Klein and British referees official Stuart Cummings for his outbursts after the loss to New Zealand in Brisbane. “It’s a hard thing for me to admit, but I was certainly not in control of my emotions at the time and acted irresponsibly and irrationally ... but that’s not an excuse for my behavior,” Stuart said in the statement. Stuart is the subject of a Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) investigation after he accused English referee Klein of costing Australia the World Cup.
■ ICE HOCKEY
Leafs to hire Burke as GM
The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to hire former Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke as their new GM, sports network TSN reported on Thursday. Burke, who stepped down as the Ducks’ general manager earlier this month, will be named president and GM of the Maple Leafs as early as this weekend. Burke told TSN that negotiations have been ongoing. Burke, who resigned from his position with the Ducks on Nov. 12, had said he wants to return to the eastern North America. Since turning down the Ducks’ extension offer, Burke has been linked to the GM post with the Maple Leafs, who fired John Ferguson last January.
■ CYCLING
Schumacher plans libel suit
German cyclist Stefan Schumacher, who failed a drugs test at the Tour de France, said on Thursday he would sue the French anti-doping authorities (AFLD) for defamation. “I have been judged and pilloried. My conscience is clear,” Schumacher, who has always denied doping, told his Web site. “I don’t want to stop here and I will not stop here. The people who have always believed in me and continue to do so don’t deserve this,” he said. The German rider caused a minor sensation when he won both time trials, leaving Switzerland’s two-time world champion Fabian Cancellara in his wake.
■ MOTOGP
Rossi signs off on top
World champion Valentino Rossi on Thursday signed off testing duties with Yamaha for this year by clocking the fastest time of the session at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Rossi set his best time of the day on his 52nd of 54 laps, dipping nearly seven-tenths of a second under the lap record with a time of 1 minute, 39.429 seconds. Rossi will spend the first part of his winter break in Wales next weekend watching the season-ending Rally of Great Britain.
■ BASKETBALL
Officials fight ‘age shaving’
Beijing is ordering its basketball players to stop faking their birth dates, media reported yesterday. Sports authorities have sometimes been accused of altering players’ ages to show them as being younger, mainly to qualify them for youth tournaments. Those false ages stay with athletes and can result in embarrassment and regulatory sanctions when athletes move on to greater success. Starting this season, the national basketball federation has begun to check ages given on players’ identification cards against a national police computer database, prompting a spate of confessions, the Oriental Sports Daily newspaper.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and