■ATHLETICS
Missing chips cost runners
Two Indian orphans lost out on a much-needed payday as they could not afford the US$4 for timing chips in their shoes, media reported yesterday. The 18-year-olds, Sunita Kanna and Savita Kamble, members of a local sports trust for orphans, came fourth and fifth in the Mumbai women’s half-marathon, the Hindustan Times said. Kanna would have won US$500 and Kamble US$400 if they had the chips embedded in their shoes. “In hindsight, we can think that we lost some money,” Kamble told the paper. “But that doesn’t matter. We enjoy running and next time we will have another shot at getting the prizemoney.” Their coach, Bhagwan Nagargoje, said the trust would have had to borrow money to buy the chips. “We came here to test waters and never expected anything. So we thought ‘why add to our expenses?’” he said. “It is my fault.” Race manager Homiyar Mistry confirmed the pair were recorded in the official finish list, but would not get the prize money.
■SOCCER
Fan shot in chest
A man was shot following a pre-season match between Penarol and Nacional in another bout of soccer violence in Uruguay, police said on Sunday. He was taken to hospital after being shot in the chest as rival fans clashed outside the Centenario stadium following Saturday’s game, police said. Media reports said the man, who has not been named, was in intensive care and that his condition was serious. Police added that 93 people were arrested before, during and after the match. The Uruguayan championship was suspended for two weeks in November after supporters fought on the pitch following a match between Danubio and Nacional. The tournament was again suspended last month after police declared Danubio’s stadium unsuitable to host Penarol.
■SOCCER
CFA names new head
Nan Yong was named to replace Xie Yalong as head of the struggling Chinese Football Association (CFA) yesterday. Xie has faced criticism for the poor performance of China’s men’s team, and the promotion of his deputy had been rumored for months. The CFA gave few details in announcing the change, although the Titan sports newspaper quoted a top-ranking official acknowledging the challenges. “Although right now Chinese football is not in good shape, I hope the new leaders can improve it,” Cui Dalin, deputy sports minister, told the Titan.
■SKIING
Pranger wins in Wengen
Austrian Manfred Pranger won the men’s World Cup slalom in Wengen, Switzerland, on Sunday to record his third career victory four years after his last win. The 30-year-old timed 1min 40.36sec over the two legs with his fellow Austrian Reinfried Herbst and Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic in second and third, 34 and 39 hundredths behind respectively. Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Grange could only finish sixth but still stays atop of the slalom standings.
■WINTER OLYMPICS
City receives cash boost
Canadian lawmakers gave Vancouver, host of next year’s games, the power on Sunday to borrow nearly C$500 million (US$400 million) to finish its Olympic Athlete’s Village. With just 13 months left before the games, the global financial crisis has threatened construction of the facility. The project’s New York lenders, Fortress Investment Group, cut off funding last fall to the private developer of the village, leaving Vancouver on the hook to guarantee the project.
■BASEBALL
Cubs give Orioles Pie
The Baltimore Orioles have acquired outfielder Felix Pie from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for pitcher Garrett Olson and a minor leaguer, the clubs said on Sunday. Pie, 23, batted .287 in 85 games with Class AAA Iowa and .241 in 43 games with the Cubs last season. A native of the Dominican Republic, Pie has appeared in 130 major league games over the last two years. Olson, 25, went 9-10 with a 6.65 ERA in 26 starts last year.
■BASEBALL
Wood says farewell
Kerry Wood, who spent 10 years as a Chicago Cubs pitcher before signing with the Cleveland Indians last month, took out a full-page newspaper advertisement on Sunday to say goodbye to loyal supporters. Wood, a fan favorite in five years as a starter for the Cubs, signed a two-year deal worth US$10 million with Cleveland last month. “Thank you Cubs fans, the greatest fans in all of baseball, for believing in me and supporting me over the years,” Wood said in the advertisement. “I will always be proud to have been a Chicago Cub. Although I’m a member of a new ‘Tribe,’ I will forever be a Chicagoan.”
■ATHLETICS
Keflezighi wins Half
Meb Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic marathon runner-up, surged to an early lead and captured the US Half Marathon Championship men’s title in Houston, Texas, on Sunday. Keflezighi, an American who was born in Eritrea, won in 1 hours, 1 minute, 25 seconds for his first national crown at the distance with 2008 Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein the runner-up, 10 seconds off the pace. Magdalena Lewy-Boulet, a Beijing Olympic marathoner, won the women’s title in 1:11:47.
■BIATHLON
Bjoerndalen is back
Norwegian biathlon star Ole Einar Bjoerndalen appears to be back to his best after collecting his second straight World Cup victory, winning Sunday’s 12.5km men’s pursuit race. Bjoerndalen, who has battled an illness during the season, had a 33-second lead going into Sunday’s race in Ruhpolding, Germany, and missed just one of 20 targets in finishing the course in 36 minutes, 17.4 seconds. Finishing second was Bjoerndalen’s former Norwegian protegee Emil Hegle Svendsen, who trailed by 34.4 seconds after one penalty lap. Third place went to Dominik Landertinger, who was 46.5 seconds behind after two misses. The 20-year-old Austrian took second place in Saturday’s sprint. Bjoerndalen’s victory brings him closer to the overall World Cup leader Svendsen, who improved to 460 points. The women’s 10k pursuit was won by Germany’s Magdalena Neuner, who also was victorious in Saturday’s sprint.
■SUMO
Hakuho maintains record
Grand champion Hakuho threw down sekiwake Baruto yesterday to maintain his perfect record and share the lead with Asashoryu at the New Year Sumo tournament. In the day’s final bout at Ryogoku Kokugikan, Hakuho, who saw his rival yokozuna win in a match just before him, unlocked Baruto’s persistent clinching, ending a minutes-long deadlock at the ring center and smashed him down with a powerful overarm throw. The Estonian slipped to 7-2. Hakuho improved to 9-0 and is tied with Asashoryu, who beat newly promoted ozeki Harumafuji, who fell to 6-3 and is still short of a winning record to maintain his ozeki status. In other major bouts, Bulgarian ozeki Kotooshu bulldozed out No.4 maegashira Wakanosato to stay on the heels of the two leaders at 8-1.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at