■HORSE RACING
‘Poison dart’ plot foiled
Two men were questioned yesterday by police in Hong Kong in connection with a plot to rig big money races by shooting poison darts at horses. The men were arrested on Thursday after being seen acting suspiciously by security guards. A police source quoted by radio station RTHK said the men were questioned over a suspected plot to affect the outcome of races by shooting poison darts at horses from remote-controlled devices hidden in the grass next to the track. In March 2007, a firing contraption attached to a series of tubes dug into the ground was found near the starting line of the racecourse. Police officials said at the time that they believed the discovery foiled a plot to fire poison darts from the tubes at the horses. The suspects arrested on Thursday were carrying torches and gloves.
■CRICKET
Azharuddin enters politics
Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who was forced to quit the game after a match-fixing scandal, entered the country’s turbulent political scene on Thursday. Azharuddin, 46, was paraded for the media at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi after joining the ruling party ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections. But Congress spokesman Veerappa Moily refused to confirm if Azharuddin would contest polls expected in April and May. “I’ve known him for 25 years and he expressed his desire to join the Congress,” Moily said. “I took up this matter with the Congress president [Sonia Gandhi], who has agreed to admit him into the party. He is joining the party unconditionally. Whether he will contest for the Lok Sabha [lower house] elections will be discussed later.” Azharuddin said he was delighted to sign up with Congress but sidestepped questions on standing for elections. “The Congress has done so much for the country since the freedom movement. I wanted to give something back to the nation and the best way was to serve the people,” Azharuddin said. He was banned from cricket for life in 2000 after he was named in a match-fixing probe.
■SWIMMING
D’Arcy says sorry
Nick D’Arcy will have to wait a few more weeks to find out whether he’ll spend any time in jail for assaulting former Commonwealth Games medalist Simon Cowley in a barroom fight last March. D’Arcy was subsequently dumped from Australia’s Olympic team for Beijing after being charged in the attack that left Cowley with fractures to his jaw, eye socket, cheekbone and nose. The 21-year-old D’Arcy pleaded guilty last November to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm on Cowley. Magistrate John Favretto said yesterday that he would hear sentencing submissions next week and will hand down his decision at a later date. D’Arcy apologized to Cowley in court yesterday. “I am extremely sorry, if there was anything I could do to take it back I would,” he said.
■CRICKET
Lewis denies drug charge
Former England star Chris Lewis denied trying to smuggle cocaine into Britain as he appeared in court on Thursday. The 41-year-old is accused of trying to sneak cocaine with an estimated street value of £200,000 (US$290,000). Lewis and co-defendant Chad Kirnon were both remanded in custody at Croydon Crown Court after entering not guilty pleas. Lewis was arrested last year after border control officers at London Gatwick Airport found 4kg of the illegal drug in liquid form in fruit tins in baggage that had arrived on a flight from St Lucia.
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