■RUGBY SEVENS
Fifty in vicious street brawl
At least 50 people, including rugby players, were involved in a vicious street brawl on the eve of the Hong Kong Sevens, a report said yesterday, casting a shadow over the city’s biggest annual party. Police used riot shields, batons and pepper spray to subdue running battles through the Wanchai bar area in the early hours of Friday, the South China Morning Post said. Former Fiji Sevens player Paula Maisiri, who had been taking part in a 10-a-side tournament, was reportedly fined HK$500 dollars (US$65) for assaulting a police officer. “The fighting exploded like it would on a rugby pitch. There were so many people watching. I’ve never seen anything like it,” an eyewitness was quoted as saying. “There were police with shields and batons and blood everywhere,” another said. Despite widespread heavy drinking and rowdy behavior, serious violence is unusual at the Hong Kong Sevens, which attracts thousands of fans.
■SOCCER
World Cup tickets in demand
More than 1 million World Cup ticket applications have been received by FIFA online and the majority of them are from South Africans, the local organizing committee said on Friday. “The number of applications has far exceeded FIFA’s and the local organizing committee’s expectations. Not surprisingly, the country that has submitted the largest number of applications is South Africa, followed by the United Kingdom and the USA,” the committee said in a statement. There are only 743,000 available tickets for the first phase of sales which ends on March 31. “We have had a phenomenal response from football fans around the world. We do expect a last-minute rush over the next few days to beat the deadline, particularly in South Africa,” FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke said.
■EXTREME SKIING
McConkey dies in cliff jump
Extreme skier Shane McConkey was killed jumping off a cliff with a parachute while filming a movie in Italy. He was 39. His sponsor Red Bull confirmed his death on Thursday. McConkey was in Corvara on a ski-BASE jump when he had a mid-air malfunction, Red Bull said in a statement. Italian emergency responders arrived within minutes and pronounced him dead at the scene, the sponsor said. During his career mcConkey won the IFSA world tour of free skiing in 1996 and 1998, and finished second in the 1999 Winter X Games Skier X competition.
■CYCLING
Leipheimer wins in Spain
Levi Leipheimer won the Vuelta of Castilla and Leon after protecting his overall lead on Friday’s final stage. Leipheimer finished 16 seconds ahead of Astana teammate Alberto Contador after holding off the 2007 Tour de France champion in the two mountain stages since winning Tuesday’s time trial. “Our team was the strongest. After the time trial I didn’t have to do anything, because my teammates did everything,” Leipheimer said.
■BADMINTON
Hidayat makes the semis
Second-seeded Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia rallied to beat Kuan Beng Hong of Malaysia 17-21, 21-17, 21-19 on Friday to advance to the semi-finals of the India Open. Hidayat, a former Olympic and world champion, will play Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia, who defeated Tan Chung Seang of Malaysia 13-21, 21-18, 21-9. Chen Long of China downed eighth-seeded Lee Tsuen Seng of Malaysia 21-15, 21-8 and will play Muhammad Hafiz Hashim of Malaysia, who edged Andre Kurniawan Tedjono of Indonesia 21-18, 14-21, 21-16.
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