Thu, Apr 16, 2009 page19

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■RUGBY UNION

  Suspensions follow rumpus

  The Disciplinary Commission of the Romanian Rugby Federation (FRR) on Tuesday said it had handed down suspensions to players involved in a brawl earlier this month between Farul Constanta and Dinamo Bucharest. Three of Constanta’s Georgian players were hurt in the brawl which erupted after just six minutes when a Constanta player clashed with one of his opponents. Several Dinamo players became embroiled in the scuffle and soon fists were flying in all directions with the Georgians at the center of the fray. Constanta players marched off in protest at the violence, prompting the FRR to award league leaders Dinamo the win against their second-placed opponents. The FRR gave six Dinamo players a seven-match ban with another suspended for 10 matches. Dinamo must also forfeit two home matches following the affray which saw nine players requiring hospital treatment. The chairman of Farul Constanta received a 12-match ban while two of the club’s Georgian stars must respectively sit out 10 and seven games.

  ■SOCCER

  South Korea files complaint

  South Korea’s soccer association said yesterday it had filed a complaint with the sport’s world governing body against the head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for “groundless, bitter accusations.” The row stems from remarks AFC chief Mohamed bin Hammam made in a television interview in which he blasted Korea Football Association chief Cho Jung-yeon, saying he was ready to “cut Cho’s head off.” During the interview, with Qatari TV, Bin Hammam accused Cho of supporting the candidacy of Bahrain’s Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa for a seat on Fifa’s executive committee. Shaikh Salman will challenge Bin Hammam for the seat next month when the Qatari’s term expires. Bin Hammam has since described his quote as a “harmless and widely used Arabic metaphor.”

  ■SOCCER

  Coach punches referee

  A Brazilian coach pushed a player from the opposing team and then punched the referee on the day his team were relegated. Television pictures showed Comercial coach Pedro Santilli losing his temper during Sunday’s game against Catanduvense in the second division of the Sao Paulo state championship. Santilli, assistant Brazil coach for a brief period in 2000-2001, went on to the field to pick up a spare ball and as he walked back to the touchline barged into a Catanduvense player who collapsed to the ground. He then went over to speak to the referee and suddenly lashed out, landing a right-fisted punch on the official’s chin. Santilli was sent off, while his team lost 1-0.

  ■SOCCER

  Steve Gerrard odd one out

  Premier League champions Manchester United provided five of the six nominees for the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) player of the season award when they were announced on Tuesday. The only non United player to be nominated is Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. The United quintet comprise Nemanja Vidic, Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. For Giggs it probably represents his last crack at getting the ultimate nod from his peers while Gerrard can hope that he benefits as David Ginola did in 1999 by winning because the vote for the United players is split. Ronaldo is bidding to become the first player to win it on three successive occasions. The decision will be announced in London on April 26.

  ■GYMNASTICS

  Court extends stalker order

  A Los Angeles judge on Tuesday extended by three years a restraining order issued against a man charged with stalking Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Shawn Johnson. Robert O’Ryan, 34, was arrested last month at CBS Studios in Los Angeles, after he was caught trying to scale a fence at the facility where Johnson was recording television show Dancing with the Stars. Police later found a loaded handgun and shotgun in his car as well as duct tape, officials said. Authorities said O’Ryan had driven from Florida to see 17-year-old Johnson. Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Anthony Drewry extended a restraining order against O’Ryan through April 14, 2012, meaning he is forbidden from coming within 100m of the athlete and her family.

  ■GOLF

  Lee turns professional

  New Zealand teenager Danny Lee, the youngest winner on the European Tour, turned professional on Tuesday a week after making his debut at the US Masters. The 18-year-old, who burst on to the world stage with victory at last year’s US amateur championship, will make his first appearance in the paid ranks at this month’s New Orleans Classic. Lee caught the attention of the golfing world when he eclipsed Tiger Woods as the youngest US amateur champion, beating American Drew Kittleson 5&4 in the final at Pinehurst, North Carolina.

  ■YACHTING

  ‘Blue’ stays ahead in Volvo

  Spain’s Telefonica Blue remained ahead on Tuesday in the sixth stage of the Volvo Ocean Race, but its lead was threatened by Sweden’s Ericsson 4, the winner of the first two stages. The Spanish yacht was traveling at about 12 knots and was some 8 nautical miles (14.8km) ahead of Ericsson 4, which leads in the overall classification, followed by Dutch yacht Delta Lloyd. The seven yachts taking part in the world’s most grueling offshore yacht race left Rio de Janeiro for Boston, a distance of 4,900 nautical miles, on Saturday. They are heading to the island of Fernando de Noronha 350km northeast of Brazil, with the first to arrive to collect four points.

  ■BASEBALL

  Harry Kalas passes away

  Broadcaster Harry Kalas, whose “Outta here” home run call was a staple of Philadelphia baseball for almost 40 years, died on Monday after collapsing at a game. Kalas, 73, collapsed in the broadcast booth before the World Series champion Phillies’ contest against the Washington Nationals. “We lost our voice today,” Phillies president David Montgomery said. “He has loved our game and made just a tremendous contribution to our sport and certainly to our organization.” Kalas, whose baritone voice had kept long-suffering Phillies fans abreast of their team’s news since 1971, was beloved by the team’s faithful. He usually called only the middle three innings on radio, but when the Phillies won their second World Series title last autumn, Kalas was on the mike for the final out of the clinching game, and then joined the on-field celebrations. His colleague Scott Franzke said that Kalas was always willing to record his trademark “Outta here!” line for fans who wanted it on their answering machines or, more recently, voice mail messages. There was a moment of silence in Kalas’ memory before the Phillies-Nationals game, and at other ballparks around the country on Monday.
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