■ICE HOCKEY
Raptors to face Wolves
The match-up for the fifth Chinese Taipei Ice Hockey League (CIHL) Championship has been set as the Hsinchu Raptors dispatched the Taichung Lions and the Taipei Wolves beat the Taipei Rhinos in the weekend’s semi-final series. Both victorious teams were able to vanquish their opposition in two straight games. The puck drops on game 1 of the fifth CIHL Championship finals on Friday at 9:15pm. Game two of the best-of-three series will be played on Saturday at 9:15pm and, if necessary, game three will take place on Sunday at 7:45pm. All games will be played at Taipei Arena and admission is free.
■BOXING
Former champ Page dies
Former heavyweight boxing champion Greg Page died at his Kentucky home on Monday, his wife Patricia Page said. He was 50. Page suffered a severe brain injury eight years ago at a fight in Louisville and his wife said he died of complications from that fight. Page was in a coma for a week following the March 2001 World Boxing Association title fight. He suffered a stroke during post-fight surgery and was paralyzed on his left side and received intensive physical therapy. Page was 42 and had a 58-16-1 career record going into the fight against 24-year-old Dale Crowe. Page hit the canvas after 10 rounds and didn’t get up. Page won a US$1.2 million suit two years ago over the lack of medical help at the match.
■GOLF
PGA Tour elevates HSBC
The International Federation of PGA Tours says the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai will be elevated to the level of an elite World Golf Championship event. PGA TOURS announced yesterday that prize money for the tournament will be increased by US$2 million to US$7 million and there will be a revised qualifying criteria. Defending champion Sergio Garcai will also be back at Shanghai’s Sheshan International Golf Club. Tiger Woods has already announced he will play the HSBC Champions in early November.
■RUGBY UNION
Karl Mullen dead at 82
Ireland’s 1948 Grand Slam-winning captain Karl Mullen has died at the age of 82, just over a month after seeing Ireland end a 61-year wait to win the Six Nations clean sweep again. Mullen made his Ireland debut against France in 1947 and went on to win 25 caps, leading his country to the 1948 Five Nations Grand Slam and the Triple Crown a year later. In 1950 he was named captain for the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia and New Zealand.
■BASKETBALL
Former Net hospitalized
Former New Jersey Nets star Jayson Williams was hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation on Monday following a early morning run-in with police that led to Williams being stunned with a Taser. The incident took place at a Manhattan hotel after police were called when the former NBA standout appeared suicidal, police said. Police said they found empty bottles of prescription medications thrown around the hotel suite. Williams, who played with New Jersey and Philadelphia before retiring in 2000, had divorce papers filed earlier this year claiming he was abusive, had cheated on her and had a drug problem. Williams was convicted in 2004 of trying to cover up the shooting death of Costas Christofi, his hired driver, at his New Jersey home in 2002. He was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter charges but the jury could not reach a verdict on a reckless manslaughter count. A retrial on that charge is pending.
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
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
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
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care