■SOCCER
Barnes quits ‘Reggae Boyz’
Former England midfielder John Barnes has resigned as coach of Jamaica’s national team just six months after taking over to accept a job guiding England’s Tranmere Rovers. The announcement came after Jamaica’s 3-2 victory over Panama on Sunday in an international friendly. Barnes will join the British club, whose roster includes Jamaican central defender Ian Goodison, next month. Theodore Whitmore takes over the Jamaican side, whose first major test comes next month in the CONCACAF Gold Cup to be played in the US.
■SOCCER
India’s skipper faces music
India captain Bhaichung Bhutia insists his dancing days are behind him but the club he “neglected” to appear on a celebrity television show is now telling him to face the music. Mohun Bagan handed the 32-year-old striker a six-month ban after he missed training to feature in the dance competition, domestic media reported yesterday. Bhutia and his female partner won the show but he maintains he has no plans to hang up his boots and don dancing shoes full time. “We saw Bhaichung neglecting his duties towards the club for a long time. So we have decided to suspend him for six months,” Mohun Bagan club vice president Subrata Mukherjee told reporters. The suspension would prevent Bhutia, seen as key to India’s hopes of a good showing at the 2011 Asian Cup, from signing for another club. “He did not take anybody’s permission before participating in the dance program, he is a registered player and cannot act in this manner. This is a message only to show that nobody is above the club,” Mukherjee was quoted as saying in Kolkata daily the Telegraph.
■TENNIS
‘Scream queen’ gets wildcard
Portuguese teenager Michelle Larcher de Brito, whose on-court screaming caused huge controversy at the French Open, was awarded a wildcard into Wimbledon on Monday. The 16-year-old came through qualifying to reach the third round at Roland Garros where her French opponent, Aravane Rezai complained to the umpire about the noise, which she described as “unpleasant.” Larcher de Brito was adamant she will not tone down the volume. “It’s something that’s been part of my game ever since I started,” she said. Britain’s 15-year-old junior Wimbledon champion Laura Robson will be the youngest player to appear in the senior event since Martina Hingis in 1995 after she also received a wildcard. Robson is ranked 482nd in the world, well below the Lawn Tennis Association’s wild card cut-off point of 250th, but was given a slot via a clause that allows juniors in under “exceptional circumstances.” The tournament begins on June 22.
■BASKETBALL
Spurs’ center has heart op
San Antonio Spurs center Fabricio Oberto has undergone a successful heart procedure to treat arrhythmia, the NBA club announced on Monday. The 34-year-old Argentine playmaker underwent the Ablation procedure on Thursday to correct his heart’s electrical system. Oberto, who averaged 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds a game last season for the Spurs, might be able to resume strenuous exercise in a month. He will begin a gradual cardiovascular exercise program later this week. Oberto averaged 6.0 points and 1.0 rebounds a game in two playoff appearances for the Spurs, who were ousted by Dallas in the opening round of the NBA playoffs back in April.
RSS