■SOCCER
Nakamura to join Espanyol
Japan’s Shunsuke Nakamura will announce his move to Espanyol from Celtic as early as tomorrow and make his debut in a friendly against Liverpool on Aug. 2, a report said yesterday. Nakamura’s agent Roberto Tsukuda will today meet executives at J-League side Yokohama Marinos, who were also vying for his signature, to tell them of the star’s intention after talks with Espanyol in Barcelona over the past week. Nakamura told Tsukuda by telephone last week that he had decided on the move to the Spanish side after talks with Yokohama, his first professional side, collapsed, Nikkan Sports said. His debut will also be the inaugural match at Espanyol’s new stadium. Japanese reports said the two-year deal will see Nakamura, who is leaving Celtic on a free transfer, pick up 1.2 million euros (US$1.7 million) a year.
■SOCCER
Livorno return to Serie A
Livorno returned to Serie A at the first attempt when they beat visitors Brescia 3-0 on Saturday to complete a 5-2 aggregate win in the Serie B playoff final. Forward Francesco Tavano headed in Alessandro Diamanti’s cross from the left five minutes after the break to open the scoring for the Tuscans who finished the regular season in third. Diamanti doubled the lead 10 minutes later with a right-foot volley, before Danish midfielder Martin Bergvold wrapped things up by firing under the bar at the end of a counterattack. Brescia forward Andrea Caracciolo and Livorno substitute Fabio Galante were sent off in the closing stages. Livorno, who were relegated from Serie A after finishing the 2007-2008 campaign bottom of the table, are promoted with Serie B champions Bari and runners-up Parma. They will take the places of relegated Lecce, Reggina and Torino in the top flight.
■SOCCER
Filipinos quarantined
A young Philippine player in Singapore for the Asian Youth Games has caught the A(H1N1) flu virus, leading his teammates to be quarantined and matches against the Philippines postponed. The Singapore government said a 14-year-old from the Philippines soccer team developed a fever during a practice session on Friday, but was now in a stable condition. He had arrived on Thursday from Manila with 18 teammates and two coaches. “The Asian Youth Games will go on. The health and safety of all participants remains our paramount concern,” said a spokesman for organizer the Singapore Sports Council.
■ATHLETICS
Bolt to run 100m and 200m
Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt plans to compete in both the 100m and 200m at next week’s Jamaican world championship trials, his agent said on Saturday. “His aim is to qualify for the world championship team in these events and the 4x100m relay,” Ricky Simms said in an e-mail. Bolt set world records in all three at last year’s Beijing Olympics. The Jamaican trials run from Friday through to Sunday in Kingston.
■ATHLETICS
Chambers eases to victory
British sprinter Dwain Chambers eased to victory in the 100m at the European team event on Saturday before setting his sights on August’s world championships. Chambers, 31, who served a two-year suspension after testing positive for the designer steroid THG in 2003, clocked 10.07 seconds to beat Portugal’s Francis Obikwelu (10.20) and Emanuele Di Gregorio of Italy (10.21).
■ICE HOCKEY
Kenny Jonsson to retire
Veteran Swedish defenseman Kenny Jonsson, a two-time Olympic champion and former NHL player, is retiring from hockey after 19 seasons. The 34-year-old Jonsson, who was captain of the Swedish team that finished third at the world championship last month, spent the last four seasons with Swedish club Rogle, where he started his career. Jonsson played in 705 NHL games, compiling 64 goals and 207 assists in 10 seasons, mostly with the New York Islanders. He won his first Olympic gold with Sweden at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. In 2006, he also won gold at the world championship as Sweden became the first country to win Olympic and world titles in the same year.
■BASEBALL
Matsuzaka to miss next start
Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka will miss his next start and will have tests conducted on his right shoulder, the American League team said on Saturday. “What we decided is that going forward next week we are not going to start Daisuke,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “We need to get him looked at physically,” Francona added. The high-price right-hander has struggled this season, posting a 1-5 record and an 8.23 earned run average. He was on the disabled list earlier this season with a shoulder strain after winning Most Valuable Player honors in helping Japan defend its World Baseball Classic title.
■BASEBALL
Ramirez to play in minors
Slugger Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers will make his return to baseball tomorrow after a doping suspension when he starts a stint with the minor league Albuquerque Isotopes. “Manny has agreed to go to Albuquerque on Tuesday,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said on Saturday. Torre wouldn’t specify how many days Ramirez would spend with the club there. “The only thing I can report to you is that he’s agreed to go down there,” Torre said. “It’s just a matter of competition. It’s the idea of going out there and playing a game.” Ramirez took batting practice on Saturday morning at Dodger Stadium and has been consistently working out since he was suspended for 50 games for violating Major League Baseball’s drug rules. He is eligible to be reinstated to the majors on July 3, when the Dodgers are in San Diego.
■GOLF
Lowly Nilsson takes lead
Christian Nilsson, a Swede ranked 478th, shot a 6-under 65 Saturday to lead by four strokes after the third round of the Saint-Omer Open in France. Nilsson hit an eagle and five birdies to total 11-under 202. His best finish this year was a share of 31st place at the Open de Andalucia in March. James Morrison of England (70) stayed second after making four birdies and three bogeys. Overnight leader Wade Ormsby of Australia (74) slipped to equal third at 209 after bogeying three holes on the back nine. He is level with Fredrik Andersson Hed of Sweden (71), Sion E. Bebb of Wales (67) and 2004 winner Jose-Filipe Lima of Portugal (69).
■GOLF
Young Manassero lands title
Italian teenager Matteo Manassero became the youngest player to land the British amateur title after a 4&3 win over Sam Hutsby in Formby, England, on Saturday. The 16-year-old, who finished 19th at last month’s Italian Open, sealed victory over Briton Hutsby with a three-foot putt on the 33rd hole. Manassero has earned an automatic place at next month’s British Open at Turnberry in Scotland, as well as in next year’s US Masters.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
HSIEH MAKES QUARTERS: Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens of Belgium won in the women’s doubles and face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin of the US Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff were knocked out of the women’s singles at the Miami Open on Monday, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced in the women’s doubles. Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2, hours after third seed Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Alexandrova beat a top-ranked player for the first time and advanced to face Jessica Pegula, a 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 winner over Emma Navarro, in the quarter-finals. Alexandrova recorded her second win over Swiatek, following a 2021 victory in Melbourne. Swiatek had won their three matches since. “We played quite