■CANADA
Zidane suffers freak injury
Zinedine Zidane’s charity match today is in danger of being canceled after the soccer great suffered a freak injury. Nick Smith, a spokesman for the game organizers, said Zidane injured his back while bending down to pick up his child on Wednesday as he was watching Vancouver’s Canada Day fireworks display. The three-time world player of the year underwent physiotherapy on Thursday, but may have pulled a tendon in his back and recovery usually takes a week. Organizers were expected to make a decision on the game’s status late yesterday. Smith said Zidane’s chances of playing were “50-50.” The game at B.C. Place is the finale in the three-game “Friends of Zidane” tour that has already staged events in Toronto and Montreal. They pit Zidane and other current and retired internationals against local select sides with proceeds going to UNICEF and other causes.
■GERMANY
Ze Roberto joins Hamburg
Brazilian midfielder Ze Roberto has joined Hamburg on a two-year contract. The 34-year-old former Brazil international signed for Hamburg on Thursday, the club said. Ze Roberto was a free agent after turning down Bayern Munich’s offer of a one-year extension to his contract. He played for Bayern between 2002 and 2006 and again between 2007 and last season, winning four Bundesliga titles and four German Cups. “He is a technically outstanding player and brings incredible experience with him,” Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia said. He also played four seasons at Bayer Leverkusen, had a season at Real Madrid, and spells with Santos, Flamengo and Portuguesa in his homeland.
■SWITZERLAND
FIFA won’t punish Iranians
FIFA won’t punish the Iran national soccer team for the green wristbands some players wore in solidarity with anti-government protesters during a World Cup qualifier last month. Soccer’s world governing body said last week it would review all relevant match reports from the June 17 fixture against South Korea to decide whether any rules on player dress were breached. Under the rules drawn up by the International Football Association Board, “the team of a player whose basic compulsory equipment has political, religious or personal slogans or statements will be sanctioned by the competition organizer or by FIFA.” “We received the match reports and there was no reference to the wristbands,” meaning there will be “no further action,” FIFA said in an e-mailed statement on Thursday. FIFA last week asked the Iranian Federation to clarify media reports that several players were permanently banned for showing support for defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi. It received a reply stating that “no disciplinary action has been imposed on any players of the Iran national team.”
■SOUTH AFRICA
Strike threat to stadiums
World Cup organizers will meet trade union officials to try to ensure a strike next week does not delay completion of stadiums. About 50,000 workers from South Africa’s biggest workers organization, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), plan to start a strike to support pay demands from next Wednesday. It is expected to halt work on stadiums for next June’s soccer finals, as well as power stations, hospitals, roads and a new high-speed urban rail project. “We are going to be engaging with the unions ... to understand the issues, because it is going to help us in our planning,” said Irvin Khoza, chairman of the local organizing committee.
Tainan TSG Hawks slugger Steven Moya, who is leading the CPBL in home runs, has withdrawn from this weekend’s All-Star Game after the unexpected death of his wife. Moya’s wife began feeling severely unwell aboard a plane that landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday evening. She was rushed to a hospital, but passed away, the Hawks said in a statement yesterday. The franchise is assisting Moya with funeral arrangements and hopes fans who were looking forward to seeing him at the All-Star Game can understand his decision to withdraw. According to Landseed Medical Clinic, whose staff attempted to save Moya’s wife,
Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday homered for the fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record. Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year. Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered in the first inning off Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack. He hit a slow curveball 134m to center. He carried the bat midway down the first-base line and then did a bat flip. He did not hit a home run later in the game with the Dodgers trailing, but his presence was felt. With two outs
Taiwan’s world No. 6 shuttler Chou Tien-chen yesterday defeated India’s H.S. Prannoy to advance to the quarter-finals of the China Open in Changzhou. It was former world No. 2 Chou’s eighth win in 14 matches against Prannoy, who had earlier this week lamented the age divide between him and up-and-comers, although he is only two years younger than 35-year-old Chou. The Taiwanese, who is seeded sixth at the tournament, rebounded from a close 21-18 loss in game 1 on Court 2 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. He bounced back to take the next games 21-15, 21-8 and set up a tough quarter-final
The Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday acquired Taiwanese-American outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations to fill the roster after All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe was placed back on the injured list. Fairchild was designated for assignment by the Braves on Monday after hitting .216/.273/.333 in 28 games for Atlanta, with most of his work coming as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. He joins Tampa Bay as a versatile fourth outfielder option. To make room for Fairchild on the 40-man roster, the Rays transferred relief pitcher Manuel Rodriguez (forearm strain) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day
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