■ICE HOCKEY
Openers in Scandinavia
Four National Hockey League (NHL) teams will play their opening games of the season in Scandinavia under the 1,230-game 2009-2010 schedule released on Wednesday by the 30-team North American league. Oct. 2 and Oct. 3, the second and third nights of the campaign, will see Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom and teammate Henrik Zetterberg return home to Sweden to lead the Red Wings against the St Louis Blues at Stockholm. On the same nights, the Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers will meet in Helsinki. The next NHL season will begin on Oct. 1 with four games, including San Jose at Colorado, where the host Avalanche will retire Canadian star Joe Sakic’s jersey No. 19. Other first-night features include Washington at Boston, Montreal at Toronto and Vancouver at Calgary. The Boston Bruins will host the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park in Boston on New Year’s Day in the annual Winter Classic, an outdoor game that has become one of the NHL’s signature traditions since it began last year. The NHL will take a break in February so top players can compete for their homelands in next year’s Vancouver Winter Olympics. NHL games will end after play on Feb. 14 and games will resume on March 1, the day after the Olympic hockey men’s gold is decided. The season concludes on April 11, with the Stanley Cup playoffs starting three days later.
■SOCCER
Bastos price tag US$25.3m
Deposed French champions Lyon on Wednesday agreed to pay rivals Lille 18 million euros (US$25.3 million) for Brazilian midfielder Michel Bastos. The 26-year-old, who was to undergo a medical yesterday, is expected to sign a four-year deal. Bastos scored 14 goals last season and with his accuracy with free-kicks will be seen as the ideal replacement for fellow Brazilian Juninho, who has left for Qatari club Al-Gharafa.
■BOXING
Norton honored with statue
Former heavyweight boxing champion Ken Norton has been honored in his Illinois hometown with a statue in the offices of an organization that provides services to the developmentally disabled. Norton, who lives in California, leaned on a walker as the 1.07m high, 135kg statue was unveiled in Jacksonville on Tuesday. Dozens of people, including three of his sons, were in attendance. Norton, who was in a serious car accident in 1986, compiled a 42-7-1 boxing record from 1967 to 1981. Stephanie Baptist of Pathway Services Unlimited Inc says the man who defeated Muhammad Ali in 1973 has been active in helping the organization meet its mission. “For a small boy of color to come back to a statue and be thought of enough to have a statue of me is unheard of,” Norton said after the ceremony.
■SOCCER
Hartson critical after surgery
Former Celtic, Arsenal and Wales striker John Hartson, who is battling cancer, was in a critical condition on Wednesday after emergency brain surgery. The 34-year-old, who had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, underwent neurosurgery to relieve pressure on his brain. A statement from Morriston Hospital in Swansea, south Wales, said cancer was now also present in his lungs. Hartson’s family said in a statement: “His partner Sarah, mum, dad, three children, brother, two sisters and very close friends are all continuing to support John in any way we can. We have been overwhelmed by the support and goodwill from many thousands of football fans, players, clubs and sporting figures and we have drawn strength from this support.”
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was