■BASKETBALL
Odom to stay with Lakers
Lamar Odom will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers after agreeing to a new deal with the reigning NBA champions, the team said on Thursday. While the Lakers did not reveal details of the deal, ESPN reported it was for at least three years and worth a minimum of US$27 million. The deal would give the forward US$25 million for the first three seasons of the contract, with the Lakers holding a fourth-season option at US$8 million or a US$2 million buyout.
■BOXING
Klitschko to defend title
Vladimir Klitschko will defend one of his world heavyweight titles against either Russian Alexander Povetkin or American Eddie Chambers this year, the Ukrainian said on Thursday. Klitschko, who holds the IBF, IBO and WBO belts, said he was in the process of choosing an opponent for the Dec. 12 fight. “I have a choice which belt to defend,” the 33-year-old said on his personal Web site. “I would fight either Povetkin, a mandatory IBF challenger, or Chambers, a mandatory WBO challenger.” Povetkin, 29, has won all 17 of his fights, including 12 by knockout, since turning professional in 2005 after a successful amateur career that included winning the Olympic heavyweight gold medal at the 2004 Games in Athens.
■BOXING
Sultan Ibragimov retires
Former heavyweight champion Sultan Ibragimov has retired, more than a year after losing his title in a one-sided decision to Vladimir Klitschko. His promoter Leon Margules of Seminole Warriors Boxing said on Thursday that the former titleholder of the minor WBO belt will no longer fight, after a short professional career in which he went 22-1-1 and had 17 knockouts. “I always believed he was never going to fight again after the Klitschko fight, because he had enough money and he didn’t seem to have his heart in it,” Margules said.
■BIATHLON
Committee lifts ban
The Austrian Olympic Committee lifted a ban on Thursday on five biathlon coaches who were allegedly involved in a doping scandal at the 2006 Turin Olympics, but upheld the suspension of seven other officials. Alfred Eder, Walter Gapp, Walter Hoerl, Heinz Muehlbacher and Stefan Rohrmoser were excluded from future Olympics but will now be allowed to travel to next year’s games in Vancouver, committee president Leo Wallner said. Wallner said he expected the International Olympic Committee to accept the decision. The Austrian ski federation said on Thursday it was “completely incomprehensible” that a ban on seven officials, including the federation’s biathlon director, Markus Gandler, and cross-country coach Gerald Heigl, was upheld.
■BADMINTON
Nehwal stricken with pox
World No. 6 Saina Nehwal of India said on Thursday she could still play in next month’s badminton world championships despite falling ill with chicken pox. Nehwal, 19, told media in India she had been advised to take a week’s rest after being diagnosed with chicken pox following a bout of fever last on Saturday. “I decided to see a doctor after pockmarks appeared on my body and he confirmed it was chicken pox,” she said. “I am very disappointed as the world championship is just around the corner ... I should be okay in time for the tournament, but I have lost valuable practice time because I had been training really well for the last one month.” The world championships open in Hyderabad, India, on Aug. 10.
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