■ENGLAND
Canaries sack Bryan Gunn
Norwich City sacked manager Bryan Gunn on Friday less than a week into the new League One season. Gunn paid the price for his side’s humiliating 7-1 home defeat to Colchester United in their first match of the season last weekend. The Canaries, relegated from the Championship last term, bounced back with a 4-0 League Cup win at Yeovil Town in midweek, but it was not enough to save Gunn, a legendary figure at Carrow Road from his days as the club’s goalkeeper. Gunn’s assistant manager Ian Butterworth has been placed in temporary charge for this weekend’s match at Exeter City.
■ENGLAND
Wigan sign Antonio Amaya
Premier League club Wigan Athletic signed Spanish defender Antonio Amaya from Rayo Vallecano on a three-year contract on Friday. Amaya was not expected to be available for the season-opener at Aston Villa as the deal cannot be completed until international clearance is secured. Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said: “Antonio is someone I have admired from a distance for a long time and I am very happy we have convinced him to come to us. He is a really powerful lad, technically excellent, with good pace and he will fit in well to our system. I have no doubts about him adjusting to English football.”
■SWITZERLAND
Basel’s Costanzo banned
FC Basel captain and goalkeeper Franco Costanzo has been banned for three matches after attacking a teammate at the end of a match. A Swiss league disciplinary panel found the Argentina international guilty of “gross unsportsmanlike conduct” on Friday in Basel’s 1-1 draw with main rivals FC Zurich last Sunday. Costanzo grabbed the hair of teammate Beg Ferati and wrestled with him after a heated exchange of words as the teams left the St Jakob Park pitch. He blamed the defender for poor marking when Zurich took an 87th-minute lead.
■UNITED STATES
Donovan catches swine flu
US forward Landon Donovan has contracted swine flu, but is not contagious. The Galaxy announced on Friday that Donovan had tested positive for swine flu and that the midfielder, coming off the US’ 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat in Mexico, would not practice on Friday. England midfielder David Beckham, criticized by Donovan in a book published last month, was also set to skip the workout after being recalled for international duty in the Netherlands. Donovan, who has scored nine goals this season for the Galaxy, has been ill since joining the US squad last Sunday in Florida ahead of the Mexico match, but there is no danger of infection. “It’s not infectious. We’re well past that stage,” coach Bruce Arena said.
■ENGLAND
Schmeichel rejoins Eriksson
Sven-Goran Eriksson has overseen his first major acquisition as Notts County’s new director of soccer by signing Manchester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel for a club record transfer on Friday. The 22-year-old son of former Manchester United star Peter played under Eriksson at Eastlands and has now moved to the League Two side for a fee which is believed to eclipse the £685,000 (US$1.1 million) County paid to buy Tony Agana from Sheffield United in 1991. Manager Ian McParland told the club’s official Web site: “We’re very pleased that Kasper has chosen to come to Meadow Lane. He is a significant part of the jigsaw puzzle we’re trying to complete before the transfer window closes.”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two