■BASKETBALL
Cubans seeking asylum
Four Cuban players who failed to turn up for their squad’s flight home from the Canary Islands this week have begun the process of seeking asylum in Spain, the local government said on Wednesday. Georvis Elias Sayus, Grismay Paumier, Taylor Garcia and Geofry Silvestre will now have to wait 30 days for a response from the Spanish authorities, a spokesman for the islands’ government said. Cuban athletes regularly abandon their national squads on trips abroad, often seeking the lucrative professional contracts they are denied at home. Baseball pitcher Aroldis Chapman went missing from a tournament in Rotterdam last month and three cyclists stayed on in Mexico after competing in a recent event there. The Cuban basketball squad had traveled to the Canary Islands for a series of friendly fixtures and lost 94-57 to Spain in Las Palmas on Friday.
■FOOTBALL
Williams in Dolphins talks
Venus and Serena Williams have found a new sport: American football. The tennis-playing sisters are set to become the latest big names to own a stake in the Miami Dolphins, with talks ongoing. “There have been preliminary talks and hopefully it’ll work out,” Serena Williams said on Wednesday after a win in Toronto. “That would be a great opportunity for both of us. You never know. We’ll see what happens.” The sisters live in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, about an hour’s drive from the Dolphins’ stadium. Musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan and Marc Anthony recently bought small shares of the team.
■SOCCER
Salvio gives Lanus the edge
Eduardo Salvio scored twice in the final minutes to give Lanus a 2-1 win over fellow Argentine side River Plate in the preliminary round of the Copa Sudamericana on Wednesday. Cristian Fabbiani opened the scoring for River in the 68th minute after receiving a pass from veteran playmaker Marcelo Gallardo and hitting a powerful shot on the turn from the edge of the box. Salvio leveled the scores in the 80th minute after latching onto a through ball and striking first time across Daniel Vega in the River goal. Salvio then side-footed the winner on a counterattack in injury-time.
■SOCCER
Lescott’s future in doubt
Everton defender Joleon Lescott’s future at Goodison Park is in doubt after he was dropped for yesterday’s Europa League playoff first-leg match against Czech club Sigma Olomouc. Lescott did not train with the rest of David Moyes’ first teamers on Wednesday following weeks of transfer speculation linking him with Manchester City, who have had two bids for the defender rejected. The Everton boss admitted he was unhappy with his centerback’s attitude and said: “Joleon’s attitude has not been right these past days, he has disappointed me and he has disappointed his teammates. He is not in the right frame of mind.”
■SOCCER
Real put five past Dortmund
Spanish giants Real Madrid beat Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund 5-0 on Wednesday in a friendly as part of the German club’s 100th anniversary celebrations. Esteban Granero opened the scoring for the Spaniards after just three minutes and only three minutes after the break Dutch star Arjen Robben slotted home the second. Gonzalo Higuain netted the third in the 73rd minute, before Brazil’s Kaka slotted home a 76th-minute penalty, with Raul adding the fifth with just a minute left.
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