■SOCCER
Barca win Super Cup
Two goals from Lionel Messi and a poacher’s strike from Bojan Krkic gave Barcelona a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in their Spanish Super Cup second-leg match on Sunday for a 5-1 aggregate victory. The Spanish and European champions were leading 2-1 from the first leg in Bilbao last Sunday and Messi’s superbly-taken opening goal early in the second half snuffed out any hopes of an unlikely Athletic comeback at a packed Camp Nou. The Argentina forward picked up a pass from new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 50th minute, rounded an Athletic defender and from close to the byline clipped the ball over onrushing goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz. His second came from the penalty spot after Daniel Alves was felled and Krkic made sure of Barca’s first trophy of the season when he intercepted Ander Iturraspe’s mis-hit back-pass, rounded Iraizoz and stroked the ball into the empty net.
■SOCCER
One killed in fan clashes
One person was killed and a holiday resort set ablaze when supporters of two soccer clubs clashed after a match in India’s eastern metropolis of Kolkata, a news report said yesterday. More than 15 people were injured in clashes that erupted after supporters of the defeated side opened fire and hurled bombs in the city’s suburb of Rajarhat on Sunday night, the NDTV news network reported. The hooligans then set fire to a luxury tourist resort nearby, believing some supporters of the rival team had taken shelter there. “One person was killed and more than 15 were injured in the clash. The injured were hospitalized,” senior police officer S.N. Gupta told the news channel. Police said 30 resort cottages were gutted and some vehicles were smashed. Twelve people were arrested and the police and paramilitary forces brought the situation under control, the report said.
■CYCLING
Tour was doping-free
UCI president Pat McQuaid said on Sunday there had been no positive dope tests at this year’s Tour de France and looked forward to a drugs-free race being the future pattern. McQuaid said: “At this point in time I haven’t heard of any positive tests at this year’s Tour de France or that we’re checking samples to confirm positives. It’s looking like the Tour de France will not have any positive tests for a number of years. I think that’s a big step forward for cycling.” Men’s professional cycling has been blighted by doping scandals in recent years as blood and urine tests caught out riders using the blood-boosting drug erythropoietin (EPO). Last year cycling became the first sport to introduce a revolutionary blood passport system that monitors athletes’ blood values rather than looking for a specific drug.
■CYCLING
Downing wins in Ireland
English rider Russell Downing battled through torrential rain to win the Tour of Ireland after an impressive performance in the final stage to Cork on Sunday. Downing had won the first stage to Waterford on Friday and he finished second to Norwegian Lars Petter Nordhaug at the finish on St Patrick’s Hill on Sunday, earning him first place in the general classification. Nordhaug won the final stage in a time of 4 hours, 10 seconds, but seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong abandoned his attempt late on, pulling out because of the conditions. American legend Armstrong had finished 20th overall on Saturday. Nordhaug and Downing broke away from the chasing group on the final stage, but the Norwegian crossed the line ahead of the English rider.
■SUMO
Champ skips training again
Controversial sumo champion Asashoryu is in hot water again after skipping training because he did not want to risk catching swine flu on a bus. The Mongolian yokozuna told Japanese media yesterday he would take the matter up with the wrestlers’ union after being reprimanded for a morning no-show over the weekend. “[The infected wrestlers] were on the same bus which was a reason,” said Asashoryu, adding that the Japan Sumo Association had done little to protect wrestlers from infection. “What they say and what they do are two different things. I want them to think hard to come up with a way to protect us [from risk].” Around 30 wrestlers and sumo officials have caught the flu over the past 10 days. Wrestlers and sumo fans have been wearing flu masks as a precaution against the outbreak. “Our livelihoods are at stake here,” fumed the 28-year-old Asashoryu. “I’ll be taking it up with the union.” Asashoryu was criticized for skipping morning training ahead of a major tournament in Nagoya recently amid the break-up of his marriage.
■RUGBY UNION
Waratahs sign Anesi
NSW Waratahs have signed Waikato Chiefs fullback Sosene Anesi on a one-year deal, New South Wales Rugby Union said yesterday. Anesi, who played his only Test for New Zealand in 2005 against Fiji, came back from a shoulder injury to play the last five games of the Super 14 season with the Chiefs, who ended second in the southern hemisphere competition. “This is a significant signing for us,” Waratahs head coach Chris Hickey said in a statement. “They don’t just give away All Blacks jerseys, so to secure a New Zealand Test player is pretty exciting for us as a team, and indeed the whole organization.” Anesi joins a revamped Waratahs backline for next year’s campaign, including Australia internationals Berrick Barnes and Drew Mitchell, former ACT Brumbies’ half-back Josh Holmes and Australia under-21 center Rory Sidey.
■GOLF
Asian Tour signs TV deal
The Asian Tour has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Sky Sports to broadcast golf tournaments in Britain and Ireland, the Tour said yesterday, a week after Yang Yong-eun became the continent’s first men’s major champion. Britain’s dominant pay-TV sports broadcaster, owned by BSkyB, already shows Asian Tour events co-sanctioned by the European Tour and will now add the Macau Open, Malaysia’s Iskandar Johor Open and the Cambodian Open to this year’s schedule. “With Korea’s Yang Yong-eun’s historic victory at the US PGA Championship ... the Asian Tour’s reputation for cultivating world beaters has been strengthened,” the tour said in a statement. The deal is a boost for Asian Tour as it battles over the future of regional golf with the OneAsia Tour, which was launched this year with the aim of becoming an elite platform in the region.
■FREEDIVING
Daredevil swims cave
Daredevil aquanaut Mike Wells on Sunday claimed a world record for freediving after swimming the 120m of Fish Rock Cave on Australia’s east coast on just a single breath. The 39-year-old professional diver from Sydney swam down 14m to get into the cave, then maneuvered through an exit where the gap in places was no wider than his 1m monofin, before popping up the 24m to the surface. Wells claimed the title after several failed attempts over two weeks where he resorted to buddy breathing from an accompanying scuba diver.
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
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care