■SOCCER
Cudicini set for full recovery
Tottenham say goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini is expected to make a full recovery after surgery on injuries he suffered in a motorbike crash. The Italian hit a car on Thursday, fracturing his wrist and damaging his pelvis. He was operated on at a private hospital on Friday and his club believe he is on course for a full recovery from an accident initially described as “life-changing” by ambulance staff. Spurs assistant manager Kevin Bond said on Sunday: “It’s going to take some time, he will be on crutches for a period of time and no doubt he’ll be in hospital for a good few days yet. Obviously it’s such good news that all being well he will make a full recovery. At this moment no-one is going to put any type of time span on it — we are just glad to know that he’s well.” A female driver and a child passenger escaped unharmed from the car involved in the accident, which was described as a “write off.”
■SOCCER
Swiss crowned champs
Switzerland were crowned Under-17 World Cup champions on Sunday when they beat hosts Nigeria 1-0 in Abuja. Haris Seferovic gave Switzerland the title courtesy of a 63rd minute header. The Swiss did well to contain the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria, before they dealt the killer blow through Seferovic to the disappointment of the 60,000-strong crowd. Nigeria were overwhelming favorites to win their fourth Under-17 World Cup. Spain took third place when they beat Colombia 1-0.
■SOCCER
Van Persie suffers setback
Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes suffered a setback on Sunday after star striker Robin van Persie damaged ankle ligaments during the Netherlands’ 0-0 draw with Italy. He was stretchered off after a tackle by Giorgio Chiellini during Saturday’s game and now faces a spell on the sidelines. He told Dutch TV station NOS that he could miss around six weeks of action. “Van Persie has a partially ruptured ligament,” a Dutch Football Association official told the BBC on Sunday. “It’s a serious injury. It’s impossible to put an exact time-frame on it because some players heal more quickly than others. It’s not a short-term injury.”
■BOXING
Pacquiao prays for fighter
Manny Pacquiao says when he was just 18-years-old a boxer on the undercard of one of his fights got into trouble in the ring and ended up dying in his arms. Pacquiao was reminded on Saturday of the incident that took place just over a decade ago when Filipino bantamweight Z Gorres was hospitalized on Friday with a serious head injury following his victory over Juan Melendez of Colombia. “I pray to God for his recovery and I am very sorry for him and his family,” said Pacquiao, prior to his defeat of Miguel Cotto in a WBO welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand hotel. Gorres, who was fighting on a smaller Las Vegas card, was hurt in the last half minute of his fight on Friday at nearby Mandalay Bay hotel. Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said the Filipino superstar understands the risks whenever he steps in the ring. “He told me this is what we do. This is what we signed on for,” Roach said. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on Sunday that Gorres was in stable condition after undergoing treatment for a subdural hematoma. Gorres was hit hard late in the final round and fell down. He got back up and finished the fight but struggled to get back to his corner. He collapsed in the ring and had to be carried out on a stretcher.
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