■BASKETBALL
Davis fined for swearing
Boston Celtics forward Glen Davis has been fined US$25,000 for “directing inappropriate language” toward a fan, the NBA said on Thursday. Davis responded to a heckler during Boston’s 92-86 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday at The Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit. The 2.06 m, 131.1 kg Davis is averaging 6.2 points per game this season. A jeering fan called Davis a “fat boy” and told him to lose some weight. Davis responded with an expletive. “We know what happened, and that’s unacceptable,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said after the game. “It’s tough when the fans are yelling that stuff at you, but you have to be stronger than that.”
■GOLF
La Quinta play washed out
The second round of the Bob Hope Classic was postponed until yesterday because of unplayable conditions at La Quinta, California, on Thursday. Organizers had initially pushed back the scheduled tee times by two hours due to heavy overnight rain before eventually abandoning play for the day. Little-known American Shane Bertsch held the first-round lead after firing a 10-under-par 62 on the Nicklaus Private course at PGA West, one of four venues hosting the 90-hole event.
■SOCCER
Beckham tackle in spotlight
An Italian television channel has apologized for a prank in which a female presenter attempted to grab David Beckham between the legs. The AC Milan midfielder was visibly angered when Elena Di Cioccio, who fronts the popular show Le Iene (The Hyenas) on Italia Uno, made her move while he was being interviewed by another person on Wednesday. Beckham is on loan at Milan from the Los Angeles Galaxy. Beckham’s spokesman Simon Oliveira says he has “no issue with it. It did surprise him at the time, but David saw it for what it was — harmless fun.”
■ATHLETICS
Marathon cheats disqualified
At least 30 runners in a marathon in China cheated their way into the top 100, hopping on to public transport during the race or hiring faster runners, sporting authorities said yesterday.
Some of the people taking part in this month’s Xiamen International Marathon cheated in a bid to boost their chances of getting into university, the provincial sports bureau said on its Web site. If they run a marathon in good time, students can earn extra points for the entrance examination for China’s highly competitive universities. The Fujian sports bureau said some of the cheats, who were all later disqualified, used public transport to cover part of the race route, while others convinced better runners to replace them.
■SOCCER
Clubs spend too much: UEFA
European clubs’ spending on players is still rising just months before UEFA introduces reforms that will limit their ability to spend beyond their means. A UEFA survey of 629 clubs across Europe’s 53 soccer nations showed the clubs’ revenues rose by 10 percent last season but spending on transfers and salaries went up 18 percent. UEFA general said in an interview on Thursday that more than half the clubs ran up a deficit in the 2008-2009 season while one in five made a “huge’’ loss — spending 20 percent above their total income. The research will be used to draw up “financial fair play” reforms demanded by UEFA president Michel Platini, who said the spending cannot go on.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
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