■HOCKEY
Atlanta trade Kovalchuk
Atlanta traded high-scoring winger Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils on Thursday after the Atlanta Thrashers were unable to sign him to a long-term contract, Atlanta General Manager Don Waddell said. The Thrashers, who said they had offered Kovalchuk a 12-year deal worth US$101 million, received rookie forward Niclas Bergfors, defenseman Johnny Oduya, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first-round pick in this year’s NHL draft from New Jersey. Russian Kovalchuk, 26, can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He has 31 goals and 27 assists in 49 games this season for Atlanta. “It’s been a very tough day for all of us with the Thrashers,” Waddell told reporters. “When you have to trade this type of player there are a lot of emotions. But he was too important an asset to let walk away on July 1.” Kovalchuk leaves the Thrashers after setting many offense records for the team who drafted him with the No. 1 pick in 2001. A two-time 50-goal scorer, Kovalchuk has 615 points in 594 career games.
■OLYMPICS
Kangaroo flag stays
Australia yesterday defied “ridiculous” orders to tear down a large Boxing Kangaroo flag at the Winter Olympics athlete’s village in Vancouver over trademark rules. Australian Olympic Committee spokesman Mike Tancred said the iconic flag was still flying from the team’s windows despite verbal instructions to remove it because it is a registered trademark. “The flag is still up, we haven’t moved it,” Tancred said from the Canadian city. “They told us to take it down and we haven’t.” The International Olympic Committee (IOC) told Australia to remove the flag on Monday because it is a registered trademark, which violates Games rules. Tancred said the image, which has been displayed at previous Games, was the team’s mascot and was also used to promote Olympic ideals to children. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard slammed the IOC’s order as “ridiculous” and called for more flags bearing the famous symbol of a kangaroo wearing boxing gloves. “It’s a scandal,” Gillard told the Nine Network TV station. “I think we want to see a lot of the Boxing Kangaroo, particularly now that we’ve had this ridiculous ruling. So, yes, boxing kangaroos everywhere.”
■BASEBALL
Tigers, Verlander reach deal
Ace Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers finalized a US$80 million, five-year contract on Thursday that avoids a salary arbitration heading. Verlander’s deal includes a US$500,000 signing bonus, US$6.75 million this season, US$12.75 million next year and US$20 million in each of the following three seasons. Verlander would have been eligible for free agency after next year’s World Series. “I have one goal and that’s to make it to the Hall of Fame,” Verlander said. The 2006 American League rookie of the year tied for the major league lead with 19 wins last season.
■FOOTBALL
Harvin named top rookie
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin was named the NFL’s rookie of the year on Thursday after setting a franchise record for total yards. Harvin posted 2,081 total yards during 15 regular-season games en route to winning the award, determined by fan voting, the NFL said in a statement. The other finalists for the award were Buffalo’s Jairus Byrd, Houston’s Brian Cushing, Green Bay’s Clay Matthews and Baltimore’s Michael Oher.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set