■SOCCER
Former Socceroo Gray dies
Homicide detectives have begun an investigation into the death of former Australia international Ian Gray, whose body was discovered this week at his Sydney home. Gray, 46, was a defender or midfielder who played 35 matches and scored six goals for Australia in an international career that ran from 1984 to 1992. In 2004, he was inducted into the Football Federation Australia (FFA) Hall of Fame. Police say they are treating his death as suspicious. FFA chairman Frank Lowy said in a statement yesterday he was saddened by Gray’s death. “Ian gave great service to the Socceroos, playing 35 matches over nine years and he was a very respected teammate and a friend to many,” Lowy said.
■BASKETBALL
Clippers trade center Camby
The Los Angeles Clippers have traded center Marcus Camby to the Portland Trail Blazers for forward Travis Outlaw, guard Steve Blake and cash considerations. Los Angeles also said on their Web site on Tuesday that the team had waived experienced guard Ricky Davis. Camby gives Portland a much-needed boost at center since their top two players in the position, Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla, are out for the season with injuries. The 35-year-old Camby, known for his strong defensive play, was averaging 12.1 rebounds, 7.7 points and almost two blocked shots per game with the Clippers. Blake, 29, averaged 7.6 points and 4.0 assists for Portland.
■CRICKET
Akhtar fined US$83,000
Scandal-hit Pakistani paceman Shoaib Akhtar had his pay check docked for discipline problems on Tuesday, one of the heaviest fines imposed on a Pakistani player, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said. Akhtar was fined 7 million rupees (US$83,000) for criticizing the cricket board in 2008. He has faced a series of controversies over the years, including hitting a player with a bat and contracting genital warts that prevented him playing in a Twenty20 tournament. “A fine of 7 million rupees has been deducted from Akhtar’s payment due for January to November 2009,” PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said. Akhtar has been on probation since October 2007, when he was fined US$52,000 and banned for 13 matches for hitting bowler Mohammad Asif with a bat ahead of the Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa.
■RUGBY UNION
Wyn Jones out injured
Wales second-row forward Alun Wyn Jones will miss the rest of the Six Nations Championship after being sent for surgery on an elbow injury. The 24-year-old — whose yellow card in the opening 30-17 defeat by England earned him a harsh rebuke by coach Warren Gatland as the English scored 17 points in his absence — had an operation yesterday to repair the injury he sustained in Saturday’s epic 31-24 victory over Scotland at the Millennium Stadium. The Welsh Rugby Union announced Jones suffered a chipped bone and ligament damage, and will be out for six to 12 weeks.
■ATHLETICS
BBC to make Coe, Ovett film
Sebastian Coe’s rivalry with Steve Ovett in which the two middle-distance runners took turns to break the world record in the late 1970s and early 1980s is to be highlighted in a BBC movie. Based on a book The Perfect Distance by athletics writer Pat Butcher, the movie should be out before the 2012 Olympics in London. Ovett beat Coe in the 800m at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but Coe won the 1,500m gold and went on to retain it four years later in Los Angeles.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was