■BASEBALL
Talent drain unstoppable
The commissioner of Japanese baseball said there was little his office could do about the talent drain to the US major leagues. “There is no way to stop this,” Ryozo Kato said at a news conference on Wednesday. “It’s only natural for talented, young Japanese players to want to play in the major leagues. Look at the ballparks in the United States, they are much better than those in Japan.” Eighteen Japanese players played in Major League Baseball last season. Several more like Hisanori Takahashi and Ryota Igarashi of the New York Mets left Japan in the offseason.
■BASEBALL
All-Star caught drug driving
Former Major League Baseball player Dwight Gooden has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs after a car accident early on Tuesday, police said. Police in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey said on Wednesday it was too early to tell what the controlled substance was. Gooden was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child, who was in the car, and driving while under the influence with a child passenger. Police declined to identify the child. Other charges included leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident and reckless driving. Gooden, a four-time All-Star pitcher with a career record of 194-112, was released on his own recognizance, police said.
■SOCCER
Russia aims for World Cup
Russia has “a good chance” of organizing the 2018 World Cup, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. Addressing the requirements for prospective host countries set out by world football governing body FIFA, Putin said that a number of “taxation problems” would be sorted out. FIFA demands that host countries provide specific taxation and customs facilities as well as easing entry requirements to the country for players, officials and supporters, Putin said. Russia’s rivals for the organisation of the 2018 tournament are the US, Australia, England, Japan, the Netherlands/Belgium, Mexico and Spain/Portugal.
■BOXING
Margarito to make return
Disgraced former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito of Mexico will make his return to the ring after more than a year’s layoff on May 8 in his homeland, promoters announced on Wednesday. Margarito, 37-6 with 27 knockouts, will fight compatriot Roberto Garcia in a 10-round junior middleweight bout at Aguascalientes. Garcia is on a five-year, 14-fight win streak. Margarito had his boxing license suspended for at least a year by California authorities after a plaster-like substance was discovered in his handwraps before a bout in January of last year in which he lost to Shane Mosley.
■SOCCER
Man U freezes ticket prices
Manchester United announced on Wednesday that ticket prices at Old Trafford would be frozen next season. United’s owners, the Glazer family, have been criticised for the size of ticket price rises since their takeover in 2005 and fans reacted angrily when it was claimed further increases were on the cards for next season. United have moved to calm the situation by saying prices will be kept on this season’s level for next season. The move means admission on matchdays to watch Sir Alex Ferguson’s team will continue to cost between £27£ (US$40) and £49, with season tickets ranging from £513 to £931.
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
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but