■MEXICO
Players receive threats
The president of struggling soccer club Indios of Ciudad Juarez has said his players have received extortion threats from unspecified sources. Ciudad Juarez, a city on the Mexican-US border, has endured more than 2,500 murders last year and registers the highest rate of organized crime activity in the country. The Indios club is bottom of the standings in the Mexican Clausura and looks certain to be relegated to the second tier.
■UNITED STATES
Chelsea match tops ratings
Chelsea’s victory at Manchester United last weekend was the most-viewed English Premier League match on ESPN’s US networks despite its early morning screening time. ESPN said yesterday that Chelsea’s 2-1 victory on Saturday, which aired from 7:45am EDT in the US, was seen in 420,000 homes and by 526,000 viewers. The win leapfrogged Chelsea over United into first place. The previous high was 340,000 homes and 398,000 viewers for Liverpool’s 3-1 home loss to Aston Villa on Aug. 24.
■ZAMBIA
Coach Renard resigns
Coach Herve Renard has resigned two months before the end of his contract, the country’s Football Association (FAZ) said yesterday. Renard’s departure from his first senior role comes after media reports have linked him with the vacant coaching job of Angola. “Renard handed in his letter of intent to be excused as he stated his desire to pursue other professional interests elsewhere. FAZ and Renard therefore amicably agreed on the way forward. In view of this development, FAZ’s consultations and efforts to have him extend his contract have been suspended,” FAZ spokesman Eric Mwanza said in a statement. The 41-year-old led Zambia to the African Nations Cup quarter-finals in January, their first appearance in the last eight in 14 years. Renard’s record with Zambia, who he took charge of just under two years ago after a spell as assistant coach with Ghana, was 14 wins, 10 draws and 10 defeats in 34 matches. The Frenchman played for Cannes before working as assistant to compatriot Claude LeRoy in China, England and with Ghana’s Black Stars.
■HONDURAS
Suazo injures thigh muscle
Genoa striker David Suazo, a key figure in Honduras’ World Cup team, will be out for about a month with a thigh muscle injury, the Serie A club said on its Web site on Tuesday. The 30-year-old, who has made 14 appearances and scored three goals in Serie A this season, will miss his country’s World Cup warm-up at home to Venezuela in San Pedro Sula on April 21. The friendly was announced by the Venezuelan and Honduran football federations on Tuesday. Honduras face favorites Spain, Switzerland and Chile in Group H at the finals in South Africa starting on June 11.
■CHILE
Two matches set for one day
Chile are arranging two World Cup warm-up matches on the same day next month against Northern Ireland and Israel, local media reported on Tuesday. The Irish and Israeli sides will face two different Chile line-ups on May 30 in a southern Chilean city yet to be named, Bio-Bio radio said. Chile had to cancel a double-header on March 3 against North Korea and Costa Rica after central and southern parts of the country were hit by a massive earthquake on Feb. 27 that claimed nearly 500 lives.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to