■ARGENTINA
Maradona routine nixed
Superstitious Argentina coach Diego Maradona has just found out that one of his routines before a match is no longer possible. No matter how far away the matches have been, he’s insisted on holding day-before news conferences at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria. But the stadium closed for the World Cup after Tuesday’s match between Paraguay and Japan. “OK, fine,” Maradona said when told about the venue closing. “But what about the press center?” No go, he was told — so tomorrow’s news conference will have to be in Cape Town on the eve of the Germany match. Before each World Cup match in South Africa, Maradona has come onto the field wearing a tracksuit only to later emerge from the tunnel in a gray suit. Straight after the match, it’s back into his tracksuit for the press conference. He also insists on holding rosary beads in his hand during the game. And you won’t see him switch from one pitch to another at Argentina’s training camp without making a sign of the cross.
■ENGLAND
Jokes target team, coach
The country’s humiliating World Cup exit has unleashed a barrage of jokes. Among the best offerings so far: Osama bin Laden has just released a new TV message to prove he is still alive. He said England’s performance on Saturday was completely appalling. British intelligence have dismissed the claim, stating that the message could have been recorded anytime in the last 44 years; Q: What’s the difference between England goalkeeper Rob Green’s spill and BP’s spill? A: Robert Green has got a cap for his; Fabio Capello was wheeling his shopping trolley across the supermarket car park when he noticed an old lady struggling with her bags of shopping. He stopped and asked, “Can you manage, dear?” To which the old lady replied: “No way. You got yourself into this mess, don’t ask me to sort it out.”
■NORTH KOREA
Squad gets airport welcome
North Korea’s team arrived home stony-faced after three straight losses but brightened up when welcomed at the airport by families and supporters, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper said yesterday. The North Koreans put up an impressive 1-2 performance against Brazil but were routed 0-7 by Portugal and 0-3 by the Ivory Coast in the other two group games. Choson Sinbo said yesterday the squad arrived stony-faced in rain on Tuesday but “regained their smiles after being welcomed by their families” and supporters crowding the airport. “Related officials comforted the players by saying ‘work appreciated,’” the paper said. Speaking in South Africa, coach Kim Jong-hun had dismissed suggestions that there might be “consequences” for him and the team back home if they failed to impress.
■ENGLAND
Trespassing fan free
A fan who walked into the England team dressing room after a World Cup match will not face a criminal trial after he agreed to pay a fine, a South African Court ruled yesterday. Pavlos Joseph, 32, was arrested for entering the England changing room following the side’s match against Algeria on June 18. His lawyer Craig Webster told Cape Town Magistrates’ Court that prosecutors had dropped further charges against Joseph after he paid a 750 rand (US$98) fine. South African police have now charged a British journalist with helping Joseph gain access to the dressing room. Police accuse the journalist, Simon Wright, from the Sunday Mirror tabloid of orchestrating the incident.
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