RUGBY LEAGUE
Monaghan quits squad
Australian winger Joel Monaghan has quit the Canberra Raiders after a prank photograph of him simulating a sex act with a dog was posted on the Internet, and will look to continue his career in Europe. Monaghan, whose picture was taken at the team’s end-of-season party, broke down while delivering a press statement yesterday, and his manager Jim Banaghan had to finish the prepared remarks. “There are no hard feelings or grudges towards anyone else,” the Australian Associated Press quoted Monaghan as saying outside the club’s office. The 28-year-old, who had two years left on his contract with the Raiders, said he will now seek to play in the English Super League.
BASEBALL
A’s own rights to Iwakuma
The Oakland Athletics have won negotiating rights to Japanese pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma and now have 30 days to come to terms with him on a contract, the Major League Baseball Web site reported on Monday. The A’s, believed to be in competition with American League West rivals Texas and Seattle for the rights to 29-year-old Iwakuma, submitted the winning bid to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Pacific League. Oakland’s bid was not disclosed, although the Golden Eagles were expected to receive more than US$16 million on the posting. Iwakuma compiled a 10-9 record and 2.82 ERA last season, averaging nearly seven strikeouts against 1.6 walks per nine innings.
FENCING
Estonian takes epee title
Nikolai Novosjolov of Estonia beat Gauthier Grumier of France 15-8 to win the individual epee title at the World Fencing Championships in Paris on Monday, and Jean-Michel Lucenay of France took the bronze medal. Lucenay lost 15-12 to Grumier in the semi-finals, while Novosjolov won his semi 15-11 against Gabor Boczko of Hungary. “I couldn’t do anything against Novosjolov. I was destroyed [by him],” Grumier said. Maureen Nisima won her first individual world title, and gave France its third medal so far — and its first gold — when she beat Emese Szasz of Hungary 15-10.
SOCCER
FIFA donates to Togo keeper
Togo goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale will receive a donation of US$100,000 from FIFA after being seriously injured during an armed attack on his team’s bus before the start of the African Nations Cup in January. The 25-year-old keeper, formerly with French side Pontivy, needed surgery for gunshot wounds to his back and abdomen following the attack in Angola’s Cabinda Province which killed two members of Togo’s soccer delegation and the bus driver. Obilale is still continuing his rehabilitation, FIFA said.
ICE HOCKEY
First women enter Hall
Canada’s Angela James and American Cammi Granato became the first women enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame during ceremonies on Monday. The sport honor shrine, which created induction criteria for women this year, also inducted former NHL star Dino Ciccarelli and off-ice NHL builders Jim Devellano and the late Daryl “Doc” Seaman. “It’s a historic night and I think it’s great for hockey at all levels,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Both Angela and Cammi are inspirational. They are pioneers once again.” Granato helped the US squad to 1998 Olympic gold, while James was a star for Canadian world championship squads.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB