SOCCER
Insurers pay Gerrard’s wages
The Football Association’s insurers will pay compensation to Liverpool after midfielder Steven Gerrard sustained a hamstring injury on England duty. The FA confirmed on Friday it has a comprehensive voluntary insurance scheme that covers injuries to England players during international matches. The organization said the scheme would cover Gerrard’s wages as the Liverpool captain will be out for a month after limping out of Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to France at Wembley with a grade two hamstring tear. British media reports said Liverpool would receive about £500,000 (US$800,000) in compensation as a result. The loss of their captain will be a big blow to Liverpool, who recently found some form to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone and up into the top half of the table. The 18-time champions had picked up 10 points out of a possible 12, before losing at Stoke City last Saturday, and are now 11th in the standings. “I’m frustrated and disappointed to lose such an important player for such a long period of time after a friendly game,” Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson said on Friday.
SOCCER
Nagoya claim J-League title
Nagoya Grampus claimed the J-League title for the first time when they blanked Shonan Bellmare 1-0 yesterday, as nearest rivals Kashima Antlers ended their match with a scoreless draw. Nagoya’s sole goal came from Japan international striker Keiji Tamada, who headed home a cross from Keita Sugimoto from the right in the 66th minute. “We are the champions for the first time. It’s a very emotional and very special moment for me. It’s really a nice feeling to be the champions,” Nagoya’s Serbian coach Dragan Stojkovic said. “Every game was very hard, but to make this kind of result for the first time in the history of the club, it’s really something special — so I’m very happy and I’m proud for the people of Nagoya and everybody. This is completely different, when I was a player and when I manage the team. This time I have a lot of responsibility and I’m very satisfied with my work, and a nice fight from all the players. Three games before the end of the J-League, we are already the champions. It’s a great result.”
TENNIS
Benneteau to miss Cup final
Julien Benneteau on Friday pulled out of the France squad to face Serbia in the Davis Cup final in Belgrade from Dec. 3 to Dec. 5 after judging that a wrist injury had not sufficiently healed. “After a last try out this morning, my wrist has not sufficiently improved,” Benneteau said. “I am very sad to have to announce that I am pulling out of the final.” His withdrawal adds to that of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who has a knee problem. Benneteau picked up his injury at the US Open playing Spain’s Tommy Robredo and he then missed out on the Davis Cup semi-final win over Argentina in September in Lyon. In the quarter-final, he had teamed up with Michael Llodra to land the decisive rubber in the doubles against Spain. Arnaud Clement is set to step in for the French.
SPEEDSKATING
Kato edges Smeekens
Olympic bronze medalist Joji Kato of Japan won the 500m race on Friday at a speedskating World Cup meet in Berlin for his second victory of the season. Kato edged Jan Smeekens of the Netherlands by 0.01 seconds. Jenny Wolf of Germany won the women’s sprint on Friday for her 53rd career World Cup victory. Lee Seung-hoon of South Korea won the men’s 5,000m, while Christine Nesbitt of Canada clinched her second win in two races over 1,500m.
ICE HOCKEY
Coach Pat Burns dies
Pat Burns, a tough-talking Quebec cop who coached the New Jersey Devils to a Stanley Cup and became the only man to win NHL coach of the year honors with three teams, died on Friday aged 58 after a long battle with cancer. “Just as they will remember Pat for his success as a coach, hockey fans also will remember his humor, his honesty, his humanity and his courage,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “As it mourns the loss of an outstanding contributor to the game, the National Hockey League sends heartfelt condolences to Pat’s family and friends.” A blue-collar hero to hockey fans across Canada and the US, Burns went from pounding a police beat to become one of the NHL’s most successful coaches capturing the Stanley Cup in 2003 with the Devils. The following year, however, Burns was diagnosed with colon cancer and then in 2005 liver cancer, which he managed to overcome before contracting lung cancer last year.
ICE HOCKEY
Maple Leaf Stewart dies
Gaye Stewart, who won NHL Stanley Cup titles with Toronto in 1942 and 1947, has died at the age of 87, the Maple Leafs said on Friday. In 1943, Stewart became just the second Maple Leafs player to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year. “Our organization is saddened by the passing of Gaye Stewart,” Brian Burke, Maple Leafs president and general manager said. “On behalf of everyone with the Maple Leafs, I extend our condolences and prayers to Gaye’s family and friends.” Stewart’s most productive season in Toronto came in 1945 to 1946 when he scored an NHL-leading 37 goals while leading the Maple Leafs with 52 points in 50 games. He also played for Chicago, Detroit, the New York Rangers and Montreal in an NHL career that ended when he retired in 1955.
BASKETBALL
Injury sidelines Yao Ming
Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is expected to be sidelined for at least another two weeks because of a bone bruise in his left ankle, the team said on Friday. The 2.3m Yao injured his ankle during the first quarter of Houston’s 98-91 loss to the Washington Wizards on Nov. 10 and has not played since. “… the area of the surgery in and around the bone is completely healed and the structural integrity of the foot is intact,” the Rockets said on their Web site. “[Yao] is expected to be out a minimum of two weeks.” The 30-year-old Chinese missed all of last season after suffering a fractured bone in his left foot and having an operation on the injury. Seven-times All-Star Yao has averaged 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in five games during this campaign with Houston, limiting his minutes in an attempt to prevent injury.
BASEBALL
Astros up for sale
Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane announced on Friday that he was selling the baseball team he has owned since 1992. During his 18 years of ownership the Astros have experienced some of the greatest moments in the franchise’s history, including winning the National League pennant in 2005 and the opening of Minute Maid Park in 2000. “It’s been a wonderful experience, a great ride and something we have thoroughly enjoyed,” McLane said. “Our family has loved being involved with the Houston Astros.” Forbes Magazine earlier this year valued the Astros at US$451 million and McLane has hired Steve Greenberg of Allen & Company, a New York based investment bank, to work with potential buyers.
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