BASKETBALL
NBA suspends Jackson
Stephen Jackson, the Charlotte Bobcats’ leading scorer, has been suspended one game for verbal abuse of a game official and failing to leave the court in a timely manner after his ejection, the NBA said in New York on Tuesday. The fine followed an incident during Charlotte’s 104-101 loss at Milwaukee on Saturday after Jackson was assessed two technical fouls midway through the first quarter. The suspension, which would keep Jackson out of his team’s game against New Orleans yesterday, comes about three weeks after he was fined US$50,000 for verbal abuse of officials.
FOOTBALL
Harrison fined over hit
James Harrison, a Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, was fined US$25,000 for a hit on Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, giving Harrison four fines for US$125,000 this year. The latest fine for an illegal hit announced on Tuesday came for Harrison being whistled for roughing the passer on Sunday when officials ruled that the Pittsburgh defensive stalwart hit Fitzpatrick with his helmet. Harrison said he had not expected to be fined because the hit was similar to one earlier in the season on Oakland quarterback Jason Campbell that drew a penalty flag but no fine from the NFL.
FOOTBALL
49ers’ Frank Gore breaks hip
San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore will miss the rest of the NFL season because of a broken hip, the team said on Tuesday. The two-time Pro Bowl running back fractured his right hip early in San Francisco’s 27-6 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, the team said in a report on their Web site. “It is unfortunate that we had to place Frank on IR,” 49ers coach Mike Singletary said in a statement. San Francisco is third in the NFC West division with a 4-7 record and five regular-season games left.
SOCCER
OFC to appeal FIFA ruling
The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) said in Wellington yesterday it would not vote on who hosts the 2018 and 2022 World Cups as its president was determined to appeal a FIFA suspension for misconduct. The move, seen as a blow to Australia’s chances of hosting the 2022 tournament, follows OFC president Reynald Temarii’s decision to press on with attempts to overturn a ban imposed after a probe into vote-buying allegations. Had Temarii dropped his appeal, Oceania could have nominated a replacement official for Thursday’s crunch vote at the headquarters of world soccer’s governing body.
BOXING
Chavez Jr pulled due to fever
Undefeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, suffering from a high fever, was pulled from the feature fight in Anaheim, California, in a Saturday card that will continue with two world title bouts, promoters said on Tuesday. Chavez, the son of a Mexican boxing legend, was to have fought Pawel Wolak in a middleweight bout, but after awakening on Tuesday with a fever near 39.4°C, the American will instead face Mexican Jose Pinzon, 18-1-1. Filipino star Nonito Donaire, the World Boxing Association bantamweight interim champion who is 24-1 with 16 knockouts, will face Ukranian Wladimiro Sidorenko, 22-2-2 with seven knockouts. Mexico’s Humberto Soto, the World Boxing Council lightweight champion who is 53-7 with two drawn and 32 knockouts, will defend against American Urbano Antillon, 28-1 with 20 knockouts.
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
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
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
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two