ASIAN BEACH GAMES
Taiwanese takes bronze
Taiwan won its first medal at the 2010 Asian Beach Games in Muscat, Oman, with a third-place finish by Pan Kai-wen in the men’s 5km marathon swimming event yesterday. Pan, 21, took the bronze medal behind Saleh Mohammad of Syria, who won in a time of one hour, 14 minutes and 4 seconds, and Xu Wenchao of China, who finished second. According to the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, Pan’s bronze was Taiwan’s first-ever medal in long-distance swimming at the Games. Athletes from 45 countries are participating in 14 sports at the Games. Taiwan has sent a team of 38 athletes to compete in beach handball, beach volleyball, beach woodball, marathon swimming, sailing, triathlon and water skiing. The Asian Beach Games is a biennial event regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia.
SOCCER
Union calls off Serie A strike
The Italian players’ union (AIC) has officially called off this weekend’s proposed strike by Serie A players over a collective contract. In a statement on their Web site, AIC president Sergio Campana praised players for sticking to their guns in the protracted negotiations. “The AIC thanks the players who showed total participation, togetherness [and] a high sense of responsibility in defending their professional dignity and the fundamental rights of all workers,” the statement said. “Taking into account the good progress in drafting a new collective agreement with the mediation of Italian Football Federation president Giancarlo Abete and having listened to the club representatives, the AIC revokes the protest action and communicates that Serie A players will play in the league program scheduled for Dec. 11 and 12.” Serie A players and clubs were at odds over a proposed collective agreement that would give clubs the power to force players to accept a transfer in the final year of their contracts. The contract itself has not yet been signed but an agreement has apparently been reached and will probably be ratified next week.
SOCCER
French PM ribs English
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Thursday that he was “delighted” by Russia’s victory against England in the battle to host the 2018 World Cup. “We’re delighted that the Russians won the 2018 football World Cup against our British friends,” Fillon said, in a speech to staff from the French embassy in Moscow at the end of a visit to the Russian capital. “We wouldn’t be annoyed if Moscow acquired a little more significance and Russian businesses used it, rather than going to London at every opportunity,” he added, in an apparently light-hearted reference to London’s City financial district. “But it’s a prime minister married to a British citizen — we don’t say citizen, but subject of Her Majesty [the Queen] — who allows himself to say that,” explained Fillon, who is married to a Welsh woman.
GOLF
Michael leads Tour opener
Anthony Michael of South Africa shot a 6-under 66 on Thursday to lead after the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, the opening European Tour tournament. Michael made seven birdies and a bogey at Leopard Creek Country Club for a one-shot advantage in the first event of the 2011 Race to Dubai. Defending champion Pablo Martin of Spain opened with a 69 for a share of 11th place, while British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, the highest ranked player in the field at No. 24, hit a 76. Charl Schwartzel, the only player other than Oosthuizen in the world’s top 100 playing, shot a 70.
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