ICE HOCKEY
Versteeg traded to Flyers
The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Kris Versteeg to Philadelphia in exchange for the Flyers’ first and third-round picks in this year’s draft, the teams said on Monday. Versteeg, acquired in June last year in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, played 53 games for the Maple Leafs this season, recording 14 goals and 21 assists. The Flyers lead the Atlantic Division with 77 points, three ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Toronto has 52 points and is in fourth place in the five-team Northeast Division.
RUGBY UNION
Giteau to join Toulon: report
Australia playmaker Matt Giteau has agreed to join French side Toulon after this year’s Rugby World Cup, a report said yesterday. The 91-cap veteran has agreed terms for an 18-month contract, leaving the door open for a possible return for the British and Irish Lions’ trip to Australia in 2013, the Australian newspaper said. Giteau, 28, would join English flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson, former New Zealand prop Carl Hayman and former Western Force teammate Matt Henjak at Toulon, who are currently fourth in the French top division. Giteau will lead out the ACT Brumbies for their first Super 15 match against Waikato Chiefs in Canberra on Saturday.
BASEBALL
Bonds’ lawyers seek ban
Barry Bonds’ attorneys are seeking to keep details about the baseball player’s temper from the jury. On Monday, they asked the US federal judge overseeing the perjury case to bar testimony from Bonds’ former girlfriend, his doctor and others that the former San Francisco Giant berated people and treated his former personal trainer disrespectfully. The defense team also wants to bar testimony about Bonds’ relationships with a Playboy magazine model and with his second wife. Those requests were contained in several court documents that Bonds’ attorneys and prosecutors filed on Monday seeking to limit what the other side shows the jury during the trial scheduled to start on March 21.
GOLF
Woods sorry for spitting
Tiger Woods apologized on Monday in a Twitter message for spitting on the 12th green during the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic, an act which brought a fine from the European Tour. Tournament director Mike Stewart reviewed the incident, seen worldwide on television and on YouTube, and decided that the former world No. 1 and 14-time major champion had broken the tour code of conduct. “The Euro Tour is right — it was inconsiderate to spit like that and I know better. Just wasn’t thinking and I want to say I’m sorry,” Woods wrote in a message posted on the microblogging site. Woods failed to end a 15-month victory drought, firing a final-round 75 to finish in a share of 20th place, seven strokes behind winner Alvaro Quiros of Spain.
BASKETBALL
Brawl stops women’s game
A physical altercation between the women’s teams from Bethune-Cookman University and Maryland-Eastern Shore led officials to suspend the basketball game with 16 minutes, 22 left in the second half. Game officials, security and both coaching staffs eventually broke up the melee on the court, sending the teams to their locker rooms. Officially the game was stopped because of unsportsmenlike behavior on both teams. -Bethune--Cookman was leading 32-21 when play was halted.
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
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care