SOCCER
Adefemi dies in car crash
Nigeria international defender Olubayo Adefemi was killed in a car crash on Monday, police in the northern Greek city of Kavala reported. The 25-year-old Xanthi right back was driving to Thessaloniki International Airport to return to Nigeria to finalize plans for his upcoming wedding. Kavala traffic police said Adefemi, who has five international caps, lost control of his car on a curve on a wet highway just outside Kavala. His vehicle struck the dividing bar on the highway and flipped over, landing on the opposite lane. Adefemi was a key member of the Nigeria team who played in the final of the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in the Netherlands in 2005. He also starred in the Beijing 2008 Olympics soccer final in which Nigeria were beaten by Argentina. Adefemi joined Xanthi last summer and scored two goals in 24 matches.
Photo: AFP
BASKETBALL
Dwight Howard honored
Dwight Howard was named the NBA’s defensive player of the year on Monday, making the dominant Orlando Magic center the first player to win the award in three consecutive seasons. Howard led the league this season with 789 defensive rebounds and averaged 14.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.4 steals in 78 games with the Magic. “I could have just stopped after winning one award, but I want our team to be successful and I know it starts with me and it starts on the defensive end,” Howard said. Howard was third in offensive rebounds (309), second in total rebounds (1,098) and third in blocks (186) in the regular season.
BASEBALL
Pitcher arrested for stealing
The Cincinnati Red’s Mike Leake was arrested on Monday on a shoplifting charge, just two days after pitching the Reds to a 11-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Leake was charged with misdemeanor shoplifting after employees of Macy’s accused him of trying to steal six shirts worth US$60 from a downtown department store on Monday. Police said security cameras captured Leake in the store and that he allegedly removed price tags from a half dozen American Rag T-shirts before trying to leave without paying. Leake, who makes US$425,000 a year with the Reds, got the victory in an 11-2 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday at the Great American Ball Park. If convicted Leake, of San Diego, could be facing a maximum 180 days in jail.
SOCCER
Player banned for beard
Police in Tajikistan have forced a topflight player to be banned because he has a beard, according to the coach of his team. Khayr Vakhdat coach Tokhir Muminov said he has been unable to select Parviz Tursunov for the opening two rounds of the season while there are problems with the police over his appearance. However, the Interior Ministry denies issuing any order to prevent bearded soccer players from playing and said any officers caught intimidating citizens would be punished. Authorities in the mainly Muslim nation have taken strict measures to stamp out any signs of religious extremism, with police reportedly sometimes rounding up bearded young men. Tursunov, a devout Muslim, said he would rather give up soccer than his beard. “Football is secular, but we should think about the eternal,” Tursunov said.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two