HONG KONG
Cheung jumps to his death
One of Hong Kong’s best known soccer stars jumped to his death after an argument with his wife, reports said yesterday, as tributes poured in from the city’s soccer community. Cheung Sai-ho, 35, was named the city’s most valuable player in 2003 and was a holder of a world record — scoring for the Hong Kong youth team 2.8 seconds after the start of a match in the Portsmouth Cup in Britain in 1993. The talented midfielder, who retired from the sport in 2008, jumped from the window of his 36th-floor flat after an argument with his wife, police said, according to the South China Morning Post.
SPAIN
Khedira likely out of semi
Real Madrid are likely to be without midfielder Sami Khedira for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. Khedira was left out of the squad for yesterday’s La Liga match at Valencia with what coach Jose Mourinho called a muscle injury that compromises his chances of making Wednesday’s match at the Santiago Bernabeu. “Tomorrow he can’t play and I can practically guarantee he won’t play on Wednesday unless a miracle happens, as it usually needs to with muscular injuries,” Mourinho said on Friday. The Germany midfielder played a key role in Madrid’s 1-0 win over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final. Khedira, Xabi Alonso and Pepe created a defensive bloc that helped neutralize Barcelona’s dangerous attack. Spanish reports suggested Khedira tore a thigh muscle and could miss the rest of the season, but Mourinho would not confirm the extent of his injury.
SPAIN
Getafe not sold ‘yet’: Torres
Getafe has not “yet” been sold, the Spanish club’s president Angel Torres said on Friday, one day after Dubai-based Royal Emirates Group announced it had signed a deal to acquire the struggling team. “I was in Dubai looking for sponsors. We signed a series of agreements and protocols. No one should doubt Angel Torres. Getafe has not yet been sold,” he told reporters as he arrived at Madrid airport from Dubai. “First, I have to inform the board of all the things that were done, then I will give a news conference.” Royal Emirates Group, which is chaired by a member of Dubai’s ruling al-Maktoum family, said on Thursday it had signed a deal to buy the club for between 70 million euros (U$100 million) and 90 million euros. The “purchase contract” was signed on Thursday in Dubai by Torres and the business group’s managing director, Kaiser Rafiq, Royal Emirates Group said in a statement. The group’s chairman, Sheikh Butti bin Suhail al-Maktoum, told a press conference in Dubai that the team would be called “Getafe Team Dubai.”
NETHERLANDS
Twente go three points clear
Luuk de Jong’s 86th-minute winner gave Twente Enschede a 2-1 victory at ADO Den Haag and pushed them three points clear at the top of the Dutch championship on Friday. Twente, who drew their previous two matches, had a goal by Bryan Ruiz ruled out just before halftime, but the Costa Rican finally broke through in the 61st minute after being set up by Nacer Chadli. Dmitri Bulykin joined NEC Nijmegen’s Bjoern Vleminckx at the top of the league’s scoring charts when he grabbed his 19th goal of the season nine minutes later, controlling the ball with his chest, before volleying home for Den Haag. De Jong then struck when he pounced on a rebound after his initial header was saved by Gino Coutinho. Twente have 68 points with two matches remaining, three ahead of PSV Eindhoven.
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