ICE HOCKEY
Richards signs with Rangers
Center Brad Richards, the biggest prize in this year’s National Hockey League free agent sweepstakes, signed with the New York Rangers, NHL.com reported on Saturday. Richards, a proven and reliable scorer backed up with a championship pedigree, had been hotly pursued by several teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames, but in the end decided on the Rangers and a nine-year deal worth a reported US$58.5 million, according to media reports.
Photo: AFP
RUGBY UNION
Samoa defeat Japan 34-15
Wing back Alesana Tuilagi scored two tries to lead Samoa to a 34-15 victory over Japan in the four-team Pacific Nations Cup in Tokyo on Saturday. Tuilagi opened the scoring in the second minute with full back James Sooialo, making it 7-0. Sooialo added a penalty in the 12th minute before Tuilagi scored another try three minutes later which was successfully converted. Ryukoliniashi Holani pulled one back in the 20th minute to trail 5-17, but Samoa added two more tries to fend off the Japanese challenge.
SWIMMING
Teen rejects parents for love
A rising New Zealand teen swimming star has divorced himself from his parents so he can continue a relationship with a US gold medalist seven years his senior, it was reported yesterday. Justin Wright, 17, took legal action against his parents after they tried to block him from representing New Zealand because they disapproved of his relationship with Rhi Jeffrey, 24, the Sunday Star-Times said. Jeffrey, a member of the gold-medal-winning US 4x200m freestyle relay team at the 2004 Athens Olympics, retired in 2007, but has since moved to New Zealand to revive her career in an attempt to qualify for the 2012 Games in London. When Wright and Jeffrey struck up a relationship, his parents withdrew consent for him to compete in national swimming events and bombarded swimming club members with e-mails about the relationship. One e-mail claimed Jeffrey had “stolen [Justin] from the cradle,” the report said. In what is believed to be a legal first in New Zealand, Wright has now won court permission to be a member of Swimming New Zealand against his parents’ wishes. The 17-year-old schoolboy said he was not sure if he could mend his relationship with his parents, but he was now living with Jeffrey and would not give her up.
CRICKET
Serious dissent costs Broad
England’s Stuart Broad has been fined 50 percent of his match fee for showing “serious dissent” at an umpire’s decision during the second one-day international against Sri Lanka, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said yesterday. The paceman, England’s Twenty20 captain, made “some unacceptable and offensive remarks” to umpire Billy Bowden as he left the field at the end of the Sri Lankan innings, the statement said. A Broad appeal for an LBW was turned down in the last over of the innings and the remarks were made regarding the decision.
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