RUGBY UNION
Wallabies unafraid: NZ coach
All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen said that the Wallabies no longer fear the All Blacks and probably don’t even respect them, but that won’t be New Zealand’s motivation when the teams meet in a Tri-Nations rugby match on Saturday. Australia has been bullish this week about the chances of its talented young team beating New Zealand in New Zealand for the first time in 11 years and at Auckland’s Eden Park — venue for this year’s World Cup final — for the first time since 1986. Australian selector David Nucifora said because most of the current Wallabies are young and new to international rugby, they are unaffected by hoodoos or history. Nucifora said young Wallabies were more likely to be excited by the challenge of playing New Zealand than daunted.
OLYMPICS
Commuters told to innovate
The British government is urging London residents to “travel differently” during next year’s Olympics to avoid traffic chaos. An additional 3 million trips are expected to be made on London’s public transport system on Aug. 3 next year, the first day of athletics competition and one of the busiest travel days of the games. That’s on top of the regular 12 million journeys a day on public transport. The government wants commuters to change their travel habits to ease the congestion. British Transport Secretary Norman Baker says: “It’s time to oil the creaking bike, dig out the walking boots, work out how to use the video conferencing equipment, and fire up the laptop gathering dust at the back of the cupboard.”
SOCCER
Extremists a worry again
The head of British soccer’s anti-racism body warns that extremists are trying to infiltrate the game again, citing the massacre in Norway as a wake-up call. Kick It Out chairman Herman Ouseley says extremists are “trying to get back into football ... [and] trying to win over the minds of young, vulnerable people.” He says “events in Norway over the last week reminds us that the hatred ... exists not far from our shores.” Confessed Norwegian killer Anders Behring Breivik says he carried out last month’s twin attacks, which killed 77 people, to launch a revolution against a Europe spoiled by Muslim immigration. House of Lords member Ouseley said: “Believe you me, there are people like that living among us in the UK and organizations that are very hateful.”
SOCCER
Venezuela, FIFA in dispute
Venezuela is on collision course with world soccer governing body FIFA and the International Olympic Commission after its parliament approved a controversial sports law that threatens the autonomy of its sports federations. The bill passed by the national assembly on Tuesday would allow the country’s athletes to vote for officials in their federations, while setting up a “sports justice commission” that could undermine the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF). The law, which still needs Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s approval, would also establish a sports development fund that would slap a 1 percent tax on companies that post annual profits exceeding 1.5 million Venezuelan bolivars (US$350,000). “The law could be considered a direct interference by the government in affairs that are exclusive to the FVF,” FIFA warned in a statement last week. Venezuela’s sports minister Hector Rodriguez has further fanned the flames, dismissing the statement as “lies.”
SOCCER
Vucinic hails Juventus
New Juventus forward Mirko Vucinic hailed the Turin giants as the most famous team in the world and the best-loved in Italy on Tuesday. The 27-year-old Montenegro captain completed his 15 million euros (US$21 million) move from AS Roma on Monday and was presented to the press on Tuesday. Speaking about his move, he insisted it was a step up, even though Roma will play in the Europa League this season, while Juve failed to even qualify for continental competition. “I had come to the end of a cycle. Now I’m at the most famous club in the world and the most loved by Italians,” he said. “When my agent mentioned Juve to me, I had no doubts. I’d already decided to leave Roma last year before [new coach Luis] Enrique arrived. At Roma, like all teams, there were great moments and ones not so good, but the important thing is that I’m here now and I hope that I’ll have some great moments with Juve.”
SOCCER
Arnautovic left out by Austria
Troubled striker Marko Arnautovic has again been left out of the Austria squad for this month’s friendly against Slovakia, the first game of the new season. “Arnautovic is no longer an issue from here on,” coach Didi Constanini told reporters after announcing the squad. “He has to stay quiet and show that he can fulfill his potential in the matches. I have decided in favor of collective spirit and I stick by that.” Arnautovic was dropped for June’s Euro 2012 qualifier at home to Germany and Austria gave a much--improved performance without him, despite losing 2-1. That decision came less than two weeks after the fiery striker was dropped by his club Werder Bremen for unspecified reasons amid reports he had been nightclubbing two days before a Bundesliga match. The 22-year-old managed only three goals in 25 Bundesliga appearances for Werder last season — two of them in his second game — having joined the club after an equally problematic season with Inter in Italy before that.
CRICKET
Bradman family settle suit
A settlement was reached yesterday over the use of Donald Bradman’s name and image, after his son said he feared the cricket legend was being turned into a “brand name like Mickey Mouse.” Executors of the Bradman estate accused law firm Allens Arthur Robinson — responsible for managing the “intellectual property” of his name and image — of negligence in allowing him to be “exploited” by the Bradman Foundation. Son John Bradman’s displeasure became public in 2005 when the foundation licensed an Australian food company to market “Bradman” chocolate chip cookies in India. The Adelaide Advertiser said lawyers for the Bradman family and Allens Arthur Robinson reached a confidential out-of-court agreement yesterday ahead of a scheduled trial in the South Australian Supreme Court. “This has been a long-running matter which has been very important to the Bradman family and we are very pleased with the outcome,” John Bradman told reporters outside the court.
ATHLETICS
Wariner to miss the worlds
Former Olympic and world 400m champion Jeremy Wariner will miss this month’s world championships with a foot injury, his agent said on Tuesday. Wariner, a three-time 400m world champion and a key player in the US’ Olympic and world 4x400m relay victories, tore a ligament in the second toe of his left foot while training last month, Deon Minor said. “Jeremy said he felt a pop while he was training,” Minor said in a telephone interview.
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