SOCCER
Forlan set to join Inter
Diego Forlan is to leave La Liga club Atletico Madrid after four seasons and will join Serie A side Inter, the Uruguay striker announced on Monday. A La Liga topscorer with both Villarreal and Atletico, the former Manchester United forward was voted best player at the World Cup finals in South Africa last year as Uruguay reached the last four. “Farewells are always hard, because it has been four years plus the three at Villarreal and now ... I will be leaving behind people’s kindness, which I will never forget,” Forlan said at a press conference in Madrid. “I am looking forward very much to rejuvenating myself, it’s all new and it’s where you find motivation because the challenges are greater. You don’t often get a chance to go to Inter at the age of 32 and I hope I can live up to the expectations.”
SOCCER
Santa Cruz loaned to Betis
Real Betis Balompie have signed out-of-favor Paraguay international Roque Santa Cruz from Manchester City on a one-year loan, the recently promoted Spanish first division side said on Monday. The 30-year-old striker joined Manchester City from Blackburn Rovers in 2009, but he returned to Rovers during the second half of last season after struggling to a find a place in the first team. The player spent seven years at German giants Bayern Munich before joining Blackburn in 2007. Santa Cruz, capped 87 times, was part of the squad which reached the Copa America final this year, but he missed the defeat to Uruguay in the final because of injury.
BASKETBALL
Chandler to play in China
Denver Nuggets free agent Wilson Chandler is planning on playing in China during the upcoming season, a report said on Monday, where he will be reunited with his former NBA coach Jim Cleamons. ESPN sports said that the 24-year-old Chandler will suit up for Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association, as the NBA lockout drags on. Earlier this month, Chinese basketball officials said free-agent NBA players would be welcome if the league’s stoppage continues, but they would be forced to play an entire season in China. Chandler averaged 12.5 points and five rebounds in 21 games with Denver.
FOOTBALL
Manning cleared to train
Four-time MVP Peyton Manning, who has a team quarterback record 227 consecutive games, has been cleared by doctors to start practicing with the Indianapolis Colts. Manning, recovering from neck surgery in May, said he didn’t know if this would enable him to be ready in time for the Colts’ Sept. 11 season opener at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. “I have to be able to play competitively to play, because I have too much respect for this game,” he said. “I have to do what’s fair for the team.” Manning has started 227 regular and post-season games, the second-longest streak in NFL history for quarterbacks behind Brett Favre.
GOLF
Woods to play in California
Tiger Woods said on Monday that he would play in the PGA Tour’s Frys.com Open in October to justify his early selection by US captain Fred Couples for the Presidents Cup. Last week, Couples said Woods would be one of his two wild-card picks for the Nov. 17 to Nov. 20 team competition in Australia, though he had urged the rusty former world No. 1 to compete in at least one more event before then. The Frys.com Open will be held from Oct. 6 to Oct. 9 at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, California.
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