RUGBY WORLD CUP
Kleeberger’s beard inspires
Canada flanker Adam Kleeberger’s hirsute fashion statement has caught on among the crowds at the World Cup, something captain Pat Riordan described as “awesome.” Kleeberger sports a huge beard, fake ones of which have been worn by increasing numbers of Canada fans, who often also don costumes like lumberjacks or mounties. “The beards are pretty popular,” said Riordan, himself clean-shaven. “I couldn’t believe it getting off the plane in Napier, there were little kids and old ladies who had the beards on. The bus driver had a beard on. So someone’s doing well there.”
ICE HOCKEY
Doughty, Kings reach deal
The Los Angeles Kings have reached a verbal agreement on a multi-year contract with restricted free agent defenseman Drew Doughty. Financial terms of the deal announced on the team Web site were not released, however, the Los Angeles Times reported the agreement to keep Doughty as a Kings player was worth US$56 million over eight years. The Kings open the regular season in Stockholm on Oct. 7 against the New York Rangers and Doughty is expected to be in the lineup after finally reaching a deal following some lengthy negotiations. “I definitely didn’t want to miss that,” Doughty told the league’s official Web site, NHL.com. Last year, the 21-year-old Doughty was a finalist for the Norris Trophy awarded to the NHL’s best defenseman and was named a Second Team All-Star.
CRICKET
ICC hopes Interpol can help
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is in talks with Interpol about joining forces to help combat corruption in the sport. Ronnie Flanagan, chairman of the ICC’s anti-corruption and security unit, said he hopes the international police agency and his body can “mutually cooperate and work together.” FIFA recently pledged to pay Interpol US$29 million to help soccer crack down on the growing threat of match-fixing. However, speaking on the sidelines of a World Sports Law Report conference in London, Flanagan said cricket lacks the funds to pay Interpol. Even if an agreement with Interpol is signed, Flanagan says “unfortunately investigations themselves fall back to our unit.”
INDYCAR
Unser Jr arrested for DWI
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr was arrested on Thursday on charges of drunken driving after authorities said he was clocked at more than 160kph on the streets of New Mexico. Jennifer Brown, a spokesperson for the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, said the 49-year-old Unser was arrested shortly after 3am outside of Albuquerque, where deputies found he was going about 163kph while racing another vehicle. Unser was charged with reckless driving and aggravated driving while intoxicated and released from jail on his own recognizance. IndyCar said in a statement that officials of the open-wheel series were aware of the charges and had suspended Unser from his duties as a race control official and driving coach.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
HSIEH MAKES QUARTERS: Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens of Belgium won in the women’s doubles and face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin of the US Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff were knocked out of the women’s singles at the Miami Open on Monday, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced in the women’s doubles. Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2, hours after third seed Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. Alexandrova beat a top-ranked player for the first time and advanced to face Jessica Pegula, a 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 winner over Emma Navarro, in the quarter-finals. Alexandrova recorded her second win over Swiatek, following a 2021 victory in Melbourne. Swiatek had won their three matches since. “We played quite