SOCCER
Scotland beat Liechtenstein
Craig Mackail-Smith’s 32nd-minute goal earned Scotland a 1-0 victory in Liechtenstein on Saturday to help them leapfrog the Czech Republic into second place in Euro 2012 Group I qualifying and move within range of the playoffs. Starting for the first time and winning his third cap, the striker headed over stranded home goalkeeper Peter Jehle to put his country on 11 points with one match against group winners Spain remaining tomorrow. The Czechs, who have 10 points, travel to Lithuania tomorrow. “We’ve got a good spirit, everyone wants to work for each other,” Mackail-Smith told the BBC. “It shows in how many chances we’re creating and hopefully we can do that on Tuesday.”
SOCCER
Banner sees team charged
Legia Warsaw has been charged by UEFA after their fans unfurled a potentially offensive banner before a Europa League game against Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv. The Polish club’s fans displayed a green banner spelling out “Jihad Legia” in Arabic-style script across one end of the Pepsi Arena on Sept. 29. UEFA rules prohibit acts of a “political, offensive or provocative nature” at matches. The European soccer authority says its disciplinary panel will consider the case on Nov. 17. UEFA has the power to order Legia to play future European competition matches in an empty stadium. Legia won the match 3-2. The teams will play again in Israel on Dec. 15.
TOURING CAR
Tander wins Bathurst
Garth Tander won his third Bathurst 1,000 race yesterday, holding off a fast-finishing Craig Lowndes in Australia’s most prestigious touring car race at Mount Panorama in New South Wales. The Holden Racing Team driver won by less then three-tenths of a second yesterday after holding off five-time Bathurst winner Lowndes in a two-car sprint at the end of the 161-lap race. Lowndes charged over the final 20 laps, coming from fourth position to cut the margin to half a second behind Tander going into the last lap. However, despite several attempts to pass over the 6.2km circuit, Lowndes had to settle for second. Pole sitter Greg Murphy finished third.
GYMNASTICS
Japan takes early lead
Japan delighted its home crowd by taking the early lead in men’s qualifying yesterday at the world gymnastics championships. The Japanese finished with 364.291 points, 2.7 points ahead of the US. However, this was only the first session of men’s qualifying, with Germany, last year’s bronze medalist, competing later yesterday and China, Olympic champion and winner of the last four world titles, going today. The top eight teams earn trips to next summer’s London Olympics as well as spots in Wednesday’s team finals. Kohei Uchimura, who has been untouchable since the Beijing Games, is on track for a third-straight all-around title, topping the individual standings.
SOCCER
US defeat Honduras
Clint Dempsey’s 36th--minute strike was enough to give the US a 1-0 victory over Honduras in a friendly international soccer match on Saturday, their first triumph under coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Klinsmann, the former German superstar who was named US coach on July 29, had presided over a 1-1 draw with Mexico in August and 1-0 defeats to Costa Rica and Belgium last month. The US had several scoring opportunities in the first half, an indication that they are getting to grips with Klinsmann’s system.
TRIATHLON
Alexander is world Ironman
Craig Alexander ran away with the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on Saturday, setting a course record to win the event for the third time. The 38-year-old Australian, also the 2008 and 2009 winner, finished in 8 hours, 3 minutes, 56 seconds. “I wish I could tell you how it feels,” Alexander said. “It’s unbelievable. I wish everyone in the world could feel what I felt in that mile. It’s the finish I’ve been dreaming of.” The previous course record was 8:04:08 by Belguim’s Luc Van Lierde in 1996.
ATHLETICS
Korir eyes prize for hospital
Kenyan Wesley Korir was to have one eye on the finish line and the other on a cause when he was to run the Chicago Marathon yesterday. As sweet as winning a major marathon would be, he was running for something even bigger. Korir is helping build a hospital in his poverty-stricken village, where his younger brother died from a snakebite. He is using part of his earnings to build the facility and with US$100,000 going to the winners of the race, there was to be quite a bit for the taking.
BASKETBALL
Bayern Munich eying Dirk
Top German basketball team Bayern Munich are bidding to lure German star Dirk Nowitzki and the US’ Chris Kaman to Bavaria should the NBA season be wiped out following a 100-day lockout of players. “Kaman is a very interesting player who we could consider if the [NBA] season is cancelled,” Bayern coach Dirk Bauermann said. “And there would obviously be another interesting man,” he added of Dallas Mavericks forward Nowitzki. Kaman, 29, plays center for the Los Angeles Clippers.
BASKETBALL
Yi Jianlian back in CBA
Chinese NBA player Yi Jianlian, the main man in the post-Yao Ming era, will return to play in China, state media reported, as the NBA season is threatened by a protracted lockout of players. According to Xinhua news agency, Yi — who last played for the Washington Wizards — signed a contract with the Guangdong Southern Tigers ahead of the start of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) season next month. The team’s manager Liu Hongjiang was quoted as saying the 23-year-old had signed a one-season contract “with an option to leave once he accepts an invitation from NBA teams.” Liu acknowledged Yi may not stay long if the lockout was resolved and he returned to the NBA. “Although he may not stay with us very long, I am quite sure his return is good for himself, the team and Chinese fans as well,” Liu was quoted as saying in the Saturday report. “He could keep his edge in the CBA, our team will also benefit from his skills and fans certainly want to see him play in his best years.”
BASKETBALL
Calderon follows Gasols
FC Barcelona say Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon has followed the Gasol brothers and decided to train with the Spanish club during the NBA lockout. Calderon is the latest Spanish international to practice with Barcelona after Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol and his brother Marc of the Memphis Grizzlies linked up with the club earlier last week. While the Gasol brothers are practicing with the first team, Calderon was to train with the Barcelona B team from yesterday. All three players helped Spain defend their European Championship title last month. Dallas Mavericks forward Rudy Fernandez signed a contract to play for Real Madrid until the end of the lockout last month.
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
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care