SOCCER
Jury rules on fan’s death
A Moscow jury has convicted a native of Russia’s Caucasus in the killing of a Slavic soccer fan during a fight last year. Anger over the killing of Yegor Sviridov on Dec. 6 inflamed ethnic tensions in Moscow and led to riots outside the Kremlin walls several days later. About 5,000 soccer fans and nationalists rallied for hours, chanting “Russia for Russians” and an obscene slur against dark-complexioned Muslims from the Caucasus. When police eventually moved in, rioting broke out that injured more than 30 people. The Moscow City Court said the jury voted eight to four on Thursday to find Aslan Cherkesov guilty of premeditated murder. Five other men accused of taking part in the fight were convicted of hooliganism.
SOCCER
Blatter to report on progress
FIFA president Sepp Blatter is expected to give a progress report on the fight to stamp out corruption following an executive committee meeting yesterday. Blatter was re-elected for a fourth term as president at the FIFA Congress in June and immediately pushed through measures aimed at cleaning up soccer’s governing body following a series of scandals. “The executive committee will receive a report from the FIFA President on the proposals approved at the 61st FIFA Congress in Zurich,” FIFA said in a statement. The congress accepted his proposal to strengthen the ethics committee by changing the current system under which the chairman acts as both investigator and judge. Blatter would like to see those roles performed by different individuals. His other measure was to create a so-called “Solutions Committee,” possibly occupied by influential figures from outside FIFA, to act as a watchdog.
GOLF
Latin America gets PGA tour
PGA Tour Latinoamerica, an 11-event pro golf series played across seven nations, was unveiled by USPGA Tour officials on Thursday with plans to debut in September next year. Events with a minimum prize money of US$100,000 will be staged from September through December next year in Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru. Mexico could host two events. The move will raise golf’s profile in Latin America ahead of the sport’s return to the Olympics, after an absence of more than a century, at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro games. Tour Latinoamerica will feature 72-hole stroke-play events with up to 144 players featuring top regional talent with the season’s money leaders advancing to the Nationwide Tour, a US series one step below the USPGA Tour.
SOCCER
Watching sports is ‘illness’
One in five British women believe that the debilitating “man-flu” disease that temporarily leaves sufferers prostrate on the sofa watching televised sports like soccer is real, according to a new study. The survey, which questioned 2,000 British adults about health and wellbeing, showed that misconceptions and old wives’ tales, including the myth that eating carrots improves night vision, prevail among the population when it comes to beliefs about common illnesses. “Unbelievably, there are still a lot of misconceptions around how minor illnesses and conditions are caused or prevented,” study leader Mike Smith said in a statement. The top 10 health myths ranged from the theory that eating carrots will aid night vision to the belief that too much stress will turn your hair gray, both subscribed to by one in 10 of the population.
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