BASKETBALL
Players to vote on proposal
NBA owners and the players union have concluded their latest negotiating efforts with a proposal to be voted on by the players that, if accepted, will allow for a 72-game season beginning on Dec. 15. “The labor relations committee made a revised proposal to the union which attempted to meet their concerns as best as we and the labor relations committee could,” NBA commissioner David Stern told a press conference. “We did that in the context of a possibility that we could have a 72-game schedule starting Dec. 15.” The players union had hoped for more movement on several key non-financial issues after they expressed their willingness to move off their desired economic revenue split of in excess of 52.5 percent in their favor. Stern expressed that should the union not accept their latest proposal the owners’ negotiating position would switch to a less favorable 53-47 percent split of revenues in favor of the owners.
ICE HOCKEY
Crosby remains sidelined
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will not return to the NHL for at least the next two games despite looking good in practice, his team said on Thursday. The 24-year-old, the league’s biggest drawing card, was cleared for contact last month after being sidelined since January by a concussion. “He had a good week of practice and is progressing, but he won’t be playing this weekend,” Penguins coach Dan Bylsma was quoted as saying by the team’s Web site. “We’re not keeping a secret. When he plays, we’ll make sure we let you know.” Crosby has not competed since absorbing two hits to the head in successive games within a week in early January last year and experiencing post-concussion symptoms.
INDYCAR
Race in China announced
IndyCar will stage its first race in China in August next year on a 3.87 mile (6.2km) temporary street circuit in Qingdao, the US-based open-wheel auto racing series announced on Thursday. The race will be hosted Aug. 19 at the site of 2008 Beijing Olympic sailing events. “China, the world’s second-largest economy, has become a top priority with most American businesses and the sponsors that are committed to IndyCar,” series chief executive Randy Bernard said. “Last year, at our sponsorship summit, China was the No. 1 place our sponsors wanted to go outside of the United States.” Bernard said there is a long-term goal of constructing a permanent racing venue in the area. IndyCar’s only prior Asian venue was in Japan, a race that was canceled after this past season.
ATHLETICS
Pan Am medals lose luster
Complaints from athletes about fading medals have taken the shine off Mexico’s widely-praised organization of the Pan American Games last month. “The day they gave me my medal, it was shiny and perfect, but several days later it started losing its shine and now it looks oxidized, like old metal,” Mexican pole vaulter Giovanni Lanaro, who won a bronze, said on Thursday. The organizing committee of the games in Guadalajara admitted it had received 15 formal complaints about the medals by Wednesday, including from athletes from Brazil and the US. The Mexican Olympic Committee lamented that some medals, mainly the bronze ones, showed defects. “It’s an embarrassment for us as organizers, for all Mexicans, that this has happened,” Felipe Munoz, the committee’s president, told journalists, calling for the official mint to replace the damaged medals.
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