SOCCER
Barca coach has surgery
Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova is recovering from surgery on a salivary gland. Barcelona said the operation went “satisfactory and as planned” at the Vall d’Hebron Hospital. Pep Gaurdiola’s closest aide is expected to need three to four weeks recovery time. The parotid gland produces saliva and sits in the back of the jawbone. Surgery is often done on the parotid gland to remove benign lumps or swelling. Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta said: “The team has already experienced something like this, though more serious.” Defender Eric Abidal recovered from surgery to remove a liver tumor in March.
RUGBY UNION
Martin to sue Toulon boss
Montpellier flanker Remy Martin is suing Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal for defamation in the wake of a post-match assault by Toulon forward Olivier Missoup. Missoup was handed a 120-day ban soon after a Montpellier court handed down a three-month ban and ordered him to pay damages to Martin after being accused of an assault, which prompted a brawl between the players and left Martin requiring 10 stitches in his lip. The incident occurred on Sept. 30 at a post-match reception, following Montpellier’s 19-6 home win over Toulon. “Mourad Boudjellal hasn’t stopped insulting me for more than a month through increasingly stupid statements,” Martin said.
RUGBY UNION
Henry rules out England job
Graham Henry has dismissed speculation about vying for the vacant England job by saying he is not interested in being coach of a club, let alone another national team. Henry, almost a month to the day since guiding the All Blacks to the Rugby World Cup title on home soil, said on Tuesday he is still contracted to the New Zealand union until the end of March and he has had enough of top-level coaching. “I have no desire to coach a team,” he said. “I have done 140 Tests and that’s enough, but you never say never.”
CRICKET
Razzaq returns to Lahore
Allrounder Abdul Razzaq was on Tuesday ruled out of Pakistan’s matches against Sri Lanka, throwing into doubt his participation in the tour of Bangladesh starting next week. The 31-year-old injured his shoulder during the third one-day international against Sri Lanka in Dubai on Friday and missed out on the fourth match in Sharjah two days later. “Razzaq has injured his shoulder and he will be returning home,” Pakistan assistant manager Naushad Ali said. “He will undergo rehabilitation in the academy in Lahore.” Pakistan are scheduled to play a Twenty20 against Bangladesh on Nov. 29 and go on to play three one-day internationals and two Tests.
TENNIS
Federation criticizes Noah
Yannick Noah’s remarks about doping were “baseless” and “provocative,” the French Tennis Federation said on Tuesday, joining a chorus of protest against the former tennis player. Noah said in Le Monde last week that the best way to combat doping was to legalize the use of drugs in sport and he also appeared to accuse Spanish sport in particular of using “magic potions.” “The French Tennis Federation wishes to express its disagreement with Yannick Noah’s comments made in Le Monde newspaper,” the federation said in a statement. “Against the plague of doping in sport, baseless accusations and provocative comments are inappropriate, and the worst attitude would be to give up.”
ATHLETICS
Runner’s ankles amputated
A 28-year-old All-American cross-country runner who suffered frostbite after spending more than two days in frigid Alaska temperatures without winter gear had his feet and ankles amputated. Marko Cheseto disappeared from the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) on Nov. 6 and was found on Nov. 9 suffering from hypothermia and severe frostbite to his feet and hands. UAA’s athletic department said in a Web site posting that Cheseto’s hands were expected to make a full recovery, but his lower extremities were so severely injured they required amputation. Cheseto was one of several runners from Kenya who competed for UAA. In a statement released by the university, Cheseto acknowledged he was experiencing personal problems when he walked away from campus and he thanked people who searched for him.
BASEBALL
Ryan Braun named NL MVP
Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun won the NL Most Valuable Player Award after helping lead the Brewers to their first division title in nearly 30 years. Braun earned the MVP on Tuesday, receiving 20 of 32 first-place votes and 388 points in voting announced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Los Angeles centerfielder Matt Kemp, who came close to winning the Triple Crown, received 10 first-place votes and finished with 332 points. Braun’s teammate Prince Fielder finished third with 229 points and Arizona’s Justin Upton finished fourth with 214 points. Braun led the NL with a .597 slugging percentage and was second with a .332 batting average. He had 33 homers, 111 RBIs and stole 33 bases. Kemp led the NL in homers, RBIs and was third in batting average.
FOOTBALL
Broncos release QB Orton
The Denver Broncos, who have gone 4-1 since making Tim Tebow their starting quarterback, released seven-year veteran quarterback Kyle Orton on Tuesday. Orton was relegated to a backup role after a 1-4 start and the Broncos responded by improving to 5-5, moving into second place in the AFC West division with pacesetters Oakland only one game ahead. Tebow has guided Denver downfield for three late dramatic scoring drives to secure victories after struggling during training camp and losing the starting job to Orton, a 29-year-old who threw seven interceptions before being benched.
OLYMPICS
No FBI in London: official
The national security coordinator for the London Games insisted that armed agents from other countries besides Britain would not be permitted at the Games. Assistant commissioner Chris Allison dismissed a Guardian newspaper report suggesting that the US would send dozens of armed FBI agents to protect US interests. He said while some US liaison officers would be involved, the notion that agents would come en masse was “rubbish.” Allison said police officers would provide the vanguard of forces protecting the tens of thousands of athletes, spectators and others attending the games.
BASEBALL
Rangers sign Joe Nathan
Four-time All-Star Joe Nathan signed a two-year contract to become the closer for the Texas Rangers, the back-to-back AL champions said on Tuesday. A report on the Rangers’ Web site said Nathan agreed to a US$14.5 million contract with a US$9 million option for 2014. Nathan missed last year’s MLB season after elbow surgery, but returned this past season and appeared in 48 games, posting a 2-1 record with a 4.84 ERA.
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