BOXING
Wlodarczyk KOs Green
Poland’s Krzysztof Wlodarczyk retained his WBC cruiserweight world title with an 11th-round knockout of Australian challenger Danny Green in Perth. Wlodarczyk took his record to 46 wins, 33 by knockout, and two losses after the fight late on Wednesday. Former IBO world cruiserweight champion Green, 38, who was leading all the cards when the fight was stopped, said he would retire from the ring. Green also lost inside the distance in his previous fight, an IBO title-losing knockout loss to the US’ Antonio Tarver four months ago in Sydney. Green’s record stands at 31 wins, 27 by knockout, with five losses.
SOCCER
Free State third on table
Supersport United retained their lead after a convincing 2-0 victory over Kaizer Chiefs in the South African Premiership on Wednesday. Seven league matches saw several teams jump two places, with notably the Free State Stars slotting into third position, though the two leading teams remained unchanged. After relentless attacks from Supersport, Moffat Mdluli scored in the 36th minute at the Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane, and Tebogo Langerman clinched an eighth-unbeaten match 11 minutes from the end to cement his team’s lead. A failed comeback attempt in the second half saw Chiefs striker Bernard Parker shoot over the bar in the 69th minute, while rookie goalkeeper Ronwen Williams saved Parker’s other attempt.
ICE HOCKEY
Boudreau replaces Carlyle
The Anaheim Ducks have fired coach Randy Carlyle and hired former Washington coach Bruce Boudreau, who was dismissed by the Capitals just two days earlier. The Ducks made the move after beating Montreal 4-1 on Wednesday for the club’s third victory in 19 games — snapping a seven-game skid. Carlyle coached the Ducks to their only Stanley Cup title in 2007, but struggled to get his talented club’s attention this season. Carlyle agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2013-2014 season in August. Boudreau was fired by the Capitals on Monday after a slow start.
BASEBALL
Red Sox to sign Valentine
A person familiar with the negotiations said the Boston Red Sox had agreed to terms with Bobby Valentine on a contract that will make him the team’s new manager. Valentine returned from a trip to Japan on Wednesday and was expected to be introduced at Fenway Park yesterday, said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been signed. Valentine, 61, formerly managed the New York Mets and Texas Rangers. He replaces Terry Francona, who led the Red Sox to two World Series titles and also the biggest September collapse in baseball history.
BASEBALL
Kawasaki wants Mariners
Japanese infielder Munenori Kawasaki wants to go to the major leagues, provided he can join Ichiro Suzuki at the Seattle Mariners. “I’m only thinking of playing on the same team as Ichiro. I would have to turn down other offers,” Kawasaki said at a press conference yesterday. The 30-year-old Kawasaki is a free agent and could negotiate with any major league team, but prefers Seattle. This season, he batted .267 with 161 hits in 144 games and helped lead the SoftBank Hawks to their first Japan Series championship in eight years. He teamed up with Ichiro on the Japanese team that won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009.
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