FOOTBALL
Peterson set to have surgery
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was to undergo surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his left knee yesterday, the NFL team said. Peterson, who was injured last Saturday in a victory at Washington, was to be operated upon by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews in Alabama, and is expected to return to Minnesota on Monday. Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said it remained unclear how much of the player’s rehabilitation is done in Minnesota and how much at his home in Texas. “You like for guys to be at your facility, with your doctors and your trainers and people here,” Frazier said. The team have said it hopes to have the veteran back early next season, maybe even for the season opener.
Photo: AFP
BASKETBALL
Suns sign Michael Redd
The struggling Phoenix Suns have signed former All-Star guard Michael Redd to boost their scoring depth, the NBA team said on Thursday. Redd, 32, has averaged 20 points in 11 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks since being drafted as the 43rd overall pick in 2000. “Michael Redd has a proven pedigree as a first-rate NBA scorer,” Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby said in a statement. An All-Star shooting guard in 2004 who represented the US on their gold medal-winning team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Redd has played just 61 games during the past three seasons after tearing ligaments in his left knee. He is one of only nine players in the NBA to make 1,000 three-pointers with a single team and is a 44.9 percent shooter during his league career.
MOTOGP
Hayden injured in crash
Former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden has suffered a training injury which has thrown his participation in testing in Sepang, Malaysia, at the end of next month into doubt, his Ducati team said on Thursday. The 30-year-old American was only just back on his bike after crashing at the Valencia Grand Prix last month. This time, he broke his left shoulder blade and suffered two fractured ribs, although Ducati said he would not necessarily have to undergo surgery, pending an assessment of the injuries in California. Winter testing is due to begin on Jan. 31 at Sepang and Hayden said he hoped to heal in time after his misfortune at a private track near his Owensboro, Kentucky, home.
SAILING
Teenager finishes 37th
Teenager Jessica Watson can add the grueling and often dangerous Sydney to Hobart yacht race to her list of sailing accomplishments. The 18-year-old Watson, who last year became the youngest person to sail around the world solo, nonstop and unassisted, finished 37th of 88 starting yachts yesterday. Her yacht crossed the line at 3:12pm in 4 days, 2 hours,12 minutes, nearly two days behind winning supermaxi Investec Loyal in the 628 nautical mile (1,163km) race. Watson took the helm of a Sydney 38-class boat with a youngest-ever race crew of 10, including fellow solo circumnavigator Mike Perham of the UK. The average age of Watson’s crew, which made a practice run from Sydney to Hobart last month, was 19.
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
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two