BOXING
Garcia clinches WBC title
Unbeaten Danny Garcia captured the WBC light welterweight world title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Erik Morales on Saturday at Reliant Arena in Houston, Texas. Morales, 52-8 with 36 KOs, was stripped of his title when he exceeded the weight of 140 pounds (63.5kg) at Friday’s weigh-in. Morales was slapped with a US$50,000 fine after stepping on the scales at 142 pounds (64.4kg). The 24-year-old Garcia won the fight on all three judges scorecards, 116-112, 117-110 and 118-109. Garcia was the more aggressive of the two throughout the fight, knocking the 35-year-old Morales down in the 11th round with a stinging left hook to the chin. Garcia, who fought the final few rounds with a bloody nose, raised his record to 23-0 with 14 KOs. Garcia needed to defeat Morales in order to claim the crown. Any other result would have left the title vacant. Asked if he was going to continue fighting, Morales said he would take some time to ponder his future in the sport. “I got to think about it,” he said. “To fight at this level I really have to think about it because it is my health.”
Photo: Reuters
GOLF
McGrane thrives in Morocco
Ireland’s Damien McGrane opened up a one-shot lead over Italian teenager Matteo Manassero at the Trophee Hassan on Saturday in Agadir, Morocco, before darkness brought a suspension to the third round. On a day that started with 40-year-old McGrane having to play 13 holes of his second round after Friday’s action had been disrupted by high winds, he steadily reeled in a three-shot deficit to clubhouse leader Phillip Price. McGrane birdied the seventh, ninth and 10th holes to pull level with Price, before two-putting the long 15th for birdie to take the outright lead. The Irishman, whose only European Tour title came in China five years ago, then holed a six-footer at the 18th to confirm his halfway advantage. He then managed to complete 10 holes of his third round, carding four birdies and three bogeys to stand at 12-under for the tournament. One shot back is Manassero, who is bidding to reach the Masters for the second time. He is 11-under after 15 holes, as is Spain’s Jose Manuel Lara, who has completed 10 holes. Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey, who managed to complete his third round, is a shot further back in fourth after a 65 gave him a 10-under total.
CYCLING
Sanchez wins sixth stage
Samuel Sanchez from the Euskatel team on Saturday won the sixth and penultimate stage of the Tour of Catalunya between Sant Fruitos de Bages and Badalona, Spain, breaking away in the final kilometer. The Spanish rider crossed the line first ahead of Australia’s Allan Davis (GreenEdge) and France’s Julien Simon (SAU). Switzerland’s Michael Albasini (GreenEdge) remains leader in the overall classification going into the final stage. Saturday’s stage was delayed for 38 minutes after a police motorcycle outrider in charge of clearing the route collided with a car at the 70km mark. Both the rider and the car driver were airlifted to hospital.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two