SOCCER
Ivanovic on conduct charge
Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has been charged with violent conduct by the Football Association (FA) for an incident in the game against Wigan Athletic at the weekend, the FA said in a statement on Tuesday. Television replays showed the Serbian international lashing out at Wigan’s Shaun Maloney in an off-the-ball incident unseen by the match officials during Chelsea’s 2-1 victory in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Ivanovic faces a suspension if he is found guilty by the FA. Chelsea have a hectic schedule of fixtures coming up in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup and losing Ivanovic would represent a major blow.
GOLF
Olazabal fined for speeding
Spanish golfer Jose Maria Olazabal, heading from Augusta after the Masters to his next tournament in South Carolina, was clocked speeding and fined US$621, authorities said. The incident occurred on Monday, when Olazabal, the European Ryder Cup captain, agreed to follow a deputy to the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and pay the ticket in cash, sheriff’s spokesman David Ehsanipoor said. Ehsanipoor said on Tuesday that Olazabal, who exceeded the posted 65mph (105kph) speed limit on the four-lane Georgia highway where he was stopped, apologized and was cooperative. USA Today reported Olazabal was clocked at 156kph. Ehsanipoor said Olazabal was not put in jail, but the sheriff’s department did photograph him as it does for anyone brought in on a citation.
TENNIS
Attendance record eyed
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, the world’s top two players, will try to set a record attendance for a tennis match when they face off at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium in July, the club said on Tuesday. “The objective of this exhibition match is to set a spectator record for a game of tennis, exceeding 80,000,” the nine-times European champions said on their Web site. The charity event, to be played on July 14, is being organized by the Realmadrid Foundation and the Rafa Nadal Foundation, with the proceeds going to projects developed by both around the world.
TENNIS
Wimbledon hires new chief
The All England Club has hired a former British Davis Cup player as the chief executive of Wimbledon. Richard Lewis, who is the English rugby league chairman, will replace Ian Ritchie, who left Wimbledon this year to run English rugby union’s governing body. Lewis played for Britain in the Davis Cup from 1977 to 1983, and reached No. 68 in the world rankings. Lewis says “as a former tennis professional, the prospect of helping shape the future of the club and the premier tennis tournament in the world is one to be relished.” Lewis will leave his role as chairman of the Rugby Football League at the end of the month.
BASEBALL
Barred for respecting Castro
The Miami Marlins baseball team suspended manager Ozzie Guillen for five games after he praised former Cuban president Fidel Castro in a magazine interview, the team said on Tuesday. Guillen, who is in his first season as manager of the Marlins, has come under attack after saying he had “respect” for Cuba’s ailing former leader. “I love Fidel Castro,” the Venezuelan-born Guillen told Time magazine’s online edition. “You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that motherfucker is still here.”
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
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
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping