CRICKET
Indians defeat Royals
West Indies allrounder Kieron Pollard hammered a 33-ball 64 and then bagged 4-44 as the Mumbai Indians scored a 27-run victory over the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday. Pollard’s mid-innings blitz, during which he smashed four sixes and six fours, helped Mumbai pile up a huge total of 197-6 after being put in to bat at the Wankhede Stadium. However, the home team got a scare as Owais Shah smashed a 42-ball 76 with five sixes and five fours, before a two-wicket burst by Sri Lanka paceman Lasith Malinga wrested the initiative back and Rajasthan were bowled out for 170 in 19.4 overs.
SOCCER
Cigarette ad removed
An Indian health warning on cigarette packets that uses an apparent picture of England soccer player John Terry with a set of blackened lungs is to be withdrawn, officials in New Delhi said on Wednesday. Terry’s London-based lawyers had threatened to sue over the blurry photograph featuring the head and shoulders of a man closely resembling the former England captain and current skipper of Premier League side Chelsea. “Some people raised objections to the picture. We have asked the directorate of advertisement and visual publicity to provide new pictures, which they have done,” a health ministry official said. The ministry has continued to deny the picture was of Terry, but it is distinctly similar to an image of him available on the Internet.
SOCCER
City fined 30,000 euros
Manchester City were fined 30,000 euros (US$39,400) by UEFA on Wednesday for returning to the field late in a Europa League match against Portugal’s Sporting. The start of the second half was delayed after City returned to the Jose Alvalade Stadium pitch about a minute late. City lost the first leg of the round-of-16 fixture 1-0 and went out on away goals after only winning the second leg 3-2. The fine is more than the 20,000 euros Porto received after it’s club’s fans aimed racist abuse at Manchester City players during a Europa League match in February. Mario Balotelli and Yaya Toure, who are both black, reported hearing abusive chants.
TENNIS
Simona Halep ousts Vinci
Simona Halep of Romania ousted defending champion Roberta Vinci from the Barcelona Open on Tuesday, while sixth-seeded Petra Cetkovska also lost in the second round. Halep broke five times to secure a 6-1, 6-3 victory in just more than an hour against the fourth-seeded Vinci, who had also won the outdoor clay tournament in 2009. It was the Italian’s second loss in 17 matches in Barcelona. Halep will play Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarter-finals after the Spanish player beat Cetkovska 6-2, 6-4. Seventh-seeded Sara Errani won the first 11 games en route to beating Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-0, 6-2.
ICE HOCKEY
Horton to miss playoffs
Boston Bruins forward Nathan Horton will miss the playoffs because of a concussion, the defending Stanley Cup champions said on Wednesday, a day before they open their post-season. Horton, ninth on the team in scoring with 32 points in 46 games, has not played since suffering the injury during a Jan. 22 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Horton, 26, missed the final four games of last season’s Stanley Cup Final with another concussion. Boston were to open their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final at home yesterday against the Washington Capitals.
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
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
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely