BASKETBALL
LeBron James named MVP
Miami Heat forward LeBron James was named on Saturday as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player this season, cementing his place among the game’s greatest players. It was the third time in four years that “King” James has won the game’s most prestigious individual award, elevating him alongside the sport’s biggest names. Only seven other players — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone — have won the trophy at least three times. Abdul-Jabbar holds the record for six MVP wins, one ahead of Jordan and Russell, but James, still just 27 years old, has plenty of time on his side. “I never dreamt about being an NBA Most Valuable Player,” an emotional James said in a presentation in Miami broadcast live on national television.
GOLF
Carlos del Moral sets record
Carlos del Moral set a European Tour record of just 20 putts in storming to a three-shot lead with a 9-under par-63 in the third round of the Madeira Islands Open in Santo da Serra on Saturday. Del Moral birdied his closing three holes in benign and very hot conditions to move to 17 under for the tournament on the mountainous course. The Valencia-born Del Moral, who is seeking a first win on the European Tour, made nine single putts over the outward nine holes. The tour confirmed his round included the lowest number of putts for 18 holes, and came a week after the European Tour celebrated its 40th anniversary. “I putted beautifully, which gives me a lot of confidence,” Del Moral said.
BOXING
Brian Viloria gets revenge
WBO flyweight champion Brian Viloria gained revenge over Mexico’s Omar Nino Romero yesterday, winning by a technical knockout to retain his title in a hard-fought bout. Romero’s corner threw in the towel in the ninth round of the World Boxing Organization fight in Manila after Philippine Viloria, 31, unleashed a salvo of unanswered punches against the 36-year-old Mexican, who was stuck on the ropes. The victory gives Viloria, popularly known as the “Hawaiian Punch” a record of 31 victories and three defeats. It was also vindication for Viloria, who lost his World Boxing Council light flyweight title to Romero in 2006. Later that same year, they clashed again, but the fight was declared a no contest after the Mexican failed a post-fight drug test. Speaking after yesterday’s bout, Viloria said he had become stronger since the two previous encounters. Viloria, of Philippine descent and based in Hawaii, almost knocked Romero down in the fourth round with the Mexican visibly dazed by his opponent’s punches.
RUGBY UNION
Leicester makes it to final
Leicester booked their place in an eighth successive English Premiership final with a 24-15 semi-final win over champions Saracens at Welford Road on Saturday. The Tigers will now face the Harlequins, who topped the regular season table, in the final at Twickenham on May 26 after the London club’s 25-23 victory over Northampton earlier on Saturday. Teenager George Ford, the current junior world player of the year, ensured the Tigers did not miss England outside-half Tony Flood, absent because an ankle injury, with an assured all-round display. The 19-year-old son of former England defense coach Mike Ford kicked four penalties and a conversion, while it was his passing skill that created Leicester’s two tries.
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
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but