SOCCER
QPR punish Barton
Joey Barton was stripped of the Queens Park Rangers captaincy and fined six weeks’ wages by the club on Monday, following his sending-off at Manchester City on the final day of last season. The internal punishment follows the imposition last month by a Football Association-appointed independent regulatory commission of a 12-match ban and a £75,000 (US$117,029) fine. The two fines combined means this latest episode of ill-discipline has cost the controversial player about £500,000. His club and the FA took action after Barton elbowed City’s Carlos Tevez and then kicked out at Sergio Aguero as he left the pitch in the match on May 13, before aiming a headbutt in the direction of Vincent Kompany. QPR stopped short of sacking Barton, but warned the player that his contract will be terminated should he “seriously breach the club’s disciplinary procedures again.”
SOCCER
Rangers’ hopes dwindle
Rangers’ hopes of being allowed to play in the Scottish Premier League (SPL) next season appear dead in the water after a sixth club confirmed that they would vote against the proposal. St Johnstone joined Aberdeen, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Dundee United, Hearts and Hibernian in publicly announcing their opposition to a “newco” Rangers being admitted to the SPL. Rangers require an 8-4 majority for the “newco” — the new company formed after the original club went into liquidation earlier this month — to be included in the top flight next season when all SPL clubs vote on the issue at a general meeting on July 4. Rangers themselves are allowed to vote, but they needed seven others to vote in their favor and now require U -turns from at least two clubs for that to happen.
BASEBALL
Byrd out for 50 games
Free-agent outfielder Marlon Byrd has been handed a 50-game suspension by Major League Baseball after testing positive for an illegal performance-enhancing substance, it was announced on Monday. The 34-year-old Byrd began the season with the Chicago Cubs, who traded him to Boston in April, but he was released by the Red Sox on June 12. Byrd will now be put on baseball’s restricted list for the duration of his suspension. He blames the failed test on a past medication he took for an undisclosed surgery. “I made an inexcusable mistake,” Byrd said in a statement released by the players’ association. “I absolutely did not use [the medication] for performance enhancement reasons.”
CRICKET
India kicks against tech
India’s powerful cricket board has maintained its opposition to mandatory video technology, despite backing for the system from the sport’s world bosses meeting in Kuala Lumpur. Indian officials said their stance on the Decision Review System (DRS) was “unchanged” despite a recommendation for the technology to be compulsory in all Tests and one-day internationals, costs allowing. “The BCCI continues to believe that the system is not foolproof,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India said in a statement released on Monday. “The board also sticks to its view that the decision on whether or not to use the DRS for a particular series should be left to the boards involved in that series.” The comments set the stage for more controversy over DRS, which uses ball-tracking and thermal imaging to verify umpires’ decisions. It was made optional last year, rather than compulsory, at India’s insistence.
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
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
A soccer jersey carrying a national map including disputed Western Sahara has become a hot commodity in Morocco after a diplomatic dispute with Algeria. Retailers said RS Berkane jerseys have been flying off the shelves after a Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup match against Algerian club USM Alger was canceled last month over the jerseys. “We are overwhelmed by the influx of messages and requests,” said Brahim Rabii, representative of the official RS Berkane jersey distributor. Algeria broke off diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, partly over the issue of Western Sahara. The former Spanish colony is largely controlled by Morocco, but claimed
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just