CRICKET
Ramprakash retires
Former England batsman Mark Ramprakash, widely regarded as one of the most gifted stroke players of his generation, has retired from all forms of cricket. The 42-year-old, who last played for his country in 2002, featured in 52 Tests. He scored 2,350 runs at an average of 27.32, with two centuries representing a poor return for a batsman of his class and talent. Ramprakash scored 114 centuries in 461 first-class matches for Middlesex and Surrey. He said he decided to retire when Surrey told him he was no longer in their future plans. “I had a tough start to this season, but I continued to try and remain fit and wanted to play. However, last week I was informed I was not in Surrey’s selection plans and therefore I felt the time was right to step aside,” Ramprakash told a news conference at The Oval on Thursday. Ramprakash is expected to pursue a career in the media, but also expressed an interest in coaching junior cricketers.
SOCCER
Beckham gets suspension
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham has been suspended for a game for “confrontational and provocative behavior” near the end of last week’s loss to the San Jose Earthquakes, Major League Soccer (MLS) said on Thursday. The actions by Beckham, who was also fined an undisclosed amount, occurred during and immediately after his team’s 4-3 loss, and were considered unacceptable and detrimental to the league’s public image, MLS said in a statement. With under a minute remaining in stoppage-time, an impatient Beckham kicked a ball at San Jose’s Sam Cronin, who was lying on the pitch. The ball hit Cronin and referee Hilario Grajeda, resulting in a yellow card for Beckham. The infraction earned Beckham, who had to be separated from opposing players after the final whistle, an automatic one-game ban for yellow-card accumulation, which he served earlier this week.
OLYMPICS
Brazil choose Silva, Hulk
Brazil coach Mano Menezes has included AC Milan defender Thiago Silva and Porto striker Hulk in Brazil’s squad that will try to give the nation its first Olympic gold medal in soccer. Real Madrid defender Marcelo was the other overage player included in the 18-man squad selected on Thursday by Menezes for the London Games. Soccer at the Olympics is played with under-23 squads, but each team can use three overage players. As expected, the Brazil squad also includes several promising young stars such as Neymar, Paulo Henrique Ganso, Leandro Damiao, Lucas, Oscar and Alexandre Pato. The Olympic tournament is the only significant soccer title that Brazil have never won.
SOCCER
Arsenal cancel Nigeria trip
Arsenal have canceled their first trip to Nigeria and a pre-season friendly against the national team set for Aug. 5 in Abuja. It was to be Arsenal’s first trip to Africa in 18 years, but “complexities” caused the trip to be put off, Arsenal marketing director Angus Kinnear said in a statement on Thursday. Kinnear said they plan to visit Nigeria next year. The announcement came days after an explosion near a popular mall in Abuja. There were no casualties. However, the incident has heightened security fears in a capital that has been targeted by radical Islamist insurgents in the past. The Gunners are still set to tour Asia to play a Malaysia XI in Kuala Lumpur on July 24, English Premier League champions Manchester City in Beijing on July 27 and Kitchee FC in Hong Kong on July 29.
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
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is 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