BASEBALL
Roof glitch soaks fans
The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles experienced some slippery conditions because of mechanical troubles with the retractable roof at Rogers Center. The team apologized to fans on Tuesday night after the roof was unable to close at the normal speed, leaving many people opening umbrellas to protect themselves from the elements. Groundskeepers had to use drying agents on the mound and dirt cutouts around the bases before the bottom of the sixth inning as rain continued to fall on the infield. The roof was closed when the game began, but opened in the third. It started closing again in the fourth, but the final two panels were still about 9m apart in the seventh. The Blue Jays had a 26 minute delay in July 2003, when a sudden storm drenched the field before the roof could close during a game against the Chicago White Sox. Toronto broke a 31-year record for rainfall on Tuesday, as the remnants of Hurricane Isaac dumped more than 38mm of rain on the city by 2pm. Showers continued into the evening.
SOCCER
Altidore called for US team
For Jozy Altidore, getting called back to the US national team is a dual homecoming. The US forward who plays for the Dutch club AZ Alkmaar was among the 24 players summoned to Miami to train for the looming 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica, a home-and-home series that starts on Friday. Then ther is the added bonus of being back in his native South Florida. Altidore grew up in Boca Raton, about an hour north of the team’s training site this week, and said “it’s times like this that you really look forward to.” Altidore’s next international appearance would be his 50th with the US national team.
BASEBALL
Hammel gets back in game
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Jason Hammel is expected to come off the 15-day disabled list today to start the opener of an important four-game series against the New York Yankees. Hammel had a successful bullpen session in Toronto on Tuesday. He has not appeared in a major league game since July 13, when he left a start against Detroit with pain in his right knee. He underwent surgery the following week. Hammel pitched five scoreless innings in a rehab start at Class-A Frederick on Saturday, his first live game following a pair of simulated games. The Orioles wanted to see how Hammel performed in his bullpen session before deciding whether to start him against the Yankees, who now share the AL East lead with the Orioles.
SOCCER
Moonlighting refs banned
Four Singaporean referees were handed one-month bans after being caught officiating in another soccer tournament without permission from the country’s football association (FAS). The unnamed referees were found guilty of taking part in a promotional street football event in Thailand by a four-person FAS disciplinary committee last week. The bans for taking part in the non-FAS sanctioned event started on Saturday. “FAS takes a serious view on referees moonlighting and we strongly believe that as enforcers of the law of the game, our referees must continue to set the right example by adhering to all the rules and regulations,” an FAS spokesman said yesterday. “This latest verdict by the referees’ disciplinary committee sends out a clear message to all referees and others on our strong stance against moonlighting and future cases will be dealt with more severely.”
PARALYMPICS
Park to host festival
An annual festival of disabled sport will take place in London’s Olympic Park as part of a £2 million (US$3.18 million) investment in a Paralympic legacy, it was announced yesterday. The Paralympics end on Sunday as Coldplay headline the closing ceremony that will bring down the curtain on the 11-day sporting spectacle. The London Legacy Development Corp, who are responsible for the site that will be renamed the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park after the Games, have pledged the money as part of a program that will also include helping disabled people to get jobs there.
CRICKET
Jonathan Trott ruled out
England’s Jonathan Trott has been ruled out of the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa in Nottingham yesterday because of a hand injury. The South Africa-born batsman was hit on the right hand by a short ball from Proteas paceman Dale Steyn during England’s six-wicket victory at Lord’s on Sunday, a result that put them 2-1 up in the five-match series, but was cleared of any “major fracture” after an X-ray on Monday. However, he took no part in Tuesday’s practice and the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed later on Tuesday he would not play in the series finale. Somerset batsman Jos Buttler was called into the squad as cover on Monday, but Jonathan Bairstow is a more likely candidate to play his first match of the series.
SOCCER
Sydney FC sign Del Piero
Former Italy and Juventus great Alessandro Del Piero was unveiled as a Sydney FC player yesterday, Australian media said, in a deal worth A$2 million (US$2.04 million) for a six-month contract. The A-League club announced last week they had signed the World Cup-winning striker, only to be forced into an embarrassing U-turn on their Web site after a denial by Del Piero’s camp. The main sticking points were reportedly the player’s business interests in Italy, where he employs as many as 40 people, and his ongoing lucrative sponsorship commitments that take up a lot of his time. However, Del Piero has now shaken hands with Sydney representatives in Turin, Italy, after a week of intense negotiations, the Australian newspaper said. Both the Australian and the Sydney Morning Herald said he was expected to be paid A$2 million, making him the highest paid soccer player of any code in Australia.
CRICKET
BCB bans Shariful Haque
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Tuesday banned former international Shariful Haque indefinitely after an inquiry found him guilty of spot-fixing, BCB officials said. The 36-year-old was accused of approaching national player Mashrafe Mortaza before the first edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) earlier this year with a view to arranging spot-fixing, BCB spokesman Jalal Yunus said. “Shariful Haque has been banned from all cricketing activities for an indefinite period. We’ve also declared him persona non grata in all our venues and functions,” he said. Haque, who played his only international match for Bangladesh against India in 1998, said: “These charges are baseless and false.” Although the off-spinner has not played any cricket this year, he has not officially retired. The BCB set up an inquiry after Mortaza, a former national captain, alleged that Haque offered him percentages of the winnings from spot-betting in return for advanced information on aspects of BPL matches.
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
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and