SOCCER
Heskey signs with Jets
Former England international Emile Heskey will join Italian superstar Alessandro Del Piero in Australia’s A-League this season after officially signing with the Newcastle Jets, the club said yesterday. The 34-year-old striker joins the Jets as their marquee player — whose salary is exempt from the salary cap — after 62 appearances for England and a total of 516 Premier League matches, scoring 110 goals in a 17-year career. In a significant signing for the developing A-League competition, Heskey, an FA Cup, Football League Cup and UEFA Cup winner, joins the Jets after playing for Aston Villa last season. “This is an exciting new period in my life and I am looking forward to making a special contribution to the A-League and most importantly, to the Jets,” Heskey said. Jets CEO Robbie Middleby said the signing was a “fantastic result for the Jets and for the A-League.”
SOCCER
Andy Wilkinson disciplined
Stoke City’s Andy Wilkinson has been handed a three-match suspension after the defender accepted a violent conduct charge following his clash with Manchester City star Mario Balotelli. Wilkinson caught Balotelli in the face with his elbow during last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at the Britannia Stadium in an incident that was missed by referee Mark Clattenburg. After reviewing the video evidence, an independent Football Association disciplinary panel decided the 28-year-old had a case to answer. Stoke boss Tony Pulis confirmed the club would not appeal against the punishment, meaning Wilkinson will miss his side’s next three Premier League matches against Chelsea, Swansea City and Liverpool.
BASKETBALL
Suns’ Frye has heart problem
Phoenix Suns forward Channing Frye has been diagnosed with an enlarged heart and will be sidelined until at least December, the NBA club announced on Thursday. Doctors discovered the condition during a routine echocardiogram and will monitor Frye ahead of a re-evaluation in December before allowing him to take part in basketball-related activities. Frye, who has spent the past three seasons with the Suns, is a 29-year-old three-point ace. Since joining the Suns, he has connected on 434 three-pointers, third-most in the NBA during that span. Frye averaged 10.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 64 games last season. He had previous stints with New York and Portland.
RUGBY UNION
Carter in All Blacks squad
Flyhalf Dan Carter has been named in New Zealand’s 28-man squad for the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship Tests in Argentina and South Africa and should be fit for the clash against the Pumas next week, coach Steve Hansen said yesterday. “Dan is recovering well from his calf injury and we are expecting him to be fit for selection for the Argentinian Test,” Hansen said in a statement. “However, to be on the safe side we are also taking Beauden Barrett as cover at five-eighth, alongside Aaron Cruden.” Carter, rated one of the world’s finest at the position, has been troubled by a calf strain that caused him to miss the All Blacks’ last two matches of the southern hemisphere tournament against Argentina and South Africa on home soil. Understudy Cruden stood in at the pivotal position and although initially struggling in the grinding victory over the Pumas at Wellington, was a more composed presence in the team’s tight win over the Springboks in Dunedin.
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
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two