ICE HOCKEY
NHL-union talks break off
Labor talks between the National Hockey League (NHL) and union representing its locked-out players broke off on Tuesday with no progress to report, raising the prospect that the first block of regular-season games will soon be canceled. The two sides met for about two hours in New York, where they discussed the definition of hockey-related revenue, but did not address the core economic issues standing in the way of a new collective bargaining agreement. “We don’t really have any progress to report. As a matter of fact, no progress was made,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told reporters. “Today wasn’t overly encouraging, that’s for sure.” No further talks between the two sides are scheduled. The 2012-2013 NHL season is scheduled to begin on Thursday next week.
BOXING
NZ cancels Tyson’s visa
In a reversal, Mike Tyson has been denied entry to the country whose indigenous Maori people he says inspired his facial tattoo. New Zealand authorities yesterday canceled an entry visa for the former heavyweight champion and convicted rapist, days after the prime minister spoke out against his planned visit. Tyson had earlier been granted an exemption to New Zealand immigration rules to speak at a charitable event next month, “Day of the Champions.” Tyson’s 1992 rape conviction would have normally made him ineligible to enter the country. Associate Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson said in a statement yesterday that the original decision to let Tyson enter was “a finely balanced call” and that the charity that would have benefited from his visit had now withdrawn its support. Speaking to the APNZ news agency this week before his visa was canceled, Tyson said his tattoo was inspired by New Zealand’s indigenous Maori culture. “Other than that I’ve never heard of Maori people, so I’m looking forward to come down there and see them,” he told the agency.
SOCCER
Cagliari sack manager
Serie A strugglers Cagliari announced the sacking of manager Massimo Ficcadenti on Tuesday. Ivo Pulga will be the team’s new handler, according to a statement on the Sardinian club’s Web site www.cagliaricalcio.net. “Today we announce the termination of the contract between the club and Massimo Ficcadenti,” said a brief statement by Cagliari, the only top-flight team without a win in six games. Pulga, who will be assisted by Diego Lopez, led team training on Tuesday in preparation for the weekend fixture against Torino.
HANDBALL
Players face fraud charges
A court lodged preliminary fraud charges on Tuesday against five players, including Olympic champions Nikolas Karabatic and Samuel Honrubia, suspected of fixing a match involving the Montpellier team. Reports vary between 11 and 12 people in total who have been charged, but Sipa news agency said they include Karabatic’s brother, the siblings’ girlfriends and a cafe owner who is suspected as an organizer. The investigation into the alleged fixing centers on a May 12 match in which Montpellier lost 31-28 to Cesson-Rennes. The Montpellier team had already won the league title. The charged were freed after making bail, but were forbidden from making contact with Montpellier, forcing those who play for the team to be removed from the squad. Some of those accused conceded through their lawyers that they placed bets on the game, but deny the criminal offense of match-rigging.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set