SOCCER
Sevilla fire coach Michel
Spanish top-flight side Sevilla on Monday said they had fired coach Michel for poor recent results and appointed fellow Spaniard Unai Emery. Michel, the 49-year-old former Real Madrid and Spain playmaker, arrived only 11 months ago, but pays the price for the club being only in 12th place, while they had hoped to be pushing for a place in Europe. Emery, 41, had four years in charge of Valencia before taking the reins at Russia’s Spartak Moscow at the start of this season only to be fired in late November after a 5-1 thrashing by Dynamo Moscow.
ICE HOCKEY
Zetterberg to fill big skates
Henrik Zetterberg has some big skates to fill. The Detroit Red Wings are expected to officially name Zetterberg their captain soon, and he has already been leading the team on the ice during practices this week. Zetterberg deflected questions yesterday about the honor everyone in the Motor City knows he is about to get. He will open up only a little bit about how much he learned from former Red Wings captains Nicklas Lidstrom and Steve Yzerman. His teammates expect him to speak up more than the soft-spoken Lidstrom did. Zetterberg will have a chance to make his own mark as the storied franchise’s on-ice leader.
SOCCER
Silva out for three weeks
Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender Thiago Silva will be out for at least three weeks after he injured a thigh during Friday’s 0-0 draw with AC Ajaccio, the capital club said on Monday. The news is a blow for PSG, whose failure to take three points against a side just one point off the drop zone cost them top spot after Lyon moved two points clear with a 2-1 win at ES Troyes AC. Silva now faces a race against the clock to get fit for their Champions League last 16 first-leg against Valencia on Feb. 11. French international Mamadou Sakho is set to deputize while Silva is out, partnering Brazilian Alex. Italian midfielder Thiago Motto meanwhile faces a suspension for his red card picked up against Ajaccio, further weakening Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who were expected to sweep all before them this season as they chase a first league title in 19 years.
OLYMPICS
IOC demands new India poll
International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Randhir Singh said the body would consider lifting a ban on the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) only if it held free and fair elections based on the Olympic charter. Randhir said yesterday the IOC has written to him asking for fresh elections and will not engage with the IOA office-bearers elected last month in polls already declared illegal by the IOC over the manner of their conduct. Abhay Singh Chautala was elected IOA president and Lalit Bhanot the secretary-general in last month’s elections. Randhir, who was the secretary-general before the latest elections, said the IOC was open to meeting Indian government representatives and has also warned other national associations not to be associated with Chautala and other officials who are currently running the IOA.
ICE HOCKEY
Canucks sign Vandermeer
The Vancouver Canucks have signed veteran defenseman Jim Vandermeer. The 32-year-old Vandermeer has played in 461 NHL games and has 105 points (25 goals, 80 assists) and 664 penalty minutes. Vandermeer had one goal and three assists in 25 games with San Jose last season.
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
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was