BASKETBALL
Late homer lifts Braves over Pirates
Hornets become Pelicans
The New Orleans’ NBA team officially adopted their new moniker on Thursday, becoming known as the Pelicans. “We have been looking forward to this day since we announced the Pelicans as the new name,” owner Tom Benson said. “The Pelican is a symbol for our city and region and we’re excited to start a new era in Louisiana basketball history. This offseason is going to be a special time for the Pelicans.” The name change from the Hornets to the Pelicans was originally announced three months ago but did not become official until the end of the current season in which they missed the playoffs.
CRICKET
McCullum to sue ex-player
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said yesterday he plans to sue former Test player John Parker for defamation over allegations surrounding his appointment as skipper late last year. McCullum, 31, took over from Ross Taylor in controversial circumstances in December, prompting criticism of both the new captain and national coach Mike Hesson from sections of the New Zealand cricketing community. A nine-page report leaked to media this month made accusations about how McCullum came to win the top job. In a statement issued through his lawyers, McCullum said he believed Parker, 62, wrote the document and he will file proceedings in court next week seeking a retraction of the claims. “Mr Parker’s paper makes some very serious attacks on my integrity, my honesty and my ethics as a professional sportsman,” he said. “I have endeavored to resolve these issues with Mr Parker but have been unable to do so. He has left me with no choice but to defend myself and my reputation this way.”
GOLF
Aguilar makes good start
Chilean Felipe Aguilar, bidding to win his second European Tour title after a five-year wait, moved into a three-way tie for the lead after the Spanish Open first round in Valencia on Thursday. The 38-year-old returned six birdies and two bogeys in a four-under 68 to set the pace along with Challenge Tour graduates Morten Madsen of Denmark and Frenchman Gary Stal. Former Ryder Cup stalwart Miguel Angel Jimenez, competing for the first time since breaking his leg in a skiing accident in December, plunged to a four-over 76 while fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia had to be content with a 72.
SOCCER
Neymar stars in comic
Striker Neymar is now a Brazilian comic book character, joining other local soccer stars who have become a reading option to children across the country. The 21-year-old player announced the Neymar Jr. comic book on Thursday in a partnership with leading Brazilian cartoonist Mauricio de Sousa. Neymar will be portrayed as a child with his own soccer-playing friends and his well-known Mohawk hair style.
SWIMMING
Burst pipes turn water green
Olympic champions Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh have had to wait two days for organizers to fix broken pool pipes that turned the water a murky green at the South African championships. Multiple Olympic medalist Roland Schoeman wrote on Twitter that a doctor had told him that the dirty water caused his ear infections. The nationals began on Monday in dark green water at the Newton Park pool in Pretoria after a problem with a filter pipe. They were postponed on Tuesday because of poor visibility and again on Wednesday after another pipe burst.
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
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but