GOLF
Vijay Singh sue US PGA
Vijay Singh sued the US PGA Tour on Wednesday, a week after his doping case was dropped, claiming it damaged his reputation by not doing a thorough job of researching his use of deer antler spray. Singh filed the lawsuit in New York, where he has a home and the tour has an office. The 50-year-old Fijian said in a Sports Illustrated article in January that he used deer antler spray, which was said to include an insulin-like growth hormone that was on the tour’s list of banned substances. The tour sent a sample from Singh to be tested, and it returned small amounts of the IGF-1 chemical. The lawsuit said the tour notified Singh on Feb. 19 that he was to be suspended for 90 days. Singh appealed. Last week, commissioner Tim Finchem said the tour was dropping its case based on new information from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). He said WADA informed the tour that using deer antler spray was no longer prohibited because it contains such minimal amounts of IGF-1. The suit seeks unspecified damages.
SOCCER
Rafinha banned two games
Bayern Munich defender Rafinha was given a two-match ban and fined 15,000 euros (US$19,737) by the German Football Federation (DFB) on Wednesday after being sent off in last weekend’s draw with Borussia Dortmund. The 27-year-old Brazilian was dismissed for elbowing Borussia midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski in the face during the second half of the Champions League final dress-rehearsal, which ended in a 1-1 league draw in Dortmund. The DFB disciplinary committee gave Rafinha an added fine and an extra game, to the statutory one-match ban for a red card, after the Brazil international also poked Blaszczykowski in the face as he walked off. The incident led to a shouting match between Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp and Bayern’s director of sport Matthias Sammer. Bayern can appeal the ban, which sees Rafinha suspended for the remaining two German league games of the season, at home to Augsburg on Saturday and next weekend at Borussia Moenchengladbach.
BOXING
Garcia to face Lopez
Mikey Garcia will put his minor WBO featherweight title on the line against Juan Manuel Lopez on June 15 in Dallas. The bout at the American Airlines Center will be the first for Garcia since taking the crown from Orlando Salido on a unanimous decision in New York in January. Garcia is 31-0 with 26 knockouts. Both of Lopez’s professional losses have been to Salido in the past two years. The most recent was in March last year, and he was suspended for a year by Puerto Rican boxing authorities for accusing the referee who stopped the fight of betting on the match. Lopez (33-2, 30 KO) returned from the ban in February and stopped Aldimar Silva Santos in the ninth round.
SOCCER
Man City to play in S Africa
English Premier League club Manchester City will play two pre-season friendlies in South Africa in July, it was announced at a media conference on Wednesday. Opponents and venues for the July 14 and July 18 fixtures have to be confirmed, although one is set for Durban and the second game will be linked to the 95th birthday of revered former South African president Nelson Mandela. City, whose star-stacked squad includes Ivory Coast midfielder and reigning African Footballer of the Year Yaya Toure, won the Premier League last year and are set to finish runners-up behind Manchester United this season.
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
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
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
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