CRICKET
Player fined for plane antics
Sri Lankan cricket chiefs handed down a fine of nearly US$2,000 on Thursday to a batsman who tried to force open a cabin door of a British Airways flight at 35,000 feet (10,600m). Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said Ramith Rambukwella had been fined 50 percent of his tour fees after a disciplinary inquiry into the incident on a Boeing 777 from St Lucia to London at the end of an A tour to the West Indies. SLC said the player had also received a “severe warning on his behavior” for causing panic onboard the aircraft nearly three weeks ago. The batsman was seen by other passengers pushing and pulling the door on the plane while apparently searching for the toilet, about two hours out of London’s Gatwick airport, according to British media reports. Although British Airways said at the time that “the event was linked to an element of alcohol,” Rambukwella has insisted that he was merely sleep-walking. The airline crew had to subdue the player and reassured passengers that it was impossible to open the pressurized door mid-flight and that at no point was their safety compromised.
SOCCER
Tank prank sparks probe
The Italian soccer federation has opened an investigation after Atalanta BC’s Giulio Migliaccio was involved in an incident in which a tank crushed two cars. Migliaccio was onboard a tank driven by Atalanta fans at the supporters’ annual preseason festival on Sunday in Bergamo that drove over two cars decorated in the colors of rival teams Brescia and AS Roma. The midfielder says he was unwittingly part of the stunt. Migliaccio said: “I only realized when the tank was going over them, and since I could not see because I was high up and at the back, I did not know that they had the symbols of two soccer clubs on them. Even as an unaware protagonist, I’m very sorry for the incident.”
SOCCER
Jovetic heading to City
ACF Fiorentina have agreed a deal to sell striker Stevan Jovetic to Manchester City conditional on the Montenegro international agreeing personal terms with the Premier League club, Fiorentina said on its Web site on Thursday. British media reported that Jovetic’s fee was £22 million (US$33.5 million).
BASKETBALL
Bobcats to be Hornets again
The Charlotte Bobcats will change their name back to the Charlotte Hornets for the start of the 2014-2015 regular season, the NBA announced on Thursday. The league’s board of governors unanimously approved the name change. The initial NBA franchise in Charlotte was named the Hornets and played in the city from 1988 until 2002 when the franchise moved to New Orleans. In 2004, the city got back into the NBA when the Charlotte Bobcats became an expansion team. Charlotte leaped at the opportunity to reclaim the name after the New Orleans club decided to change its name to the Pelicans this offseason.
FOOTBALL
Hernandez stickers pulled
Trading card and memorabilia company Panini confirmed to ESPN on Thursday that it had removed 500,000 Aaron Hernandez stickers from sticker books that had been produced, but had yet to hit store shelves. Hernandez is currently in jail awaiting trial as a murder suspect in the shooting death of a 27-year-old semi-pro football player. To replace Hernandez, the company had 1 million stickers produced for Tim Tebow, a quarterback for the Patriots and a former teammate of Hernandez’s at the University of Florida.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
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
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping