ICE HOCKEY
Shawn Burr dies at 47
Shawn Burr, who played 16 years in the NHL, mostly with the Detroit Red Wings, died on Monday. He was 47. Dave Goetze, a friend of Burr’s, says Burr was making progress in a fight against leukemia, but he died from brain trauma after a fall at his Detroit-area home. Goetze has worked for the Shawn Burr Foundation in support of blood cancer research. Burr was a first-round draft pick by the Red Wings in 1984. He made his NHL debut in 1984-1985 and was with the Red Wings until 1995. He also played for the Tampa Bay Lightning and San Jose Sharks. In 878 NHL games, Burr scored 181 goals with 259 assists and 1,069 penalty minutes.
SOCCER
Woman ‘voice of football’
Female former newsreader Charlotte Green was on Tuesday appointed by the British Broadcasting Corp (BBC) as the reader of the classified soccer results on BBC Radio 5 Live. Green will take over from James Alexander Gordon, who stepped down from his role last month after almost 40 years in the job. “I’m delighted to be offered this opportunity as I’ve been a football fan all my life,” said Green, who supports Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. “In fact, as a six-year-old I used to sit at the dining room table reading the football scores out loud from the newspaper, so this really is a dream come true. It is a huge honor to take over from James Alexander Gordon.” Green will read the soccer results for the first time during the station’s Sports Report program on Sept. 28. Green previously worked as a newsreader on BBC Radio 4, before taking voluntary redundancy earlier this year.
BASKETBALL
Heat-Bulls to open season
The Miami Heat will open their title defense against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 29 in the expected return of Derrick Rose, with an all-Los Angeles matchup later that night in the Lakers’ first game without Dwight Howard and the Clippers’ first with Doc Rivers. The NBA’s 2013-2014 schedule, released on Tuesday, also features a potential LeBron James-Kobe Bryant duel at Christmas in Los Angeles, right after scoring stars Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant match up across the country in New York. Howard’s first visit to the Lakers since leaving for Houston as a free agent does not come until Feb. 19, giving Bryant plenty of time to get back to full strength from his torn Achilles’ tendon near the end of last season.
SOCCER
Pepe back for friendly
Portugal coach Paulo Bento has named a 23-man squad for the upcoming friendly match against the Netherlands at the Estadio do Algarve, with Real Madrid defender Pepe making his return. Pepe, 30, is available again after a ban prevented him from featuring in the 1-0 win against Russia in June that left Portugal in top spot in World Cup qualifying Group F. “The return of Pepe opens up a number of possibilities for us. He has a player with potential and the capacity to be a leader,” Bento said at a press conference on Tuesday ahead of the game on Wednesday next week. The friendly is Portugal’s last game before they travel to face Northern Ireland in Belfast in a qualifier for the World Cup in Brazil next year on Sept. 6. “These two teams play in different ways, but the objective is always the same: to be better than them,” Bento said of his side’s next two opponents.
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
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
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and