SOCCER
Lazio stadium to reopen
UEFA will allow SS Lazio to open their stadium to spectators after ordering it closed for a Europa League match because of racist abuse by fans. UEFA said its appeals committee ruled that Lazio need close only the Curva Nord section of the Stadio Olimpico when Apollon Limassol of Cyprus visit on Nov. 7. Lazio were prosecuted for “racist behavior” by fans and an offensive banner when they hosted Legia Warsaw on Sept. 19. Fans “performed racist chants against the Slavic people,” according to monitors at the match from anti-discrimination group Football Against Racism in Europe. Lazio were repeatedly sanctioned by UEFA last season over their fans’ behavior, including making fascist salutes. The Italian side lead Group J after two matches.
CRICKET
Clarke may be fit for Ashes
Australian captain Michael Clarke could return from injury as early as next week in what would be a major boost on the eve of archrivals England’s arrival for the Ashes series. The star batsman was ruled out of Australia’s one-day tour of India this month with a long-standing back problem and feared he could miss the first Test against England starting on Nov. 21. Yet after intensive treatment on a degenerative disc problem — an issue he has had since he was a teenager — the prognosis is good. “Michael is progressing well and recently recommenced batting in the nets,” team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said in a statement. Clarke’s back problem flared up again before Australia’s final one-day international in Southampton last month at the end of a grueling five-Test Ashes tour to England, which Australia lost 3-0. He played in that game, but selectors were reluctant to take any more risks given the big home summer coming up and ruled him out of the India tour. England are due to arrive in Perth early today bidding to win a fourth straight Ashes series, something they last achieved in the 19th century.
CRICKET
Benaud healing after crash
Richie Benaud, the former Australia Test captain who has become the doyen of TV cricket commentators around the world, is in a stable condition in hospital after a car accident. The Nine Network yesterday said the 83-year-old Benaud was driving alone near his home in Sydney’s southeastern beach suburbs on Wednesday when his car hit a small brick wall. Benaud sustained chest and shoulder injuries and was expected to remain in hospital for a few days. In a statement, Benaud said: “No one else was injured, and I was more worried about the car than myself.” Daphne Benaud said her husband was “looking unbelievably well.”
OLYMPICS
Japan tones down stadium
Japan is scaling down the planned main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, following an uproar from renowned architect Fumihiko Maki and 100 other experts who said the project is too big and expensive. Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Hakubun Shimomura told parliament on Wednesday that the stadium designed by award-winning British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid would cost ¥300 billion (US$3 billion) to build and that was “too massive a budget.” He said Hadid’s design will be used, but the project will be scaled back. The 80,000-seat futuristic-looking stadium is now being billed as costing ¥130 billion. The minister’s estimate includes surrounding construction and infrastructure costs.
FORMULA ONE
Indian GP in balance
India’s Supreme Court agreed yesterday to hear a petition seeking the cancelation of this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix because organizers have allegedly not paid entertainment taxes for last year’s event. “We will hear the petition tomorrow [today],” Chief Justice P. Sathasivam said in court, announcing a new legal snag for racing in India, which has been dogged by problems since the inaugural 2011 event. India’s Supreme Court has executive powers and ordered organizers two years ago to freeze 25 percent of ticket revenues until they had settled a tax dispute with the state where the race track is located. That ruling came in response to a public interest litigation filed by campaigner Amit Kumar, who is also behind yesterday’s petition seeking the cancelation of the race on Sunday. Kumar successfully argued in 2011 that Formula One was entertainment, not sport, and should not benefit from tax exemptions granted by the state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders the capital, New Delhi. Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone had already removed India from the 2014 schedule for “logistical” reasons, leaving the future of the event at the US$450 million Buddh International Circuit in doubt.
HOCKEY
Senators rout Red Wings
Jason Spezza and Bobby Ryan scored two goals each as the Ottawa Senators routed Daniel Alfredsson and the Detroit Red Wings 6-1 on Wednesday night. Alfredsson was held without a point by his former team. The Swedish winger spent 17 seasons with the Senators before signing a one-year deal with the Red Wings in the offseason. Eric Gryba and Jared Cowen also scored for the Senators, who had three goals on eight shots against Jimmy Howard before the Detroit goalie was taken out in the first period. Craig Anderson made 31 saves for Ottawa. Spezza has seven goals on the season, trailing only Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, who leads the National Hockey League with nine. In Buffalo, Milan Lucic had two goals and an assist, and Torey Krug also scored twice to help the Boston Bruins beat the reeling Sabres 5-2. Dougie Hamilton also scored for Boston. The Bruins are 6-2 overall and have won their first four road games for the first time since 2010. Nikita Zadorov and Cody Hodgson scored for Buffalo. At 1-9-1, the Sabres are off to their worst start in club history. They are winless in their first seven home games. Boston left wing Loui Eriksson had to be helped from the ice after a late hit from Sabres enforcer John Scott in the third period. Scott then fought Adam McQuaid and was given a match penalty.
RUGBY UNION
Ireland squad named
Joe Schmidt named three uncapped players in his first squad since becoming Ireland coach when he unveiled a 34-man party on Wednesday for next month’s Tests at home to Samoa, Australia and New Zealand. Leinster’s Dace Kearney and Jack McGrath were called up alongside Munster’s James Coughlan, with the likes of Stephen Ferris, Richardt Strauss, Tommy O’Donnell, Jordi Murphy and Simon Zebo joined on the injured list last weekend by Donnacha Ryan (knee) and Iain Henderson (toe). As expected, veteran center Brian O’Driscoll, in what the star midfielder has indicated will be his final season before retirement, was included. So too was Jonathan Sexton, with the Paris-based Racing Metro flyhalf — one of the heroes of this year’s British and Irish Lions series win in Australia — the only player at an overseas club in the squad.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
If all goes well when the biggest marathon field ever gathered in Australia races 42km through the streets of Sydney on Sunday, World Marathon Majors (WMM) will soon add a seventh race to the elite series. The Sydney Marathon is to become the first race since Tokyo in 2013 to join long-established majors in New York, London, Boston, Berlin and Chicago if it passes the WMM assessment criteria for the second straight year. “We’re really excited for Sunday to arrive,” race director Wayne Larden told a news conference in Sydney yesterday. “We’re prepared, we’re ready. All of our plans look good on
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the leader of the organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote. No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) went on without it. What effect the information could have had on Valieva’s case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later