BASKETBALL
Noah gets fine for tirade
Chicago Bulls big man Joakim Noah was fined US$15,000 by the NBA on Tuesday after an obscene outburst directed at game officials in Sacramento. The French player lost his cool in the third quarter of Chicago’s 99-70 loss to the Kings on Monday night, unleashing a profanity-laced tirade after he received two technical fouls in the space of three minutes and was ejected from the game. “Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah has been fined US$15,000 for verbally abusing the officials upon his ejection,” NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn said in a statement. By the time Thorn had meted out the punishment, Noah had already apologized.
SOCCER
Carroll’s ban appeal fails
West Ham United striker Andy Carroll will serve a three-game ban after having an appeal against a red card rejected, the Football Association announced on Tuesday. Carroll, 25, was shown a straight red card during his side’s 2-0 win over Swansea City on Saturday after catching Chico Flores in the face with his arm early in the second half of the Premier League game at Upton Park. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce accused Flores of reacting theatrically and confirmed that the club would appeal against the red card, but the FA upheld referee Howard Webb’s decision to send Carroll off. West Ham’s record signing, Carroll has played in only four league games this season due to injury and now stands to miss his side’s forthcoming matches against Aston Villa, Norwich City and Southampton. The England striker appeared to express his anger at the decision on Twitter, writing simply: “DISGRACEFUL!!!”
SOCCER
Jordan qualify for finals
Jordan booked a place in next year’s AFC Asian Cup finals with a 3-1 win over 10-man Singapore in an ill-tempered Group A clash at Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday. Needing a victory to qualify from the group alongside Oman, Thaer Bawab and Ahmad Hayel scored either side of halftime for the visitors. Khairul Amri then converted a penalty for Singapore, but substitute Yousef Ahmad netted in stoppage-time to help Jordan go through with a game to spare. Singapore defender Baihakki Khaizan was sent off at the end of the first half, while Jordan captain and goal-scorer Hayel was also shown the red card in the 70th minute. Twelve nations had already qualified for the 16-team finals — hosts Australia, holders Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Uzbekistan. The draw is to be made in Sydney on March 26.
CRICKET
Fan with pig punished
An Australian cricket fan who disguised a pig as a baby for the Ashes Test at the Gabba ground was yesterday ordered to attend mediation with the RSPCA. David Gunn, 33, was charged with animal cruelty after the pet pig, wrapped in a towel with its snout taped shut, was seen in the stadium in Brisbane during the opening day of the first Australia-England Test in November last year. In a statement to the court, the RSPCA said the pig, named Ash, was traumatized by the incident and dehydrated after being in direct sunlight on a hot day. Gunn was ordered to attend mediation with the animal welfare charity. RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said in his experience this involved sitting the person down and trying to make them understand how their actions affected the pig. Ash has since made a full recovery.
The 2025 International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Mr Universe Chinese Taipei competition began yesterday at Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, with more than 150 athletes showcasing their physiques. It is the first time in 16 years that the IFBB has held a competition in Taiwan, the last being the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung. The professional bodybuilding contest is bringing together athletes from Taiwan and 16 other countries, including Malaysia, Japan, the US, France and Mexico. IFBB Chinese Taipei president Hsu An-chin said in an interview yesterday that the event came to Taiwan thanks to his lobbying efforts at last
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Cycling great Marianne Vos won the opening stage of the women’s Tour de France with a brilliant late attack on Saturday. The 38-year-old Dutchwoman overtook her Visma–Lease a Bike teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prevot approaching the line, and then held off Mauritian rider Kim Le Court in the closing meters of a grueling uphill finish. Ferrand-Prevot looked set to win the stage, but the Frenchwoman attacked too early from 600m and could not withstand the late surge from Vos, who punched the air with her left fist as she crossed the line. Moments later, Vos hugged an exhausted-looking Ferrand-Prevot, the Paris-Roubaix winner. “I didn’t know if
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
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