ICE HOCKEY
Woeful Canucks fire Gillis
The Vancouver Canucks fired president and general manager Mike Gillis on Tuesday, a day after being eliminated from playoff contention. Gillis took over as general manager from the fired Dave Nonis after the 2007-2008 season. Under Gillis, the Canucks made the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, but lost to Boston. Since then, they have been in a steady decline, losing in the first round of the NHL playoffs for two straight seasons before missing the post-season entirely this year for the first time since 2008. Vancouver fans seemed fed up with the team’s downward spiral and chanted for Gillis’ sacking after Monday’s 3-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
soccer
I am not Syria jihadist: Diarra
France international Lassana Diarra on Tuesday denied rumors on social media sites that he has become a jihadist in the Syrian war. The Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder “denies in the most formal, the most categoric, the most absolute fashion that he has gone to Syria,” said Diarra’s French lawyer, Eric Dupond Moretti. “He has never set foot in Syria. It’s absurd. He is not a jihadist, he is a footballer with Lokomotiv Moscow,” the lawyer added. British tabloid the Daily Mirror this week reported social media rumors that Diarra had gone to Syria, where the war is now into a fourth year and has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Moretti said Diarra, 29, who has also played for Real Madrid, Chelsea and Arsenal, expected to take part in Lokomotiv’s Russian Premier League game on Sunday. Diarra won La Liga with Real Madrid in 2012 and last played for France in 2010.
SOCCER
Vegalta, Arnold part ways
J-League side Vegalta Sendai fired Australian manager Graham Arnold after a poor start to the season, they said on Wednesday. Vegalta said on their Web site that the decision to terminate Arnold’s contract after just five months had been taken by “mutual consent.” The 50-year-old was Australia’s assistant coach under Guus Hiddink at the 2006 World Cup and subsequently spent a brief spell in charge of the Socceroos. Sendai have taken just two points from six matches this season and sit second from bottom of the 18-team first division. Arnold blamed the poor results on an aging squad. “Many of the older players were resistant to change,” he told Australian broadcaster SBS. “I felt as if I was coaching someone else’s team and in the end I have my standards to uphold.”
However, his tactics were criticized in some quarters and the team’s defensive flaws were illustrated in Sunday’s 4-0 rout by the Urawa Reds, which was the tipping point for Velgata’s management. Assistant coach Susumu Watanabe will replace Arnold, the club said.
TENNIS
Delbonis bests Simon
Sixth-seeded Federico Delbonis of Argentina beat Gilles Simon of France 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the Grand Prix Hassan II on Tuesday in Casablanca, Morocco. Simon entered the main draw as a qualifier and struggled on his serve, getting only 45 percent of his first serves in. Delbonis next plays another qualifier, Filip Peliwo, after the Canadian won 7-6 (6), 6-3 against Italy’s Filippo Volandri. In other first-round matches, Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena downed fellow qualifier David Goffin of Belgium 6-2, 7-5; Albert Ramos of Spain won 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 against Moroccan Lamine Ouahab and big-serving Romanian Victor Hanescu advanced by beating wild card Hicham Khaddari of Morocco 7-6 (3), 6-3.
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
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
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
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care