BASEBALL
Choi Ji-man suspended
Seattle Mariners prospect Choi Ji-man has been suspended for 50 games after the first baseman tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, Major League Baseball said on Thursday. South Korean Choi was on the Mariners’ 40-man roster and was hitting .394 with one home run and five RBIs in 10 games for the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate Tacoma this season. The 22-year-old tested positive for methandienone and his suspension was effective immediately, MLB said. “I do not know what I could have taken that caused me to test positive,” Choi said in a statement. “I have not and never would knowingly use anything illegal to enhance my performance.”
CRICKET
Kaneria match probed
Pakistani cricket authorities have launched an investigation after a number of current international stars played in exhibition matches in the US with banned spinner Danish Kaneria. Kaneria was given a lifetime ban for spot-fixing in an English county game, which under International Cricket Council (ICC) rules effectively bars him from playing anywhere in the world. However, he represented the Houston Eagles in a series of Twenty20 games last weekend in Houston, Texas, with Test players Wahab Riaz and Nasir Jamshed taking part for rivals the Boom Boom Blasters. Other Pakistani players involved in the games were Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq and Shahzaib Hasan. “We are looking into how these players featured in these matches — authorized or unauthorized — without our permission,” Pakistan Cricket Board chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed said on Thursday. The USA Cricket Association could also have questions to answer as banned players such as Kaneria are not allowed to play in any match under the auspices of an ICC member country’s association.
CRICKET
Trott set for more time off
England batsman Jonathan Trott is set to take another break from cricket due to the same stress issues that forced him to quit the recent Ashes series, according to a report on Thursday. Trott decided to pull out of England’s tour to Australia after the first Test in Brisbane with what the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) described as a “stress-related illness.” The 32-year-old spent four months away from the game working with a psychologist and the ECB’s medical team in a bid to rebuild his career. Trott later described his Ashes exit as a case of “burn-out” and said he hoped to return to England duty this season. However, according to a Daily Mail report on Thursday, he has had to step away from the firing line again after just one Championship match for his England county Warwickshire, in which he scored 37 and 26 against Sussex. According to the Mail, “his anxiety levels have been so high that he felt he had no choice for his own wellbeing.”
SOCCER
Ferguson to sell wine
Legendary former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is to auction off part of his wine collection worth an estimated £3 million (US$5 million), Christie’s announced on Wednesday. The collection of about 5,000 bottles contains many fine and rare wines, including Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Burgundies and Finest First Growth Bordeaux ranging from the 1986 to 2011 vintages. The collection of Britain’s most successful soccer manager of all time is to be sold in three auctions: Hong Kong on May 24, London on June 5 and an online sale running from June 9 to 23.
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