BASKETBALL
Sterling to ‘fight punishment’
The attorney for Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has told the NBA his client will not pay a league-issued US$2.5 million fine and that he will fight league punishment over his racist comments, Sports Illustrated reported. Sterling was banned for life by league commissioner Adam Silver and threatened with the forced sale of his team after an audio recording surfaced last month of a conversation in which he berated a female friend for publicly associating with black people. Sterling’s lawyer, Maxwell Blecher, wrote in a letter to NBA executive vice president and general counsel Rick Buchanan that his client had done nothing wrong and does not deserve punishment, and that the matter “will be adjudicated,” Sports Illustrated reported late on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.
SWIMMING
Phelps back on top
Michael Phelps returned to the top of a podium for the first time since the 2012 Olympics when he won the 100m butterfly at the Charlotte Grand Prix on Friday. Phelps made it through a grueling double in the morning preliminaries, also swimming the 200m freestyle, then limited himself to one race in the evening. While he did not improve on the time from the first meet of his comeback, when he finished second to Ryan Lochte last month, it was another big step toward competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics. “It’s been a while,” he said. “It’s nice seeing the first place next to your name. It’s good to be on that side of it again. That’s my first one since I came back. Hopefully, we can get a string of those.” Going out strong and remaining comfortably ahead on the return leg, Phelps cruised to victory in 52.13 seconds, about a half body-length ahead of runner-up Pavel Sankovich of Belarus.
GOLF
Pieters leads Spanish Open
Little-known Belgian Thomas Pieters stole the show in the second round of the Spanish Open in Girona on Friday, surging to the top of the leaderboard with a second consecutive three-under-par 69. The 22-year-old was one stroke ahead of overnight leader Eddie Pepperell of Britain (71) and Dutchman Joost Luiten (69). Italian Francesco Molinari (67) was in fourth position on 140, two shots off the pace. Spanish trio Alvaro Quiros (141), Miguel Angel Jimenez (142) and Sergio Garcia (143) were also in title contention.
CRICKET
Blake eyes Yorkshire place
Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake revealed on Friday that he would like to play for English county cricket team Yorkshire when he ends his athletics career. “I’m OK, you know. I can make the England team,” the 24-year-old double Olympic silver medalist joked on BBC Radio 5 Live. “I’m good in the outfield, so they would probably pick me for that as well.” Asked if he was serious about swapping the track for the crease, he added: “Yes, definitely. I’ve been wanting to play for Yorkshire or in England, so, after running, definitely I’ll put my mind to that.” He went on to claim that talks had already taken place. Yorkshire welcomed Blake’s interest, tweeting via their official account: “Hey @YohanBlake you’re always welcome to come and play for Yorkshire. Let’s get this sorted and come and have a net with us.” Blake was a keen cricketer as a youth and reportedly only turned to sprinting after one of his teachers noticed how quickly he ran when he came in to bowl. He is the second-fastest man of all time over both 100m and 200m, and won two silver medals and a gold in the 4x100m relay during the 2012 London Olympics.
SOCCER
Messi likely to top earnings
Barcelona and Lionel Messi have agreed an improved contract that is reportedly to make the four-time World Player of the Year soccer’s best-paid player with a net annual salary of 20 million euros (US$27.4 million). Barca did not publish details of the deal, but Spanish media said Messi, 26, would remain tied to the club until June 2018, as in his previous contract, and could earn about 5 million euros more per season in performance-linked bonuses. The Argentina captain would also regain control of his image rights, one report said, further boosting the income of a man Forbes magazine estimates is the 10th-highest-earning athlete, with annual revenues of US$41.2 million, including wages and endorsements. Messi, who had been earning a net 13 million euros per season, is to top soccer’s earnings list ahead of Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo on 18 million euros and Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Paris Saint-Germain on 14.7 million euros, sports daily Marca said.
SOCCER
Bolivian president signed up
A first-division professional soccer club has signed Bolivian President Evo Morales to play midfield at a monthly salary of US$213 and expects the leftist leader to make his debut in August, the head of the team said on Friday. The 54-year-old soccer fanatic is to wear No. 10 for the Sport Boys team, which is based in Santa Cruz Province and rose to become a division one team last year. “He loves soccer and he plays well,” Sport Boys president Mario Cronenbold said. Morales’ monthly paycheck is to be in line with the impoverished South American country’s minimum wage. Cronenbold brushed off questions about Morales’ fitness to play professional soccer. “As I told the president, jokingly, we are not putting the president of Uruguay on the field,” Cronenbold said, referring to Uruguay’s 78-year-old Jose Mujica.
SOCCER
City, Paris Saint-Germain fined
Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, two of the newly rich clubs in European soccer, have been fined up to 60 million euros (US$82.23 million) and had their squads capped for next season’s Champions League after breaching UEFA’s financial rules. As part of their settlement with UEFA, Premier League champions City, owned by Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour, and Qatari-owned French champions PSG have also agreed to curbs on transfer spending over the next two seasons. City said their transfer spending would be capped at a net figure of 60 million euros this summer, but added that the restrictions would not greatly impact their plans.
RUGBY UNION
Northampton beat Leicester
Northampton Saints marched into the English Premiership final as they survived Salesi Ma’afu’s red card to secure a shock 21-20 victory over champions Leicester at Franklin’s Gardens on Friday. Trailing 17-6 at half-time and then a man down when Ma’afu was dismissed for punching Tom Youngs, Jim Mallinder’s side looked set for another painful defeat against the Tigers, just 12 months after losing to them in the Premiership final. George North and then Tom Wood in the closing stages scored for Saints, canceling out Leicester’s tries from Manu Tuilagi and Ben Youngs as Mallinder’s men held on to deny Leicester a 10th successive Premiership final appearance. Saints’ opponents in the final at Twickenham on May 31 are either to be Saracens or Harlequins, who were to meet in the second semi-final yesterday.
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
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
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
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just