SOCCER
Cup kickoff venue unready
The stadium hosting the FIFA World Cup opening match on June 12 will not be finished in time for its final test event, its owners said on Friday. Sao Paulo’s Corinthians Arena had to schedule a last-minute test for today — 11 days from the Cup kickoff — after the first test on May 18 subjected 36,000 fans to broken elevators, exterior lighting problems, patchy cellphone connectivity and a drenching storm that forced some to move higher because part of the glass-paneled roof was unfinished. Stadium owners Corinthians say safety officials only authorized them to sell 40,000 tickets for their match against Botafogo today, still short of the 65,000 fans expected for the World Cup opener between Brazil and Croatia. Firefighters have concerns over two extra seating areas with a capacity of 10,000 each. The club said one was “in the process of being finished,” with the other only authorized to open at half capacity, according to Fast Engenharia, the company installing the structures.
SOCCER
Luiz happy to head to PSG
David Luiz on Friday said he is happy to start a new phase of his career at Paris Saint-Germain, after the Ligue 1 side reached a deal to buy the Brazilian defender from Premier League club Chelsea. “I made a point of wrapping everything up before coming to train with the national team,” he told journalists at Brazil’s base camp outside Rio de Janeiro, where they are preparing to launch their FIFA World Cup campaign on June 12. “It’s a new phase, a new project, a new country, a new language... I was very happy at Chelsea, I won titles, but I had arrived at the end of a cycle.” Cash-flush PSG are reportedly paying US$84 million for Luiz, a world-record fee for a defender. Asked about playing at PSG with Thiago Silva, he said his Brazil teammate and fellow defender is a “marvelous person who always makes me really happy,” adding: “We’ve never been rivals.”
GOLF
Trio lead Nordea Masters
Spain’s Alvaro Quiros shot a five-under 67 on Friday to move to the top of the Nordea Masters leaderboard, along with Frenchman Victor Dubuisson and Eddie Pepperell of England. All three are six-under after two rounds on the PGA Sweden National’s Lakes Course in the Swedish city of Bara. Even though Quiros had two eagles, he was disappointed with his putting, telling europeantour.com: “I’ve been hitting the ball very well from tee to green, but even with the scores, I’ve had I have not putted great.” Second-ranked Henrik Stenson birdied the last hole to move within a shot of the coleaders, while fellow Swede and Masters runner-up Jonas Blixt missed the cut after his second straight 74. Several players struggled in the strong winds, including Miguel Angel Jimenez, who shot a 73 for a two-under total.
BOBSLED
Olympian Zubkov attacked
Two-time Olympic bobsled champion Alexander Zubkov was injured on Thursday when unknown attackers smashed up the car he received from the government for winning golds at February’s Sochi Games in Russia. Local media said Zubkov was involved in a confrontation outside his home near Moscow when attackers smashed his Mercedes-Benz with bats. Zubkov told the ITAR-Tass news agency he sustained “small puncture wounds and a damaged wrist.” “Maybe the attack was the result of someone ordering it,” he said. Zubkov’s car bears large stickers identifying it as one of the vehicles presented to Sochi medalists. His grandfather and three-year-old son witnessed the attack.
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
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two