FORMULA ONE
Russian GP to go ahead
Organizers insist Russia’s first Formula One Grand Prix will go ahead as planned, despite an airliner being shot down in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine. Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed on Thursday in eastern Ukraine. All 298 people on board are believed to have been killed. Ukraine accused pro-Russian separatists of shooting the plane down, something the rebels deny. The promoters of the Oct. 12 Russian Grand Prix in Sochi said in a statement on Friday that “all the preparations are on track and run according to the schedule,” and that “organizers are confident that the inaugural Russian Grand Prix will be comfortable for all.” Sochi’s Olympic Park circuit is located in southern Russia, about 540km from the crash site.
CRICKET
Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan
Sean Williams hit a half century, while skipper Brendan Taylor made a crucial 42 as Zimbabwe eased to a six-wicket win over Afghanistan in the first one-day international on Friday. Chasing 224 to win, the home side reached their target with more than four overs to spare in the first of a three-match series. Williams hit 70 off 65 balls with eight boundaries and a six, while rock-solid Taylor made 43 off 52 deliveries. Afghanistan, looking to build exposure and experience ahead of their maiden World Cup appearance next year, were put into bat and lost opener Usman Ghani for nought in the second over. Experienced Samiullah Shenwari, with 65 off 84 balls with three fours and a six, while skipper Mohammad Nabi, who made a brisk 54 off 32 balls helped by three huge sixes, helped Afghanistan to 223-9 in their 50 overs.Zimbabwe had opener Vusi Sibanda dismissed for just four in the third over, but Afghanistan were always destined to struggle defending such a modest total.The second and third games take place at the same venue on Sunday and Tuesday.
SOCCER
West Brom sign Ideye
West Bromwich Albion have signed Nigeria forward Brown Ideye from Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev for a club-record transfer fee on a three-year deal, the Premier League team said on Friday. The fee was undisclosed, but the club said on their Web site (www.wba.co.uk) that it exceeds the amount they paid Sunderland for Stephane Sessegnon in September last year. The 25-year-old forward arrives at The Hawthorns with an impressive record having scored 74 goals in 182 career league appearances. Brown has scored five goals in 24 appearances for Nigeria and was called up to their 2010 World Cup squad in South Africa.
SOCCER
Juve to seal Morata move
Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata is poised to seal a move to Italian champions Juventus for a reported fee of 18 million euros (US$24.3 million). Morata, 21, arrived in Turin on Friday night and was to undergo a medical yesterday. “I am very happy to start a new adventure here. I am looking forward to starting right away,” he told reporters at Turin airport. According to Spanish newspaper As, Real retain the option to buy Morata back for 30 million euros (US$40.59 million) after the first season and 36 million euros after the following campaign. A highly rated product of the Real youth academy, Morata came to the fore in the 2012-2013 season, Jose Mourinho’s last at the club as coach, but he was not able to maintain that progress during the last campaign.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but