SOCCER
Defour back at Anderlecht
Belgium international midfielder Steven Defour has moved back home to champions Anderlecht in a club-record 6 million euro (US$8.02 million) move from FC Porto. The 26-year-old, sent off in his only appearance at the World Cup in Brazil in June, signed a five-year contract on Wednesday. Defour, who has won 44 caps for Belgium, was previously the object of much scorn from Anderlecht fans for provocative performances during his time at rivals Standard Liege. “I know that I did play on the edge in matches against Anderlecht and it was not an easy decision [to sign for them], but I always had respect for the club,” he told reporters. Defour is likely to make his debut on Sunday when Anderlecht visit Westerlo.
SOCCER
Everton sign Atsu
Everton have completed the signing of winger Christian Atsu on loan from Chelsea, the Premier League club said on Wednesday. The 22-year-old Ghana international could make his debut in the opening league game of the season against Leicester City tomorrow.
GOLF
Aussies star in Fiji
Australians performed strongly as the first round of the inaugural Fiji International at Natadola Bay ended with a seven-way split for the lead yesterday. Of the seven players who shot a four-under-par 68, six were Australian, with Wang Ming-hao of China the only non-Antipodean with a share of top spot. A further 11 players were one shot back on 69. Jake Higginbottom, in a share of the lead, said conditions at the US$1 million tournament, the largest sporting event ever staged in the Pacific island nation, were perfect for him and his Australian compatriots. “We got a little bit lucky with the weather, which allowed us to get scores like that,” he said. Local hero Vijay Singh, a three-time major champion who designed the course, ended the day well off the pace with a one-over 73, leaving him 52nd in the tournament, which is co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and OneAsia. “It was a very interesting round I would say,” he said. “I made three doubles, I don’t know the last time I did that in a round of golf, but for some reason my driver wasn’t working. I’m very disappointed in my round, but what the hell, that’s the way it goes and there’s three days to go.”
RUGBY LEAGUE
Sonny Bill cannot sit still
New Zealand superstar Sonny Bill Williams has reportedly hinted he may return to Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) in what would be a third stint in the sport. Williams is to leave the league champions Sydney Roosters at the end of this season and return to New Zealand rugby union for the next two years. “It is my last year at the Roosters… for now,” Williams told the Sydney Morning Herald. “Last year when I came back to the game I didn’t think I would be staying for two years or winning a competition. So anything is possible. It just comes down to hard work and that self-belief. Of course there is always a chance [I will return] but I am 29 now.” Williams began his career in rugby league, winning the 2004 NRL title with the Canterbury Bulldogs in his debut season, before controversially walking out on the team mid-contract to play rugby union in France. He was equally successful in the 15-man code, contributing to the 2011 World Cup win by the All Blacks and snaring the 2012 Super 15 title with the Waikato Chiefs, before returning to the NRL to play with the Roosters last year.
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