CRICKET
Clarke out of WC opener
Australia captain Michael Clarke will miss the World Cup opener against England in Melbourne tomorrow, Australia coach Darren Lehmann confirmed. “He’s pulled up really well and no, he’s not playing,” Lehmann told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday. “Really happy with his progress, but we’re going to stick to the plan that he’ll play against Bangladesh.” Clarke is on the comeback trail after a long layoff in the wake of hamstring surgery.
SOCCER
Aston Villa fires Lambert
Paul Lambert has been fired as manager of Aston Villa after a run of 10 winless games took them into the Premier League relegation zone, the club announced on Wednesday. “Aston Villa Football Club has parted company this evening with manager Paul Lambert,” Villa announced on their Web site. “First-team coach Scott Marshall and goalkeeping coach Andy Marshall will continue to prepare the squad for Sunday’s FA Cup tie with Leicester City at Villa Park.” Lambert, 45, took over at Villa Park in 2012 and led the Midlands club to 15th-place finishes in his first two seasons, but came under pressure from fans after a poor run of recent form.
SOCCER
Federations neglect women
FIFA research shows fewer than one in four member federations has staff dedicated to working for women’s soccer. One in five federations did not have a women’s senior national team and half did not run youth national teams, FIFA said on Wednesday. FIFA said 177 of its 209 members replied to the survey last year, allowing it to “make conclusions and recommendations which can be applied across all confederations.” The research said more than 30 million women and girls are playing soccer, though few seem to be involved as officials. Women accounted for one in six members of federation executive committees. That is more than the three women on FIFA’s 27-member ruling board. One in 10 referees worldwide and about one in 14 coaches are women, the study found. FIFA has committed to double funding for women’s soccer through 2018, without giving specific financial details.
GOLF
Allenby robbery arrest made
Honolulu police say there has been an arrest in connection with credit cards stolen from Australian golfer Robert Allenby. Allenby was in Hawaii for the Sony Open when he said was beaten and robbed during a night out on Jan. 16. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that police on Wednesday said that a 32-year-old man already in custody at Oahu Community Correctional Facility was arrested. Allenby posted photographs of a bloodied forehead and swollen eye to his Facebook account. He says he has no recollection of anything from about 11pm to 1:30am the night he was at a wine bar. Police opened investigations into second-degree robbery and fraudulent charges on Allenby’s credit cards.
TENNIS
Nadal to see Rio carnival
Rafael Nadal flew into Brazil on Wednesday to defend his title at the Rio Open — but also to experience first-hand “the incredible energy” of the city’s world-famous carnival. “I really want to learn about the carnival in Rio. It has an incredible energy, carnival here is like a religion,” he told reporters shortly after his arrival. “I was always fascinated by the carnival and was eager to see it live. It will be a show.” Nadal will join a parade on Sunday with compatriot David Ferrer and Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
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