BASKETBALL
Lin looking for starter deal
Jeremy Lin, the first NBA player of Taiwanese descent, on Saturday said that his agent has spoken with eight to nine teams that are interested in signing him. It is uncertain at this time which team he will go with, because it depends on the movement of other players in the free-agent market, he told reporters. Asked to comment on a report that the Chicago Bulls are interested in Lin as a backup point guard, Lin said he certainly hopes to give priority to teams that can put him in the starting lineup. Lin, who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers, became a free agent on Wednesday. Lin arrived in Taiwan on Monday last week as part of an Asian tour. During his stay in Taiwan, Lin spent some time coaching at a basketball camp attended by 60 high-school basketball players from around the nation. On Saturday, he met with about 3,000 fans at the National Taiwan University Sports Center.
BASKETBALL
Aldridge signs with Spurs
Forward LaMarcus Aldridge has decided to return to his Texas roots and join the San Antonio Spurs, the free agent announced on his Twitter page on Saturday. “I’m happy to say I’m going home to Texas and will be a Spur!! I’m excited to join the team and be close to my family and friends,” wrote Aldridge, who grew up in Dallas and played basketball at the University of Texas. US media reported that Aldridge, who turns 30 later this month, is to sign a four-year deal worth US$80 million. The Texan spent the first nine years of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers. ESPN said Aldridge was convinced to join the Spurs after meeting with coach Gregg Popovich, who sold him on the idea of playing alongside all-star forward Tim Duncan. With Duncan getting ready to wind down his brilliant career, Aldridge would give the Spurs a powerful one-two punch along with rising star Kawhi Leonard.
BASEBALL
Tigers place Cabrera on DL
Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera, the American League’s hitting leader, is to be out of action for about six weeks with a severe left calf strain, Major League Baseball’s Web site reported on Saturday. Cabrera, a two-time league Most Valuable Player, was injured on Friday while taking off from first base on a 3-2 pitch. Cabrera, a nine-time All-Star player, was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his career on Saturday and is expected to be out of action for six weeks, officials said. The Venezuelan is hitting .350 and has an on-base percentage of .456, both tops in the league for the Tigers, who are in third place in the AL Central, 5.5 games behind Kansas City.
SOCCER
Fiji annihilate Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia’s first appearance at an Oceania Football Confederation tournament went from bad to worse yesterday when they were thrashed 38-0 by Fiji in Port Moresby. Micronesia were also hammered 30-0 by Tahiti on Friday in the Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea, which are doubling as the Oceania qualifying tournament for next year’s Rio Olympics. Atonio Tuivuna grabbed 10 goals for Fiji’s under-23 side, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Vanuatu in their opening match and were aware they needed to get close to 30 goals to stay in touch with Tahiti in Group A. The top two sides in each group proceed to the semi-finals of the Olympic qualifying tournament. Fiji raced to a 21-0 lead at halftime and broke the record for most goals in one game in the tournament that Tahiti had equaled on Friday.
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