RUGBY UNION
Antoine Burban out injured
Back-row forward Antoine Burban is to miss France’s last two Six Nations matches against Scotland and England due to a head injury, a statement by France said on Monday. The Stade Francais flanker has been replaced by uncapped La Rochelle 26-year-old Kevin Gourdon in an expanded 30-man training squad. Burban, 28, was injured against Wales a little more than a week ago when winning his fourth cap. He left the field looking groggy and, although he recovered in time to play for the French champions against Pau on Saturday, he took another knock to the head in the Top 14 clash. “Due to a trauma suffered this weekend ... and after a test today requested by the France and club [Stade Francais] medical staff, the club neurologist ordered a two week period of rest,” the statement said. Burban is to miss the trip to Scotland this weekend and a potential tournament decider at home to England on March 19.
RUGBY UNION
Cooper to play in Vancouver
Quade Cooper has been given permission by French club Toulon to continue his sevens education with Australia at this weekend’s Vancouver round of the World Series, the Australian Rugby Union said on yesterday. The former Wallabies flyhalf was originally freed up for just the Sydney and Las Vegas legs of the series, as he bids to secure a place in the squad for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August. The 27-year-old was deemed insufficiently prepared to play on home soil and finally made his debut in Las Vegas last weekend, helping Australia to the final. However, rather than head back to his Top 14 club this week, Cooper has been named in a 12-man Australia squad, which is to attempt to go one better in Vancouver this weekend.
SOCCER
FEF president to resign
Ecuadorean Football Federation (FEF) president Luis Chiriboga, who is under house arrest in connection with a massive FIFA corruption scandal, was to resign from his post yesterday, his lawyer said. Ecuadorean Attorney Juan Carlos Machuca, speaking on Ecuadoran radio on Monday, said that Chiriboga would submit his resignation to the board of the FEF. Chiriboga, 65, who has led the organization for the past 18 years, has been under house arrest since December last year and his bank accounts have been frozen in an expanding investigation. He is one of dozens of soccer executives across Latin America and around the world who have been implicated in a graft scandal that has rocked the world’s most popular sport. Thirty-nine people face US charges over more than US$200 million in bribes for soccer deals.
GOLF
Fowler nails hole-in-one
Rickie Fowler made a US$1 million hole-in-one for charity at an event hosted by Ernie Els in Florida on Monday. The world No. 5 Fowler aced the 103m “bonus” 19th hole to claim the prize money for the Els for Autism foundation. The American was immediately swamped by fans and fellow golfers, including Els and Rory McIlroy, and lifted into the air. “Pretty cool to be able to do that for Ernie and the foundation,” Fowler told the Golf Channel. “It is a small target. No one really expects it, because it is kind of a shot in the dark,” Fowler said. He has enjoyed a solid start to the season after capturing three world titles last year. He held off a strong field to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January, then suffered a playoff loss in Scottsdale, Arizona, last month before adding a pair of top-10 finishes since.
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