SOCCER
‘Great brawl of China’ erupts
Chinese soccer authorities launched an investigation yesterday after a mass brawl erupted at a Cup match involving big-spending Jiangsu Suning, with one player receiving a kung fu-style flying kick. Violence broke out when towering Jiangsu striker Ge Wei scored in the ninth minute of extra-time for a 1-0 win against amateur side Wuhan Hongxing, prompting enraged Wuhan players to attack the visiting team. The ruckus saw Chinese international midfielder Wu Xi receive a flying kick to the back as fists flew and combatants chased each other across the pitch. Jiangsu led a world-leading transfer spending spree earlier this year, but because of Chinese FA Cup rules, megabucks signings Alex Teixeira, Ramires and Jo were not playing on Wednesday. The incident is embarrassing for Chinese soccer, which has made intense efforts to clean itself up after a series of scandals and sees itself as a future global power in the sport.
ICE HOCKEY
Finland stay perfect
Finland made it four wins out of four to move to the top of the world championship Group B after beating Hungary 3-0 on Wednesday. Hungary are yet to pick up a point in this year’s tournament in Russia, but they held their own in the first period to hold the in-form Finns at bay. Atte Ohtamaa broke the Hungarian resistance with four minutes to go in the second period. Mikko Koivu doubled Finland’s lead in the third period, with his third goal of the tournament and Alexander Barkov sealed the 3-0 win on the powerplay with four minutes remaining. After being humbled 5-1 by Germany on Tuesday, Slovakia lost again in a game they were expected to win, going down 4-2 to Belarus, who picked up their first win of the competition. Belarus came from two goals down to seal the victory with a third-period onslaught, scoring four goals in the space of 15 minutes. Sweden moved level on points with the Czech Republic at the top of Group A following a 7-3 victory over Kazakhstan and a late game-winning goal from Eric Blum gave Switzerland a 5-4 win victory over Latvia.
SOCCER
Andersen to coach N Korea
Former Norwegian international striker Jorn Andersen is to become the new coach of North Korea, Norwegian television station NRK reported on Wednesday, citing his family. According to the reports, which have not been verified, the 53-year-old Andersen will sign a one-year contract. Capped 27 times by Norway, Andersen is best remembered for becoming the first foreign player to be the top scorer in the German Bundesliga when he found the net 18 times for Eintracht Frankfurt in 1989-1990. Andersen had been in charge of Austria Salzburg until December last year.
SOCCER
Frank de Boer quits Ajax
Ajax coach and former Dutch international Frank de Boer yesterday announced he was quitting the Amsterdam club after failing to win the Dutch title. “Frank de Boer is quitting as Ajax trainer. He told the club’s board in a meeting,” Ajax said in a statement issued in Amsterdam. De Boer’s announcement comes after Ajax drew 1-1 against minnows De Graafschap on Sunday, while defending champions PSV retained their hold on the trophy with a 3-1 victory against PEC Zwolle. Ajax needed a win to claim the 34th championship in their 116-year history. PSV’s victory saw wild parties in Eindhoven, but in the Dutch capital, many Ajax fans slinked off in despair at the end of the match.
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