RUGBY UNION
Arrest in bugging incident
Australian police have arrested and charged a 51-year-old man with public mischief after an investigation into the discovery of a listening device at the All Blacks hotel in Sydney ahead of their Rugby Championship clash against the Wallabies last year. The world champions notified police after they discovered the device in their team meeting room at their eastern Sydney hotel in the days leading up to the Aug. 20 clash. “A man has been charged after a listening device was located in a room at a hotel in Sydney’s east last year,” New South Wales Police said in a statement yesterday. “An investigation was established in August 2016 by detectives from Rose Bay Local Area Command to investigate allegations a listening device was located in a room at a hotel in Double Bay. Following inquiries, earlier today ... a Future Court Attendance Notice was served on a 51-year-old man for public mischief to appear at Waverley Local Court on Tuesday, 21 March, 2017.” Police said that the man was employed as a security consultant at the time of the alleged offense. However, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said the situation was “very hard to understand” as “the charged man has worked for the All Blacks, and many other organizations, for a long time and is someone who is trusted and well respected by us.” The Australian Rugby Union welcomed the arrest, but still felt aggrieved that the All Blacks had not alerted police until the day of the game, despite having found it in a chair cushion earlier in the week.
SOCCER
Tim Cahill apologizes
Tim Cahill has apologized for swearing at a referee after he was sent off before he even made it onto the pitch in an explosive Melbourne derby in Australia last week. The former Everton forward, now with Melbourne City, was about to come on as a substitute when he made his comments to the referee following Melbourne Victory’s controversial winner. “I sincerely apologize to [referee] Chris Beath for my reaction,” Australia’s all-time record goalscorer, 37, said via Instagram late on Monday. “My behavior also hurt the game, so I also apologize to my team, to Melbourne Victory and to all the fans at the game and watching at home.” Tempers flared late in the game after Victory scored twice in two minutes to grab a 2-1 win, sealed by a Manny Muscat own-goal that was briefly ruled out for offside. Including Cahill’s one-match ban, Melbourne City have six players suspended for their next A-League game and a seventh, goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis, is likely to join them. Bouzanis faces a charge of using a racist slur against Victory’s Albanian striker Besart Berisha.
BADMINTON
Lee rues slippery floor
World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei was left fuming after an injury at Malaysia’s new training center cost him what might have been his last All England Championship, reports said yesterday. The 34-year-old, who was gunning for his fourth title at the tournament next month, will be out for weeks after he slipped and fell at the new Academy Badminton Malaysia on Saturday. Lee tore a ligament in his left knee in the incident, the Star newspaper said yesterday. “This injury could have been avoided,” Lee was reported as saying. He said he had complained about the new center’s slippery court mats, but “nothing was done.”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care