ATHLETICS
Ennis-Hill to receive medal
Jessica Ennis-Hill is to be presented with the heptathlon gold medal from the 2011 world championships at this year’s event in London after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed Russian Tatyana Chernova’s appeal against her doping ban. Briton Ennis-Hill was runner-up to Chernova in Daegu six years ago, but the Russian was stripped of her medals in November last year and received a lengthy ban for blood doping violations. There were concerns about when Ennis-Hill, 31, would receive her medal as Chernova appealed the ban and questioned the jurisdiction of the original hearing. The court on Tuesday dismissed the appeal and stuck with the original judgement.
CRICKET
Bracewell to step down
New Zealander John Bracewell is to step down as head coach of Ireland at the end of his contract in December, the country’s cricket board has said. The former New Zealand coach replaced West Indian Phil Simmons at the helm following the 2015 World Cup and is to step down after two and half years in the role. Last month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) voted to admit Afghanistan and Ireland into the elite group permitted to play traditional five-day Test matches. As new full members of the ICC, Ireland and Afghanistan are to take the total of countries playing Tests to 12. “Having been down the full-on Full Member road before with New Zealand Cricket, it is not my desire to do so again,” Bracewell said in a statement from Cricket Ireland. The board said it would advertise the position of head coach in due course to ensure a seamless transition.
CRICKET
Eranga cleared to bowl
Shaminda Eranga’s bowling action was found to be legal and the paceman has been cleared to resume playing for Sri Lanka more than one year after he was banned, the International Cricket Council has said. Eranga was reported during the second Test against England at Chester-le-Street in May last year and was barred from bowling in international matches when his action was found to be illegal following an independent assessment. “Eranga underwent a reassessment of his bowling action ... with the assessment concluding that the amount of elbow extension in his standard deliveries was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted,” the governing body said..
RUGBY UNION
Cooper cut from training
Quade Cooper has been omitted from Australia’s 38-man training squad announced yesterday for the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup, possibly ending the Test career of the flashy, but often unpredictable playmaker. The move leaves Bernard Foley as the only specialist flyhalf in the extended squad picked by Wallabies coach Michael Cheika for a series of training camps starting next week. Kurtley Beale, a utility back who recently returned from England, was recalled to the Wallabies squad for the first time since the 2015 World Cup and is only other potential No. 10 in the initial group. Cooper’s omission is his first based on form since former Wallaby coach Robbie Deans left him out of the 2013 British and Irish Lions series. Cheika did not select any players from the Brumbies, who are hosting a Super Rugby quarter-final against the Hurricanes tomorrow.
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