RUGBY LEAGUE
Scots drop three for drinking
Captain Danny Brough is among three players dropped from Scotland’s Rugby World Cup squad yesterday for misconduct which is being investigated by the tournament’s integrity unit. Media reports say Brough, Sam Brooks and Johnny Walker were forced to miss Scotland’s flight from Christchurch to Cairns yesterday, because they were deemed too drunk to board the plane. Scotland entered the World Cup ranked fourth behind Australia, New Zealand and England, but have had a disastrous tournament, losing 50-4 to Tonga and 74-6 to New Zealand. It can still reach the playoffs if it can beat Samoa in its final pool match, but would likely face top-ranked Australia in the quarter-finals. Keith Hogg, chairman of the Scotland Rugby League, said: “We expect everyone involved in Scotland Rugby League to adhere to the highest standards of behavior.”
FOOTBALL
Owners to release records
A number of NFL owners will be asked to turn over communications records related to the Colin Kaepernick collusion case against the league. A league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, among others, will be deposed and asked to turn over all cellphone records and e-mails in relation to the collusion case brought by the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. Kaepernick filed a grievance under the collective bargaining agreement against the NFL last month, accusing all 32 owners of collusion against signing him to an NFL contract. ABC News reported other owners to be deposed include the Seattle Seahawks’ Paul Allen and the San Francisco 49ers’ Jed York.
OLYMPICS
KHL may withdraw players
Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) might withdraw its players from the Pyeongchang Olympics in protest at doping investigations into Russian athletes, the league president suggested on Saturday. The KHL, widely considered the strongest league outside the NHL, contains leading Russians, but also many players who could represent the US, Canada and various European nations. In a statement, KHL president Dmitry Chernyshenko said the International Olympic Committee “is destroying the existing world order in sports” by pursuing doping cases against Russians in other sports who are suspected of using banned substances around the time of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Chernyshenko referenced the NHL’s absence from Pyeongchang in February next year after failing to reach a deal with the committee, and said: “The KHL is ready to respond accordingly.”
BOXING
Wilder pummels Stiverne
Deontay Wilder knocked out the only man who had ever gone the distance with him, sending Berman Stiverne to the canvas three times in the opening round to defend his WBC heavyweight title on Saturday night at Barclays Center in New York City. Wilder entered the ring wearing a gold cape and mask. He looked all business and was sporting a scowl for the 2 minutes, 59 seconds the fight lasted. After the second knockdown, he yelled at Stiverne’s corner to stop the fight. Instead, the undefeated “Alabama Slammer” did it himself, pummeling Stiverne before finishing him off. Wilder won the belt from Stiverne in 2015 in a 12-round decision. He repeatedly insisted Stiverne would go down and out early in this one. Wilder kept his word. He is 39-0 with 38 knockouts.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and