RUGBY UNION
Horne forced into retirement
Australian rugby was rocked yesterday by news of a career-ending injury to Wallabies center Rob Horne, with tributes flowing on social media from fans and fellow players. The 28-year-old, who received several serious arm injuries at the elite level, was forced to retire after sustaining nerve damage in his right arm when playing for the Northampton Saints against the Leicester Tigers last week in the English Premiership. Horne’s retirement was “absolutely tragic news,” Northampton interim head coach Alan Dickens said. “He is a hugely respected and popular member of the dressing room and this will be an enormous loss to Saints — both from a rugby and a personal perspective.”
SOCCER
Police disperse Chiefs fans
Police on Saturday fired tear gas and stun grenades in Durban to disperse angry Kaizer Chiefs fans after the club suffered a shock South African FA Cup semi-final defeat. Chiefs’ players had to sprint to the change room when furious supporters invaded the pitch following a 2-0 loss to Free State Stars at Moses Mabhida Stadium. There were unconfirmed reports that coach Steve Komphela had resigned after the latest setback for the Soweto club in a bleak season. Spectators wearing Chiefs colors thrashed television equipment and set fire to some seats. An eyewitness who requested anonymity said they saw a female security guard being assaulted by some supporters. Supporters of the famed Soweto club, who have won more trophies than any other soccer club in the nation, are angry after three seasons without a trophy. The last chance of silverware this season disappeared with the loss to Free State Stars, a club without any big-name players from a small central South African town. The team have also been slammed, with the Business Day daily saying they play with the “coordination of a goat in stilettos.”
FOOTBALL
Amnesty awards Kaepernick
Human rights organization Amnesty International has honored former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick with its Ambassador of Conscience Award, lauding his peaceful protests against racial inequality. The former San Francisco 49ers star was handed the award at a ceremony on Saturday in Amsterdam by onetime teammate Eric Reid. In his acceptance speech, Kaepernick described police killings of African Americans and Latinos in the US as lawful lynchings. “Racialized oppression and dehumanization is woven into the very fabric of our nation — the effects of which can be seen in the lawful lynching of black and brown people by the police and the mass incarceration of black and brown lives in the prison industrial complex,” Kaepernick said.
TENNIS
Australia nabs World spot
Ashleigh Barty and Daria Gavrilova yesterday won singles matches to help give Australia a 4-1 victory over the Netherlands and a spot in the Fed Cup World Group. Barty won her second singles match of the tie, beating Lesley Kerkhove 6-4, 6-2 in the first reverse singles on an indoor hard court. Gavrilova beat Quirine Lemoine in the second singles 6-3, 6-2. “I was super nervous,” Gavrilova said. “Just playing for your country is so much harder than just playing any other tournament.”
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