ATHLETICS
Marathon to punish cheaters
Shenzhen Half-Marathon organizers have vowed that 258 participants caught cheating during last weekend’s race would not be able to run away from punishment for their actions. As many as 18 runners found to wearing fake bibs, as well as three impostors, face lifetime bans from the event, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday. The 237 others, most of whom had taken shortcuts during the race and were caught out by traffic cameras and local photographers, could be banned for two years. “We deeply regret the violations that occurred during the event. Marathon running is not simply exercise, it is a metaphor for life, and every runner is responsible for him or herself,” Xinhua quoted organizers as saying. News of the cheating has caused outrage in China, prompting the People’s Daily to urge runners to “respect the marathon and respect sporting spirit” in an editorial. A sharp rise in the number of events in the past few years and mass participation has also been blamed for the problem. China has held 1,072 marathons and road races this year, up from 22 in 2011, Xinhua said, quoting figures from the Chinese Athletic Association.
BASEBALL
London games to be pricey
Major League Baseball is charging princely prices for its first games in Britain. Premium seats at London’s Olympic Stadium are to cost £385 (US$492) for next year’s games between the New York Yankees and World Series champions the Boston Red Sox on June 29 and June 30. The top non-premium seats near the infield are to cost £320 and seats in the outfield corners are to go for £270 and £220, a chart on Ticketmaster’s Web site showed. Seats behind the outfield fences are to go for £120, while those in the second deck range from £30 to £270. A presale for Yankees and Red Sox season ticket holders starts today and a presale for those who have preregistered begins on Monday. The general sale date is Thursday next week. Site of the 2012 Olympics, the stadium in East London was extensively remodeled for soccer club West Ham United, who starting playing there in the 2016-2017 season. West Ham charge £55 to £80 for category A Premier League matches this season, with discounts for club members and lower prices for category B and C matches.
SOCCER
Thailand detains refugee
A former Bahrain national team player who was given refugee status in Australia after fleeing political repression has been detained in Bangkok, rights groups said yesterday. Hakeem Alaraibi was arrested in 2012 and convicted two years later in absentia as part of a government crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired protests. Alaraibi, who said he was playing in a match during the alleged crime, was last year granted refugee status in Australia, where he has played for semi-professional club Pascoe Vale, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy said. However, he was detained at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Tuesday during a personal trip, said rights groups, which feared he would be sent back to Bahrain. Human Rights Watch senior Thailand researcher Sunai Phasuk said that “under no circumstances” should Alaraibi be handed over to Bahrain. “Hakeem is a refugee accepted by Australia, so Thailand should do the right thing by sending him back to Australia on the next flight,” he said.
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