TOUCH RUGBY
Taiwan lose to Germany
Taiwan yesterday completed their first international assignment at the Touch World Cup in Malaysia with a narrow loss in their playoff match against Germany. The mixed open squad went down 7-8 to their European opponents, with Tim Crean, Liao Shou-chien, Senen Fernandes and Chang Shing-wen crossing once each, and Sebastian Town getting a hat-trick. Town topped the touchdown count for Taiwan with nine across the week-long tournament, while Chang was the top female touchdown scorer with three. At the top end of the competition, Australia and New Zealand dominated, with Australia winning the men’s 45s, the men’s 35s, the women’s 35s, the mixed 30s and the men’s 30s. New Zealand won the men’s 50s, the men’s 40s and the women’s 27s. In the elite grades, Australia won the mixed open 7-6, the women’s open 10-2 and the men’s open 4-3, all against New Zealand.
SOCCER
Ronaldo thanks ‘loving’ fans
Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday said that his decision to open a hair transplant clinic in Madrid was his way of thanking “the people who love me” after spending the best part of a decade at Real Madrid. The 34-year-old Portuguese star’s hair implant center in the Spanish capital opened its doors in March, even though he has been a Juventus player since last year. “The Spanish people treated me well, I wanted to thank them by giving them work,” Ronaldo told newspaper El Pais. “I know that the people love me, they know that I gave a lot to the club [Real Madrid] and that they also gave me a lot.” Ronaldo, who won two La Liga and four UEFA Champions League titles with Real, said that he has not ruled out becoming a coach when his playing days are over, but still has his critics to defy. “I see football as a mission: to be on the field, to win, to improve; I feel extra pressure, people always judge, they say it’s over, that I’m 33, 34 or 35, and I should stop,” the five-time Ballon d’Or winner added.
SOCCER
Ronaldinho raps about graft
Brazil’s Ronaldinho has found a second calling after retiring from professional soccer: rapper. The former Brazil national and Barcelona megastar — full name Ronaldinho Gaucho — has released a song with Brazilian singer Jorge Vercillo decrying corruption in their country. The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner appears in a video, recorded in a studio, wearing a black beret and a white tank top emblazoned with the image of Saint George slaying a dragon. Halfway through the duet, he plays drums, then breaks out in a 30-second rap solo. “Love is our game, from start to finish, in my heart there are no longer enemies,” he raps. He then asks the armor-clad Christian saint to slay “the dragon of greed” and corruption, while a chorus bemoans the squandering of public funds to the detriment of “schools and hospitals.” This is not the first musical outing for Ronaldinho, 39, who hung up his soccer cleats in January last year. He has also performed with Tunisian rapper K2rhym, and was featured in the official song for last year’s FIFA World Cup performed by Will Smith, Nicky Jam and Era Istrefi. Ronaldinho even made a surprise appearance playing drums at the World Cup closing ceremony at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.
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