BASEBALL
Ex-players cited in drug ring
Authorities in the Dominican Republic have arrested former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel and cited ex-infielder Luis Castillo for their alleged links to a drug-trafficking and money-laundering ring, officials said on Tuesday. Dominican Attorney General Jean Alain Rodriguez said that police are also pursuing the alleged leader of the ring, Cesar Emilio Peralta, also known as “Cesar the Abuser.” Castillo has not yet been arrested. Peralta created a complicated system of companies to hide the origins of his assets, using members of his family and social circles, “including two sports figures in the Dominican Republic,” Rodriguez said. Castillo on Instagram denied any ties to drugs. “The truth is my country no longer works, my God, do you think that after making millions of dollars in Baseball I am going to dirty my hands with drugs?” he wrote.
SOCCER
St Louis chosen for team
The MLS on Tuesday confirmed that St Louis has been awarded an expansion franchise that would boost North America’s top soccer league to 28 teams. Commissioner Don Garber made the announcement alongside the club’s ownership group, including Carolyn Kindle Betz, the Taylor family and Jim Kavanaugh. With Betz and six other female members of the Taylor family part of the group, St Louis is to be the first female majority-owned club in MLS history and one of few in professional sports. The club would begin MLS play in 2022 in a new stadium.
RUGBY UNION
‘Women’s’ dropped from Cup
World Rugby yesterday announced that it is adopting a policy of gender neutrality for their tournaments. In what it said is “a first for a major sporting federation” the 2021 edition of the World Cup in New Zealand would be known simply as Rugby World Cup 2021, with “Women’s” dropped from the title. This would also be applied to their Sevens World Cup competitions. The men’s tournaments have never specified gender. “World Rugby has announced that its flagship 15s and sevens Rugby World Cup properties will no longer include gender in their titles, furthering its commitment to equality and brand consistency across its portfolio,” it said in a statement.
SWIMMING
Sun appeal to be public
A case in which China’s multiple world and Olympic champion Sun Yang is accused of anti-doping violations is to be held in public in a break from usual procedure, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said in a statement on Tuesday. The World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed against a decision by the International Swimming Federation (FINA) to clear Sun of wrongdoing during a random drug test in September last year. The court said that it would be only the second case in its history to be held in public — the previous in 1999 also involved FINA.
ICE HOCKEY
Players begin boycott
Female players in Sweden are to go ahead with their boycott of an international tournament in Finland in protest against poor pay and working conditions. Sweden were to play their first game of the Five Nations Tournament yesterday against Japan, but the squad of 43 players were to be absent.
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