■Soccer
England fans praised
England's much criticized soccer fans gained some rare praise after the team's 2-1 defeat of Serbia-Montenegro on Tuesday for responding to an appeal by captain David Beckham and behaving impeccably. UEFA has threatened England with suspension from next summer's European Championship if the fans repeat the racist abuse and violent conduct that marred a 2-0 qualifying victory over Turkey at Sunderland in April. Beckham, unable to face Serbia because of a broken wrist, made a televised plea for them not to put the team's title chances at risk. Instead of jeering the national anthem of a visiting team and hurling racist abuse at their players, the 31,000 fans inside the Walkers Stadium did little wrong.
■ Olympics
US$2bn TV revenues sought
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) hopes to earn almost US$2 billion when four networks submit their bid for the US television rights of the 2010 Winter and 2012 Summer Olympics today and tomorrow. NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox will each hold two-hour presentations at the IOC headquarters in Switzerland before simultaneously handing over their bid in an envelope. "We want a transparent process in which not necessarily the highest bidder gets the rights. The whole package is important," said IOC President Jacques Rogge, who is also head of the Olympic TV commission. The decision is expected for Saturday via a conference call of the IOC executive board. "We will make a deal in June if we can get a good price," said IOC Vice President Thomas Bach.
■ Soccer
Ronaldo agents arrested
Two Brazilian business representatives of Ronaldo have been linked to an alleged extortion of US$33 million deposited in Swiss bank accounts, Brazilian newspapers reported Tuesday. Alexandre Martins and Reinaldo Pitta were arrested and jailed Monday on suspicion of money laundering and accounting fraud in connection with the case involving eight Brazilian federal and state tax inspectors. Martins, Ronaldo's agent, and Pitta were among the lead dealmakers for Ronaldo during last year's lengthy round of negotiations that moved the striker to Real Madrid from Italy's Internazionale for US$44 million. A lawyer for Martins and Pitta denied accusations they helped transfer the money to Switzerland for the tax inspectors. "This is a lynching," attorney Alexandre Dumans told the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper after his clients were arrested.
■ Cricket
Woman to keep score
A woman will keep official score of an international match in England for the first time next month, further eroding the male domination of cricket's establishment. Cathy Rawson, 55, is to score the final of the one-day triangular tournament involving England, South Africa and Zimbabwe at Lord's, the home of cricket, on July 12, The Times newspaper reported yesterday. "It is a wonderful privilege," Rawson was quoted as saying. "It all had to go before the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) board first but I am absolutely delighted." Rawson, a nurse, taught herself scoring 33 years ago when she became bored watching her husband play local cricket, the newspaper reported. The MCC, the prestigious cricket club still responsible for the laws of the game, broke with 212 years of tradition in 1999 when it announced its first women members.
Agencies
A seven-year-old horse had to be euthanized on Friday after breaking its back on the final fence of a Grand National steeplechase race that it won despite sustaining the serious injury. It follows the death of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival last month — including one after the prestigious Gold Cup. Gold Dancer was competing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase during Ladies Day at Aintree’s Grand National Festival. The horse managed to cross the finish line approximately four lengths ahead of runner-up Regent’s Stroll. “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after
Hans Niemann declares he would become a “stone cold killer” in a Netflix documentary released on Tuesday about his feud with five-time classical world champion Magnus Carlsen, a pledge that injects new edge into the lingering fallout from the cheating scandal that shook elite chess. “I’m gonna be a stone cold killer the rest of my life,” the US’ Niemann says in the film. “I’m going to become the best player in the world, and no one is going to believe that now, but this clip will play over and over again in 10 years — just wait.” “I just
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Shahzad Khan was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
OBJECTIVE REACHED: ’Now for us, it’s about getting healthy, making sure everybody is ready to go, and we can ramp up,’ the Atlanta Hawks’ C.J. McCollum said after the game The Atlanta Hawks on Friday secured an NBA playoff berth with a 124-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers as the Boston Celtics locked up the Eastern Conference second seed with a lopsided win of their own. C.J. McCollum scored a game-high 29 points for the Hawks, who came into the contest at sixth in the East and still in danger of falling into the play-in tournament that would see the seventh-through 10th-placed teams battle for the last two playoff berths in each conference. Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson scored 18 points apiece, and Dyson Daniels added a triple-double of 13
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