■ Baseball
Japan wins, Taiwan loses
Defending champion Japan slammed host China 7-0 at the Junior Women's World Softball Championship. Karino Ayumi put Japan on the board in the fourth inning Thursday, driving in three runs, the Xinhua News Agency said. In other results Thursday, the US beat Taiwan 6-1; New Zealand shut out South Korea 8-0; Australia beat the Philippines 4-1; the Netherlands edged Argentina 4-3; and Canada stomped Thailand 17-0. Also, the Philippines beat the Czech Republic 2-0, and Russia defeated Thailand 1-0. The championship, which runs until today, is being held in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing. It includes 14 teams including last year's top three -- Japan, the United States and Taiwan.
■ Football
Raider sues teammate
Oakland Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski was sued by teammate Marcus Williams, who was seriously injured when they fought during practice. The suit, filed Thursday in Alameda County court, seeks unspecified damages for alleged battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Romanowski instigated the fight Aug. 24 when he ripped off Williams' helmet and punched him in the face, breaking a bone around his left eye. The fracture put Williams on injured reserve -- ending his season before it began.
■ Cricket
South Africans ride luck
Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis rode their luck Friday as sloppy Pakistan fielders dropped three catches on the first day of the first cricket test, allowing South Africa to reach 145 for two. At the end of an extended first session of 2 1/2 hours due to Friday prayers, Kirsten was unbeaten on 46 and Kallis not out on 27. Kallis was also lucky not to be given out by English umpire Neil Mallender, standing in his first test. One run later, Kallis, who celebrated his 28th birthday Thursday, rode his luck once again when Moin Khan couldn't hold onto a thick edge behind the wickets.
■ Baseball
Murder suspect enters plea
One of two men charged with murder in the shooting of a San Francisco Giants fan at Dodger Stadium pleaded innocent. Manuel Hernandez, 33, is being held on US$1 million bail pending his Nov. 3 court date. He entered his plea Thursday. Pete Marron, 19, also is accused of murder in the killing of Mark Allen Antenorcruz near the end of the Dodgers-Giants game Sept. 13. Marron, who is at large, also has been charged with discharge of a firearm.
■ Baseball
MLB accused of racism
A former Major League Baseball employee accused the sport's business arm of fostering an environment in which anti-Asian hostility thrived. Juri Morioka said in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed Thursday in US District Court in Manhattan that the hostilities were evident while she worked for one year as an administrative assistant in Major League Baseball's Broadcasting Department. Morioka, a Japanese citizen, said she was told when she was hired in February last year that her Japanese language skills and familiarity with the Japanese culture would help MLB's International Department deal with Japanese clients. Yet, she said, she was repeatedly subjected until her May termination to an "unreasonable, offensive and demeaning anti-Japanese and anti-Asian hostility that pervaded the entire International Department."
SSC Napoli’s Italian Serie A title hopes suffered a late setback on Sunday when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Genoa, setting up a thrilling season finale with closest rivals Inter just one point behind. The hosts remain top with 78 points, holding a slim lead over Inter, who won 2-0 at Torino earlier on Sunday, with two rounds remaining. To make matters worse for Napoli, midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, struggling with an ankle injury, was forced off just minutes after the match began. Scott McTominay delivered a perfect pass into the box where Romelu Lukaku got
Harry Kane opened the scoring ahead of lifting his first career silverware as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0, with veteran Thomas Mueller playing his last home game for the club. Bayern officially won the title on May 4 when defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, but were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans at full-time. Dripping wet after being showered with beer by teammates, Kane said the title win was “an incredible feeling,” and hoped it would be “the first of many.” “It’s been lot of hard work, a lot of
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Taiwanese e-sports veteran Lin “ET” Chia-hung yesterday successfully defended his King of Fighters XV title at this year’s Evolution Championship Series: Japan (EVO Japan), securing his second consecutive championship. Lin claimed victory with a 3-1 win over Japanese pro gamer “mok” in the grand final, repeating his earlier 3-1 win against the same opponent in the winners’ final. The 40-year-old earned a ￥1 million (US$6,897) cash prize at the two-day tournament, which drew 294 competitors. Mok, Lin’s toughest rival in the bracket, took home ￥400,000 as runner-up. Lin remains undefeated in match sets against mok in King of Fighters XV, holding a 10-0 record,
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