■ Soccer \nBarthez set to stay \nFIFA on Thursday turned down a request for the out-of-favor Manchester United goalie to move quickly on loan to Marseille, where he aimed to clock up valuable between-the-posts time before Euro 2004. "FIFA won't comply with the request by Marseille," FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said. FIFA's player status committee, meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, took the decision "on the basis of the international transfer regulations," Herren said in a telephone interview. FIFA rules do not allow players to move clubs outside certain times of the year. Marseille had hoped that FIFA would waive the rules for Barthez, a member of France's 1998 World Cup-winning team who has been stuck on the Red Devils' bench since May. \n■ Soccer \nUEFA fines Turkey, England \nThe Turkish Football Association was fined 30,000 Swiss francs (US$22,555) by UEFA on Thursday for the lack of order in the stadium during the Turkey vs England European championship qualifier earlier this month. Witnesses reported that about 50 players and officials from both teams scuffled after Turkish defender Alpay Ozalan jabbed a finger in England captain David Beckham's face at halftime of the Oct. 11 match. UEFA also fined the English FA 10,000 Swiss francs (US$7,520) for the improper conduct of some of its players in the tunnel. The Turkish FA was sanctioned for its part in the throwing of missiles as well as for the improper conduct of some of its players and one security staff member. No charges were brought against individual players. \n■ Soccer \nArsenal players get fined \nArsenal defenders Lauren and Martin Keown were given multiple-match suspensions and handed heavy fines by the English Football Association on Thursday for their violent behavior at the end of a 0-0 draw with Manchester United. Captain Patrick Vieira and Ray Parlour were also fined and banned for one match each. Arsenal was also fined ?175,000 (US$297,500) for failing to ensure the proper behavior of its players at the end of the Sept. 21 game at Old Trafford. The club was reprimanded and warned to its future conduct. Arsenal said in a statement it was currently considering its position. "Arsenal requires its players to behave properly at all times, both on and off the field," the statement said. "The club accepts that what occurred during and immediately after the match ... fell well below the required standard. The club accepts responsibility for the behavior of its players." \n■ Athletics \nHot weather sparks fears \nWith the temperature predicted to reach 22?C tomorrow for the New York City Marathon, the American Medical Athletic Association has warned runners against over hydrating. Overhydration, also known as hyponatremia, occurs when fluid intake exceeds fluid loss during exercise, throwing off the balance between the body's water and sodium levels. When the blood has too much water and too little sodium, the brain swells and pushes against the skill. "Runners often drink as much fluid as possible to avoid dehydration and to stay cool," said Dr. Arthur Siegel, a member of the AMAA. "But excessive intake of water and sports drinks can lead to nausea, vomiting and in the most severe instances, seizures, coma and even death." \n■ Woodward gets generous \nEngland coach Clive Woodward suggested yesterday that the team's 10,000 (US$16,000) fine for putting a 16th player on the field should go to help Samoan rugby. England was fined for ignoring orders from a match official and putting an extra player on the field during its 35-22 victory over Samoa on Sunday. The team sent winger Dan Luger on for the injured Mike Tindall even though the center was still on the field receiving treatment. Woodward said that the cash-strapped Samoans deserved the money because of the way they behaved after the blunder by not pushing for England to be punished and ruining what has so far been the best game of the World Cup. "They were outstanding before we played them, and my respect for them, especially their coaches John Boe and Michael Jones, is immense. Their line is that they didn't want anything to tarnish what was a great game of rugby. They were clearly being put under a fair amount of pressure to say something, and they wouldn't have anything to do with it. \n■ Rugby \nWales renovates side \nEffectively conceding defeat to New Zealand, Wales coach Steve Hansen has made 10 changes to the Wales lineup to meet the All Blacks in a final World Cup group game tomorrow. Iestyn Harris, the convert from rugby league who has performed well at this World Cup, is rested ahead of a quarterfinal against either defending champion Australia or Ireland, who meet today to decide who finishes top of Group A. The Welsh haven't beaten New Zealand since 1953. With the All Blacks so far averaging 70 points a game, there's little chance that sequence is going to change.
Fickle winds produced farcical scenes yesterday on day two of the America’s Cup challenger series in Auckland, as the so-called “flying” yachts spent almost as much time in the water as above it. “I’m not sure today is a really accurate read because it’s so puffy, it’s shifty,” British sailing legend Ben Ainslie said after his Ineos Team UK maintained their perfect start to the Prada Cup series with a third straight win. The series would determine which of the 23m yachts — which fly above the water balanced on hi-tech foil arms — would challenge defending champion Team New Zealand for
Transgender athletes are to have an ally in the White House next week, as they seek to participate as their identified gender in high school and college sports — although state legislatures, the US Congress and the courts are all expected to have their say this year, too. Attorneys on both sides say they expect US president-elect Joe Biden’s Department of Education to switch sides in two key legal battles — one in Connecticut, the other in Idaho — that could go a long way in determining whether transgender athletes are treated by the sex on their birth certificates or by
DOUBLES VICTORY: The men’s doubles pairing of Taiwanese Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin downed Malaysians Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi, and face South Koreans today Men’s badminton world No. 2 Chou Tien-chen yesterday marched into the semi-finals of the Thailand Open, defeating younger opponent Lee Zii-jia 21-17, 21-15 after a rally, while Tai Tzu-ying had no trouble getting past her Canadian opponent in the women’s singles. The top male Taiwanese credited calm and focus in securing his win after briefly falling behind against his 22-year-old Malaysian opponent. “I think I had more patience against him and I won most of the long rallies,” the 31-year-old Chou said of Lee. “He wanted to attack [too much] and maybe he lost some focus,” Chou said. In today’s semi-finals, second-seeded Chou faces
DOUBLE VISION: The men’s duo of Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin downed the South Korean pairing of Choi Sol-gyu and Seo Seung-jae to secure their place in the final Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday easily defeated Mia Blichfeldt in her women’s singles match to advance to the finals of the Yonex Thailand Open in Bangkok, while Chou Tien-chen crashed out of the tournament. Tai quickly ousted world No. 18 Blicheldt, of Denmark, in 34 minutes, winning 21-8, 23-21. The world No. 1 today must overcome Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain, who took down An Se-young of South Korea yesterday 21-18, 21-16. In men’s singles, Taiwan’s Chou fell to Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long after a tough 66 minutes of play. While Chou, the world No. 2, bested Ng in the first set,
RSS