■ Soccer
Rooney accused of spitting
Everton and England striker Wayne Rooney has been accused of spitting in a woman's face at a Manchester nightclub, British media reported yesterday. The Sun newspaper reported the 18-year-old faced a police probe over the alleged incident which took place in the early hours of Sunday. Greater Manchester Police refused to confirm the names of those involved, and said an investigation into the incident was underway. "It is claimed that an 18-year-old man spat in the woman's face in a Manchester nightclub at around 3am on Sunday Feb. 8," a police spokesman said, adding the complaint was lodged by a 23-year-old woman. The player's agent Paul Stretford was quoted as saying by British media that a woman had spat at Rooney.
■ Soccer
Inter blasts ref
Inter Milan took aim at referee Emilio Pellegrino after their Italian Cup semifinal defeat on penalties by Juventus on Thursday. Juve, Inter's historic rivals, won 5-4 on penalties after the second leg ended 2-2 after extra-time. The first leg had also finished in a 2-2 draw. Inter had Colombian defender Ivan Cordoba sent off in the 67th minute for a crude late challenge on Juve's European Player of the Year Pavel Nedved and moments later were up in arms after a penalty claim was waved away by Pellegrino. "The refereeing tonight was unacceptable and after all we did in those two games we are out of the Cup," Inter president Giacinto Facchetti told reporters. "But I want to congratulate the referee for helping us find our spirit and determination after he left us to play with 10 men." Asked whether Inter would make a formal complaint about the officiating, Facchetti said: "There are institutions that need to control certain things."
■ Olympics
Kim indicted for corruption
International Olympic Committee vice president Kim Un-yong has been indicted on charges of taking bribes and embezzling funds from South Korean sports organizations, a prosecution official confirmed yesterday. Kim was indicted Thursday, according to prosecution spokesman Kook Min-soo, who could not provide details of the charges against the 72-year-old sports administrator, who was arrested on Jan. 28. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Kim is charged with embezzling 3.84 billion won (US$3.28 million) in funds from the World Taekwondo Federation, the World Taekwondo Headquarters -- which issues taekwondo credentials -- as well as other sports organizations. Kim is also accused of receiving bribes of 810 million won (US$692,000) from businesses and a sports official in return for favors, Yonhap said.
■ Basketball
Yao signs burger deal
NBA star Yao Ming will be friends with Ronald McDonald after the Houston Rockets center signed a multiyear sponsorship deal with McDonald's. The contract was announced at a McDonald's outlet inside the Los Angeles Convention Center on Thursday. Yao was in town to play in tomorrow's NBA All-Star game at Staples Center. "I have always been a big fan of McDonald's ever since the first restaurant opened in China 10 years ago," Yao said. Yao replaces Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, whose three-year deal with the fast-food company expired on Dec. 31 and was not renewed. Bryant has lost other sponsors while his sexual assault case proceeds in Colorado. "His contract expired and we mutually determined under the circumstances it was best to not renew," said Larry Light, McDonald's global chief marketing officer.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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