■ Soccer
Adams refuses to go
Micky Adams said yesterday he will stay on as manager of Leicester City despite his overall responsibility for the three players jailed on sex charges in Spain. Weekend newspaper reports said Adams was under pressure to quit after captain Paul Dickov, Keith Gillespie and Frank Sinclair were charged with sexual assault on Friday. "Firstly, I would like to make it clear that I am continuing as manager of Leicester City," Adams said in a statement. "It would be true to say I have thought long and hard about my own situation as a result of recent events. However, I am determined to see the job through and do my very best for the club." The alleged attack occurred while Leicester was on a training camp near Carategna, Spain. Adams returned to Leicester late Friday. "Without wishing to prejudge the criminal investigations and our own club investigation, I am deeply concerned about the actions of a minority of my players," Adams said.
■ Soccer
Explosion kills fan
A Salvadoran soccer fan died and at least 20 others were injured on Sunday after an explosion on the terraces apparently caused by supporters mishandling chemicals used to create smoke, emergency workers said. The first division match between Alianza and San Salvador was scrapped after the blast at the Jorge Gonzalez stadium in the capital. The game had not started when the explosion happened. The dead man was named as Jesus Montano, 24, who was a member of the "Loyal White" group of Alianza supporters who often let off smoke and fireworks during matches. Police and Red Cross workers said fans had been handling the chemical chlorate when the blast happened.
■ Soccer
Brawl halts match
A soccer match between Hong Kong's Buler Rangers and the Chinese club Nancheng Real Estate was abandoned on Sunday following a brawl between the players in southern China, officials said. The two teams were playing in a Hong Kong First Division match in the nearby Chinese city of Dongguan when the violence flared after Rangers' Nigerian striker Cornelius Udebuluzor was fouled by a Nancheng defender in the 31st minute, Rangers officials said. Rangers was leading 1-0 at the time. Rangers' midfielder Chan Yiu-lun suffered a deep cut above his eye and bruises, while three other teammates had only minor injuries. "We have four players injured with Chan suffering the worst injury after being punched and kicked by the Nancheng players," Rangers' team manager Philip Lee said.
■ Horse racing
Gambler scores big
An international bettor who gambled 1 million Australian dollars (US$760,000) recouped his stake and more than half that again Monday when Lonhro won its final Melbourne race in the 2,000m Australian Cup at Flemington. Sportingbet gaming officials confirmed last week they had taken the A$1 million bet at A$1.55, meaning the stallion's win yesterday gave the gambler a total collect of A$1.55 million (US$1.17 million). It was believed to be the largest single bet placed on a horse in the past 20 years in Australia, Sportingbet officials said. The gambler was not identified. Lonhro, which edged to victory Monday in the closing meters of the race, won its 25th race in 33 starts. It has collected more than US$3.8 million in career prize money. Lonhro will continue racing in Sydney before being retired to stud to join his father Octagonal, winner of the 1997 Australian Cup, in late April.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
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