■ Basketball
Kung fu fighters get fined
Fourteen Chinese basketball players have been fined a total of more than US$21,700 (17,600 euros) for attacking players from Puerto Rico in an incident that sports authorities called a national disgrace, the country's basketball association said Friday. State media called the on-court violence on July 29 during the six-nation Stankovic Cup in Beijing a "night of shame" and said it damaged China's reputation in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Fighting erupted when two Chinese players rushed onto the court after a Puerto Rican player fouled a Chinese forward. Fans threw cups and other objects, forcing Puerto Rican players to shield their heads with upturned chairs as they left the court. Referees cut short the game.
■ Boxing
Ali knocks out dealers
Muhammad Ali settled a lawsuit against several sports collectibles dealers to block the sale of artwork and other memorabilia relating to the former heavyweight champion, including a Koran given to him by a former president of Egypt. An injunction issued after the lawsuit was filed in 2003 prevented the sale of hundreds of lithographs which bore forged Ali signatures, along with other items, Ali's attorney, Ron DiNicola, said on Thursday in a statement. Among the items were the Koran Ali received from former Egypt President Gamal Abdul Nasser, and a walking stick from Mobutu Sese Seko, the former president of Zaire. The lithographs were copies of an artist's rendering of Ali's knockout of Sonny Liston in 1965. Handwriting and memorabilia experts determined that the signatures on the lithographs were forged, the statement said. Named in the suit, and included in the settlement, were Grey Flannel Auctions, Inc and B&E Collectibles, Inc, of New York; and Broadway Ricks Strike Zone, Inc, of Florida.
■ Hockey
Niedermayer now a Duck
MVP defenceman Scott Niedermayer signed with Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Thursday, in another wild day of business on the NHL free agent market. A three-time Stanley Cup winner with the New Jersey Devils, Niedermayer, rated as one of the biggest prizes in a deep free agent market, agreed to a four-year contract worth US$27 million and a chance to play on the same team as his brother Rob. It was reported the Devils had offered him US$1 million more a season but the 31-year-old all-star rejected the contract. "Scott Niedermayer is one of the top defencemen in the game today, whose skating, puck-moving ability and leadership qualities make him a great addition to our team," Ducks GM Brian Burke said in a statement.
■ Horse racing
Pat decides to call it a day
With tears in his eyes, Pat Day brought an end to one of horse racing's most successful careers. "Since I made the decision to retire, there's been a joy and a peace that flooded my soul," the Hall of Fame jockey said Thursday during a news conference at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Day, with his wife Sheila and daughter Irene at his side, said he won't ride, but will continue to be a presence at race tracks around the country with the Race Track Chaplaincy program, working with chaplains behind the scenes. Day said he spent time in recent days at a friend's cabin on the Kentucky River, pondering his decision.
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
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,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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