■ Basketball
Kemp arrested for marijuana
Shawn Kemp was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana on Friday, the latest drug-related trouble for the former NBA All-Star. Kemp, 36, was arrested following a traffic stop for driving without a license plate shortly after midnight. An officer with the Harris County Sheriff's Department pulled Kemp over and said he noticed the smell of burning marijuana coming from Kemp's vehicle. The officer later found less than 56 grams of the illegal drug in Kemp's possession. The six-time All-Star was released from the Harris County Jail after posting a US$500 cash bond and faces a court appearance on Friday. Kemp checked into a rehabilitation clinic for cocaine use in 2001. In April last year, he was arrested for possessing small amounts of cocaine and marijuana in his truck.
■ Soccer
Pull down flags: Dhaka cops
Police in the Bangladesh capital yesterday asked residents to remove the flags of foreign nations they hoisted to show their support during the soccer World Cup. Thousands of flags, mainly of Brazil and Argentina, were hoisted in Dhaka, a city of 10 million people, during the World Cup, with most yet to be removed. After the departure of two the South American teams in the quarterfinals, many even raised the flags of Germany and France to continue their support at the tournament. Bangladesh has never contested a World Cup, but most of its soccer-crazed population support either Brazil or Argentina. Authorities postponed classes and examinations at a leading university for a month after violent protests by students in Dhaka who complained that regular classes interfered with them watching World Cup matches.
■ Diving
China wins springboard gold
China's Wang Feng and He Chong took home the gold on Friday for the men's 3m synchronized springboard event, while teammates Jia Tong and Chen Ruolin won the women's 10m synchronized platform at the FINA World Cup competition. Wang and He split up last year but resumed their partnership at this year's Grand Prix, bagging three wins in a row before the World Cup. They led the competition with 446.73 points, while Americans Mitchell Richeson and Troy Dumais won the silver with 428.43 points. Germany's Tobias Schellenberg and Andreas Wels finished third with 393.30 points. They placed second in the 2004 Athens Olympics. The 14-year-old Jia took home her second gold medal with the help of Chen.
■ Soccer
Laporta to quit Barcelona
Joan Laporta, president of European champions FC Barcelona, plans to resign ahead of the club's forthcoming presidential elections. Speaking on Friday at a press conference, Laporta said he would leave his post on Wednesday. Barcelona judge Roberto Garcia Ceniceros ruled this week in favor of three club members who claimed Laporta's four-year term in office had finished at the end of last month -- and not on June 30 next year as argued by the club's management. Laporta was picked in early elections in 2003, prompted by the resignation of Joan Gaspart. One clause in the club statutes says that, in the event of early elections, the new president's first year in office runs from the date of the election to the end of the fiscal year, which for Barcelona is June 30.
A seven-year-old horse had to be euthanized on Friday after breaking its back on the final fence of a Grand National steeplechase race that it won despite sustaining the serious injury. It follows the death of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival last month — including one after the prestigious Gold Cup. Gold Dancer was competing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase during Ladies Day at Aintree’s Grand National Festival. The horse managed to cross the finish line approximately four lengths ahead of runner-up Regent’s Stroll. “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after
Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung on Sunday topped the men’s horizontal bar event at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, scoring 15.233 to take his third title this season. Tang delivered an outstanding performance in the final, earning a difficulty score of 6.500 and an execution score of 8.633 with a 0.1 stick bonus. His closest competitor was Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan, who finished second with 14.933 points. It was Tang’s third gold medal in the FIG World Cup series this year, following his horizontal bar wins in Azerbaijan on March 8, and in Turkey on March
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Ninad Malwade was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
This year’s Taiwan Athletics Open, which offers Taiwanese athletes an opportunity to compete against their international peers, would be held under a new name after its organizers had earlier announced the event’s cancelation. In a statement issued yesterday, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association said the competition would still take place on June 6-7 at Banciao Stadium, but under the name “New Taipei City Athletics Open 2026.” The event was given a new name to emphasize its local identity and conform with the international practice of naming World Athletics Tour events after cities, the association said. It said it would soon
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