■ Bangladesh
Britain to boost soccer
The British High Commiss-ioner to Bangladesh said yesterday he hoped to bring leading English soccer clubs to the country to help boost the game. "It's a challenge to bring clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United to Bangladesh and I will take it," Anwar Choudhury said while launching a soccer coaching program for young Bangladeshi soccer players. "It is time for Bangladeshi youths to take up the challenge and usher in a high standard so that they can play in the World Cup at some time," he said. Although soccer is popular in Bangladesh standards are modest.
■ England
Michael Carrick injured
Manchester United won the pre-season Amsterdam Tournament after beating Ajax 1-0 on Saturday but paid a heavy price. United's costly new signing, England midfielder Michael Carrick, suffered an ankle injury and left the ground on crutches. Manager Alex Ferguson told Sky News: "He's going to be out for a few weeks." Carrick was making only his second appearance for United since completing an ?18.6 million (US$35.4 million) move from Tottenham on Monday. The midfielder lasted just 16 minutes before being helped off after sustaining the injury. The winning goal came from a free kick 14 minutes from time by Ryan Giggs. The ball hit the bar and bounced back into play but the assistant referee ruled it had crossed the line. On Friday, United beat Porto 3-1 but had both Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes sent off. On Saturday, Inter Milan scored three first half goals to beat Porto 3-2 to finish second in the tournament.
■ England
Robson taken to hospital
Former England soccer manager Bobby Robson was taken to hospital during Ipswich's second division home game with Crystal Palace on Saturday. The 73-year-old complained of feeling unwell 10 minutes into the match. A statement on the Ipswich club Web site said: "He walked down to see the paramedics and was then escorted to an ambulance [and] driven to Ipswich hospital." Robson underwent tests and was said to be comfortable. Robson managed Ipswich for 13 years until 1982 before taking over the England post which he held for eight years. In May, he had a cancerous tumor removed from a lung. It had been revealed when he had an X-ray examination after a skiing accident.
■ France
Bordeaux beat Toulouse
Two goals by Marouane Chamakh and Julien Faubert earned Girondins Bordeaux a 2-0 victory over Toulouse in their season opener on Saturday. Morocco striker Chamakh headed home on 57 minutes to open the scoring with midfielder Faubert wrapping up the victory two minutes from time. Bordeaux, runners-up to Olympique Lyon last season, were without new signing Johan Micoud, who was suspended for the game.
■ Rugby Union
'Boks look for silver lining
South Africa coach Jake White said his side were more upset by their last-gasp 20-18 loss to Australia in Sydney on Saturday than the 49-0 drubbing at the hands of the Wallabies three weeks earlier. The young Springboks had shown great character by rebounding from that record loss in Brisbane but were still heartbroken by the defeat on Saturday, White said. "All we've heard about for the last three weeks is `49-nil, 49-nil,' so you've got to give credit to the players to turn a game around like that," he told a news conference. "But the players are still hurting about losing and as long as that continues then you know you're dealing with the right group of players. "This one hurts the most because it's the most consecutive times we've lost and is the most we've been abused in the media."
■ Shooting
US trio set world record
The US hit 211 targets to set a new world record in the women's skeet at the world shooting championships on Saturday. Connie Smotek hit 72 marks, Brandie Neal 70 and Haley Dunn shot 69 to top the team event and beat Italy's record of 210. Russia was second and Italy third. Erdzhanik Avetisyan of Russia won gold in the individual skeet event with 95 points. Chiara Cainero of Italy took silver, with 94 points, after hitting four targets in a shootout with Slovakia's Danka Bartekova who got bronze with 94 and three targets.
■ Soccer
Anderlecht win again
A penalty from Egypt captain Ahmed Hassan gave 10-man Anderlecht a 1-0 win at home to Germinal Beerschot in the Belgian first division on Saturday and kept the champions' 100 percent record intact. Hassan fired home his 49th minute spot kick after Mbark Boussoufa was taken down inside the box by Beerschot defender Kurt Van Dooren. The home team were forced to play the second half with 10 men after defender Anthony Vanden Borre was dismissed a minute before the break for a second bookable offence. Anderlecht are one of five teams who have won both their opening two matches. Racing Genk, Westerlo, FC Brussels and Excelsior Mouscron all won on Saturday to lead the table.
■ Champ Car
Da Matta's condition stable
Champ Car driver Cristiano da Matta's condition has stabilized but he remains in intensive care with a head injury after a collision with a deer at Road America. Multiple CT scans reveal no further bleeding in his head but there is swelling of the brain as doctors expected, said Dr Chris Pinderski, Champ Car World Series director of medical affairs. "His condition has stabilized but he will remain under heavy sedation as his recovery process continues," Pinderski said on Saturday in a statement.
■ Dog sled racing
Four-time champion dies
Four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher died in a Seattle hospital of complications from a recent bone marrow transplant, Senator Ted Stevens' office said. She was 51. Butcher, who died on Saturday, dominated the 1,770km sled dog race in the late 1980s. In 1986, she became the second woman to win the grueling race from Anchorage to Nome. She added victories in 1987, 1988 and 1990 and finished in the top four through 1993. "What she did is brought this race to an audience that had never been aware of it before simply because of her personality," said Iditarod spokesman Chas St George.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, 29, has died, the NBA team said in a statement on Tuesday, while the family of Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US pro sports league, announced the former Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets player had died after a battle with brain cancer. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement posted on social media. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.” The statement did not provide
Mathys Tel was hero and villain as Tottenham drew 1-1 at home to Leeds United on Monday — a result that leaves their English Premier League future hanging in the balance. The Frenchman broke the deadlock early in the second half to ease the tension at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but then gave away a penalty with a reckless attempted clearance. In the dying minutes, Spurs were grateful to Antonin Kinsky, who produced an astonishing save to deny the visitors a win. Tottenham are now two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United with just two games left this season. The
FRUSTRATION: Gauff smacked herself on the head with her racket before storming down the tunnel, emerging afterward to have a heated discussion with her coach Elina Svitolina on Saturday won the Italian Open after beating Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 to claim her third Rome title, while Jannik Sinner set a date with Casper Ruud in the men’s final. Ukraine’s Svitolina had not claimed a WTA 1000 title since her last victory at the Foro Italico eight years ago, but prevailed over the ever-erratic Gauff to claim her 20th tournament triumph. Saturday’s win over Gauff was her third in a row against a player in the top four of the world rankings — including Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina — ahead of the French
‘DONE IT ALL’: LeBron James is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season as a free agent with uncertainty swirling around his future LeBron James on Monday said he would take time to consider his future after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the NBA playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder in what could turn out to be the final game of his career. James, 41, delivered a typically defiant performance with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough to prevent the Lakers from falling 115-110 as the Thunder completed a 4-0 sweep in the Western Conference semi-finals series. The four-time NBA champion is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season
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