■ 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.
Santiago Castro on Tuesday had an immediate impact off the bench as he scored the goal to send Bologna into the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years. Bologna won 1-0 against last year’s runners-up, Atalanta BC, and are to play either holders Juventus or Empoli in the final four. Juventus are to host Empoli in their quarter-final on Feb. 26. The last time Bologna reached the semi-finals was in 1999, when they lost 4-2 to ACF Fiorentina. There were chances for both sides in a high-tempo match in Bergamo, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock 10 minutes from
After nearly six years away from the NBA, New Taipei Kings player Jeremy Lin (林書豪) is set to participate in the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars mini-tournament as the coach of Team G League. The NBA announced Monday (U.S. time) that the Taiwanese-American player will join a trio of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers – Tim Hardaway Sr., Chris Mullin, and Mitch Richmond – as honorary coaches for four teams featuring 28 rising talents. "See you soon in the Bay," Lin wrote in an Instagram story sharing the news. As the All-Star Weekend will take place at
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38