■ Best's shirt up for sale
The Manchester United shirt worn by George Best when he scored six goals against Northampton Town in 1970 will go on auction next month and is expected to fetch £20,000 to £30,000 (US$38,000 to US$57,000). The red and white shirt is part of a soccer memorabilia sale at auction house Christie's on Sept. 13. Best's performance during the match is widely considered as one of his finest. Roy Fairfax, the Northampton player who was marking the Northern Irish player, said afterwards: "The closest I got to him was when we shook hands after the game." Also on sale is the Brazil shirt worn by Rivelino at the 1970 World Cup final in which his team beat Italy 4-1. According to Christie's, Rivelino fainted at the final whistle and had to be carried from the field.
■ Boxing
Mayweather to face Baldomir
Floyd Mayweather Jr, generally considered the world's best kilo-for-kilo boxer, will fight Carlos Baldomir for the WBC welterweight title on Nov. 4 in Las Vegas. Mayweather (36-0, 24 KOs) chose his next opponent last weekend after months of campaigning for a matchup with Oscar De La Hoya, who still hasn't decided whether he will retire. Mayweather won the IBF welterweight belt in his last fight with a unanimous decision over Zab Judah in April, but relinquished that title. Baldomir (43-9 with six draws and 13 KOs) hasn't lost a fight in nearly 10 years, most recently stopping Arturo Gatti in the ninth round on July 22. The 35-year-old Argentine was hungry to fight Mayweather for the biggest purse of his career, calling out Mayweather moments after beating Gatti.
■ NFL
Robinson arrested again
The Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver Koren Robinson, who was an all-pro NFL kick returner last year, was arrested on drunk driving and other charges and was in a Minnesota jail on Wednesday, police said. Robinson, 26, who has acknowledged a drinking problem and was suspended for four games in 2004 for violating the league's substance abuse policy, was apprehended late on Tuesday in southern Minnesota. His blue BMW was traveling in excess of 160km per hour, and several police departments were enlisted to pull him over, according to police in St. Peter, Minnesota. He was arrested without further incident on charges of driving while impaired, reckless driving and fleeing police. Robinson was cut by the Seattle Seahawks last year partially because of a previous drunk driving arrest but was picked up by the Vikings. He was the National Football Conference's top kick returner last year.
■ Soccer
Parreira accepts Bafana offer
Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has accepted the post of South Africa coach with the task of taking them through the 2010 World Cup final, which they are hosting, it was reported on Wednesday. The 63-year-old agreed the deal with the South African Football Federation on Tuesday, according to his lawyer. According to the press Parreira, who quit his post as Brazil coach following the disappointing World Cup quarter-final exit to France, had all his wishes granted by the federation, who had their first offer turned down by him. While no definitive financial details have been released, it is believed that he will earn 100 million rand (US$14.5 million) over four years.
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
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