■ Boxing
Junior Witter wins title
Junior Witter claimed the WBC light welterweight belt with a unanimous decision win over DeMarcus Corley of the US on Friday. The Englishman claimed the vacant title on all three judges scorecards at Alexandra Palace in north London, 118-112, 117-111 and 116-114. "I was up against a hell of a fighter, with a great chin," Corley said. "But it was just a case of making sure I won, and I never felt in any trouble whatsoever. Now I am world champion, and I am on top of the world. A lot of people did not have faith in me, from before I turned pro -- but I have proved them all wrong," he said. The 32-year-old Witter lost to Zab Judah in an IBF title bid in 2000 in a unanimous decision. The victory was Witter's 34th, with 19 knockouts, with one loss and two draws. Corley fell to 31-5 with one draw.
■ Soccer
Eriksson talking to US
Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has spoken with the US Soccer Federation about taking the vacant post, the New York Times reported on Friday. Citing an unnamed source who feared jeopardizing a relationship with federation officials, the newspaper reported Eriksson was among several possible replacements for Bruce Arena, who was dumped after this year's World Cup. Eriksson resigned after the World Cup in Germany after being paid US$5 million by England's Football Association -- a figure the Times said was probably beyond US Soccer's ability to match. Arena's salary was about US$600,000 before bonuses. Others reportedly interviewed regarding the US job include Jurgen Klinsmann, who led Germany to the semi-finals on home soil and wants US$2 million a year, and Argentina's Jose Pekerman.
■ Soccer
Mafia shirt vexes Sicilians
Italian politicians condemned the sale of T-shirts reading "The Hammers vs. the Mafia" before West Ham's UEFA Cup match against Sicilian side Palermo. "The T-shirt gesture ... is deplorable," Carlo Vizzini, a former member of the Italian parliament's anti-Mafia commission, was quoted as saying on Friday by Italian news agency ANSA. "Perhaps it would be suitable for West Ham ... to apologize to Palermo's citizens," he said. The T-shirts were on sale outside West Ham's Upton Park stadium before Thursday's game in the first round of European soccer's second-tier competition. The London club lost the match 1-0. Sicily's governor, Salvatore Cuffaro, said that the T-shirts were "an offense to all Sicilians," who were "tired" of outdated stereotypes.
■ Soccer
`Ogre' exiled after four reds
An Argentinine striker known as the "Ogre" has been loaned to Israeli club Beitar Jerusalem after he was red carded four times in 22 games for his first division Argentine club Lanus. "It's better for me and for the club," said Cristian Fabbiani, 23. The "Ogre," as he is known, received his latest sending-off in Lanus' game against Independiente on Sunday for assaulting an opponent, to the evident dismay of his team bosses. Fabbiani will be based at the Jerusalem-based club until next year under the watchful eye of Osvaldo Ardiles, a World Cup winner with
Argentina in 1978.
■ golf
Curtis, Moore lead Lumber
Former British Open champion Ben Curtis and Ryan Moore shrugged off the hoopla surrounding Michelle Wie and seized the halfway lead in the PGA 84 Lumber Classic on Friday. As teenage sensation Wie failed to make the cut, Curtis quietly went about securing a spot atop the leader board. Showing stunning accuracy off the tee, Curtis recovered from an early bogey to collect four birdies in a three-under 69 in benign morning conditions at the Mystic Rock course in Farmington, Pennsylvania. Curtis joined Moore (67) at 9-under 135, one stroke ahead of Sean O'Hair (69), Charles Howell (69) and first-round leader Nicholas Thompson (72). "I made it pretty easy on myself," Curtis said. "The only bad shot I hit was on No. 11, my second shot [a 3-wood] into the water. "Other than that I played extremely well, made some long putts, which is nice. It makes the game a bit easier." Wie ballooned to an 81 following her opening-round 77 and finished at 14-over 158, last in the field among those who completed 36 holes.
■ Golf
Monty fights for semi place
Colin Montgomerie fought back from four down after six holes to knock defending champion Michael Campbell of New Zealand out of the World Matchplay Championship on Friday. Montgomerie, who joins Shaun Micheel, Paul Casey and Robert Karlsson in the last four, got the match back to all square at lunchtime although he was lucky when his approach to the 18th hit a tree and bounced back into play for him to snatch a half. Shaun Micheel, who beat Tiger Woods on the first day, continued where he left off by knocking out world number ten Luke Donald 4 and 2. Paul Casey beat Canadian Mike Weir 5 and 3 to claim his place in the last four. Robert Karlsson is the other semi-finalist. He knocked out Argentina's Angel Cabrera 4 and 3.
■ Hockey
Avalanche star misses camp
Steve Konawalchuk did not join the Colorado Avalanche for the start of training camp because the left wing might have a heart problem, the NHL club announced on Friday. "Results from standard EKG testing done [on Thursday] revealed an abnormality and further examination is required at this time to determine the exact nature of his condition," Avalanche trainer Matt Sokolowski said. More tests are scheduled upon the 33-year-old American, who has 171 goals and 225 assists in 790 NHL games. Konawalchuk missed the final 61 games and the playoffs last season with a wrist injury, finishing with six goals and nine assists in 21 games. He was obtained by the Avalanche in 2003 after 12 seasons with the Washington Capitals. He produced 19 goals and 20 assists in his first season with Colorado.
The next generation of running talent takes center stage at today’s Berlin Marathon, in the absence of stars including Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopian world record holder Tigist Assefa. With most of the major marathon stars skipping the event in the wake of the Paris Olympics just more than a month ago, the field is wide open in the men’s and women’s races. Since 2015, Kipchoge has won five times in Berlin, Kenenisa Bekele has won twice and Guye Adola once — with all three missing today. Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie and Ethiopian Tadese Takele are among the favourites for the men, while
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Taiwan’s Tony Wu yesterday beat Mackenzie McDonald of the US to win the Nonthaburi Challenger IV in Thailand, his first challenger victory since 2022. The 26-year-old world No. 315, who won both his qualifiers to advance to the main draw, has been on a hot streak this month, winning his past nine matches, including two that ensured Taiwan’s victory in their Davis Cup World Group I tie. Wu took just more than two hours to top world No. 172 McDonald 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to win his second challenger tournament since the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in 2022. Wu’s Tallahassee win followed two years of
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