■ Germany
Team contract lotto fever
Lottery fever gripping the nation has even spread to the national team with all 21 players of Joachim Loew's squad buying tickets for yesterday's rollover 35 million euro (US$44 million) jackpot, the German Football Federation said on Friday. Germany captain Michael Ballack and company have chosen their respective numbers and if they come up the winnings will go to charity. The squad were in Rostock ahead of yesterday's friendly with Georgia as they prepare for the Euro 2008 qualifier against Slovakia four days later.
■ Portugal
Big Phil wishes Silva well
National coach Luiz Felipe Scolari on Friday wished a rapid recovery for Uruguay striker Dario Silva, who had his right leg amputated following a car accident. "We want to send a message of concern and solidarity to Dario. He's an athlete who has had a misfortune and we hope that he recovers as soon as possible," the Brazilian World Cup-winning manager told reporters in Lisbon. Silva, 33, left a hospital in Montevideo on Thursday, 10 days after doctors amputated his leg below the knee.
■ Trinidad
Ince banned for going AWOL
Goalkeeper Clayton Ince was suspended by FIFA from playing for his English club Walsall for 10 days from yesterday for rejecting an international call up from Trinidad and Tobago. Ince was the first-choice goalkeeper of new Trinidad coach Wim Reisenbergen for friendlies against St. Vincent and the Grenadines yesterday and Panama on Wednesday. But he turned down the request, citing a groin strain he said he needed to rest. However, he then went and played a full game for Walsall last weekend in England's League Two. On Trinidad and Tobago's request, FIFA instructed Walsall it couldn't play Ince during the period of the Soca Warriors' two friendlies, and added a five-day suspension from next Thursday.
■ England
Chelsea accused over sand
Premiership champions Chelsea on Friday denied suggestions they had deliberately damaged their pitch ahead of a Champions League clash with Barcelona. Reports in the English press had drawn attention to pitch repairs carried out at Stamford Bridge this week that involved pouring tonnes of sand on the field. It was claimed the sand may have been put down to hinder Barcelona's fluid passing football when the European champions play Chelsea on Oct. 18. But Chelsea insist the sand was part of routine pitch work and a club spokesperson said: "Whilst the Chelsea players are away representing their national teams, an 18-day break between home fixtures has allowed our ground staff to carry out routine maintenance work on the Stamford Bridge pitch."
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
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
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
Taiwanese martial artists bagged one gold, four silver and three bronze medals at the World Junior Wushu Championships in Brunei, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brunei Darussalam said yesterday. Liu Yu-tzu won the gold medal in the girl’s taijiquan A group and also picked up a silver medal in the girl’s taijijian A group. Hu Hsin-ling, Yu Min-hsun and Chen Chao-hsiang each won a silver medal in the girl’s jianshu B, boy’s nangun B and boy’s taijijian A groups respectively. Hu also won a bronze medal in the girl’s qiangshu B group, while Yu and Lin Shih-hung picked up bronze medals
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