Sat, Oct 21, 2006 page19

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■ Rugby Union
  All Blacks commit future

  All Blacks Jerry Collins and Greg Somerville are among 75 players to have committed their playing futures in New Zealand until after next year's World Cup, the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) said yesterday. Prop Somerville, the most experienced player on the list with 55 caps, flanker Collins, back Luke McAlister and lock Greg Rawlinson are the key players to have recently recontracted to play through 2007 and beyond, the NZRU statement said. "By recommitting to New Zealand, many of our players believe they still have a lot to offer New Zealand rugby and enjoy the game and lifestyle here," NZRU deputy chief executive Steve Tew said.

  ■ Cricket

  Kiwis call up Taylor

  New Zealand have called up batsman Ross Taylor as standby for Scott Styris at the Champions Trophy, a team spokesman said yesterday. The all-rounder was a doubtful starter for yesterday's day-night match against Sri Lanka due to the recurrence of a back problem. The 31-year-old Styris had missed the opening match against South Africa with a hamstring twinge. "Ross is not joining the official tour party. He is on stand-by and will arrive on Sunday," team spokesman Lindsay Crocker said. New Zealand, winners in 2000, also have injury concerns over strike bowler Shane Bond.

  ■ Soccer

  Bosnian fans want chiefs out

  Up to 600 fans of Bosnia's national team protested on Thursday demanding the resignation of the country's soccer chiefs, including coach Blaz Sliskovic, over alleged fraud. "Thieves, get out! [Soccer] federation, get out!" the protestors chanted in front of the office of Bosnia's soccer federation in downtown Sarajevo after authorities implicated its officials in the scandal. They called for all of the federation's officials, as well as Sliskovic, be replaced. "We demand that competent people be appointed in the federation," said the fans' leader Nizar Aldinavij. Local authorities have started investigating the federation for alleged fraud of up to 500,000 euros (US$630,000).

  ■ Soccer

  Chile suspend Pizarro

  Peruvian soccer officials on Thursday indefinitely suspended striker Claudio Pizarro from the national team after he skipped a friendly match with Chile to return to Germany to train with Bayern Munich. "The player is suspended from the national soccer team," the Peruvian soccer federation said in a statement. "Pizarro returned [to Germany] before the end of the [training] period without the permission of the coaches of the Peruvian national squad." The statement said Pizarro's conduct "constitutes an infraction of the regulations on the statute and transfer of players approved by FIFA." Local media speculated that Pizarro left without permission because he was angry with coach Franco Navarro for leaving him on the bench for most of that first game. Pizarro on Tuesday called Peru's Radioprogramas radio to say he would not play for his country as long as Navarro was in charge.

  ■ Soccer
  Legalized gambling debated

  Vietnamese lawmakers are divided on whether to legalize soccer betting, a move that could generate revenue for the sport and curb rampant illegal betting, state media reported yesterday. "Now is the time that we should acknowledge this issue and work out legal regulations," the Thanh Nien newspaper quoted Dang Van Xuong, a legislator from southern Long An Province, as telling the National Assembly's plenary session on Thursday. But the newspaper said legislator Nguyen Van Nhuong from the central province of Quang Binh disagreed, saying Vietnam should continue its current approach, prosecuting cases of match-fixing and illegal betting on soccer.

  ■ Soccer

  Rocks thrown, game halted

  Colo Colo's Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal match with Gimnasia y Esgrima in Santiago, Chile, was suspended in the 86th minute on Thursday after an Argentine midfielder was struck by rocks with the Chilean club leading 4-1. Humberto Suazo scored three goals before Paraguayan referee Carlos Torres halted the first leg match when debris from the crowd hit Gimnasia's Nicolas Cabrera. The South American soccer confederation will have to decide the fate of the match and if any sanctions should be imposed. Matias Fernandez put Colo Colo ahead at minute 23rd on a penalty kick and Maias Escobar scored the equalizer 15 minutes later.

  ■ Athletics

  Fenton hangs up her spikes

  Two-time Olympic silver medalist Lorraine Fenton, who returned from the Sydney Games with both the individual 400m and 4x400m relay runner-up prizes, has decided to retire from athletics. Fenton, who also earned individual silver medals at the 2001 and 2003 World Championships and a bronze in 1999, turned 33 last month. She has missed the last two major events, the 2004 Olympics and last year's worlds. "With the World Championships next summer in Japan, I had to look seriously at what I believed I was capable of achieving there and so this is the right time to say goodbye to the track, although not to the sport which I loved since I was in high school," she said.

  ■ Basketball

  O'Neal lawsuit dismissed

  A federal jury dismissed a civil lawsuit on Thursday by a man who claimed Indiana forward Jermaine O'Neal permanently injured him during the 2004 NBA brawl between Pacers players and Detroit Pistons fans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Charles Haddad, 23, alleged O'Neal's punch to his head caused him to suffer migraine headaches, memory loss, trouble sleeping, inability to socialize and aversion to bright lights and loud noises. The defense presented evidence that Haddad flew to Las Vegas the day after the Nov. 19, 2004, brawl and had been a regular visitor to the gambling mecca ever since.

  ■ Football

  Punter charged in stabbing

  Prosecutors filed a charge of attempted first-degree murder on Thursday against a former University of Northern Colorado reserve punter accused of stabbing the starter in his kicking leg. Mitchell Cozad, 21, is accused of stabbing Rafael Mendoza on Sept. 11 outside Mendoza's apartment. Cozad also faces one count of second-degree assault. Prosecutors said he could face up to 48 years in prison if convicted. Weld County district attorney's spokeswoman Jennifer Finch said a warrant was issued for Cozad's arrest.
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