■ Soccer
Nemeth suffers embolism
Slovakian international striker Szilard Nemeth will be out of action for three months after suffering an embolism, his German club Alemannia Aachen said on Wednesday. The 29-year-old former Middlesbrough forward is currently in hospital for the blood clot but should return home at the end of the week according to his paymasters.
■ Olympics
North Korea calls for unity
North Korea has called for renewed talks with South Korea on forming a unified team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, a South Korean official said yesterday. The North also proposed that athletes from the two Koreas march together at the opening and closing ceremonies at next month's Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, said Park Chul-geun, an official from the South Korean Olympic committee. North Korea asked for the talks on the joint Olympic team to take place in Doha, Park said.
■ Basketball
Spectator sues Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant is being sued by a man who claims the LA Lakers star deliberately elbowed him during a Memphis Grizzlies' game last year. Bill Geeslin sat in the stands when the Lakers played in Memphis last Nov. 14. His three-page federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday claims Bryant came off the court during play, landed on Geeslin and "without provocation" committed assault and battery when he struck Geeslin with his elbow. Geeslin is seeking more than US$75,000 in damages for unspecified injuries.
■ Baseball
Devil Rays win Iwamura
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays won US Major League Baseball negotiating rights to Yakult Swallows third baseman Akinori Iwamura on Wednesday, submitting a winning bid of about US$4.5 million for the power hitter. The Devil Rays have 30 days to finalize a contract with Iwamura. If he is not signed by Dec. 15, Tampa Bay's bid is void and Iwamura returns to play in Japan. The 27-year-old Iwamura was a five-time All-Star in eight seasons with the Swallows. A left-handed hitter, he batted .311 with 32 homers and 77 RBIs in 145 games last season.
■ Tennis
Indonesia fined for no show
The International Tennis Federation has fined Indonesia US$31,600 and banned it from next year's tournament for canceling its July Fed Cup match against Israel at Tel Aviv. The Indonesian Tennis Association is expected to appeal the ruling before the Dec. 20 deadline, Ferry Raturandang, secretary general of the ITA, said yesterday after being informed of the decision by e-mail. Muslim-dominated Indonesia, which has no diplomatic relations with Israel, had asked that the venue of its World Group II playoff match be moved to another country. Raturandang said Indonesia was told it must pay US$5,000 for pulling out of the match and US$20,000 to host Israel.
■ Soccer
Real sell rights for US$1bn
Real Madrid agreed to sell its TV rights for 800 million euros (US$1.02 billion) in a seven-year deal, club president Ramon Calderon said on Tuesday. Calderon didn't disclose the buyer, saying the club would give details in the next few days. "It is the biggest contract in the history of world sport," Calderon was quoted as saying by the Web site of sports daily Marca. Spain's ABC newspaper recently reported that Madrid's regional government -- through its free-to-air network Telemadrid -- and bank Caja Madrid lodged a 600 million euro bid to broadcast Real Madrid games for five seasons from 2009 to 2013.
■ Cricket
Schoolboys rack up 721
Two schoolboys in the southern city of Hyderabad set a record partnership on Wednesday, evoking memories of a similar knock between batting great Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli nearly two decades ago. Openers Manoj Kumar and Mohammad Shaibaz Tumbi both scored triple centuries and put on 721 runs as they batted through a full 40 overs in an under-13s inter-school limited-overs match. Local journalists were quick to recall the 1988 exploits of a teenage Tendulkar and Kambli, who both hit triple centuries in Mumbai's Harris Shield schools competition. Tendulkar and Kambli put on a record 664 runs for the third wicket for Shardashram against St Xavier's. Manoj scored 320 off 127 balls and Tumbi 324 off 116 balls for St Peter's School and they ran up the highest total, highest partnership and eventually the highest margin of victory (700 runs) in any class of the limited-overs game. A stunned St Phillip's School were bundled out for a paltry 21 in just seven overs.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
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