■ Cricket
Watson still doubtful
Australia allrounder Shane Watson remained in doubt for the first Ashes Test against England after a less-than-convincing performance at training yesterday at the Gabba. Watson gave his strained right hamstring a gentle test by running laps and doing some light sprint work for 45 minutes before bowling three overs in the nets. The 25-year-old Watson then left training with team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris to undergo further scans on his injury. A Cricket Australia spokesman said Watson ran at about 70 percent capacity yesterday and would train with the squad today.
■ Sumo
Asashoryu ousts Kokkai
Grand champion Asashoryu dispatched Kokkai yesterday and took sole possession of the lead at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in Fukuoka, Japan. Fighting in the day's final bout at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, Asashoryu of Mongolia improved to 9-0 when he quickly got both arms around Kokkai, twisting the winless komusubi off balance before pushing him off the ring. Asashoryu, the only grand champion competing in sumo, is aiming to capture his 19th Emperor's Cup in the 15-day tourney. In another major bout, ozeki Chiyotaikai used his trademark arm thrusts to the neck to send Kisenosato out to improve to 8-1.
■ Soccer
Mexico, Jamaica win
Mexico defeated Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 and Jamaica beat Panama 2-0 in Women's Gold Cup soccer quarter-finals on Sunday. First-half goals from Patricia Perez and Monica Gonzalez were enough for Mexico, which advanced to a semi-final against the two-time defending champion US team tomorrow. The US and Canada, which will meet Jamaica in the other semi-final, earned byes into the final four. Dominguez scored Mexico's third goal in the 66th minute. Trinidad hardly tested Mexico goalkeeper Sophia Perez and created only two shots on goal. Audia Sullivan's early goal for Jamaica stood up, while Venicia Reid's score put away Panama for good. Jamaica still has not allowed a goal in six Gold Cup matches and has outscored opponents 38-0.
■ Rugby Union
Gregan praises Giteau
Australia scrumhalf Matt Giteau received praise yesterday from George Gregan, the man whose place in the Wallabies team he is currently occupying. Giteau, normally a center, played in the Wallabies' 21-6 defeat by Ireland on Sunday, his third Test at No. 9 on Australia's European tour. "Matt's done really, really well there," Gregan told reporters in Adelaide. "He's got a history of playing that position, and he's just a really world-class player, he's played 10 and 12 and then gone to nine, so they're totally different skill sets and he's adapted really well," Gregan said.
■ Baseball
Soriano nears huge contract
Free agent Alfonso Soriano and the Chicago Cubs reached a preliminary agreement on an eight-year contract worth about US$136 million, a Major League Baseball official said on Sunday. The deal is contingent on Soriano passing a physical, according to the official, who asked that his name not be used because the deal had not yet been announced. If completed, it would be the fifth-largest total package given to a major league player, behind Alex Rodriguez (US$252 million for 10 years), Derek Jeter (US$189 million for 10 years), Manny Ramirez (US$160 million for eight years) and Todd Helton (US$141.5 million for 11 years).
■ Golf
Singh bags Asian Tour title
India's Jeev Milkha Singh wrapped up the Asian Tour order of merit title with a third-place finish at the Hong Kong Open on Sunday. Singh has enjoyed an excellent season, ending a seven-year title drought with victory at the co-sanctioned China Open in April, which he followed up with a surprise triumph at the European Tour's Volvo Masters in Spain last month. "I'm very excited. It's like a Christmas gift to me now," Singh told reporters after securing his first order of merit title with a record total of US$573,422 and one event still to play. "This year has been excellent. It's like a dream year. With a tied third finish here and winning the order of merit, it is just perfect for me," he added.
■ Boxing
Klitschko plans comeback
Former WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko hopes to return to the ring two years after injuries forced his retirement, according to a German report. Klitschko, the older brother of IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko, plans to start his comeback attempt by working with a physiotherapist in Germany, the Westdeutsche Zeitung reported over the weekend. "We already have a concept," Klitschko trainer Fritz Sdunek said. ``First of all, though, it's important that Vitali's body stands up to the training.'' Klitschko's last fight was an eighth-round stoppage of Danny Williams on Dec. 11, 2004.
■ Speedskating
Friesinger stays unbeaten
Anni Friesinger of Germany remained unbeaten in five races this year after winning the women's 1,000m at the weekend's speedskating World Cup event. Friesinger won in 1 minute, 15.53 seconds. Erben Wennemars of the Netherlands captured the men's 1,000 in 1:08.88. The Netherlands also won both the men's and women's team pursuit to cap three days of racing. Friesinger is trying to rebound from a disappointing Olympics.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
Taiwanese badminton superstar Lee Yang broke down in tears after publicly retiring from the sport on Sunday. The two-time Olympic gold medalist held a retirement ceremony at the Taipei Arena after the final matches of the Taipei Open. Accompanied by friends, family and former badminton partners, Lee burst into tears while watching a video celebrating key moments in his professional sporting career that also featured messages from international players such as Malaysia’s Teo Ee Yi, Hong Kong’s Tang Chun-man, and Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. “I hope that in the future when the world thinks about me, they will
Former Formosa Dreamers player Ilkan Karaman was killed in a traffic accident in Datca, Turkey, Turkish media reported yesterday. He was 34. The former Turkish national team player was reportedly hit by a car, the driver of which was allegedly drunk, while he was standing on a sidewalk, Turkish newspaper Sozcu reported. Karaman and his friends were on their way to the beach town of Dalaman to go scuba diving when they stopped at a gas station to buy gasoline, it reported. Karaman was hit by the car while waiting on a sidewalk as his friends were buying gasoline, it
When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the leader of the organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote. No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) went on without it. What effect the information could have had on Valieva’s case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later
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