■ Pool
Singaporean left cueless
Singaporean pool player Charlene Chai has found herself very much behind the eight ball days before the Asian Games begins after losing her cue. Chai, a South-east Asia Games bronze medalist, is one of Singapore's brightest medal prospects for the Dec. 1-15 games in Doha, but her preparations have been rocked by the loss. The pool player left the tools of her trade in the car park of Singapore's Changi airport on Monday after returning from a competition in Japan. Chai is desperately trying to get used to her new cue before leaving for Qatar, her coach said, but had not given up hope that someone may return her trusty favorite.
■ Soccer
Club cracks down on diving
English fourth division club Torquay United said on Tuesday they will start taking disciplinary action against any of their players who dive or feign injury. Torquay, who believe they are the first professional club in the world to begin such an initiative, will operate a "three strikes and out" policy and use video technology to prove cases. First-time offenders will be warned, players who dive again will be fined and third-time offenders sacked or placed on the transfer list. "British football has the opportunity to take a lead in resolving this major issue which is tarnishing our sport and marred the World Cup finals in Germany 2006," Torquay chairman Chris Roberts said in a statement.
■ Cycling
Wyper convicted over drugs
A former Australian team cyclist has been convicted of illegally importing performance enhancing drugs from Indonesia. Andrew Wyper, 21, was convicted and fined on Tuesday in Sydney's Downing Center Local Court for illegally importing the drugs, the Australian Customs Service said yesterday. The court was told the customs service intercepted a parcel from Indonesia in November last year containing four vials of anabolic steroids, seven vials of human growth hormone and a syringe marked as containing the hormone EPO, or erythropoietin, sometimes used as a blood doping agent. Wyper was part of the Australian team that competed at the 2003 world road championships in Canada and part of the Australian team that went to the 2003 world junior track championships in Russia.
■ Soccer
Blackburn duo lose claims
Blackburn's Tugay and Tottenham's Hossam Ghaly have both had their claims for wrongful dismissal rejected by an independent disciplinary commission, the Football Association (FA) announced on Tuesday. Both midfielders were sent off during Sunday's 1-1 Premiership draw at Ewood Park. Turkish international Tugay, 36, opened the scoring for Rovers before his foul on Ghaly led to the visitors' equalizer with Jermain Defoe scoring from the penalty spot. Tugay will now serve a one-match suspension as a result. Egypt's Ghaly, 24, was sent off after he appeared to elbow Michael Gray late in the game. He will serve a three-match suspension.
Badminton world No. 3 Anders Antonsen clinched his first Indonesia Open title yesterday after beating Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, while South Korea’s An Se-young won her second championship in Jakarta. The 28-year-old Dane sank world No. 7 Chou at the Indonesian capital’s Istora Senayan arena, winning 22-20, 21-14 in a 60-minute match to secure the prestigious Super 1000 event. Antonsen came out on top in a tightly contested first game before cruising to victory in the second. In a more closely fought women’s singles final, South Korean ace and world No. 1 An fought back from one game down to beat China’s
Spain starlets Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams dazzled on Thursday as La Roja beat France 5-4 in a thriller in Stuttgart, Germany, to set up a UEFA Nations League final with Portugal. Yamal bagged a brace, while Williams scored and provided an assist as the two wingers cut France’s makeshift defense to ribbons. Mikel Merino and Pedri were also on the score sheet for the UEFA Euro 2024 champions. Kylian Mbappe netted a second-half penalty, but Spain were 5-1 up and cruising, before Les Bleus suddenly woke up as their opponents took their foot off the pedal. France’s three late goals — a
Italy crashed to a 3-0 loss away to Norway, as the four-time FIFA World Cup champions made a disastrous start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on Friday, while Belgium had to settle for a draw in North Macedonia. Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa and Erling Haaland all scored in the first half in pouring rain in Oslo as Norway made it a night to forget for Italy, who missed out on the past two World Cups. “I have no explanation. Our supporters don’t deserve this kind of match. We need to do some soul-searching. It’s unacceptable,” Italy captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi
The Crusaders yesterday produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 and claim home advantage in next week’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders’ forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. “Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet
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