■ Formula One
Ferrari announces sponsor
Ferrari's Formula One team announced a three-year sponsorship agreement on Thursday with an investment company owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The logo for the Mubadala Development Company will be displayed on Ferrari's cars and the caps worn by the team's drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa. Financial terms were not disclosed for the agreement, which started on Jan. 1. "We are pleased to have reached a sponsorship agreement with such a dynamic company as Mubadala, with whom we share important values such as the research into innovation and a passion for our work," Ferrari CEO Jean Todt said in a statement. In July 2005, Mubadala purchased a 5 percent stake in Ferrari from Mediobanca of Italy.
■ Rugby Union
Lapasset backs Cup
French rugby union chief Bernard Lapasset insisted on Thursday that the European Cup is not in danger of disappearing from the calendar. "The European Cup isn't in danger," said Lapasset. "It will take place next season." There has been a question mark over the tournament's future in recent weeks with English clubs in conflict with their own federation over the amount of control they have in the running and organization of European competitions. On Wednesday, European rugby bosses agreed on a new set of rules and regulations for the European Cup following a meeting in Dublin but French clubs refused to take part claiming English clubs were stalling the process.
■ Rugby Union
Tonga face South Korea
Tonga and South Korea will meet in their World Cup play-off in Auckland on Feb. 10 with the winner booking a place in the finals to be held later in the year. The victor will go into Pool A at the September-October finals along with holders England, South Africa, Samoa and the US. In another play-off, Morocco and Portugal will meet over two legs on Jan. 20 in Casablanca and in Lisbon on Jan. 27. The winner goes into a final play-off against Uruguay in March or April to book what will be the last place in the tournament. That will pit the qualifier into Pool C with New Zealand, Scotland, Italy and Romania.
■ Swimming
Luo Xuejuan `ill'
Olympic gold-medal swimmer Luo Xuejuan is likely to miss the upcoming World Championships because of an undisclosed illness. Luo, who won China's only gold medal in swimming in Athens, is suffering from "poor health," China's national team coach said yesterday in the state-run China Daily newspaper. The World Championships are March 17 to April 1 in Melbourne, Australia. "Luo is still not fit," coach Zhang Yadong told the newspaper. "She needs further rest and is unable to take part in daily training."
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
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