■ Soccer
Fans punished for ref threats
One Marseille fan was handed a one-month suspended prison sentence and another a 700-euro (US$906) fine on Friday after sending death threats to a referee. A 20-year-old supporter, who sent a threatening letter and made nuisance phone calls, received the suspended sentence and was ordered to pay 1,000 euros in damages to Fredy Fautrel who refereed the match against Lens on Oct. 15. The second fan, a 26-year-old, was also ordered to pay 500 euros in damages. Marseille and Lens drew their French league match 1-1 but Marseille fans were outraged at a late penalty award to their opponents.
■ Soccer
Court sentences Benfica star
A court in Portugal on Friday sentenced Benfica's Brazilian international defender Luisao to 40 hours of community service after he was caught driving under the influence of alcohol. A blood-alcohol test performed on the 25-year-old after he was stopped by police in Lisbon in the early hours of Friday put his blood alcohol level at 1.44 grams per liter of blood, compared to the Portuguese legal limit of 0.5 grams per liter. Luisao told reporters after he was sentenced that he had had a few drinks with his wife and a few friends at a restaurant before he was stopped by police in a routine road stop.
■ Soccer
Wenger say Lauren can go
Arsenal will allow experienced Cameroon full-back Lauren to leave if he finds a new club during this month's transfer window, manager Arsene Wenger confirmed on Friday. Lauren is fit again after a year out with a knee injury and Wenger admitted he was unlikely to be able to force his way back into the Gunners' first team. "The problem is that since Lauren got injured I have Justin Hoyte who got promoted, I have Emmanuel Eboue who got promoted and I have Johan Djourou who can play in there too. It's always the same. You make room for young players and then it is difficult to leave them out again. I feel we have too many players in that position now."
■ Cycling
AFLD summons Landis
Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has been summoned to a hearing by the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) which could bar him from racing in the country, daily Le Monde reported on Friday. The hearing has been set for Feb. 8 and Landis, who tested positive for the banned male hormone testosterone during last year's Tour, could be suspended for two years, Le Monde wrote. The ban would only apply to races in France but would prevent Landis from entering this year's Tour. Landis, who faces being the first Tour champion to be stripped of the title, has denied taking performance-enhancing drugs and is fighting to clear his name.
■ Cricket
England name Cup squad
Ashley Giles has been included in England's 30-man provisional squad for this year's one-day World Cup in the West Indies but Darren Gough was left out after failing a fitness test. All of the players currently on tour in Australia were picked, including injured batsman Kevin Pietersen, who is being sent home after fracturing a rib. Four uncapped players were added to the squad as well as seven players that did not feature in England's ICC Champions Trophy squad, including captain Michael Vaughan and spinner Monty Panesar. Gough, Ian Blackwell and Tim Bresnan were not considered after failing fitness tests. Giles was included after declaring himself available following his departure from the Ashes tour to care for his ill wife.
■ Basketball
NBA official suspended
NBA official Rodney Mott has been suspended three games without pay for directing an obscene gesture and using inappropriate language toward a fan, the league announced on Friday. Mott's suspension stems from an incident following Portland's 93-90 home victory over Miami last Sunday. Mott is in his ninth season as an NBA official.
■ Basketball
Riley has hip replacement
Pat Riley, who took indefinite leave from his post as coach of the NBA's Miami Heat to address health concerns, has had left hip replacement surgery, the team said on Friday. Riley had the hour-long operation on Thursday. It was the second surgery in less than a week for Riley, who underwent a procedure on his right knee on Jan. 5. Riley, who also serves as team president, said on Jan. 3 that he was taking an indefinite leave of absence. Assistant Ron Rothstein has been coaching the reigning National Basketball Association champions in Riley's absence. He has split four games since taking over. Rothstein was the Heat's inaugural coach in 1988. He rejoined the franchise as an assistant in 2003. The Heat have struggled this season, largely because of injuries to superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. They are 10th in the Eastern Conference, one-half game behind Milwaukee for the final playoff spot.
■ Football
Gonzalez agrees to contract
All-star tight end Tony Gonzalez has agreed in principle to a five-year contract extension, the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs said on Friday. "It will, in all essence, allow Tony Gonzalez to finish his career with the Kansas City Chiefs," team president Carl Peterson said in a statement. The 10-year veteran's 8,710 receiving yards and 721 receptions rank second in NFL history among tight ends. He needs two more receiving touchdowns to pass Shannon Sharpe (62) for the most by a tight end.
■ Figure Skating
Kwan to begin diplomacy
US figure-skating superstar Michelle Kwan will begin a week-long visit to China next week in her new capacity as US public diplomacy ambassador, the US State Department announced on Friday. The Hong-Kong born Kwan, a two-time Olympic medalist and the most decorated figure-skater in US history, will accompany Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes, the media guru who since late 2005 has been charged with trying to improve the US image abroad. They will meet with students, women's groups, business and community representatives, government officials and the media starting in Beijing on Wednesday, then going to Guangzhou and Hong Kong, the State Department said.
■ Swimming
Phelps targets Australia
Michael Phelps launches his two-month countdown to the world championships this weekend with a landmark meet in Australia representing the start of what he calls "the biggest two years of my swimming career." The world championships are the most important meet outside the Olympics, allowing Phelps and his rivals to size each other up with more than a year to go before the Beijing Games. "This worlds sets up everything that happens at the Olympics -- for endorsements, for my swimming career, for my times, for what events I'm going to swim in Beijing," he said on Friday.
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Japan yesterday secured a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup finals appearance with a 2-1 win over 2023 champions Canada, thanks to Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama’s 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win over Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino in the qualifying doubles decider. Shibahara and Aoyama powered through the opening set 6-3, breaking twice for a quick 3-0 lead. Cross and Marino hit back in the second, edging it 7-5 to level the match, before the Japanese pair regained control in the third. Canada’s 18-year-old Victoria Mboko edged Shibahara 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5 in a marathon opening clash. Mboko fired eight aces to
DAY OF BLOWOUTS: Elsewhere, the Lakers clinched the third seed in the Western Conference with a 140-109 pounding of the under-strength Houston Rockets The Denver Nuggets on Friday improved their playoff position, with a triple double from Nikola Jokic helping them to a 117-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Serbian put up 26 points, 13 assists and 16 rebounds. The triple-double performance, his 34th this season, ensured that he will finish the regular season as just the third NBA player to average a triple double across an entire season. The win meant the Nuggets improved to 49-32 on the season and gave them a real chance of grabbing fourth place and home-court advantage in the playoffs. Aaron Gordon top scored with 33 points for Denver,
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