■ ROWING
Two Russian rowers banned
Two Russian rowers received two-year bans yesterday for using prohibited intravenous injections at last year's World Rowing Championships. Anastassia Fatina and Anastasia Karabelshchikova, both members of the 2007 Russian women's eight, were banned by the International Rowing Federation following an investigation that has already resulted in six other Russian rowers receiving bans. "The athletes were identified through DNA analysis as having intravenously infused substances for a non-legitimate acute medical reason," Switzerland-based FISA said in a statement. FISA did not indicate that the substances injected were themselves illegal. The latest ban, like the others, is backdated to Aug. 27 last year.
■ BASKETBALL
O'Neal expects trade
Shaquille O'Neal is prepared for the Miami Heat to trade him, a confidant of the 14-time NBA All-Star center said on Tuesday. O'Neal's associate, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal anything publicly, indicated a move could be imminent. "Shaq thinks something will happen," the associate said. The Miami Herald reported earlier on Tuesday that the Heat are in "serious and ongoing" trade negotiations with the Phoenix Suns. The Herald report said the Suns would send Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to Miami in exchange for O'Neal, who is averaging a career-low 14.2 points and has been sidelined for the past two weeks by a lingering hip injury. When asked last week about another report that a Shaq trade was possible, Heat coach Pat Riley said, "Not true." It isn't known if O'Neal -- who has two full seasons remaining after this one on his US$100 million, five-year contract -- would welcome a trade.
■ FOOTBALL
Andrews pleads not guilty
New England Patriots defensive back Willie Andrews pleaded not guilty to drug possession on Tuesday, hours after authorities said they found him with 200g of marijuana in Lowell, Massachusetts. Andrews was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and driving an unregistered motor vehicle. Prosecutors said he had US$6,800 in cash, three bags of marijuana, and no means to smoke the drugs. According to authorities, Lowell police responded to an anonymous caller who reported possible drug activity in a black motor vehicle. Police later pulled over the car, and when they approached it, detectives smelled a strong odor they believed to be marijuana, District Attorney Gerry Leone said.
■ SOCCER
Seven players charged
Seven players from former Singapore league side Liaoning Guangyuan were yesterday charged with match-fixing, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced. The players were not named but it follows club manager Wang Xin being suspended from all soccer activities after being charged with the same offense last month. "Match-fixing is a serious offense and a threat to the credibility of the game," S-League chief executive Winston Lee said. "If they are guilty, we hope that the punishment meted out will send out a strong message that there is no place for corruption in football here. Anyone that falls foul of the law here will have to bear the severe consequences of their actions. The players have already been suspended.
The next generation of running talent takes center stage at today’s Berlin Marathon, in the absence of stars including Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopian world record holder Tigist Assefa. With most of the major marathon stars skipping the event in the wake of the Paris Olympics just more than a month ago, the field is wide open in the men’s and women’s races. Since 2015, Kipchoge has won five times in Berlin, Kenenisa Bekele has won twice and Guye Adola once — with all three missing today. Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie and Ethiopian Tadese Takele are among the favourites for the men, while
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Taiwan’s Tony Wu yesterday beat Mackenzie McDonald of the US to win the Nonthaburi Challenger IV in Thailand, his first challenger victory since 2022. The 26-year-old world No. 315, who won both his qualifiers to advance to the main draw, has been on a hot streak this month, winning his past nine matches, including two that ensured Taiwan’s victory in their Davis Cup World Group I tie. Wu took just more than two hours to top world No. 172 McDonald 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to win his second challenger tournament since the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in 2022. Wu’s Tallahassee win followed two years of
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