■ SOCCER
Drone to scrutinize fans
Eastern German state Saxony on Friday adopted a remote-controlled drone to keep tabs on fans' behavior from the skies, the state government said. The small flying aeroplane, fitted with a surveillance camera to film possible troublemakers, will be used at stadiums such as Dresden or Leipzig, known for hooliganism. The recorded video images could be used in legal proceedings against hooligans caught on camera. Saxony regularly sees clashes between police and supporters of local soccer clubs bringing numerous arrests.
■ GOLF
Rain strikes again
Rain washed out play again yesterday at the New Zealand PGA Championship, forcing organizers to reduce the tournament to 36 holes with a proposed finish today. Rain canceled all play on Friday and while 51 players managed to start their rounds yesterday, they were forced from the course less than two hours later when more heavy rain hit the area. Canadian David Hearn and Americans Darron Stiles and Matt Bettencourt shot 6-under-par 66s on Thursday to share the lead after the first round at Clearwater. They were one shot clear of three golfers with 67s -- Americans D.A. Points, Rick Price and Dave Schultz. All 156 players in the event will play today. However, officials said the win will not count as an official one and the champion will not gain exempt status on the Nationwide Tour for the remainder of this year as well as next year.
■ SOCCER
Grafite brace sinks Schalke
Grafite scored both goals for VfL Wolfsburg to earn a 2-1 win over Schalke and snap the club's four-game winning streak in the Bundesliga on Friday. The Brazilian took advantage of a slip from defender Rafinha to score in the 73rd minute and converted a penalty in the 84th as Wolfsburg won their fourth straight and beat a top team for the first time this season. Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath said the win in front of 60,387 in Schalke's stadium was flattering to his side. His team fell behind on Vicente Sanchez's 65th minute goal. "We didn't play well and we got lucky," Magath said. "But we got better at the end and we wanted the victory."
■ WINTER OLYMPICS
Sex workers claim victory
A group of Canadian sex trade workers hoping to set up a legal "co-op" brothel in time for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver said on Friday they have won approval to incorporate themselves. The provincial government's designation of the group as a business co-operative is the first step in what organizers say will create a safer working environment for sex trade workers in the Pacific Coast city. "It defines a structure for us to work together as a community," said Susan Davis, a development co-ordinator for what will be called the West Coast Co-operative of Sex Industry Professionals. Brothels are illegal in Canada, but the country's prostitution laws have recently been challenged in the court as unconstitutional. Prostitution itself is legal, however solicitation, procuring or living off the avails of prostitution can land you in jail. The group hopes to win an exemption from Parliament by showing it would be safer to have prostitutes work in a single facility in Vancouver that they control, rather than plying their trade on the streets. The Conservative federal government has warned it will oppose the effort, which critics have said will only perpetuate the idea that prostitution is acceptable.
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
Taiwanese martial artists bagged one gold, four silver and three bronze medals at the World Junior Wushu Championships in Brunei, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brunei Darussalam said yesterday. Liu Yu-tzu won the gold medal in the girl’s taijiquan A group and also picked up a silver medal in the girl’s taijijian A group. Hu Hsin-ling, Yu Min-hsun and Chen Chao-hsiang each won a silver medal in the girl’s jianshu B, boy’s nangun B and boy’s taijijian A groups respectively. Hu also won a bronze medal in the girl’s qiangshu B group, while Yu and Lin Shih-hung picked up bronze medals
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