■ FOOTBALL
Favre bids NFL farewell
Packers quarterback Brett Favre bid an emotional goodbye to the NFL on Thursday, making it clear he had no second thoughts about his decision to retire. Two days after informing the Packers he would not be back for an 18th season, Favre met with the media at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and within seconds of stepping to the podium was waging a losing battle to hold back the tears. "I don't think I've anything left to give. I know I can play but I don't think I want to," the 38-year-old told a televised news conference. The only player in NFL history to win three MVP awards, Favre exits with every meaningful quarterback record including marks for most touchdown passes (442), passing yards (61,655), pass completions (5,377) and games with at least three touchdown passes (63).
■ OLYMPICS
Lawmaker hopes to foil trips
A Republican congressman -- chafing over US President George W. Bush's plan to attend this year's Beijing Olympics -- wants to legally prohibit other US government officials from using federal money to go. Representative Frank Wolf cited concerns about China's record on human rights at a congressional hearing on Thursday and said Bush's presence would be akin to former US president Franklin Roosevelt sitting in the same stands as Adolf Hitler in 1936. "Ronald Reagan would have never gone to the Olympics. I guarantee you that. Never gone," said Wolf, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Any American seen waving in the stands "will go down in history as cooperating in the genocide Olympics of 2008," Wolf said. "And history will never, ever, ever forgive them."
■ BASKETBALL
Yao vows to recover soon
Chinese basketball superstar Yao Ming (姚明) yesterday promised his countrymen he would do his utmost to recover from a broken foot that has cast doubt on his role at the long-awaited Beijing Olympics. "I will definitely make the greatest effort possible to recover from this difficulty and don the national uniform in the best possible physical condition for the Beijing 2008 Olympics campaign," the Houston Rockets center said in a letter issued through Chinese media. On Monday, Yao underwent surgery on the stress fracture in his left foot.
He is expected to have to wait three to four months before beginning rehab, leaving little over a month to prepare for the Games, which open on Aug. 8.
"So far, the operation has been a great success and soon I will begin physical therapy and rehabilitation," Yao said in his letter, seen on the Internet portal Sina.com.
■ SPEED SKATING
Wotherspoon regains title
World sprint record holder Jeremy Wotherspoon made it a Canadian double after Kristina Groves won on the second day of the world speed skating single distance championships in Nagano, Japan, yesterday. Wotherspoon clocked new rink records of 34.78 and 34.68 seconds for another rink record of combined 69.460 to win back the men's 500m title he took in 2003 and 2004. Defending champion Lee Kyou-hyuk of South Korea timed 35.11 and 34.90 for 70.010 to win the silver medal, followed by 2005 champion Joji Kato of Japan, third in 35.25 and 35.07 for 70.320. Earlier, Groves, whose best finish was the bronze medal in 2005, won the women's 5,000m in a time of 4:05.03 for her first world title.
■ SOCCER
Ball boy makes Toro see red
Flamengo had two players sent off, one for bundling over a ball boy, in a 3-0 defeat away to Nacional in the Libertadores Cup on Thursday. Martin Palermo scored a club record 181st goal for Argentina's Boca Juniors in their 3-0 home win over Atlas after fellow striker Rodrigo Palacio had scored the first two for the defending champions. Flamengo, Brazil's most popular club, had midfielder Toro sent off for pushing a ball boy as he ran to collect the ball in the 43rd minute. The ball boy, who television reports said was 13 years old, was cheered by the home fans for the rest of the game. They were reduced to nine men in the 51st minute when Leo Moura was dismissed for a dangerous tackle on Romero.
■ CRICKET
China recruits Rashid Khan
China have recruited a former Pakistan Test player to coach the national cricket team for the 2010 Asian Games in Beijing. Rashid Khan, who played four Tests and 29 one-day internationals for Pakistan, has been coaching China's junior and women's teams since 2006 and has now been appointed coach for the Games. "To prepare a cricket team for the Asian Games is a big challenge, but the Chinese have a lot of pride in what they do," Khan said on Thursday. His appointment came after the Chinese cricket association sought help from the Asian Cricket Council and Pakistan cricket Board to provide them with coaching expertise.
■ SOCCER
Clemente gets Murcia job
Former Spanish national coach Javier Clemente was named on Thursday as the new coach of relegation-haunted La Liga side Murcia. Clemente takes over from the sacked Lucas Alcaraz and has been handed the task of keeping Murcia in the top flight. The team currently have 23 points and are second from bottom, six points from safety. Murcia were promoted this season but have lost seven of their last eight matches. Clemente takes over having twice been expected in the last month to be named as new coach of the Iran national team before the protracted deal fell through.
■ FIELD HOCKEY
Britain clinch final spot
Britain beat India 3-2 in the match of the unbeatens and gained a psychological boost in the race for a men's field hockey Olympic qualifying berth on Thursday. With one of the former Olympic champions set to miss out on Beijing, Britain clinched a spot in tomorrow's final. Britain were the only undefeated team after four round-robin matches. They play Austria today. India slipped into a tie for second with Austria, although with an unassailable advantage on points difference. India, winners of a record eight Olympic gold medals, must beat Chile to be certain of making the final tomorrow against Britain.
■ BIATHLON
Bjoerndalen claims title
Ole Einar Bjoerndalen won a men's 10km race on Thursday to secure the overall biathlon World Cup sprint title, and Magdalena Neuner won a women's 7.5km sprint. Bjoerndalen, a five-time Olympic champion, shot clean and finished in 25 minutes, 24.9 seconds. He pulled away on the final lap to edge his Norwegian teammate Emil Hegle Svendsen by 10.0 seconds. Russia's Andrei Makoveev missed three targets and came in third, 32.5 seconds behind the winner. It was Bjoerndalen's 81st career World Cup win.
Ademola Lookman on Thursday scored on his Atletico Madrid debut in a 5-0 rout of Real Betis Balompie that sent Diego Simeone’s team to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. David Hancko, Giuliano Simeone, Antoine Griezmann and Thiago Almada also scored for Atletico as they advanced to the last four for the third straight season. Atletico are trying to reach their first Copa final since winning the competition in 2012-2013. Hancko opened the scoring for the visitors in the 12th minute and Giuliano Simeone added to the lead in the 30th, before Lookman got his first goal for Atletico on a fast
France head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday lauded his team’s attacking performance after their dazzling 36-14 victory over Ireland in their Six Nations opener. A brace of tries from Louis Bielley-Biarrey and one from mercurial flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert helped France storm into a 29-0 lead before taking their foot off the gas and allowing Ireland back into the match, before winger Theo Attissogbe put some gloss on the victory late on. “In an attacking sense, with the ball, the team played with great accuracy,” Galthie said. “It was one of the most accurate attacking performances in a long time, despite the weather
SUPERSTAR DELIVERS: Victor Wembanyama scored 29 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to propel the Spurs to a 135-123 victory over the Dallas Mavericks The Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday shook off the early exit of injured star Luka Doncic, rallying without him in the second half for a 119-115 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Austin Reaves, again coming off the bench in his second game back from a 19-game injury absence, scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, drilling a pair of back-to-back three-pointers to give the Lakers their first lead of the game early in the final frame. “Losing Luka, you know nothing’s going to be easy after that because he does so much for us, but we bonded together,” said
Kawhi Leonard on Sunday scored 41 points, grabbed eight rebounds and made four steals to lead the Los Angeles Clippers in a lopsided 115-96 victory at Minnesota. The 34-year-old forward, a two-time NBA champion, matched the second-best road scoring effort of his career as the Clippers improved to 25-27. “Just being aggressive. My teammates trust me,” Leonard said. “Every moment when I touch the ball — assist, shooting the basketball or getting a rebound — I’m just trying to help the team win.” Leonard made three steals in a row at the start of the contest. “Just wanted to come out early in the
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