■ BOXING.
Thai boxer challenges Sosa
Thai boxer Noknoi Kratingdaenggym will challenge World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight champion Edgar Sosa of Mexico in June, his promoters said yesterday in Bangkok. The 22-year-old Noknoi, who holds the WBC light flyweight youth title, will take part in his first senior title challenge fight against Sosa on June 7 at the Arena Mexico in Mexico City. Petchyindee Boxing Promotion chairman Virat Vachirarattanawong said it will be a good opportunity for the Thai boxer, who will face a tough opponent in the current titleholder. “Noknoi is ready to challenge the title — it is not easy to beat Sosa but we are ready,” he said in a statement.
■ FIELD HOCKEY
Antilles surprise India
India’s hopes of qualifying for the women’s field hockey tournament at the Beijing Olympics suffered a setback in a surprise 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands Antilles in Kazan, Russia, on Sunday. The result means that Netherlands Antilles now have two wins from their first two matches, keeping them on track for a possible appearance in Sunday’s Olympic qualifier final. India need to win their last three group matches to be sure of a final birth. The Caribbean side took the lead after an India penalty corner broke down. Netherlands Antilles stormed forward with Clair Visser scoring in the bottom corner. India levelled in the second half through the impressive Rani Devi who picked the ball up on the left and fired the ball across the goalkeeper into the far corner.
■ BADMINTON
Jonassen wins men’s final
Kenneth Jonassen won an all-Danish men’s final and Xu Huaiwen of Germany captured the women’s singles title at the European Badminton Championships in Herning, Denmark, on Sunday. The top-seeded Jonassen beat Joachim Persson 21-13, 21-16 for his first European singles title. Jonassen set the early pace and was in control of the final from the start. Xu came from one set down to beat Tine Rasmussen of Denmark 12-21, 21-12, 21-17 for her second straight women’s championship.
■ CYCLING
Cunego wins Amstel Gold
Italy’s Damiano Cunego of Lampre took over the lead in the ProTour competition on Sunday after winning the Amstel Gold Race in Maastricht, Netherlands. He beat Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck and Alejandro Valverde of Spain in an uphill sprint at the end of the 257.4km race. Cunego got 40 points for his win after scoring 33 in the recent Tour of the Basque Country stage race and leads the individual ProTour standings with 73 points. Early ProTour leader Andrei Grepiel of Germany did not ride the Amstel Gold Race and slipped to second with 62 points. Tour of the Basque Country winner Alberto Contador is third with 58 points.
■ RUGBY
Louden to leave Australia
NSW Waratahs’ attack coach Todd Louden will leave Australia after this year’s Super 14 season to become head coach of Japanese club Ricoh, reports said in Sydney, Australia, yesterday. In signing with the Tokyo side for almost US$552,000 a year over two seasons, Louden has knocked back a lucrative offer from an English club, and opted against applying for the Waratahs’ head coach job, The Sydney Morning Herald said. Louden was touted as a favorite for the Waratahs’ position, to be vacated at the end of the Super 14 series next month by Ewen McKenzie, whose contract will not be renewed.
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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