Thu, Jul 31, 2008 page19

• Sport Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■ OLYMPICS

  China gymnasts ‘old enough’

  China has denied reports that two of its female gymnasts are too young to compete in next month’s Beijing Olympics, state media reported yesterday. “Our Olympic squads were recently named and we registered their ages according to their ID cards and other legal documents presented by their regional gymnastics associations. [The documents] show they are all over the minimum age for the Olympics,” Zhang Peiwen, manager of China’s national gymnastics team, told the China Daily. Chinese media and the New York Times have raised questions about whether He Kexin (何可欣) and Jiang Yuyuan (江鈺源), two athletes named in the squad, have yet turned 16, which became the minimum age for Olympic competitors in 1997. Online records listing Chinese gymnasts along with reports in Chinese news media indicated that He and Jiang could be as young as 14, the New York Times report said.

  ■ RUGBY UNION

  MacDonald to miss rematch

  All Blacks fullback Leon MacDonald was yesterday ruled out of next weekend’s Tri-Nations rugby rematch against Australia, adding pressure to New Zealand’s attempt to even the ledger. Team doctor Deb Robinson said MacDonald had ongoing concussion symptoms after suffering a blow to the head during the 30-28 loss to South Africa on July 12. Although called back into the side for next weekend’s match, MacDonald continued to be fatigued in training and at team meetings, signs he was still feeling the effects of the blow, Robinson said. There was no immediate word on a replacement, but the selectors may revert to last week’s fullback Mils Muliaina who had been moved to the wing to make way for MacDonald.

  ■ OLYMPICS

  Asahara offers bathtub tips

  Veteran Japanese sprinter Nobuharu Asahara is so eager to help his younger team mates cope with the pressure of the Olympics he has been offering advice while soaking in the bath. The 36-year-old, set to run in his fourth Olympics, is fast running out of places to hide from questions from fellow athletes. “The Olympics are nearly here so I’ve been bombarding him with questions,” the country’s top sprinter Shingo Suetsugu told local media. “We have even been talking in the [communal] bath. It’s a real help. He’s always ready to help and never shows his nerves. It has a calming effect on the athletes.” Asahara secured his Beijing spot by finishing runner-up in the 100m at the Japanese national championships last month behind Naoki Tsukahara. “The age gap doesn’t bother me,” Asahara said. “I try to be friendly with everyone. I have had experience of being unable to peak or recover [between races] so hopefully I can help them.”

  ■ BOXING

  Billy Graham to retire

  British boxer Ricky Hatton will be without his trainer for November’s IBF light welterweight title fight against Paulie Malignaggi after he announced his retirement. Billy Graham, Hatton’s trainer of 11 years, said he would retire following a fight tomorrow. His previous fight with Hatton was Hatton’s lopsided points victory over Juan Lazcano in an IBO light welterweight title fight in May. “Ricky and Billy had a meeting yesterday in which Billy admitted he was not going any further,” Hatton’s father, Ray, said. “It was quite emotional because they have been together for so long.”

  ■ BASKETBALL

  Serb leaves NBA for Europe

  New Jersey Nets forward Nanad Krstic has signed a two-year deal to play for Triumph Moscow, his agent told ESPN on Tuesday, making the Serbian the sixth non-US player to bolt the NBA for Europe this year. The deal with the Russian club, worth about US$9 million, came after agent Marc Cornstein searched in vain to find a deal with NBA clubs, Cornstein told ESPN. “At the end of the day, Triumph offered him the most love,” Cornstein said. “This was too good of a deal to pass up for him.” Others to leave the US elite league for Europe since the season ended include Slovenia’s Bostjan Nachbar and Primoz Brezec, Spain’s Juan Carlos Navarro and Jorge Garbajosa and Argentina’s Carlos Delfino. The top US player to spurn the NBA for more money in Europe was Josh Childress, who dumped the Atlanta Hawks and inked a three-year deal with Greece’s Olympiakos for US$20 million.

  ■ BASEBALL

  Little League turns to video

  Little League Baseball will use instant replay at this year’s World Series to review questionable home runs and other close plays at the outfield fence. The limited replay system would be in place on an experimental basis when this year’s tournament begins Aug. 15 and be reevaluated following the series, Little League president Stephen Keener said on Tuesday. Replay would be used “to overturn an obvious wrong,” said Dennis Lewin, chairman of Little League’s Board of Directors. The rule limits replay to instances in which a batted ball “leaves the field of play at or near the outfield fence, or should have been ruled out of the field of play” at or near the fence. A Little League “game operations replay official” would need “clear and convincing” evidence to overturn an umpire’s ruling on the field, according to the rule. Replays would likely be rarely used, Keener said, and if used would likely cause a delay of 30 to 45 seconds. “I think that’s easily a fair trade off,” Keener said on Tuesday. “I think everyone would agree that getting it right is most important.”

  ■ BASEBALL

  Suzuki reaches 3,000 hits

  Ichiro Suzuki reached 3,000 combined hits in US Major League Baseball and the Japanese leagues with a first-inning single on Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers. The Seattle Mariners leadoff man hit a soft liner to left-center on the game’s first pitch from Luis Mendoza. Standing on first base, Suzuki received an ovation from the Texas crowd and tipped his helmet when his achievement was posted on the scoreboard. The 34-year-old Suzuki has 1,722 hits in 1,224 games during his eight seasons with the Mariners. He had 1,278 hits over 951 games in nine seasons with the Orix Blue Wave of Japan’s Pacific League. Only one player in Japanese league history reached 3,000 hits: Isao Harimoto with 3,085. A total of 27 players have compiled at least 3,000 hits in US MLB history. “That’s a tremendous achievement for the short time he’s been over here,” Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said before the game.

  ■ BASEBALL

  Minor leaguers suspended

  Three St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers were suspended for 50 games each after testing positive for steroids. The Major League Baseball commissioner’s office said on Tuesday the suspensions of pitchers Braulin Beltre and Yedilson Pena and outfielder Andres Beras take effect immediately. All are on the Cardinals’ Dominican Summer League team. Beltre and Beras tested positive for boldenone and Pena for stanozolol.
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