■CRICKET
Black Caps drop Ryder
All-rounder Jesse Ryder has been dropped from the New Zealand cricket team and fined after missing a team meeting and training session following a late night of drinking after New Zealand’s seven-wicket victory in the third one-day international. The aggressive left-handed batsman will miss the fourth one-day international against West Indies in Auckland today and his place has been taken by Mathew Sinclair, New Zealand Cricket said yesterday. It is the second time within 12 months the 24-year-old has faced issues after drinking sessions. Ryder was also fined after a team disciplinary hearing on Thursday. “I thought I had reached the point where I could control my drinking better, but that is obviously not the case,” Ryder said.
■BIATHLON
Austria wins relay
Austria clinched the men’s 4 x 7.5km relay in the biathlon World Cup ahead of Russia and Germany in Oberhof on Thursday. The Austrian team of Daniel Mesotitsch, Friedrich Pinter, Dominik Landertinger and Christoph Sumann posted 1 hour 19 minutes 36.6 seconds to beat the Russian team by 8.7 seconds, with Germany 19.2 seconds behind. Russian biathlete Ivan Cherezov was earlier suspended for an excessive hemoglobin level in his blood. His place in the team was taken by Yevgeny Ustyugov.
■BASEBALL
Cubs sign testy outfielder
The Chicago Cubs have signed switch-hitting outfielder Milton Bradley to a three-year deal worth US$30 million, the team announced on Thursday. Bradley is known as much for the tantrums and angry outbursts that have characterized his eight-year career as he is for his talent. “People who have never met me are speaking about me. It’s not very intelligent to speak about someone you’ve never met.”
■OLYMPICS
US won’t bid for 2018
The US will not bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, concentrating full efforts upon Chicago’s 2016 Summer Olympic bid, US Olympic Committee spokesman Darryl Seibel said. Seibel told the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph that the Americans will not join what is expected to be a crowded field to follow next year’s Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2014 Winter Games set for Sochi, Russia. The International Olympic Committee deadline for 2018 applications is mid-October while IOC members will vote on Oct. 2 on the 2016 host between Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.
■SOCCER
Kanoute faces fine
Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute faced a fine from the Spanish soccer federation for revealing a T-shirt expressing support for Palestine during a match. Kanoute lifted his Sevilla shirt over his head after scoring in the team’s 2-1 Copa del Rey win over Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday to display a black T-shirt on which the word “Palestine” was printed in several languages. The federation’s Competition Committee was expected to study the incident yesterday. Kanoute’s action, which has been interpreted as a response to Israel’s recent attacks on Gaza. Raphael Schultz, Israel’s ambassador in Madrid, said on Thursday: “I saw the match and the T-shirt bore nothing more than the name of Palestine. It was not an incitement against Israel. I don’t think it extolled violence.” Meanwhile, Palestine embassy official Mahmoud Aluanen said: “I’m sure that all Palestinian children, those who love football, will be happy about this gesture.”
■SOCCER
Moggi handed sentence
Former Juventus executive Luciano Moggi received an 18-month suspended jail sentence on Thursday for illegal activity involving the now defunct player agency GEA, local news agencies reported. Moggi, the central figure in the Italian match-fixing scandal, allegedly influenced player moves involving GEA, which was run by his son, Alessandro Moggi. Alessandro Moggi received a 14-month suspended sentence, the ANSA and Apcom news agencies reported. “In the end, they absolved GEA and condemned the Moggis. It’s shameful,” Luciano Moggi told ANSA after the verdict. “These accusations won’t hold up on appeal.”
■SOCCER
Thirteen face doping charges
Thirteen players and officials at Cypriot first division side APOP Kyniras face disciplinary action for alleged steroid violations, an official said on Thursday. Anti-Doping Committee member Michael Petrou said all 13 — including five players and the manager — face a maximum four-year ban. He said the Cyprus Football Association decided to summon all 13 to a disciplinary committee after a probe found they allegedly breached domestic and international anti-doping rules. The CFA identified the players as Angelos Efthymiou of Cyprus, Yiannis Sfakianakis of Greece, Dmytro Mykhailenko of Ukraine, Samir Bengeloun of France and Bernardo Vasconcelos of Portugal.
■SOCCER
UEFA reject Real request
UEFA have rejected Real Madrid’s request to play new signings Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra in the Champions League. UEFA’s disciplinary committee met in special session on Thursday and rejected the request. Real Madrid can take its case to UEFA’s appeals body, which could meet next week. The Spanish champions wanted the pair to be allowed to play in the second round against Liverpool starting on Feb. 25. The club challenged UEFA to reconsider Article 17.18 of its Champions League regulations that prevents both players being fielded. The rule says clubs can register up to three newly signed players for the knockout stage before a Feb. 1 deadline, but that only one can have appeared in European competition earlier in the season. Huntelaar (Ajax) and Diarra (Portsmouth) both played in the UEFA Cup.
■MOTOGP
Kawasaki pull out
Kawasaki announced yesterday that it would withdraw from this year’s MotoGP world championship, citing the global economic downturn. Kawasaki, which has participated in MotoGP since 2003, finished last among the five manufacturers taking part in last year’s MotoGP world championship. “Kawasaki Heavy Industries will suspend participation in 2009 MotoGP championship,” the company said in statement. “Due to the influence of the global economic crises, we have had to reevaluate our business structure.”
■SPEED SKATING
Song banned for a year
Chinese speed skater Song Xingyu has been banned from the sport for a year after making an obscene gesture toward fans from a rival province. Song, who represents Heilongjiang Province, raised his middle finger in the direction of fans from Jilin who were accusing him of skating out of bounds in the 10,000m event. Song will be banned from all training and competition until Jan. 6, 2010, the Heilongjiang sports committee said. “During the sanction period, Song should meditate on his mistake deeply and write a self criticism,” the committee said.
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
A baseball team from New Taipei City won the US Pony Palomino Division World Series yesterday in Laredo, Texas, defeating the US West representative team from Azusa, California, 2-1. Ku-Pao Home Economics and Commercial High School earned the right to represent Taiwan in the Pony Palomino (17 to 18 age group) World Series after winning this year's Wang Chen-chih Cup, a competition named after Taiwanese-Japanese baseball legend Wang Chen-chih (王貞治), also known as Sadaharu Oh. In the championship game against Azusa, Ku-Pao's starting pitcher Luo Yu-yan (羅于晏) was erratic early, giving up two hits in the bottom of the first inning, followed
NEXT ROUND: World No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka opened their title defenses with straight-sets wins, while Iga Swiatek and Taylor Fritz also advanced Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka got their title defenses off to smooth starts as they powered into the third round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open on Saturday. The men’s and women’s top seeds, each ranked No. 1 in the world, were both competing for the first time since Wimbledon, where Sinner lifted the title and Sabalenka bowed out in the women’s semi-finals. Sinner crushed Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1, 6-1 in steamy afternoon weather, while Sabalenka beat 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-1 under the lights of the night session. Sabalenka needed 54 minutes and a service break in the final game
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