■BASEBALL
Dodgers veteran to quit
Jeff Kent the leading home run hitter as a second baseman, was due to formally retire yesterday, the Los Angeles Dodgers said in a statement on Wednesday. The 40-year-old five-times All-Star will draw the curtain on a 17-year career in the majors, having spent the last four seasons with the Dodgers. Kent, whose 351 career homers as a second baseman are 74 more than Ryne Sandberg, will retire with a .290 career batting average, 1,518 RBIs and a .500 slugging percentage.
■SOCCER
International ends in chaos
Thailand’s King’s Cup match against Lebanon descended into chaos on Wednesday when the Middle East side twice walked off the pitch. Team staff and security guards twice had to enter the field to stop fights triggered by repeated scuffling between Lebanon’s Zakaria Charara and Thai defender Suree Sukha during the hosts’ 2-1 win in Phuket. With 14 minutes remaining, in an apparent case of mistaken identity, Charara struck Surat Sukha in the head in retaliation for his twin brother Suree’s earlier foul. After the ensuing brawl, Lebanon stormed off the field in protest and were told to remain on the sidelines by incensed coach Emile Rustom, who had to be talked into resuming the match by Thai soccer president Worawi Makudi. Five minutes later, Suree escaped a booking by the Thai referee after another vicious tackle on Charara, who started another melee by slapping Suree and captain Datsakorn Thonglao in the face. Lebanon again left the field in protest but returned five minutes later, only for the embattled referee to blow the final whistle prematurely to prevent further brawling.
■FOOTBALL
Cops nab bungling fans
Two bungling Arizona Cardinals fans were arrested for vandalizing the lawn of Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb after leaving police a key clue — a name and address label sticker. Rex Perkins, 37, and Ryan Hanlon, 28, were arrested on Sunday after three “pranks” at the home of McNabb, who lives in a gated community in suburban Phoenix but played for the team that Arizona faced last week in the playoffs. The Cardinals defeated Philadelphia on Sunday to book a trip to their first Super Bowl. McNabb was angered early on Saturday morning when diesel fuel was used to burn the words “Go Cards” “Go Kurt” and “I (heart) AZ” on his lawn. In a prior incident a cardboard box and sign reading “Go Cards” and “Beat Philly” were placed in McNabb’s yard. The box contained a sticker with Perkins’ name and address on it. After police arrived following the lawn burning, McNabb showed them the box and they went to Perkins’ home, where he confessed and named Hanlon as an accomplice.
■FOOTBALL
Group wants test for Vick
An animal treatment watchdog group wants disgraced former NFL star Michael Vick to undergo mental tests before he can be reinstated. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday saying Vick should be checked to see if he is a psychopath before having any chance of a return to the NFL. Vick is serving a prison sentence on conspiracy charges in connection with his financing of a dogfight gambling ring. Evidence in the case showed he killed dogs in such brutal manners as drowning, beating and electrocution.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
Taiwanese badminton superstar Lee Yang broke down in tears after publicly retiring from the sport on Sunday. The two-time Olympic gold medalist held a retirement ceremony at the Taipei Arena after the final matches of the Taipei Open. Accompanied by friends, family and former badminton partners, Lee burst into tears while watching a video celebrating key moments in his professional sporting career that also featured messages from international players such as Malaysia’s Teo Ee Yi, Hong Kong’s Tang Chun-man, and Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. “I hope that in the future when the world thinks about me, they will
If all goes well when the biggest marathon field ever gathered in Australia races 42km through the streets of Sydney on Sunday, World Marathon Majors (WMM) will soon add a seventh race to the elite series. The Sydney Marathon is to become the first race since Tokyo in 2013 to join long-established majors in New York, London, Boston, Berlin and Chicago if it passes the WMM assessment criteria for the second straight year. “We’re really excited for Sunday to arrive,” race director Wayne Larden told a news conference in Sydney yesterday. “We’re prepared, we’re ready. All of our plans look good on
When details from a scientific experiment that could have helped clear Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva landed at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the leader of the organization’s reaction was unequivocal: “We have to stop that urgently,” he wrote. No mention of the test ever became public and Valieva’s defense at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) went on without it. What effect the information could have had on Valieva’s case is unclear, but without it, the skater, then 15 years old, was eventually disqualified from the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for a banned heart medication that would later
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