■ TENNIS
Federer to be a father
Roger Federer said in a message posted on Thursday on his Web site that girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec is pregnant with the couple’s first child. “This is a dream come true for us,’’ the 27-year-old Federer said. “We love children and we are looking forward to being parents for the first time. Mirka is feeling great and everything is going well.” The baby is due sometime in the summer, he said. “We are so happy to be starting a family together,” said Federer, who met Vavrinec at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
■ SOCCER
Paraguayans slam insult
Paraguay’s Congress has condemned the use of the country’s flag by fans of Argentine side Independiente to insult rivals Boca Juniors during a match. “We want to express our total and utter repudiation at this discriminatory act against Paraguayans and Bolivians by a group of misfits,” said Congressman Victor Rios as members voted in favour of a motion to condemn the incident. Paraguayan and Bolivian flags with the number 12 marked on them were waved by Independiente supporters during the first division game in Buenos Aires on Sunday. Boca Juniors have traditionally enjoyed widespread support among the working class and their fan base is reputed to include substantial numbers of immigrants from Bolivia and Paraguay. Their supporters are often known as “the 12th man” or simply “12”. Rival fans use the terms Bolivian and Paraguayan as an insult. The president of the Paraguayan Football Association, Juan Angel Napout, said he considered the matter closed. “I don’t think that these few represent the majority,” he told reporters. Independiente have publicly condemned the supporters’ behavior.
■ TENNIS
Philippines wants tie moved
Philippine authorities have asked Davis Cup organizers to move the July regional playoff against Pakistan from Lahore to Manila due to fears of its players being attacked. Philippine Lawn Tennis Association vice president Randy Villanueva cited the March 3 attack on Sri Lanka’s cricketers in Lahore as evidence of the risk for sports team visiting Pakistan. “We asked them to be moved here to the Philippines because of the safety of our players and because of recent events in Pakistan, especially the cricket team of Sri Lanka getting attacked,” Villanueva said. Three leading Filipino players are dual US-Philippine citizens who Villanueva feared may be targeted because of their US passports. The association was awaiting a response from the International Tennis Federation, which shifted last week’s Pakistan-Oman tie to Muscat from its original venue in Lahore.
■ TENNIS
Black backs Zimbabwe
Retired Zimbabwean player Wayne Black, who made a surprise return to his homeland last week, has urged the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to help develop young talent in his country. “They [the ITF] can start by putting many tournaments here but they are obviously scared because of the situation here,” Black said. Black, who had been coaching in London since retiring from the doubles circuit in 2005, said he now intends to help develop players in Zimbabwe. Black admitted that coming back to Zimbabwe had not been an easy decision due to the economic and political strife in the country. “We thought about it. We were a little bit concerned. But I thought things were on their way up,” Black said.
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,