■RUGBY UNION
Rules waived for McAlister
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) yesterday granted an exemption to its eligibility rules to allow the speedy return of inside back Luke McAlister to the All Blacks. McAlister is due to return to New Zealand next month after playing for English club Sale for the last two seasons. He would normally become eligible for the All Blacks only after playing a season of Super 14 or the domestic provincial championship, under rules aimed at keeping the top players in domestic competitions. But star flyhalf Daniel Carter — also exempted from eligibility rules this year — is unlikely to be fit for the Tri-Nations series after rupturing his Achilles tendon playing for his French club, Perpignan, in February. NZRU chairman Jock Hobbs said that, due to injuries in McAlister’s favored flyhalf and inside center positions, the union decided to exempt him from the regulations. It is intended that the 25-year-old will play only in the June home Tests against France and Italy if other contenders are injured, but he would be available for the later Tri-Nations series starting in July.
■CRICKET
Deccan charge ahead
Adam Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma hammered explosive half centuries to set up a comprehensive 24-run victory for the Deccan Chargers against the Bangalore Royal Challengers in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Newlands in Cape Town, South Africa, on Wednesday. Unbeaten Deccan are top of the table after two matches. Their total of 184 for six was the highest of the competition so far and Bangalore never seriously threatened to match it before subsiding to 160-8.
■FOOTBALL
Player charged over drugs
Former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith was pulled over on Wednesday afternoon and found with crack cocaine and marijuana in his car, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Smith, who played 10 seasons for Jacksonville in the NFL, was pulled over on Interstate 95 in Jacksonville for excessive window tint on his 2009 Mercedes Benz, Florida Highway Patrol Lieutenant Bill Leeper said. The trooper reported that the inside of the car smelled like burnt marijuana. During a search, the trooper found crack cocaine, marijuana and a business card with powder cocaine residue in the car’s center console.
■SOCCER
Ransomed watch recovered
Germany defender Arne Friedrich has been involved in a police sting after a thief attempted to extort 5,000 euros (US$6,475) from him for his Euro 2008 watch, it was reported on Wednesday. The 29-year-old Hertha Berlin captain, who has won 62 caps for Germany and played in last June’s Euro final, had his special watch stolen two months ago while he was working out in a fitness center in Berlin’s up-market suburb Charlottenburg, the Bild tabloid reported. The watch, engraved with Friedrich’s name and shirt number, was a limited edition time-piece by Swiss firm IWC, presented to each member of the Euro 2008 squad by the German Football Federation (DFB), and was stolen from his locker. A few days after the theft, the thief rang Friedrich claiming to have found the watch and demanded 5,000 euros to return it. The Germany star called police and a meeting was organized between Friedrich and the thief where the man was arrested and charged with extortion.
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in four runs, Shohei Ohtani also went deep and Roki Sasaki earned his first major league win as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 10-3 on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory. The Dodgers have won the first two games of the series to improve to 5-0 against Atlanta this year. Los Angeles’ three-game sweep at home early in the season left the Braves 0-7. Sasaki allowed three runs and six hits over five innings. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up a home run to Ozzie Albies, but received plenty of offensive support in his
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
THRILLER: Raphinha gave Barca a 3-2 lead with two minutes remaining of regular time, but Francesco Acerbi equalized the game in the second minute of added time Davide Frattesi on Tuesday fired Inter into the UEFA Champions League final with an extra-time winner that gave the Italians a stunning 4-3 triumph over Barcelona, 7-6 on aggregate. Italy midfielder Frattesi won a tie for the ages under a downpour in Milan when he lashed home in the 99th minute, sending a packed and rocking San Siro wild with joy. Simone Inzaghi’s team will face either Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this month in Munich, Germany, where they would feel they have a great chance to be crowned kings of Europe for a fourth time after
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