■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.
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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