■SOCCER
Nakamura to join Espanyol
Japan’s Shunsuke Nakamura will announce his move to Espanyol from Celtic as early as tomorrow and make his debut in a friendly against Liverpool on Aug. 2, a report said yesterday. Nakamura’s agent Roberto Tsukuda will today meet executives at J-League side Yokohama Marinos, who were also vying for his signature, to tell them of the star’s intention after talks with Espanyol in Barcelona over the past week. Nakamura told Tsukuda by telephone last week that he had decided on the move to the Spanish side after talks with Yokohama, his first professional side, collapsed, Nikkan Sports said. His debut will also be the inaugural match at Espanyol’s new stadium. Japanese reports said the two-year deal will see Nakamura, who is leaving Celtic on a free transfer, pick up 1.2 million euros (US$1.7 million) a year.
■SOCCER
Livorno return to Serie A
Livorno returned to Serie A at the first attempt when they beat visitors Brescia 3-0 on Saturday to complete a 5-2 aggregate win in the Serie B playoff final. Forward Francesco Tavano headed in Alessandro Diamanti’s cross from the left five minutes after the break to open the scoring for the Tuscans who finished the regular season in third. Diamanti doubled the lead 10 minutes later with a right-foot volley, before Danish midfielder Martin Bergvold wrapped things up by firing under the bar at the end of a counterattack. Brescia forward Andrea Caracciolo and Livorno substitute Fabio Galante were sent off in the closing stages. Livorno, who were relegated from Serie A after finishing the 2007-2008 campaign bottom of the table, are promoted with Serie B champions Bari and runners-up Parma. They will take the places of relegated Lecce, Reggina and Torino in the top flight.
■SOCCER
Filipinos quarantined
A young Philippine player in Singapore for the Asian Youth Games has caught the A(H1N1) flu virus, leading his teammates to be quarantined and matches against the Philippines postponed. The Singapore government said a 14-year-old from the Philippines soccer team developed a fever during a practice session on Friday, but was now in a stable condition. He had arrived on Thursday from Manila with 18 teammates and two coaches. “The Asian Youth Games will go on. The health and safety of all participants remains our paramount concern,” said a spokesman for organizer the Singapore Sports Council.
■ATHLETICS
Bolt to run 100m and 200m
Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt plans to compete in both the 100m and 200m at next week’s Jamaican world championship trials, his agent said on Saturday. “His aim is to qualify for the world championship team in these events and the 4x100m relay,” Ricky Simms said in an e-mail. Bolt set world records in all three at last year’s Beijing Olympics. The Jamaican trials run from Friday through to Sunday in Kingston.
■ATHLETICS
Chambers eases to victory
British sprinter Dwain Chambers eased to victory in the 100m at the European team event on Saturday before setting his sights on August’s world championships. Chambers, 31, who served a two-year suspension after testing positive for the designer steroid THG in 2003, clocked 10.07 seconds to beat Portugal’s Francis Obikwelu (10.20) and Emanuele Di Gregorio of Italy (10.21).
■ICE HOCKEY
Kenny Jonsson to retire
Veteran Swedish defenseman Kenny Jonsson, a two-time Olympic champion and former NHL player, is retiring from hockey after 19 seasons. The 34-year-old Jonsson, who was captain of the Swedish team that finished third at the world championship last month, spent the last four seasons with Swedish club Rogle, where he started his career. Jonsson played in 705 NHL games, compiling 64 goals and 207 assists in 10 seasons, mostly with the New York Islanders. He won his first Olympic gold with Sweden at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. In 2006, he also won gold at the world championship as Sweden became the first country to win Olympic and world titles in the same year.
■BASEBALL
Matsuzaka to miss next start
Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka will miss his next start and will have tests conducted on his right shoulder, the American League team said on Saturday. “What we decided is that going forward next week we are not going to start Daisuke,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “We need to get him looked at physically,” Francona added. The high-price right-hander has struggled this season, posting a 1-5 record and an 8.23 earned run average. He was on the disabled list earlier this season with a shoulder strain after winning Most Valuable Player honors in helping Japan defend its World Baseball Classic title.
■BASEBALL
Ramirez to play in minors
Slugger Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers will make his return to baseball tomorrow after a doping suspension when he starts a stint with the minor league Albuquerque Isotopes. “Manny has agreed to go to Albuquerque on Tuesday,” Dodgers manager Joe Torre said on Saturday. Torre wouldn’t specify how many days Ramirez would spend with the club there. “The only thing I can report to you is that he’s agreed to go down there,” Torre said. “It’s just a matter of competition. It’s the idea of going out there and playing a game.” Ramirez took batting practice on Saturday morning at Dodger Stadium and has been consistently working out since he was suspended for 50 games for violating Major League Baseball’s drug rules. He is eligible to be reinstated to the majors on July 3, when the Dodgers are in San Diego.
■GOLF
Lowly Nilsson takes lead
Christian Nilsson, a Swede ranked 478th, shot a 6-under 65 Saturday to lead by four strokes after the third round of the Saint-Omer Open in France. Nilsson hit an eagle and five birdies to total 11-under 202. His best finish this year was a share of 31st place at the Open de Andalucia in March. James Morrison of England (70) stayed second after making four birdies and three bogeys. Overnight leader Wade Ormsby of Australia (74) slipped to equal third at 209 after bogeying three holes on the back nine. He is level with Fredrik Andersson Hed of Sweden (71), Sion E. Bebb of Wales (67) and 2004 winner Jose-Filipe Lima of Portugal (69).
■GOLF
Young Manassero lands title
Italian teenager Matteo Manassero became the youngest player to land the British amateur title after a 4&3 win over Sam Hutsby in Formby, England, on Saturday. The 16-year-old, who finished 19th at last month’s Italian Open, sealed victory over Briton Hutsby with a three-foot putt on the 33rd hole. Manassero has earned an automatic place at next month’s British Open at Turnberry in Scotland, as well as in next year’s US Masters.
Taiwan’s men’s table tennis team won bronze on Saturday at this year’s International Table Tennis Federation World Team Table Tennis Championships in London, matching the country’s best-ever finish at the regular tournament. Consisting of Lin Yun-ju, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7, Feng Yi-hsin, Kuo Guan-hong, Hong Jing-kai and Hsu Hsien-chia, the team won bronze after losing 0-3 to Japan in the semifinals. In the opening match, 24-year-old Lin played the first game against world No. 3 Tomokazu Harimoto 11-5, but ultimately lost the next three closely contested games 9-11, 10-12 and 10-12. Feng then faced world No. 8 Sora Matsushima in
Lin Yun-ju on Thursday handed Taiwan two key victories as they advanced to the semi-finals of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London. The Taiwan men’s table tennis team beat Sweden 3-2 in five singles matches. The 24-year-old Lin, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7 and nicknamed the “Silent Assassin,” opened the tie by defeating world No. 2 Truls Moregard 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 13-11) before clinching the deciding fifth match with a 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-5) win over Anton Kallberg to hand his team the overall victory. Kuo Guan-hong put Taiwan up 2-0 with a 3-2 (4-11, 11-8, 8-11,
Taiwanese fire dancer Yang Li-wei advanced to the final of Britain’s Got Talent this weekend after receiving a Golden Buzzer during her live semi-final performance. Yang, a member of Taiwan’s Coming True Fire Group, awed judges and audiences with a high-intensity fire performance featuring flaming umbrellas, fire swallowing and spinning metal structures balanced with her legs. Judge Simon Cowell praised Yang as a star, while guest judge KSI reacted with amazement before pressing the Golden Buzzer, sending her to the finals. The dance group wrote on social media that the Golden Buzzer was “the highest honor” on the talent show, adding: “Twenty-three years
As Super Rugby fast approaches its playoff season it finds itself racing toward a reckoning with many issues that threaten the southern hemisphere tournament. A group of stakeholders met in the New Zealand city of Christchurch late last month to address problems that are making the future of the 31-year-old competition increasingly tenuous. The discussion was made more urgent by the decision by the owners of Moana Pasifika to fold the Auckland-based club for financial reasons. That followed the closure of the Melbourne Rebels at the end of the 2024 season, likewise because of financial difficulties. Problems addressed included player retention as more
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