■SOCCER
Robbers lock Frau in trunk
Robbers posing as police locked up Lille striker Pierre-Alain Frau in the boot of his Mercedes in the early hours of Monday before releasing him in another part of town and stealing the car. Police said that as Frau was getting into his car, he was approached by hooded men in a car with flashing lights who presented themselves as police. He was on his way home from a dinner after Lille’s 2-1 defeat by Lorient on Sunday. The attackers released Frau on the street in a residential area before making off with his vehicle, credit card, mobile phone and hundreds of euros. It is the second time in 10 months that Frau has been targeted by carjackers after a vehicle was stolen from him in October.
■SOCCER
Cavanagh suspended
Accrington Stanley defender Peter Cavanagh has been fined £3,500 (US$5,800) and suspended from soccer for eight months for betting on a match involving his team, the English FA said on Monday. Cavanagh was charged with betting on Accrington’s final League Two (fourth division) match of the 2007-2008 season. “These were repeated deliberate breaches of The FA’s betting rules which are vital to maintain confidence in the integrity of the game,” the FA’s Regulatory Commission said in a statement on its Web site.
■SOCCER
Nehru dumps Palestine
Indian soccer authorities have dumped Palestine from next week’s Nehru Cup tournament for fielding a club side instead of the full national squad. Palestine were roped in to replace Thailand, who were also scratched for fielding a weaker side. The event would now become a five-team affair, the federation said in a statement. Syria, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka and India feature in the Aug 19 to Aug. 31 tournament, organized mainly to prepare the hosts for the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar.
■CRICKET
Mortaza out after surgery
Bangladesh’s injured captain Mashrafe Mortaza will be out of action for six weeks after undergoing surgery on both knees in Australia on Monday, officials said. An arthroscopic surgery was conducted on him by surgeon David Young at the Avenue Hospital in Melbourne, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said. “Dr Young is confident that Mortaza would be able to start running after three weeks and should return to cricket action after six weeks of rehabilitation.” Mortaza hurt his right knee in the first Test match against the West Indies at Kingstown, St Vincent, last month.
■BOXING
Kameda to fight for title
Daiki Kameda, the middle brother of Japan’s infamous “brat pack” boxing family, will challenge Thailand’s Denkaosan Kaovichit for the WBA flyweight title in October, his gym said on Monday. Kameda will be making his second bid for a world title in Osaka on Oct. 6 and his first since he was banned for a year for violent behavior in a failed bid for the WBC crown in 2007. Kameda has won 13 of his professional fights with only one defeat — against countryman Daisuke Naito in a WBC fight that ended in farce and multiple suspensions. Kameda, who had branded Naito a “cockroach” in the build-up to the fight, was banned for a year after picking up the champion and slamming him to the canvas. His father and former trainer Shiro was booted out of the sport for abusing the referee and elder brother Koki escaped with a warning after TV microphones caught him telling Daiki to elbow Naito in the eye.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani on Monday wobbled through a 28-pitch first inning at home against the San Diego Padres in his first appearance on the mound since August 2023. Scheduled to throw as many as two innings, Ohtani went a single frame while allowing one run on two hits. He did not issue a walk nor strike out a batter. “Not quite happy with the results overall, but the takeaway for me is that I feel good enough to be able to make the next outing,” Ohtani said of his pitching performance. Ohtani still wound up with a positive impact
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