Thu, Nov 05, 2009 page19

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■SOCCER

  FAT players get free burgers

  Thailand’s top players will feast on free burgers as part of a three-year sponsorship deal with fast food giant McDonald’s worth almost US$900,000, the country’s soccer president said yesterday. McDonald’s will provide 25 million baht (US$747,000) for the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) and will offer 5 million baht in products in exchange for shirt sponsorship for the next three years. “This will be a great help towards our efforts to reach the 2014 World Cup finals,” FAT president Worawi Makudi said. “This funding will help develop our game, especially youth football, and all the players, junior and senior, will get to enjoy the food too,” he said.

  ■SOCCER

  Norway keep faith with Olsen

  Norway’s soccer federation have kept faith with manager Egil Olsen, who signed a contract extension on Tuesday that will keep him in the job till 2012. The 67-year-old is the most prolific national team manager in the history of Norwegian soccer, and was at the helm for Norway’s two appearances in the World Cup finals, in 1994 and 1998. Norway failed to qualify for next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa. Despite finishing runners-up to the Netherlands in Group 9 their points tally was not good enough to put them among the best runners-up for the play-offs. Olsen has been given an option in his contract that could see him stay on through the 2012 European Championships, if Norway qualify. If he refuses this option, Olsen will hand over to Staale Solbakken, a former national team player who is now coach of FC Copenhagen, on Jan. 1, 2012. After a brief stint as coach of Iraq, Olsen returned to coach Norway in January.

  ■TENNIS

  Swine flu hits Haas

  German player Tommy Haas has overcome a bout of swine flu quickly because of his fitness as a professional athlete, the nation’s Davis Cup team doctor said on Tuesday. “Athletes are more resistant than other people, leading to a shorter and less violent illness,” Erich Rembeck said. The Bild daily reported on Tuesday that Haas, 31, contracted the A(H1N1) virus and had to withdraw from a tournament in Stockholm after the first round two weeks ago. He subsequently canceled his appearance this week in Basel. “It started after the game [in Stockholm]. A sore throat, and then shivering fits and a fever during the night. It was really bad for three days and I could not leave my hotel room. I felt really bad,” Haas told Bild. “I did the test because I suspected swine flu. The test was positive. Naturally that was a shock for me,” he said. “Like all tennis players Tommy Haas travels a lot. That leads to a greater risk of infection,” Rembeck said.

  ■CRICKET

  Henriques joins injury list

  An already weakened Australia were dealt another injury blow in the one-day series in India after Moises Henriques was ruled out of today’s fifth match with a damaged hamstring. Henriques, himself a replacement for the injured James Hopes, hurt his right hamstring during Monday’s fourth game in Mohali. Injuries have already forced the tourists, who are level 2-2 with the hosts in the seven-match series, to send back fast bowlers Peter Siddle and Brett Lee, wicketkeeper Tim Paine and Hopes. Aussie captain Ricky Ponting was understandably frustrated at the growing injury list that left just 13 fit players to pick from. “It’s disappointing to see these guys go down because you know how much they want to play and be a part of the series, and do the best they can to win games,” Ponting said.

  ■BASKETBALL

  Charges added against West

  Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West faces up to 18 years in prison on weapons charges after more misdemeanor indictments were filed against him on Tuesday from a Sept. 17 arrest. West was arrested for speeding on a motorcycle while carrying multiple weapons on the Beltway around Washington. The original counts were for speeding and two counts of carrying a handgun. The 26-year-old playmaker had a large knife added to the weapons list, which previously included a loaded shotgun and two loaded handguns. Carrying concealed weapons and transport of handguns are illegal in Maryland, where he was arrested near his residence. West is now indicted on two counts of carrying dangerous weapons, two counts of carrying a handgun, two counts of handgun transport, one count of reckless driving and one count of negligent driving.

  ■BASKETBALL

  Detroit re-elects Dave Bing

  Hall of Famer Dave Bing has been re-elected Detroit mayor. The 65-year-old Democrat defeated accountant Tom Barrow in Tuesday’s nonpartisan general election. Bing’s NBA career lasted 12 seasons, nine with the Detroit Pistons. As mayor, he has laid off workers and demanded a 10 percent wage cut to help address the city’s ongoing budget deficit. It was the fourth time Detroit voters cast ballots this year for mayor. Bing received the most votes in a February primary and defeated incumbent Ken Cockrel Jr in a May runoff to complete Kwame Kilpatrick’s second term. Kilpatrick resigned as part of pleas in two criminal cases. Bing also received the most votes in the August primary.

  ■BASKETBALL

  Joba’s mom faces 20 years

  The mother of New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced next month on a felony drug charge. Jackie Standley pleaded no contest on Monday to an amended charge of delivery of a controlled substance, Lincoln, Nebraska, court records show. The 44-year-old Standley was arrested in May after selling a gram of methamphetamine to an undercover officer at her Lincoln residence. Standley was originally charged with a Class II felony, which carries a maximum sentence of 50 years, but the prosecutor reduced the charge to a Class III felony. She is to be sentenced on Dec. 16.

  ■BOXING

  WBC to get tough on dads

  The World Boxing Council (WBC) wants to once and for all banish fathers from working their sons’ corners during fights after a study showed it could prove fatal. Speaking at the WBC’s annual convention in the South Korean island of Jeju, council president Jose Sulaiman said the WBC already had a rule banning fathers from their sons’ corners, but that it was being flouted. The WBC must strictly enforce this law to prevent errors in judgment that could lead to tragedy in the ring, he added. Art Pelullo, president of Banner Promotions, said the emotional link between father and son should preclude them working so closely together during a fight. “A father is not detached enough to make the right decision, because he’s looking at what he loves and maybe not seeing what’s really going on,” Pelullo said. WBC governor Rex Walker said there was the added danger to fathers living out their own dreams through their sons’ fists. “Too many fathers live through their kid in the ring,” he said. “They transform from the corner to the kid, and they want to stay in the fight — but they’re not the ones getting hit.”
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