■BASEBALL
Kendall, Putz seal deals
Jason Kendall got a US$6 million, two-year contract from the Kansas City Royals and J.J. Putz agreed to a US$3 million, one-year deal with the Chicago White Sox on Friday. The Tampa Bay Rays finalized their trade with the Atlanta Braves, acquiring pitcher Rafael Soriano and agreeing to a US$7.25 million, one-year contract with the reliever. And the Washington Nationals completed their US$6 million, two-year contract with 14-time All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Soriano became a free agent after the season, then surprised the Braves this week when he accepted salary arbitration.
■ICE HOCKEY
Fetisov returns for a game
Slava Fetisov took to the ice for CSKA Moscow on Friday, then the 51-year-old said it was his last game. More than 11 years after ending his professional career and 21 years after his last appearance for CSKA, Fetisov became the oldest Russian to play in the Continental Hockey League. But after his team lost 3-2 to SKA St Petersburg, Fetisov said he did not intend to keep playing. “I think that was the only game for me to take part,” he said, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. “We have plenty of young guys.” He admitted it was physically challenging, adding: “I tried to hold on, I tried to play to the maximum.” However, CSKA coach Sergei Nemchinov said Fetisov may join the team again. “He did it well today,” he told RIA Novosti.
■FOOTBALL
Police arrest Pats mascot
A man who acts as a mascot for the New England Patriots is among 14 people who have been arrested for prostitution-related crimes in Rhode Island since a new law went into effect that banned indoor prostitution. The bill signed into law last month made prostitution a misdemeanor crime regardless of where it occurs. Previously, indoor prostitution was allowed because of a legal loophole. State police say Robert Sormanti was among those arrested in an undercover sting at a hotel. The Providence Journal reported Sormanti is among the NFL team’s mascots. The Patriots said in a statement that multiple people wear the mascot costume and that the “individual in question” has been suspended. A phone message left at Sormanti’s home on Friday was not immediately returned.
■SWIMMING
Cseh breaks own record
Laszlo Cseh of Hungary beat his own world record in the men’s 400m individual medley at the European short-course swimming championships on Friday, while the Netherlands broke the world record in the women’s 4x50m freestyle. The wins brought the number of world records set at the championships to five. The event ends on Sunday. Cseh won in 3 minutes, 57.27 seconds to better his previous world record of 3:59.33, set two years ago in Debrecen, Hungary.
■BOXING
Zaveck wins title with TKO
Jan Zaveck of Slovenia relieved Isaac Hlatshwayo of his IBF welterweight title with a third-round technical knockout at Wembley Indoor Arena in Johannesburg on Friday. Hlatshwayo was knocked down once in the second round and twice in the third before US referee Kenny Chevalier halted the fight with 42 seconds left in the third. Asked when he took control of his first world title bout, Zaveck (28-1, 16 KOs) said: “With my first punch.” It was the first defense for South Africa’s Hlatshwayo (29-2-1, 10 KOs), who won the vacant belt with a split decision win over Delvin Rodriguez in August.
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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