■BASEBALL
Dodgers to visit Taiwan
The Los Angeles Dodgers, a US Major League Baseball team, are scheduled to visit Taiwan in March for two exhibition games, a Taipei-based report said yesterday. The Dodgers will play the matches against a local professional team on March 13 and March 14, the United Daily News reported, citing Jim Small, vice president of MLB Asia. The paper quoted Small as saying that he hoped the Dodgers’ visit would give a morale boost to fans of Taiwan’s favorite sport, which has been hit by a string of game-fixing scandals. Taiwanese authorities last year launched an investigation into the latest allegations which led to the arrest of six bookies and former players.
■FOOTBALL
NFL going to London, again
The Denver Broncos will meet San Francisco in a National Football League game at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 31 and the league might play another game this year in the UK, the NFL announced on Friday. The Broncos-49ers clash will mark the fourth year in a row that a regular-season US football game will be staged in London, the first three having drawn sell-out crowds of more than 80,000 spectators. “We have seen the extraordinary passion that exists for NFL football in the UK,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.
■BASEBALL
Court fines Yankees
A court in the Dominican Republic ordered the New York Yankees to pay more than US$750,000 to Carlos Rios, their former director of Latin American scouting, for what it ruled was his unlawful firing. In court papers examined on Friday by The Associated Press, Judge Alexis Gomez Geraldino found in favor of Rios, who was fired in August 2008 for allegedly skimming US$100,000 in bonus money from Yankees prospect Kelvin De Leon. The judge said the accusations against Rios were based on rumor and ordered the Yankees to pay Rios US$762,878 in damages.
■HOCKEY
Hockey alleges sex abuse
Police are investigating a sexual assault criminal complaint by former National Hockey League star Theo Fleury against his former junior hockey coach, Graham James. Fleury, whose NHL comeback bid with Calgary at age 41 failed last year, wrote in his autobiography last year that he was repeatedly abused while playing youth hockey in the 1980s. On his Web site, the former Calgary Flames star said on Thursday that he would file a complaint against James. Police said their probe would include working with US authorities and across Canada. Fleury, whose career was dogged by drugs and alcohol, played in the NHL from 1987 through 2003. In 1994 he briefly played for Tampere of Finland when the NHL missed nearly half a season in a labor dispute. He also played for the Belfast Giants of Britain’s Elite League in the 2005-2006 season.
■TENNIS
Aussies to play Taiwan
Australia will play Taiwan in their Asia Oceania Zone Group One Davis Cup tie at Melbourne Park, home of the Australian Open, Tennis Australia (TA) said yesterday. TA said it would be using the outdoor Margaret Court Arena for the first time to host the Davis Cup tie from March 5 to March 7. Australia won their only Davis Cup tie last year, but remain in Asia Oceania Zone Group One after withdrawing from the May tie in India because of security concerns. One-time power Australia have won the Davis Cup 28 times, second only to the US, with 32.
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg on Wednesday was ruled out for the second half of their 118-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets after the No. 1 pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and turned the ankle as he fell to the floor with 6 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter. Flagg limped to the bench and continued to the locker room, but returned for the final 2 minutes, 35 seconds before the break. The 19-year-old did not come out for the second half before the announcement that
Yassine Bounou on Wednesday saved two penalties, while Youssef en-Nesyri netted the decisive spot-kick as hosts Morocco secured a 4-2 shoot-out victory over Nigeria following a 0-0 draw in a tense Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Rabat. Morocco, seeking their first continental title in 50 years, are to face 2021 winners Senegal in Sunday’s decider in Rabat, while Nigeria take on Egypt in the third-place playoff tomorrow. The 120 minutes before the shoot-out had few clear-cut chances for either side, but it was Morocco who created more opportunities, although they were denied by some fine saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Nigeria
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