Thu, Feb 18, 2010 page7

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■SOCCER

  Former Socceroo Gray dies

  Homicide detectives have begun an investigation into the death of former Australia international Ian Gray, whose body was discovered this week at his Sydney home. Gray, 46, was a defender or midfielder who played 35 matches and scored six goals for Australia in an international career that ran from 1984 to 1992. In 2004, he was inducted into the Football Federation Australia (FFA) Hall of Fame. Police say they are treating his death as suspicious. FFA chairman Frank Lowy said in a statement yesterday he was saddened by Gray’s death. “Ian gave great service to the Socceroos, playing 35 matches over nine years and he was a very respected teammate and a friend to many,” Lowy said.

  ■BASKETBALL

  Clippers trade center Camby

  The Los Angeles Clippers have traded center Marcus Camby to the Portland Trail Blazers for forward Travis Outlaw, guard Steve Blake and cash considerations. Los Angeles also said on their Web site on Tuesday that the team had waived experienced guard Ricky Davis. Camby gives Portland a much-needed boost at center since their top two players in the position, Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla, are out for the season with injuries. The 35-year-old Camby, known for his strong defensive play, was averaging 12.1 rebounds, 7.7 points and almost two blocked shots per game with the Clippers. Blake, 29, averaged 7.6 points and 4.0 assists for Portland.

  ■CRICKET

  Akhtar fined US$83,000

  Scandal-hit Pakistani paceman Shoaib Akhtar had his pay check docked for discipline problems on Tuesday, one of the heaviest fines imposed on a Pakistani player, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said. Akhtar was fined 7 million rupees (US$83,000) for criticizing the cricket board in 2008. He has faced a series of controversies over the years, including hitting a player with a bat and contracting genital warts that prevented him playing in a Twenty20 tournament. “A fine of 7 million rupees has been deducted from Akhtar’s payment due for January to November 2009,” PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said. Akhtar has been on probation since October 2007, when he was fined US$52,000 and banned for 13 matches for hitting bowler Mohammad Asif with a bat ahead of the Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa.

  ■RUGBY UNION

  Wyn Jones out injured

  Wales second-row forward Alun Wyn Jones will miss the rest of the Six Nations Championship after being sent for surgery on an elbow injury. The 24-year-old — whose yellow card in the opening 30-17 defeat by England earned him a harsh rebuke by coach Warren Gatland as the English scored 17 points in his absence — had an operation yesterday to repair the injury he sustained in Saturday’s epic 31-24 victory over Scotland at the Millennium Stadium. The Welsh Rugby Union announced Jones suffered a chipped bone and ligament damage, and will be out for six to 12 weeks.

  ■ATHLETICS

  BBC to make Coe, Ovett film

  Sebastian Coe’s rivalry with Steve Ovett in which the two middle-distance runners took turns to break the world record in the late 1970s and early 1980s is to be highlighted in a BBC movie. Based on a book The Perfect Distance by athletics writer Pat Butcher, the movie should be out before the 2012 Olympics in London. Ovett beat Coe in the 800m at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but Coe won the 1,500m gold and went on to retain it four years later in Los Angeles.
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