■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.
‘AWFUL PERFORMANCE’: Golden State were always chasing the game after failing to threaten from long range, making just eight of 33 three-point attempts Aaron Gordon on Monday scored 38 points as the Denver Nuggets shrugged off the absence of Nikola Jokic to halt the Golden State Warriors’ seven-game winning streak with a 114-105 victory over their Western Conference rivals. A dazzling display from Gordon inspired what was ultimately a comfortable win for Denver, who were missing regular starters Jokic and Jamal Murray from their lineup. The absentees were barely felt by Denver, who startled the Warriors early at San Francisco’s Chase Center and led for most of the game. The Warriors threatened to stage a late rally after slashing the Nuggets’ fourth-quarter lead from 15 points
The US’ bid for a fourth consecutive CONCACAF Nations League title came to a stunning end as they fell 1-0 to Panama after a stoppage-time goal from Cecilio Waterman on Thursday in Inglewood, California. Despite dominating possession, the US struggled to break down a resilient Panama side for long periods. Panama spent the bulk of the match defending, but pounced on a giveaway by the US before substitute forward Waterman sent a shot from the right side of the area to the bottom left corner late in stoppage time. Up next for Panama in tomorrow’s final is to be Mexico, who beat
DOMINATION: McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took the first two spots as Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen followed them Australian Oscar Piastri yesterday roared back from season-opening disappointment in his home race by winning the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two with championship-leading teammate Lando Norris. George Russell finished third for Mercedes, ahead of Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Saturday’s sprint winner Lewis Hamilton fifth and sixth respectively. Piastri’s win denied Norris a third victory in a row, including last year’s Abu Dhabi season-ender, but left champions McLaren unbeaten in two races so far this year. “Mega job guys. The car was very, very lovely,” Piastri said
Armand Duplantis will be among the reigning Olympic champions adding star power to the world indoor championships this weekend when the Chinese city of Nanjing hosts the first major global athletics meet since the Paris Games last year. The three-day event was originally slated for 2020 and faced multiple postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Nanjing’s Sports Training Center would finally welcome more than 570 athletes for the start of the showpiece today. One of the main attractions would be pole vaulter “Mondo” Duplantis, who soared 6.27m to break the world record for a staggering 11th time in Clermont-Ferrand last
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