■FOOTBALL
Rams’ Olsen dies aged 69
Merlin Olsen, a gridiron Hall of Famer who became a popular actor and broadcaster in the wake of his NFL career, has died at the age of 69. Utah State, where Olsen attended university, said he died outside of Los Angeles early on Thursday after battling cancer. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung lining, last year. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement lauding Olsen as an “extraordinary person, friend and football player.” After earning All-American honors at Utah State, Olsen was a first-round draft pick of the Rams in 1962. The giant from northern Utah joined Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy and Rosey Grier on the Rams’ storied “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line.
■FOOTBALL
Man found guilty of murder
Suspected gang member Willie Clark was found guilty of murder on Thursday in the 2007 shooting death of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams. The verdict was the culmination of an 11-day trial and came after the jury deliberated for a day and a half. Clark, who faces life in prison when he is sentenced on April 30, showed no emotion as the verdict was read. He was taken from the court in handcuffs. Williams’ mother, Rosalind, wept as she departed the courtroom. Williams was killed on New Year’s Day 2007. Prosecutors said Clark fired the fatal shots from a sports utility vehicle that pulled up beside a hired limousine carrying Williams and some friends.
■NORDIC SKIING
Jonsson, Bjorgen win sprints
Scandinavians celebrated victories on Thursday in the World Cup 1.2km cross-country sprints, with Sweden’s Emil Jonsson winning the men’s race and Norway’s Marit Bjorgen triumphing in the women’s. Jonsson became the first non-Norwegian to win the men’s sprint in Drammen when he finished in 2 minutes, 57.9 seconds. Bjorgen finished in 3 minutes, 16.2 seconds after Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland, who was neck and neck with her Norwegian rival, slid out at a bend. Kowalczyk, who finished sixth, fell when she apparently kicked out too far and her ski got caught under Bjorgen’s.
■FORMULA ONE
India to get Grand Prix
India will be on next year’s Formula One calendar, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone told the sport’s governing body on Thursday. India’s debut was cast into doubt last year when the country’s sports ministry rejected a request by promoters JPSK Sports to pay US$36.5 million in foreign currency to Ecclestone’s British-based Formula One Administration. The country is subject to strict exchange control regulations. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement: “Subject to final approval of the calendar by the world council ... Ecclestone has informed the FIA that India will host a Formula One event in 2011.”
■BASEBALL
Mets hit by Reyes setback
The New York Mets, beset by injuries last season, were dealt another setback to the start of the new season on Thursday, with shortstop Jose Reyes the latest starter stuck on the sidelines. Reyes has been diagnosed with a thyroid condition that prohibits any physical activity for two to eight weeks, the player’s agent and club said in a conference call. “It doesn’t look good right now,” the team’s general manger, Omar Minaya, told reporters. Center fielder Carlos Beltran was already expected to miss the beginning of the season while he recovers from knee surgery.
■PARAGUAY
Sao Paulo down Nacional
Washington scored twice as Sao Paulo of Brazil won 2-0 at Paraguayan club Nacional in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores on Thursday. Cerro of Uruguay also enjoyed an away win, while Brazilian clubs Internacional and Cruzeiro were held to draws. Washington rounded the goalkeeper to put Sao Paulo ahead in the 59th minute and converted a low cross from the left for the second in the 90th minute. The win moved Sao Paulo to second in Group 2, a point behind Colombia’s Once Caldas after three matches. Claudio Dadomo scored the winner in the 67th minute in Cerro’s 2-1 victory at Emelec of Ecuador. Pablo Caballero opened the scoring for the Uruguayan club in the 52nd minute, while Pablo Perez got a consolation goal for Emelec in the 71st minute. Cerro top Group 5 after a second straight win. Internacional sits two points behind after a 1-1 draw with Ecuador’s Deportivo Quito. Deportivo took the lead through Tilson Minda in the 33rd minute, but Giuliano equalized for the Brazilian club in the 41st minute. Goals from Kleber in the 27th and 51st minutes earned Cruzeiro a 2-2 draw against Venezuelan club Deportivo Italia, but the striker soured his night after receiving a red card in the 86th minute.
■HONG KONG
Radical reform planned
The government is proposing a radical reform of soccer to “transform” the game in the Chinese-ruled former British colony. The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) was one of the first founded in Asia, but their international team, once a regional power, now languishes at 142nd in the FIFA rankings. A new government-sponsored report recommends wholesale restructuring of the HKFA, a new professional league, a full-time coach, more friendlies for the national team, better youth development and an improvement of facilities. “If the changes are implemented in an effective way, it is possible to envisage a transformation of soccer in the next five to 10 years,” Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing told the South China Morning Post. The initial goal would be to get Hong Kong back into the top 100 in the FIFA rankings in five years.
■GHANA
Drogba wins African award
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba was on Thursday named African Footballer of the Year for last year, the second time the Ivory Coast international has won the award. Drogba pushed Inter and Cameroon skipper Samuel Eto’o into second place in the vote amongst national team coaches from the Confederation of African Football. Drogba also won in 2006, again ahead of Eto’o, but was denied the continent’s top individual prize in 2007 when he failed to attend the awards ceremony in Togo. Ghana striker Dominic Adiyiah was African Young Footballer of the Year. Algeria were adjudged the best national team.
■ENGLAND
Rooney’s bald patch a boon
Wayne Rooney says his receding hairline is partly responsible for his improved heading prowess this season. The 24-year-old England international took his goal tally for the season to 30 with two strikes against AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday and opened the scoring with his seventh successive headed goal at Old Trafford. “It’s coming off my bald patch and that’s helping me score,” said Rooney, who was speaking at a FIFA promotional event. “I’ve been working on my heading a lot and thankfully it’s paying off. I’ve been in the box a lot more, I’ve been working on my timing and my finishing.”
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
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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