Tue, May 04, 2010 page18

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■SOCCER

  No go Agogo for World Cup

  Ghana striker Junior Agogo will miss the World Cup after undergoing knee surgery. Ghana’s Football Association says the 30-year-old Agogo, who plays for Apollon Limassol in Cyprus, will be out of action for six months. The forward, who has also played for Chicago Fire and Colorado Rapids in the MLS, and Bristol Rovers and Nottingham Forest in England, starred at the 2008 African Cup in Ghana. He scored the winner in the quarter-finals against Nigeria and three goals in the tournament as the hosts finished third.

  ■SOCCER

  Blackpool clinch spot

  Blackpool clinched a place in the Championship play-offs, while Sheffield Wednesday were relegated to League One after being held to a 2-2 draw by Crystal Palace on a dramatic final day in English soccer’s second tier. Blackpool went into their last fixture knowing victory would guarantee a top-six finish and, although they drew 1-1 at home to Bristol City, they finished sixth anyway as seventh placed Swansea could only draw 0-0 against Doncaster. Blackpool are now just three games away from securing promotion to the top flight for the first time in 40 years. They will take on Nottingham Forest over two legs, with the winner meeting Cardiff or Leicester at Wembley on May 22.

  ■MOTOGP

  Lorenzo leads Spanish 1-2

  Jorge Lorenzo led a Spanish 1-2 at the world championship race in Jerez on Sunday ahead of compatriot Dani Pedrosa with Italy’s world champion Valentino Rossi finishing third. The victory sees Lorenzo overtake Rossi at the top of the world championship standings to the delight of the home crowd. “It’s the greatest victory of my career,” said Lorenzo, who picked up his sixth win in his third year in motorcycling’s elite category. Rossi said he had “struggled” throughout with the shoulder injury he recently suffered in a motocross accident, and with a choice of tires that left him simply trying to finish as high up as possible.

  ■SKATING

  Chinese stars visit Taiwan

  Triple gold medalist Wang Meng and other members of the Chinese skating teams that won five gold medals at the this year’s Winter Olympic Games arrived in Taipei yesterday for two shows. The delegation, featuring five top short track speed skaters and 19 figure skaters, will give two performances at the Taipei Arena ice rink tomorrow and on Thursday. The Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee’s secretary-general said the visit provides a rare opportunity for local audiences to see Olympic gold medal winners perform in person. Wang won short track speed skating gold in the women’s 500m, 1,000m and 3,000m relay races at the Winter Games in Vancouver in February and is China’s most decorated Winter Olympian. The figure skaters include Pang Qing and Tong Jian, who took silver in the pairs competition in Vancouver.

  ■CRICKET

  Murali out of World Cup

  Muttiah Muralitharan has been ruled out of the remainder of the Twenty20 World Cup after injuring his groin in Sri Lanka’s two-wicket loss to New Zealand. Team physiotherapist Tommy Simsek said Muralitharan had strained his right adductor muscle and would need up to three weeks rest, the Sri Lankan cricket board announced yesterday on its Web site. Muralitharan’s injury is a major setback for Sri Lanka’s chances. Muralitharan has more international wickets than any cricketer, with 792 in 132 Tests and 512 in 334 limited-overs internationals.
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