■ BASKETBALL
Fire breaks out at champs
An electrical fire broke out at the site of the medal round of the women’s world basketball championship in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. There were a few hundred people in the arena at the time of Monday’s fire. One person was taken to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, according to a FIBA official. Black smoke billowed out of KV Arena, but the fire was quickly contained and there was no damage. Team practices in the afternoon were moved to another site, but an exhibition game was played without a problem on Monday night.
■ FOOTBALL
Hall of Famer Blanda dies
George Blanda, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame following a 26-year career as a quarterback and kicker, has died, the Oakland Raiders said on Monday. He was 83. Though he played 10 years with the Chicago Bears and seven more with the Houston Oilers of the AFL, he was best-known for his nine seasons with the Raiders. He was the greatest clutch player the game of pro football had ever known, Raiders owner Al Davis said when Blanda was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981. Blanda, who retired at the age of 48, was responsible for four dramatic victories and a last-second tie for the Raiders as either a quarterback or kicker, the team said on its Web site. No cause of death was immediately released.
■ SOCCER
Assaulted coach quits
AEK Athens coach Dusan Bajevic, who suffered a vicious assault by fans last month, has quit after they threw seats at him following Sunday’s shock 3-1 defeat by newly-promoted Olympiakos Volos. A group of fans kicked and punched Bajevic during a pre-season friendly on Aug. 8 and a section of the crowd threw seats towards him after Sunday’s defeat, although none hit him. It was the 61-year-old Serbian’s third stint in charge of the club, but a group of the fans are apparently enraged by his previous job coaching rivals Olympiakos. He told reporters at a post match news conference: “I will not be talking about the game, what I can say is that I have informed the president and the players that I have resigned.”
■ VOLLEYBALL
Cameroon beat Australia
Cameroon came back from a set down to beat Australia 3-1 on Monday and earn its first ever victory at the men’s volleyball world championships in Italy. The victory sent the African nation through to the second round and eliminated Australia. Cameroon’s German coach Peter Nonnenbraich said in tears, “You can’t imagine what this victory means for people in Africa.” Jean Patrice Ndaki Mboulet, who plays for the Sakai Blazers in Osaka, Japan, led Cameroon with 26 points for a total of 65 in three matches.
■ BASEBALL
Verdict in Adenhart case
A man was convicted on three counts of second-degree murder on Monday in Santa Ana, California, over the killing of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart while drunk driving. A jury found Andrew Gallo, 23, guilty over the crash in April last year in which Adenhart and two others died. A judge had already found Gallo guilty on Friday of driving on a suspended license at the time of accident. Gallo had pleaded not guilty to three counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of 22-year-old Adenhart, his girlfriend 20-year-old Courtney Stewart and Henry Pearson, a 25-year-old friend. A fourth person in the car was also hurt. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 10.
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
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