CRICKET
Rain ends second ODI
Rain washed out the second one-day international between New Zealand and Pakistan at the Queenstown Events Centre in New Zealand yesterday. Constant drizzle delayed the start of play by an hour before the match began at midday and was reduced to 48 overs each. Pakistan made a breezy start to their innings, reaching 31 without loss off 4.2 overs with Ahmed Shahzad racing to 25 off 16 balls and Mohammad Hafeez on four, when rain forced them off again less than 20 minutes after play began. Rain continued to fall and play was abandoned at 3:17pm when the umpires decided there was no chance of play beginning an hour later — the cut-off point for a match of 20 overs each side. The series moves to Christchurch for the third game on Saturday. New Zealand hold a 1-0 lead in the best-of-six series following a nine-wicket win in Wellington.
SOCCER
Mum gets Messi in trouble
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Tuesday fined Barcelona star Lionel Messi after the Argentine world player of the year showed off a T-shirt bearing a birthday message to his mother. Media reports said the fine was believed to be between 2,000 euros (US$2,700) and 3,000 euros, which the RFEF deemed Messi should pay for ripping off his shirt after scoring at the weekend against Racing Santander and showing a tee-shirt emblazoned with the words “Happy Birthday Mum.” The Federation stipulates that no such slogans should be shown off.
GOLF
Chavez praises Vegas
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Tuesday that he is no enemy of golf, despite his concerns about elite golf courses on prime urban real estate in Caracas. Chavez made the remark while congratulating Venezuelan golfer Jhonattan Vegas on his win in the Bob Hope Classic on Sunday in California. “I’m not an enemy of golf. I’m not an enemy of any sport,” Chavez said in a televised speech. “What I’ve done is criticize that there are some rich guys in Caracas who have ... golf courses and next to them the ranchos are falling down,” he said, referring to the simple brick homes clinging to hillsides that have been destroyed in recent landslides. Chavez has suggested the land on Caracas golf courses could be better used as his government seeks to speed construction of public housing — a stance that has raised the possibility the courses could eventually be expropriated. The president said he hoped to speak with Vegas soon by phone to congratulate him personally. “He beat all the gringos,” said Chavez, laughing. “Let’s go, buddy.” Chavez noted that Vegas is black, saying “he looks like [US President Barack] Obama.”
SOCCER
Atletico says offers rejected
An Atletico Madrid official says the club rejected big money offers from Real Madrid and Chelsea for striker Sergio Aguero this week. Senior adviser Miguel Angel Gil says the club turned down a 45 million euro (US$61 million) offer from crosstown rival Madrid for the Argentina striker as well as a 60 million euro proposal by the Premier League club that would have seen defender Diego Godin included in the deal. Gil says Atletico turned down the offers because it “believes in the players and the project we are building here.” Reports suggest Madrid could pay Aguero’s 60 million euro buy-out clause at the end of the season. Gil says coach Quique Sanchez Flores will see out the season despite the club’s recent struggles.
FOOTBALL
Vick endorses products
Philadelphia Eagles star Michael Vick, who lost NFL riches and went to prison after becoming reviled for killing dogs in gruesome fashion, is once again endorsing corporate products. Vick on Tuesday signed his first pitchman deal since serving 18 months in federal prison for his financing role in a dogfight gambling conspiracy, a two-year contract with gridiron padding producer Unequal Technologies. Vick wore a vest from Unequal after missing three games with a rib injury this season and later wore the firm’s shoulder and thigh pads. When playing for the Atlanta Falcons, Vick was the NFL’s top-paid player and a star for six seasons, but his 2007 arrest and the spiral that followed left him despised by many, particularly by dog lovers, after court documents revealed how he brutally killed losing dogs.
BOXING
Mayweather hearing delayed
Unbeaten US boxing star Floyd Mayweather’s evidence hearing on felony domestic violence charges was postponed to March 10 at the request of defense attorneys. Mayweather’s lawyer, Karen Winckler, asked for the delay on Monday so her law partner, Richard Wright, could examine material and Justice Melissa Saragosa agreed after there was no objection from prosecutors. Mayweather, 33, said nothing during his brief courtroom appearance and did not want to talk about the case, in which he is accused of striking and threatening former girlfriend Josie Harris, stealing her cellphone and threatening two of their children in an incident on Sept. 9. Attorneys for Mayweather have denied the fighter has done any wrong, but Mayweather faces up to 34 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
BASKETBALL
Hornets to stay in place
The NBA New Orleans Hornets will remain in the Louisiana city for at least another season after meeting an attendance goal that prevents an escape clause activation in their arena lease. The Hornets, who were forced to play two seasons out of Oklahoma City in the wake of devastation from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, clinched the attendance mark when 17,233 fans watched them edge Oklahoma City 91-89 on Monday night. The club, owned by the league, has a lease through 2014, but it can opt out early if attendance drops below an average of 14,735 for a two-season span that is calculated at the end of each January. A last-minute push by Louisiana political leaders ensured the Hornets would meet their goal, but state governor Bobby Jindal hopes businesses will boost the team’s season ticket holder total from barely 6,000 to almost 10,000.
BASKETBALL
Popovich to coach All-Stars
Gregg Popovich, coach of the NBA overall pace--setting San Antonio Spurs, was named on Tuesday as coach for the Western Conference in next month’s NBA All-Star Game at Los Angeles. Under the guidance of Popovich, the Spurs are off to a club record 38-7 start with the best record in the NBA so far this season, four games better than Eastern Conference leader Boston. Popovich, who previously guided the West All-Stars in 2005, has coached the Spurs to four titles in his 14 prior seasons as the team’s coach, bringing the crown to San Antonio in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. Popovich has a career record of 774-369 and his 106 playoff triumphs rank third on the all-time list.
Harry Kane opened the scoring ahead of lifting his first career silverware as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0, with veteran Thomas Mueller playing his last home game for the club. Bayern officially won the title on May 4 when defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, but were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans at full-time. Dripping wet after being showered with beer by teammates, Kane said the title win was “an incredible feeling,” and hoped it would be “the first of many.” “It’s been lot of hard work, a lot of
INTER AWAIT: Superb saves by PSG ’keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma inspired the victory, as Arsenal were punished for misses, including one by Bukayo Saka Arsenal on Wednesday fell short on the big stage again as their painful UEFA Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options. Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at Parc des Princes. Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg, but could not convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory. Arsenal were punished for
Bayern Munich on Sunday were crowned German champions for the 34th time, giving striker Harry Kane his first major trophy, after second-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen drew 2-2 at SC Freiburg. Bayern’s 3-3 draw at RB Leipzig on Saturday, when the Bavarians came from two goals down to take the lead before conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, meant defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen needed to win at Freiburg to delay the title party. Leverkusen were two goals down before scoring twice in the final 10 minutes, but Xabi Alonso’s side could not find a third, as Bayern reclaimed the title at the first attempt after
Taiwanese e-sports veteran Lin “ET” Chia-hung yesterday successfully defended his King of Fighters XV title at this year’s Evolution Championship Series: Japan (EVO Japan), securing his second consecutive championship. Lin claimed victory with a 3-1 win over Japanese pro gamer “mok” in the grand final, repeating his earlier 3-1 win against the same opponent in the winners’ final. The 40-year-old earned a ￥1 million (US$6,897) cash prize at the two-day tournament, which drew 294 competitors. Mok, Lin’s toughest rival in the bracket, took home ￥400,000 as runner-up. Lin remains undefeated in match sets against mok in King of Fighters XV, holding a 10-0 record,
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