UNITED KINGDOM
FIFA tries to block document
World governing body FIFA is attempting to block the release of a document that reveals the identity of two officials forced to repay bribes, the BBC reported on Sunday. The officials repaid the money in a settlement following a Swiss criminal investigation last year, according to allegations broadcast by the BBC’s current affairs program Panorama yesterday. The settlement relates to bribes paid to senior FIFA officials in the 1990s by sports marketing company International Sports and Leisure, Panorama reported. The program named the men concerned as former FIFA president Joao Havelange, 95, and Ricardo Teixeira, the leader of Brazilian soccer and a member of FIFA’s executive committee. The program also said it had found evidence that FIFA vice president Jack Warner sold on tickets to the World Cup in Germany 2006 through an intermediary, but lawyers acting for FIFA are contesting a decision by the Swiss prosecutor in Zug to release details of the agreement.
INDONESIA
Country braced for ban
FIFA is expected to ban Indonesia from international soccer, including World Cup qualifiers and the Southeast Asian Games, which the country is hosting in November, a report said yesterday. Sanctions are imminent after the Indonesian Football Association failed to resolve a bitter row at the weekend over how the game should be run in the country. “In my opinion, the chance of a FIFA sanction is 2,000 percent,” acting Indonesian Football Association secretary-general Joko Driyono was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Globe daily. Soccer in Indonesia is in turmoil after the association failed to elect a new leadership panel on Friday night ahead of a deadline set by FIFA.
TURKEY
Fenerbahce win 18th title
Fenerbahce won their 18th Turkish championship on Sunday with a 4-3 away victory over Sivasspor, grabbing the crown on goal-difference from Trabzonspor on the final day of the season. The Istanbul giants finished the season with 82 points, the same as Trabzonspor, whose 4-0 victory over Karabukspor fell short of propelling them to the top. Thousands of Fenerbahce fans took to the streets in the club’s home district of Kadikoy, on Istanbul’s Asian side, in an ecstatic celebration that will also go some way to burying memories of their last-minute loss of the title last year. Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor will represent Turkey in the Champions League next season.
RUSSIA
CSKA Moscow win Cup final
Three-time champions CSKA Moscow won their sixth Russian Cup, beating Alania Vladikavkaz 2-1 in the final at Yaroslavl Central Stadium on Sunday. Ivory Coast forward Seidou Doumbia put the Red Army side into the lead when the match was 13 minutes old, firing past Alania goalkeeper Dmitry Khomich from Vagner Love’s cross, but 10 minutes later Danila Neko pulled the scores level when he put the ball in the net with a help of a slight ricochet. After the interval, CSKA went on the offensive and Doumbia netted the winning goal in the 69th minute.
PORTUGAL
Porto bag another treble
Porto bagged a treble after adding the Portuguese Cup to the club’s triumphs in the Europa League and the Portuguese league on Sunday. Porto, coached by 33-year-old Andre Villas-Boas, hammered Vitoria Guimaraes 6-2 in the Cup final in Lisbon to repeat the treble last achieved in 2003 under Jose Mourinho.
A seven-year-old horse had to be euthanized on Friday after breaking its back on the final fence of a Grand National steeplechase race that it won despite sustaining the serious injury. It follows the death of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival last month — including one after the prestigious Gold Cup. Gold Dancer was competing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase during Ladies Day at Aintree’s Grand National Festival. The horse managed to cross the finish line approximately four lengths ahead of runner-up Regent’s Stroll. “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after
Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung on Sunday topped the men’s horizontal bar event at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, scoring 15.233 to take his third title this season. Tang delivered an outstanding performance in the final, earning a difficulty score of 6.500 and an execution score of 8.633 with a 0.1 stick bonus. His closest competitor was Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan, who finished second with 14.933 points. It was Tang’s third gold medal in the FIG World Cup series this year, following his horizontal bar wins in Azerbaijan on March 8, and in Turkey on March
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Ninad Malwade was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
This year’s Taiwan Athletics Open, which offers Taiwanese athletes an opportunity to compete against their international peers, would be held under a new name after its organizers had earlier announced the event’s cancelation. In a statement issued yesterday, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association said the competition would still take place on June 6-7 at Banciao Stadium, but under the name “New Taipei City Athletics Open 2026.” The event was given a new name to emphasize its local identity and conform with the international practice of naming World Athletics Tour events after cities, the association said. It said it would soon
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