SOCCER
Police slam Serbia fans
Australian police yesterday lashed out at Serbia fans who lit flares, smashed bottles and unfurled banners backing accused war criminal Ratko Mladic during their 0-0 draw with Australia. Inspector Mick Beattie said four people were arrested at the game in Melbourne on Tuesday evening, while seven others were evicted from the stadium for bad behavior and drunkenness. “These idiots just thought they could activate flares in this crowd ... that it was part of their viewing culture,” Beattie told reporters, adding that he was disappointed they got past security. “These are very, very hot marine flares and it’s just a miracle that no one was burnt or injured last night.” Beattie said a laser beam was also spotted in use, while seating was damaged. Those arrested were each fined A$380 (US$405) for lighting flares and Football Federation Australia banned them from all future international and domestic games in the country. Victoria Police said more serious penalties were needed. “We believe there is a pressing need to significantly upgrade the penalties,” Beattie said. Outrage was also sparked by a banner being unfurled calling for the release of Mladic, who was arrested last month and indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Bosnian ambassador to Australia, Damir Arnaut, said he was appalled by the signs. “This is a despicable act that speaks volumes about the mentality of those who participated in it,” he said. “By unfurling this banner, let alone taking the time to create such an elaborate design, they unequivocally expressed support for the slaughter of over 8,000 civilians.”
SOCCER
Reds in Henderson talks
English Premier League club Liverpool are in talks with Sunderland’s Jordan Henderson after agreeing a fee for the midfielder, Sunderland’s official Web site said yesterday. Henderson, who made his full debut for England in their 2-1 friendly defeat by France in November, could cost the Merseyside club about ￡20 million (US$33 million), according to British media reports.
CRICKET
Prior smashes window
England wicketkeeper Matt Prior apologized to a woman who was cut by flying glass after his bat broke the window of the team’s dressing room window on Tuesday. Prior had been run out for 4 on the final day of the second Test against Sri Lanka. Captain Andrew Strauss told a post-match press conference that Prior’s bat had bounced off other bats near the window and broken the glass. “It was a genuine accident,” Strauss said. “He wasn’t meaning to throw anything at the window, so from our point of view the case is closed. He felt pretty contrite about it, I don’t think he quite realized at the time that there were people below him. He wanted to go down there and apologize, and I think it was the right thing to do.”
RUGBY UNION
Nonu, Hore look for teams
All Black stalwarts Ma’a Nonu and Andrew Hore will be looking for new Super Rugby teams next year after Wellington Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett told them they were not part of his future plans. Center Nonu has played more than 100 games for the Wellington-based team, while hooker Hore, the current captain, has also played more than 100 Super Rugby games. Both are considered certainties for the All Blacks World Cup squad later this year. “Both of them would have potentially liked to have done one more season here, so because of that there’ll be some hurt feelings around that,” Hammett said.
BASEBALL
Gretzky’s son chosen in draft
Trevor Gretzky, the baseball-playing son of ice hockey Hall of Fame great Wayne Gretzky, was selected in the seventh round on Tuesday by the Chicago Cubs. The younger Gretzky knocks in runs — not goals — as a left-handed power-hitting California high school first baseman. The Cubs also took a name from their past, drafting California high school outfielder Shawon Dunston Jr — his father was the No. 1 overall pick by Chicago in 1982. The sons of Ivan Rodriguez and Kevin Seitzer and the great-nephew of Eddie Gaedel — who is 1.9m, unlike his 2m great-uncle who walked in a publicity stunt 60 years ago — were all taken during the draft’s second day. The draft was to finish yesterday with rounds 31-50.
SOCCER
Apache drop out of league
The Tokyo Apache’s sudden decision to pull out of the Basketball Japan League because of financial problems was a shock, commissioner Toshimitsu Kawachi said yesterday. The deadly earthquake and tsunami on March 11, which killed more than 20,000 people and sparked a nuclear crisis, had impacted Apache’s fan base, already one of the thinnest in the league, Kawachi said. Apache’s management suspended operations on Tuesday after failing to secure sponsorship because the business climate had worsened after the earthquake and tsunami. Tokyo’s players were told of the decision on Monday, becoming free agents, while former NBA coach Bob Hill has joined the Taiwan national team as a consultant.
BASKETBALL
Ray Allen stays with Celtics
Ray Allen exercised his contract option to remain with the Boston Celtics, keeping intact the team’s “Big Three” unit of Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, the NBA team announced on Tuesday. Garnett is entering the final year of his contract, while Pierce is set for three more seasons with the Celtics, who lost to Miami in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Star shooting guard Allen, set to start his 16th season, established a career NBA record for 3-pointers last season at 2,612 and his 22,286 points rank 24th on the all-time list. In the first season after he joined the Celtics from Seattle and Garnett came from Minnesota, Boston won its record 17th NBA title. The Celtics lost superstar center Shaquille O’Neal to retirement last week after an injury-nagged final campaign. Boston traded away big man Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City during the season.
SOCCER
Germany pound Netherlands
Hosts and defending champions Germany continued their preparations to host the women’s World Cup, which starts on June 26, with a 5-0 hammering of the Netherlands in Aachen, Germany, on Tuesday. Having lifted the world title four years ago in China, Silvia Neid’s side are bidding for a hat-trick of titles and their impressive form continued as they ran the Netherlands ragged. Having already beaten North Korea 2-0 and Italy 5-0 in their two previous warm-up matches, Germany have now scored 12 goals without reply, but face former World Cup-holders Norway in their final warm-up game on June 16. “We’re right where we wanted to be at this time,” Germany coach Neid said. “We still need some final precision in our play, but we will be very hungry by the time we start the World Cup in Berlin.” Midfielders Celia Okoyino da Mbabi, 22, and Kim Kulig, 21, have now both scored in all three of Germany’s preparation games.
Taiwan’s men’s table tennis team won bronze on Saturday at this year’s International Table Tennis Federation World Team Table Tennis Championships in London, matching the country’s best-ever finish at the regular tournament. Consisting of Lin Yun-ju, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7, Feng Yi-hsin, Kuo Guan-hong, Hong Jing-kai and Hsu Hsien-chia, the team won bronze after losing 0-3 to Japan in the semifinals. In the opening match, 24-year-old Lin played the first game against world No. 3 Tomokazu Harimoto 11-5, but ultimately lost the next three closely contested games 9-11, 10-12 and 10-12. Feng then faced world No. 8 Sora Matsushima in
Lin Yun-ju on Thursday handed Taiwan two key victories as they advanced to the semi-finals of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London. The Taiwan men’s table tennis team beat Sweden 3-2 in five singles matches. The 24-year-old Lin, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7 and nicknamed the “Silent Assassin,” opened the tie by defeating world No. 2 Truls Moregard 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 13-11) before clinching the deciding fifth match with a 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-5) win over Anton Kallberg to hand his team the overall victory. Kuo Guan-hong put Taiwan up 2-0 with a 3-2 (4-11, 11-8, 8-11,
Taiwanese fire dancer Yang Li-wei advanced to the final of Britain’s Got Talent this weekend after receiving a Golden Buzzer during her live semi-final performance. Yang, a member of Taiwan’s Coming True Fire Group, awed judges and audiences with a high-intensity fire performance featuring flaming umbrellas, fire swallowing and spinning metal structures balanced with her legs. Judge Simon Cowell praised Yang as a star, while guest judge KSI reacted with amazement before pressing the Golden Buzzer, sending her to the finals. The dance group wrote on social media that the Golden Buzzer was “the highest honor” on the talent show, adding: “Twenty-three years
As Super Rugby fast approaches its playoff season it finds itself racing toward a reckoning with many issues that threaten the southern hemisphere tournament. A group of stakeholders met in the New Zealand city of Christchurch late last month to address problems that are making the future of the 31-year-old competition increasingly tenuous. The discussion was made more urgent by the decision by the owners of Moana Pasifika to fold the Auckland-based club for financial reasons. That followed the closure of the Melbourne Rebels at the end of the 2024 season, likewise because of financial difficulties. Problems addressed included player retention as more
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