BOXING
Khan, Peterson to rematch
Amir Khan’s promoter said in London on Saturday the WBA had informed him it would order a rematch with the US’ Lamont Peterson following the British boxer’s controversial defeat on a split decision in their world title fight in Washington last month. Khan, who lost his WBA super-lightweight and IBF light-welterweight crowns, had questioned the appearance of a mystery man at ringside with the 25-year-old’s camp accusing him of “interfering” with the scorecards belonging to the judges. “We have been informed today by the WBA that they will order a rematch,” Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer told Sky Sports News. He also said the unidentified man was an IBF official named Mustafa Ameen. WBA vice president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza said on Friday there should be a rematch.
BASEBALL
Posada calling it quits
Catcher Jorge Posada is planning to retire after 17 seasons with the New York Yankees rather than pursue opportunities with other teams. A person familiar with the decision told reporters on Saturday that the five-time All-Star catcher would announce his retirement this month. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been made public. Posada’s plans were first reported by sports radio station WFAN. The 40-year-old Posada won five World Series titles with the team that drafted him in the 24th round of the 1990 draft. He became a free agent after a trying past season, the final year of a four-year, US$52 million contract. Earlier this offseason, Posada acknowledged that his career with the Yankees was over, but said he had offers from several other teams.
RALLYING
Al-Attiyah wins stage
Defending champion Nasser al-Attiyah of Qatar won Saturday’s seventh stage of the Dakar Rally in Copiapo, Chile, with Stephane Peterhansel of France finishing third and keeping the overall lead. A day after a Dakar stage was canceled because of a snowed-in Andes pass for the first time, competitors took to soft sand and dunes in a 419km loop course around Copiapo in the Atacama region. Al-Attiyah, whose Hummer has been fast, but plagued by bad luck, finally dominated at the end of a stage. He beat second-placed US teammate Robby Gordon by 7 minutes, 30 seconds. Peterhansel was 7:53 behind in his Mini and happy to concede a 1-2 finish to the Hummers, who aren’t title contenders for now. Peterhansel, a nine-time Dakar champion, was atop the overall — 11:22 ahead of Krzysztof Holowczyc of Poland and 13:09 in front of Gordon.
GOLF
Oosthuizen shares lead
Defending champion Louis Oosthuizen birdied three of his last four holes to card a six-under 67 and hold a share of the third-round lead at the Africa Open in East London, South Africa, on Saturday. Oosthuizen and Tjaart van der Walt (65) were at 21-under overall, one shot ahead of 2009 winner and two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen (66). Van der Walt birdied the first four holes at East London Golf Club and sank nine in his round, offset by one bogey, as he held his nerve against the pair of major champions and fellow South Africans. Van der Walt, who turned professional in 1996, has yet to win a tournament, but he likes his chances this weekend. Goosen, shooting into a rising wind on his approach to 18, landed in a greenside bunker to finish with par, while Oosthuizen and van der Walt both made birdies to take the lead.
SOCCER
Fan arrested for racist abuse
A 20-year-old man was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense during Liverpool’s FA Cup clash with Oldham Athletic. Oldham player Tom Adeyemi was allegedly abused by fans at the Kop end during Friday’s third-round game at Anfield which Liverpool won 5-1. The incident comes as Liverpool are on the defensive over the handling of the Luis Suarez affair. A police spokesman said: “Merseyside Police can confirm that tonight a 20-year-old man from the Aintree area of Merseyside has been arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offense following an incident at Anfield on Friday evening. The man is currently in custody being interviewed by detectives.” The incident comes after the controversy over Liverpool’s Suarez, who was fined ￡40,000 (US$62,000) and banned for eight matches for racist abuse of Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.
SOCCER
Ligue 1 sides knocked out
Ligue 1 sides Lorient, Stade Brestois 29 and Sochaux-Montbeliard were upset by lower-league opposition in the French Cup on Saturday, but a Joe Cole hat-trick took holders LOSC Lille Metropole into the round-of-32, while Olympique de Marseille also cruised through. Brest fell 2-0 at third-tier leaders Niort, while Sochaux were beaten 4-1 by second-tier Bastia and Lorient were undone by an 80th-minute Yohann Riviere goal in a pulsating 4-3 defeat at second-tier Le Havre. AJ Auxerre required a Dariusz Dudka penalty in extra-time to see off valiant fifth-tier Chambly 1-0. Lille begin their defense of the trophy with an emphatic 6-0 success at sixth-tier minnows Chantilly. In one of the round’s most intriguing ties, Marseille won 5-0 against five-time cup winners Red Star.
SOCCER
Brawl ends tournament
Organizers said they had abandoned an indoor soccer tournament in Germany after the opening day finished with a mass brawl that had to be broken up by police using tear gas. Media reported that Hamburg police made 72 arrests and that 49 people were injured, including 11 officers, after violence broke out on Friday night following a 3-3 draw between second-tier St Pauli and VfB Luebeck in the Schweinske Cup.
TENNIS
Ana Ivanovic crashes out
Ana Ivanovic’s preparations for next Monday’s Australian Open hit another obstacle when the former world No. 1 was beaten 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 by Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic yesterday at the Sydney International. Ivanovic was defeated in the second round of last week’s Brisbane International by Kim Clijsters, meaning the Serb will have had just three tournament matches going into the year’s first Grand Slam. In other matches, Jelena Dokic beat fellow Australian Isabella Holland 6-0, 6-0. The only other first-round match was suspended by rain with Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia leading China’s Peng Shuai 6-2, 4-6, 4-3.
TENNIS
Niculescu dumped out
Romanians won three out of four first-round matches they contested at the Hobart International yesterday, but the loser was third seed Monica Niculescu. Anna Chakvetadze of Russia beat Niculescu 6-0, 6-4. The winners were Sorana Cirstea, who beat seventh-seeded Ksenia Pervak of Kazakhstan 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), Simona Halep, who defeated Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, and eighth-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu, who beat Britain’s Elena Baltacha 6-2, 7-5.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
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