SOCCER
Heskey signs with Jets
Former England international Emile Heskey will join Italian superstar Alessandro Del Piero in Australia’s A-League this season after officially signing with the Newcastle Jets, the club said yesterday. The 34-year-old striker joins the Jets as their marquee player — whose salary is exempt from the salary cap — after 62 appearances for England and a total of 516 Premier League matches, scoring 110 goals in a 17-year career. In a significant signing for the developing A-League competition, Heskey, an FA Cup, Football League Cup and UEFA Cup winner, joins the Jets after playing for Aston Villa last season. “This is an exciting new period in my life and I am looking forward to making a special contribution to the A-League and most importantly, to the Jets,” Heskey said. Jets CEO Robbie Middleby said the signing was a “fantastic result for the Jets and for the A-League.”
SOCCER
Andy Wilkinson disciplined
Stoke City’s Andy Wilkinson has been handed a three-match suspension after the defender accepted a violent conduct charge following his clash with Manchester City star Mario Balotelli. Wilkinson caught Balotelli in the face with his elbow during last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at the Britannia Stadium in an incident that was missed by referee Mark Clattenburg. After reviewing the video evidence, an independent Football Association disciplinary panel decided the 28-year-old had a case to answer. Stoke boss Tony Pulis confirmed the club would not appeal against the punishment, meaning Wilkinson will miss his side’s next three Premier League matches against Chelsea, Swansea City and Liverpool.
BASKETBALL
Suns’ Frye has heart problem
Phoenix Suns forward Channing Frye has been diagnosed with an enlarged heart and will be sidelined until at least December, the NBA club announced on Thursday. Doctors discovered the condition during a routine echocardiogram and will monitor Frye ahead of a re-evaluation in December before allowing him to take part in basketball-related activities. Frye, who has spent the past three seasons with the Suns, is a 29-year-old three-point ace. Since joining the Suns, he has connected on 434 three-pointers, third-most in the NBA during that span. Frye averaged 10.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 64 games last season. He had previous stints with New York and Portland.
RUGBY UNION
Carter in All Blacks squad
Flyhalf Dan Carter has been named in New Zealand’s 28-man squad for the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship Tests in Argentina and South Africa and should be fit for the clash against the Pumas next week, coach Steve Hansen said yesterday. “Dan is recovering well from his calf injury and we are expecting him to be fit for selection for the Argentinian Test,” Hansen said in a statement. “However, to be on the safe side we are also taking Beauden Barrett as cover at five-eighth, alongside Aaron Cruden.” Carter, rated one of the world’s finest at the position, has been troubled by a calf strain that caused him to miss the All Blacks’ last two matches of the southern hemisphere tournament against Argentina and South Africa on home soil. Understudy Cruden stood in at the pivotal position and although initially struggling in the grinding victory over the Pumas at Wellington, was a more composed presence in the team’s tight win over the Springboks in Dunedin.
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
Taiwanese shortstop Cheng Tsung-che on Friday made history for the Boston Red Sox’s Triple A affiliate, hitting the Worcester Red Sox’s first cycle, while netting two runs, as they beat fellow Taiwan teammate Stuart Fairchild’s Columbus Clippers. The 24-year-old former Pittsburgh Pirates prospect went 4-4, completing a full cycle, starting with a triple in the second inning off Ryan Webb in the WooSox’s 9-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians’ Triple A affiliate. He scored in the same inning after teammate Vinny Capra, a fellow former Pirate, grounded out. The Pingtung County native followed that up with a walk in the third, an
RSS