BASEBALL
MOE helps Brother Elephants
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is lending a helping hand to the Brother Elephants in their search for a new owner, Minister of Education Chiang Wei-ling said yesterday. “The ministry has been in talks with two or three potential bidders,” Chiang said on the sidelines of a meeting of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Chiang said the ministry and its Sports Administration have contacted local conglomerates about taking over the Elephants, but declined to identify potential buyers as it could hinder negotiations. Since the CPBL only has four teams, Chiang said his ministry cannot sit idly by when one says it plans to pull out. Once an Elephants deal is struck, the ministry will also help push for the establishment of a fifth professional baseball team, he added. The Elephants’ owner announced on Saturday that the team is being put up for sale because it has incurred heavy losses. Chiang said yesterday that the development of baseball remains a priority for the government and it will work with the league to prevent any recurrence of game-fixing in the future.
SOCCER
Catania sack coach Maran
Rolando Maran, who led Catania through one of their best seasons last term, became the third Serie A coaching victim of the campaign when he was fired on Sunday. The club immediately named Luigi De Canio as his replacement. Maran was dismissed one day after the Sicilians lost 2-1 to Cagliari, leaving them with five points from eight games. “The club thanks [Maran] for the work he has developed and wishes him all the best in his career,” Catania said on their Web site. The 50-year-old took over before the start of last season and led them to an impressive eighth, equaling their best-ever finish. De Canio’s last coaching job was at Genoa last year, where he was sacked after six months.
SOCCER
Hodgson, Rio join FA group
The English Football Association announced on Sunday that England manager Roy Hodgson and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand have joined a commission to investigate the England squad’s failings. Their appointments take the number of people on the commission to 10, after FA chairman Greg Dyke unveiled a provisional eight-man lineup earlier in the month. The commission will look at ways to increase the number of English players playing in the Premier League and is expected to present a report by the end of March next year. Mixed-race Ferdinand’s appointment comes after FA board member Heather Rabbatts criticized Dyke for originally naming an all-male, all-white commission.
SOCCER
Evra hits back at critics
France and Manchester United defender Patrice Evra on Sunday delivered a vicious tirade last week aimed at several pundits, including France’s 1998 FIFA World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu, after they criticized him over a half-time talk he gave his teammates during France’s 2014 World Cup qualifier with Belarus last month, in which he was a substitute. France won the game 4-2, ending a run of five games without a win or a goal, but still ended up having to contest a playoff to see if they reach the finals. Evra, notorious for his role in France’s strike-hit 2010 World Cup campaign, did not take the criticism well. He called Lizarazu and three other pundits “tramps” and “parasites” on French TV program Telefoot. He was later ordered by French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet and France coach Didier Deschamps to come to Paris to explain the remarks.
IN-HOUSE BUSINESS: LA Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said that the reason for the team’s poor form was not due to Paul, but the player was not a good fit for them Chris Paul’s return stint with the Los Angeles Clippers has come to an abrupt and stunning end, with the franchise parting ways with one of its greatest players in a late-night meeting on Wednesday that adds another layer of drama to the team’s terrible start this season. The news was delivered in a meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, that ended at about 2am, Clippers basketball operations president Lawrence Frank said. Frank said he made the decision to sever ties with Paul on Sunday then told the franchise’s career assist leader that he needed to see him on Tuesday in Atlanta. Frank did not confirm
Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday scored twice and had an assist as Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 to end a three-match winless streak in La Liga. Eduardo Camavinga also found the net for Madrid as they moved back within one point of Barcelona, who beat Atletico Madrid 3-1 on Tuesday. Both 19th-round matches were moved forward because Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid are to play in the Supercopa de Espana semi-finals in Saudi Arabia next month. Real Madrid were coming off league draws against Girona, Elche and Rayo Vallecano. It was their second win in their past six matches in
SEESAW CONTEST: The Pistons remain top of the Eastern Conference after battling to a win over the Hawks in a game that saw the lead change 27 times The Phoenix Suns on Monday shrugged off an injury to Devin Booker to end the Los Angeles Lakers’ seven-game winning streak with an emphatic 125-108 victory on the road. Booker exited in the first quarter, but the loss of the star point guard did little to halt the flow of Phoenix points over the remainder of the game. Dillon Brooks led the Phoenix scoring with 33 points, while Collin Gillespie added 28 — including eight three-pointers — as the Suns romped to victory. The Lakers were left ruing a colossal 22 turnovers — at a cost of 32 Suns points — on a
PINA BRACE: Claudia Pina scored in the 61st and 74th minutes, while Vicky Lopez added one as Spain notched their third victory in a final in the past four tournaments Claudia Pina scored twice and Germany crumbled on Tuesday as Spain retained the UEFA Women’s Nations League title with a 3-0 victory in the final’s second leg. Vicky Lopez also scored after Pina finally broke the deadlock in the 61st minute with Germany stubbornly hanging on as Spain had done in the first leg, a 0-0 draw in Kaiserslautern on Friday. Spain were without three-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati, who broke her leg in training on Sunday. Lopez took Bonmati’s place and Spain dominated from the start. Esther Gonzalez swept the ball just past the post and Mariona Caldentey forced a save
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