BOXING
Indian reprieve unlikely
The Indian Boxing Federation’s (IBF) suspension is not likely to be lifted, as it has failed to call fresh elections needed for it to return to the international fold. The International Boxing Association, the sport’s world body, told The Associated Press by e-mail it has “worked to try and find a way forward for boxing in India,” but the process has become difficult due to problems among various factions of the IBF. The IBF was suspended in December last year for not following proper election procedures when it elevated previous president Abhay Singh Chautala to chairman of the body. It is also no longer recognized by India’s sports ministry.
CYCLING
Russian Tinkov buys team
The cycling team run by Bjarne Riis and containing two-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has been bought by Russian businessman Oleg Tinkov and will be known as Tinkoff-Saxo for the next three years. Tinkov’s purchase of Riis Cycling was confirmed on Monday at a news conference in London. Riis will stay on as general manager of the team, with Danish investment specialist Saxo Bank becoming the secondary sponsor. Riis says the deal secures “the long-term stability of the team,” which “now has the funding and foundation to continue to be a major player on the world tour and to further raise our ambitions.”
FIGURE SKATING
Olympic spots debated
The naming of Australia’s women’s Olympic figure-skating team has been delayed after Sochi hopeful Chantelle Kerry took a dispute over the selection of fellow prospect Brooklee Han to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The Australian Olympic Committee was expected to announce all of its figure skating positions today. Chantelle Kerry claims that US-born Han is ineligible for Sochi because she entered an event without the approval of the national federation. The CAS hearing is scheduled for next week. Han, who is based in Connecticut, was born and raised in the US, but can qualify for the Australian team through her father’s nationality.
BOXING
Fighters swap microphones
British boxer Amir Khan will be in the arena when Devon Alexander defends his world welterweight title on Saturday, just not in the ring as the US champion had originally intended. Khan will serve as a ringside commentator for Showtime for the telecast of the card at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, replacing Paulie Malignaggi, the regular commentator, who will instead be in the ring against Zab Judah in a main-event showdown of hometown heroes. With a deal almost set, Khan decided against fighting US southpaw Alexander for the International Boxing Federation welterweight crown amid speculation that the Briton will be the next opponent for unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr in May.
RUGBY UNION
First Test faces clash
England have released the dates and venues for their tour of New Zealand next year, confirming that they will take on the world champions in the first match without players involved in the Premiership final. The three Tests are in Auckland on June 7, Dunedin on June 14 and Hamilton on June 21 with a midweek game against the Crusaders on June 17 in Christchurch. The squad will depart on May 27 and, due to restricted training time and jet-lag recovery protocol, anyone involved in the May 31 Premiership final will not be considered for the first Test.
HSIEH ADVANCES: In the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei was to play in the second round last night, but Taiwan’s Ray Ho exited in the men’s doubles It is more than 10 years since Grigor Dimitrov reached his sole Wimbledon semi-final and back then it still seemed a reasonable bet that the Bulgarian once dubbed “Baby Federer” would win a Grand Slam title. There were semi-final runs at the US Open and Australian Open after that, but it has never quite happened and despite him still being ranked No. 21, it most likely never will. Dimitrov, 34, remains one of the most stylish players on the circuit though, with his elegant single-handed backhand and smooth all-court game a rare reminder of how tennis was before the power merchants turned
Spain are the favorites to win the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, but star player Aitana Bonmati’s illness ahead of the tournament raises another question mark around a side which, despite their obvious quality, are not unstoppable. Having claimed the last two Ballon d’Or awards, Barcelona midfielder Bonmati is the game’s biggest star at present, so her absence in the final days before the start of Euro 2025 is a major setback. The 27-year-old came down with a fever in training last week, and was subsequently hospitalized and diagnosed with viral meningitis. Bonmati was discharged on Sunday and joined up with
Real Madrid’s FIFA Club World Cup quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund had taken three crazy turns during nine minutes of second-half stoppage time when Marcel Sabitzer chested the ball and sent a right-footed volley toward Thibaut Courtois’ post. Courtois leapt to his right, extended the long arm on his 2m frame and just managed to get his gloved fingertips on the ball, knocking it down. Courtois hit the ground as the ball bounded up. He looked skyward, planted his right hand to regain his balance, grabbed the ball with both hands on the second bounce and fell onto it with his chest. Sabitzer turned
INJURY TURMOIL: Despite stunning French Open champions Paolini and Errani to advance, Chan was forced to pull out after her partner’s tearful women’s singles defeat Last year’s mixed doubles champions Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan and Poland’s Jan Zielinski on Monday crashed out of the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, leaving the Taiwanese star focused on pursuing a fifth women’s doubles title in London, while a partner injury forced compatriot Chan Hao-ching to give up on her doubles campaign. Hsieh and Zielinksi, who last year also won the Australia Open title, narrowly lost their opening set 7-6 (9/7), before Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani stunned the former champions 6-3 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The Taiwanese-Polish duo had been dominant in the first two
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