SOCCER
Judge pleads not guilty
A suspended Guatemalan judge who was arrested while aboard a Disney cruise ship has pleaded not guilty to charges that he took bribes in exchange for media and marketing rights to World Cup qualifier matches. Hector Trujillo, who was secretary general of the Guatemalan soccer federation and a judge on the country’s Constitutional Court until his Dec. 4 arrest, entered his plea on Wednesday in US federal court in Brooklyn, New York, a spokeswoman for Brooklyn prosecutors said on Thursday. He is one of dozens of soccer officials charged by US authorities investigating corruption in the sport’s world governing body, FIFA. A bail hearing has been set for Jan. 7, according to the spokeswoman. Soccer bosses from South and Central America, including Trujillo, were among 16 people charged on Dec. 3 for engaging in schemes involving more than US$200 million in bribes and kickbacks sought for marketing and broadcast rights to tournaments and matches.
SOCCER
Goalie donates to deaf team
Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland has donated ￡5,000 (US$7,370) to Great Britain’s women’s deaf team to ensure they can compete in this year’s World Cup. An online appeal aiming to raise ￡10,000, half the amount the British team need to attend the Deaf World Cup in Italy in June, has now reached its target thanks to Butland’s donation. Claire Stancliffe, who won bronze with Britain’s deaf team at the 2008 World Cup, praised Butland, 22, for helping the squad’s hopes of attending the tournament. “Physically shaking. Thank you so much Jack Butland for the ￡5,000 donation. We are in shock,” she tweeted. Explaining why he wanted to make the donation, Butland tweeted: “I’ve learnt a lot from major tournaments, experiences I’ll never forget, I’d love for you to experience the same!” Butland, who has three England caps, also works as an ambassador for the Kick It Out anti-discrimination campaign.
BASEBALL
Maeda linked with Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to sign Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda, multiple US media outlets reported on Thursday. The 27-year-old right-hander was posted by his Japanese club the Hiroshima Carp, who would be due a posting fee of up to US$20 million by any Major League Club that signs him. Maeda has pitched for Hiroshima since 2008, going 97-67 with a 2.39 ERA. He went 15-8 last season with a 2.09 ERA and 175 strikeouts in 206-1/3 innings, earning his second Sawamura Award as top pitcher. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Dodgers were all said to be interested him. The reported deal comes one day after the Dodgers signed free-agent starting pitcher Scott Kazmir.
SOCCER
Panathinaikos sign Mesto
Italy defender Giandomenico Mesto, who was a free agent, has signed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Panathinaikos, the Greek Super League club announced on Thursday. Mesto, 33, spent the past three seasons with SSC Napoli and has also played for Genoa and Udinese during a long career in his home country. The right-back, who has won three caps for Italy, will try to help Panathinaikos improve on their current position of fourth in the Greek top flight. They are a remarkable 20 points behind the leaders Olympiakos halfway through the season.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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