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
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
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
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
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