SOCCER
Chelsea sign Pato
Premier League champions Chelsea have signed Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato on loan from Corinthians until the end of the season, the London club announced on Friday. “I am so happy to sign for Chelsea. It is a dream for me. I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know my new teammates and cannot wait to play,” he told Chelsea’s Web site. “I thank Chelsea for their support and hope I can repay this faith to the club and its fans.” Pato left AC Milan for his native Brazil in 2013, having scored 63 goals in 150 appearances for the Rossoneri and helping them to the Serie A title in 2010-2011. The 26-year-old has 27 caps for Brazil, scoring 10 goals.
CRICKET
West Indies take gamble
The West Indies have taken a gamble by naming Sunil Narine in their squad for the World Twenty20 tournament in March as the off-spinner is currently suspended from bowling in international cricket due to an illegal action. The 27-year-old was reported to the International Cricket Council during a one-day series in Sri Lanka in November last year and was later sanctioned after an independent assessment found his elbow extended beyond the maximum limit of 15 degrees. Considered an asset to the side, Narine was also initially selected for last year’s 50-over World Cup, but later withdrawn, and has been working on his action in a desperate attempt to get it cleared in time for the World Twenty20 in India.
FOOTBALL
Raiders eye new stadium
Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis, whose NFL club does not have a stadium lease for next season, was meeting on Friday with officials in Las Vegas about plans for a US$1 billion domed stadium in the US gambling showplace. The Las Vegas Review-Journal and ESPN reported the meeting set between Davis, who is looking for a new home for his team, and Sands Corporation chairman and chief executive Sheldon Adelson, who wants to build a 65,000-seat stadium with a combination of taxpayer and private money. The Raiders had sought a move to Los Angeles, but backed off earlier this month as owners approved the St Louis Rams moving back to Los Angeles while giving the San Diego Chargers an option to join them in LA as part of a new stadium project. The Raiders would have a chance to join the Rams in LA if the Chargers say no, but with San Diego having up to a year to decide and his team needing some certainty for next season, Davis has spoken to Oakland officials about playing there another year.
SWIMMING
Phelps distraction works
US swim star Michael Phelps, hopeful of adding to his record of 22 Olympic medals in August at Rio, showed off his fitness at a college basketball game on Thursday by stripping down to his swimsuit. The 30-year-old appeared at a home game of Arizona State University, where he is training for his next Olympic bid. With 6 minutes and 13 seconds elapsed in the second half and Oregon State’s Stephen Thompson going to the free-throw line, students behind the baseline near the basket wheeled out a black curtain known as the “Curtain of Distraction.” Clowns and men dressed as babies have emerged from the curtain before, but this time the unveiling revealed Phelps between two shirtless students. Phelps danced and flexed to huge cheers from the crowd as Thompson missed both free throws in what eventually turned out to be an 86-68 Arizona State victory.
The next generation of running talent takes center stage at today’s Berlin Marathon, in the absence of stars including Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopian world record holder Tigist Assefa. With most of the major marathon stars skipping the event in the wake of the Paris Olympics just more than a month ago, the field is wide open in the men’s and women’s races. Since 2015, Kipchoge has won five times in Berlin, Kenenisa Bekele has won twice and Guye Adola once — with all three missing today. Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie and Ethiopian Tadese Takele are among the favourites for the men, while
Taiwan’s Tony Wu yesterday beat Mackenzie McDonald of the US to win the Nonthaburi Challenger IV in Thailand, his first challenger victory since 2022. The 26-year-old world No. 315, who won both his qualifiers to advance to the main draw, has been on a hot streak this month, winning his past nine matches, including two that ensured Taiwan’s victory in their Davis Cup World Group I tie. Wu took just more than two hours to top world No. 172 McDonald 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to win his second challenger tournament since the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in 2022. Wu’s Tallahassee win followed two years of
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Taiwanese martial artists bagged one gold, four silver and three bronze medals at the World Junior Wushu Championships in Brunei, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brunei Darussalam said yesterday. Liu Yu-tzu won the gold medal in the girl’s taijiquan A group and also picked up a silver medal in the girl’s taijijian A group. Hu Hsin-ling, Yu Min-hsun and Chen Chao-hsiang each won a silver medal in the girl’s jianshu B, boy’s nangun B and boy’s taijijian A groups respectively. Hu also won a bronze medal in the girl’s qiangshu B group, while Yu and Lin Shih-hung picked up bronze medals
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