OLYMPICS
WADA releases suspect list
The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) on Thursday gathered chiefs of sports federations and Olympic committees in Lausanne, Switzerland, to pass on information on athletes suspected of benefiting from alleged Russian state-sponsored doping. As investigations are ongoing, WADA has not publicly released the list of suspects. Intelligence from the laboratory information management system database of a former WADA-accredited Moscow laboratory was handed over to 60 international officials at the meeting. The agency has “forensically reconstructed the database; determined its authenticity; uncovered and analyzed its hidden content; and determined what valuable intelligence could be shared,” a news release said.
SOCCER
Lazio advance to quarters
Felipe Anderson on Thursday scored his first goal of the season as SS Lazio cruised into the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia after beating Serie B side AS Cittadella 3-1. Lazio are to face ACF Fiorentina in the quarter-finals on Dec. 27. Brazilian winger Anderson, who has become one of Lazio’s star players since arriving in Italy from Santos in 2013, slotted the home side’s 24th-minute second goal in his second appearance since being sidelined with a knee injury before the start of the season. Anderson raced through to stroke home Lucas Leiva’s fine through-ball 13 minutes after Ciro Immobile opened the scoring and his strike was added to by an Agostino Camigliano own-goal nine minutes before the break and a smart Immobile chip in the final moments.
TENNIS
Hewitt to return for doubles
Former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt is to come out of retirement temporarily and play doubles with compatriot Sam Groth at next month’s Australian Open, local media reported yesterday. Hewitt, a US Open and Wimbledon singles champion, officially retired from top-level tennis after his home Grand Slam last year, when he also played doubles with Groth. However, he did play doubles during the Davis Cup and Wimbledon last year. “It’s going to be a bit of fun. That’s what the Australian Open is about,” Hewitt told News Corp Australia yesterday. “I’m going to really enjoy it. Groth, who is retiring after the season-opening Grand Slam and is hoping for a wild card for the singles draw, is also to play mixed doubles with Sam Stosur.
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
New Zealand yesterday reached 231-9 at stumps on a first day of the first Test against the West Indies shortened by rain after Justin Greaves triggered a middle-order collapse with the wicket of Kane Williamson. New Zealand tumbled from 94-1 to 148-6 on a bowler-friendly wicket after Williamson was dismissed for 52, his 38th Test half-century. Michael Bracewell and Nathan Smith arrested the slide with a 52-run stand for the seventh wicket. Smith eventually fell for 23 and Bracewell for 47. After Matt Henry went for 8, Zak Foulkes and Jacob Duffy were both on 4 when bad light stopped play after 70
Robin Smith, the batter who shone for England in a period when it was beaten regularly in Test cricket, has died. He was 62. Smith’s family said in a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that he died unexpectedly at his home in Perth, Australia, on Monday. No cause was given. He played 62 Tests for England from 1988 to 1996, scoring 4,236 runs at an average of 43.67 with nine centuries. His signature shot was the square cut. Smith also played in 71 one-day internationals and was part of England’s squad who reached the 1992 ICC World Cup final. His unbeaten
SSC Napoli on Sunday joined AC Milan at the top of Serie A after winning 1-0 at title rivals AS Roma, as Inter kept pace with the leading pair by beating Pisa SC 2-0. David Neres stroked home the only goal of a feisty game in the 36th minute at the Stadio Olimpico, ending a blistering counterattack with a calm finish which put Napoli on 28 points. Napoli are behind Milan on goal-difference, and just one point ahead of both Roma and Inter in a tight scudetto battle in which Antonio Conte’s team are to host Juventus at the weekend. “To come to
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