SOCCER
Coach held at gunpoint
Argentine Club Atletico Escuela Presidente Roca coach Cristian Neira quit after being threatened at gunpoint by a benched player. Midfielder Cesar Pagani pulled a gun during training and demanded to be included in the starting lineup on Thursday, Cordoba Soccer League president Emeterio Farias said. “The coach quit,” Farias said in an interview with Radio Suquia on Friday. “The player threatened him with a gun during training. There’s another kid who is playing [in the starting lineup] and the coach thinks he is better, and he has the right to decide who plays.” Farias said Neira decided not to press charges out of fear, but said he reported the incident to the police. “I hope the authorities do something. A guy like this cannot be free,” Farias said. “We can’t allow the violent [people] to push us around.” Roca plays in the Federal C category of Argentina professional soccer, one of the many lower level regional tournaments below the first division.
SOCCER
West Ham head scout fired
West Ham United have fired their player recruitment director for telling agents the Premier League club would not sign any more African players. In an e-mail sent to agents and published by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, Tony Henry complained that African players “have a bad attitude” and “cause mayhem” when they are not in the team. West Ham on Friday said it terminated Henry’s contract “with immediate effect following his unacceptable comments that were widely reported in the press.” Henry’s dismissal came after the English Football Association opened an investigation. Cheikhou Kouyate, West Ham’s Senegalese midfielder, on Thursday wrote on Instagram that he is “African and proud.” West Ham said they are an inclusive club “where, regardless of gender, age, ability, race, religion or sexual orientation, everybody feels welcome and included.”
SOCCER
Fans mock fatal plane crash
The South American Football Confederation has opened a disciplinary procedure against Uruguayan Club Nacional de Football after a group of fans mocked the plane crash that killed members of Brazilian soccer club Chapecoense two years ago. The confederation on Friday said that the probe was launched due to “offensive behaviors that are an attack on human dignity.” Nacional apologized to the Brazilian team in a statement and said they would launch their own investigation to ensure those “responsible get the most severe sanctions.” A video broadcast by Brazil’s Globoesporte Web site shows two Nacional fans laughing and making gestures with their arms imitating a plane crash.
OLYMPICS
Indian skier into Olympics
Cross-country skier Jagdish Singh has qualified for this month’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea, one of only two Indian athletes who will be seen in action at the Games. Singh and veteran luger Shiva Keshavan will comprise the Indian contingent for the Games starting on Friday, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary-general Rajeev Mehta said yesterday. It will be a maiden Olympic appearance for 26-year-old Singh, who booked his place with just one point over the qualification mark. He will be participating in the 15km Nordic skiing freestyle event that is scheduled for Feb. 16. The Winter Games Federation of India is not recognized by the IOA, which has made it tough for Indian athletes to break through to the big stage.
Two people died on Thursday after fans and police clashed outside the Estadio Monumental in Santiago ahead of a game in South America’s Copa Libertadores, Chilean authorities said. The fatalities happened shortly before the match between Chile’s Colo-Colo and Brazilian club Fortaleza, when police blocked about 100 fans when they attempted to enter the stadium. There were conflicting accounts of how the fatalities occurred, with local media reporting that one of the dead was a 13-year-old boy. The other victim was an 18-year-old woman, according to a relative at the hospital where she was treated. The fans died after being caught underneath a
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen has become the first female player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after the Golden State Valkyries selected her in the third and final round of the league’s draft on Monday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship earlier this month. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament’s most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as
College basketballer Kaitlyn Chen (陳凱玲) has become the first player of Taiwanese descent to be drafted by a WNBA team, after being selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the third and final round of the league's draft yesterday. Chen, a point guard who played her first three seasons in college for Princeton University, transferred to the University of Connecticut (UConn) for her final season, which culminated in a national championship on April 6. While at Princeton, Chen was named the Ivy League tournament's most outstanding player three times from 2022 to last year. Prior to the draft, ESPN described Chen as a
Japan yesterday secured a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup finals appearance with a 2-1 win over 2023 champions Canada, thanks to Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama’s 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win over Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino in the qualifying doubles decider. Shibahara and Aoyama powered through the opening set 6-3, breaking twice for a quick 3-0 lead. Cross and Marino hit back in the second, edging it 7-5 to level the match, before the Japanese pair regained control in the third. Canada’s 18-year-old Victoria Mboko edged Shibahara 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5 in a marathon opening clash. Mboko fired eight aces to
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