SOCCER
Barcelona fined over balls
Barcelona have been fined 1,500 euros (US$1,660) and warned that the Camp Nou could be closed after beach balls were thrown onto the pitch during this week’s Clasico against Real Madrid, the Royal Spanish Football Federation announced on Friday. Inflatable balls were tossed on to the field on Wednesday in a politically charged fixture that was previously postponed due to violent demonstrations across Catalonia. The match, which finished goalless, was held up for 90 seconds as Barca made a substitution in the 55th minute due to the objects on the field. After the game 10 people were arrested and more than 60 injured in clashes between Catalan separatists and police outside the ground. About 3,000 police officers and private security agents had been deployed for the match amid calls for separatists to protest outside the Camp Nou during the fixture. On the field on Friday, Sociedad Deportiva Eibar defeated Granada 3-0 to end a five-match La Liga winless streak.
SOCCER
Turkish body sanctioned
UEFA on Friday fined the Turkish Football Federation 50,000 euros (US$55,360) for supporters’ behavior and warned several players following military salutes performed during two Euro 2020 qualifiers. Turkey fans caused disturbances in the 1-1 draw with France on Oct. 14, while Hakan Calhanoglu and Cenk Tosun were among a number of players reprimanded for “manifestations of a non-sporting nature.” In their two October qualifiers against Albania and France, Turkey players made salutes — seen as supporting Turkey’s military operation in Syria — as they celebrated late goals.
BOXING
Cesar Martinez wins title
Mexico’s Julio Cesar Martinez stopped Nicaragua’s Cristofer Rosales in the ninth round on Friday to win the vacant World Boxing Council flyweight title. Martinez improved to 15-1 with his 12th victory inside the distance, while Rosales fell to 29-5 with the loss in Phoenix, Arizona. After dropping his 2015 pro debut, Martinez has won 15 fights in a row, although he needed two tries to claim the WBC flyweight crown. Martinez, 24, knocked out Charlie Edwards in London in August to first claim the title, but the fight was later ruled no contest when the Mexican was found to have hit Edwards while the Englishman was on one knee.
FOOTBALL
Seattle’s Woods suspended
Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Al Woods has been suspended for four games for violating the National Football League’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Woods is the second Seattle player to be suspended this week. On Monday, wide receiver Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely for violating policies on performance-enhancers and “substances of abuse.” Woods will miss the final two regular season games, beginning with today’s game against Arizona, and at least two potential playoff games. He could return for either the NFC championship or the Super Bowl should Seattle make it that far, depending on the Seahawks’ playoff seed. Woods was an important role player for Seattle’s defensive line. He started five of 14 games, but saw significant playing time, playing more than 50 percent of defensive snaps in seven games. Woods was primarily a run stopper and had 32 tackles, one sack and two forced fumbles. His loss might not be felt much this week against the Cardinals, but could be significant next week with the Seahawks facing the 49ers in Week 17.
Former world No. 2 Paula Badosa has withdrawn from this week’s Wuhan Open, organizers said on Tuesday, amid a racism row over an online photograph. Tournament organizers said the Spaniard had pulled out of the WTA 1000 tournament, citing a gastrointestinal illness, hours before her first-round match against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic. News outlets including Britain’s the Telegraph earlier reported that Badosa had posted a photo on Instagram in which she appeared to imitate a Chinese face by placing chopsticks on the corners of her eyes. The photo was taken last week in a restaurant in Beijing, where she reached the semi-finals of the
Shin Oebori coaches the Fukagawa Hawks youth baseball team in Tokyo, and he is very aware how Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani touches his players. “With Ohtani, the kids think everything is possible,” Oebori said, wrapping up practice yesterday on an all-dirt field set alongside a local Buddhist temple, below an elevated highway, and in the shadow of tall apartment blocks in central Tokyo. “Nothing is impossible with him. A dream is not a dream,” Oebori said, stepping out of the fenced practice field that keeps balls from landing on the temple grounds. None of the players hitting sponge-soft baseball has reached
Italian defender Marco Curto has been banned for 10 matches for racially abusing South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan while playing for Como 1907 against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a pre-season friendly in July. Curto, who is on loan from Como to Serie B club Cesena, would serve half of the punishment immediately with the other half suspended for two years. “The player Marco Curto was found responsible for discriminatory behavior and sanctioned with a 10-match suspension,” a FIFA spokesperson said. “The player is ordered to render community services and undergo training and education with an organization approved by FIFA.” Wolves said the club would
CRICKET Azhar’s 59 leads Stallions Aashir Azhar’s blazing half-century guided the Taipei Stallions to victory over Taipei Super 11 in the Taiwan Premier League’s Group A at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei yesterday. The Stallions were 102-3 and into the 12th over of 20 when Azhar came to the crease. He hit seven sixes and two fours in the 25 deliveries he faced to push his side to 171-5. Gokul Kumar was the star with the ball for Super 11, taking 3-17. In the reply, Deepak Vishnu outscored Azhar with 77 from 50 balls, but nobody else got past 20 as
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