SOCCER
Lucas Paqueta cleared
West Ham United forward Lucas Paqueta on Thursday was cleared of alleged spot-fixing after being accused of deliberately receiving yellow cards to influence betting markets. The English Football Association (FA) said that an independent panel had found the charges unproven. “Lucas Paqueta denied the charges against him and the Regulatory Commission found them to be not proven following a hearing,” the FA said in a statement. The ruling brings to an end a long-running case against the Brazil international, who was charged in May last year. The FA had claimed the 27-year-old Paqueta intentionally sought to be booked in four separate games — against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds and AFC Bournemouth from November 2022 to August 2023 “in order for one or more persons to profit from betting.” The panel upheld two charges against Paqueta for failing to answer questions and provide information to the FA’s investigation.
Photo: AP
RUGBY UNION
Australia hooker injured
An injury yesterday forced late changes to Australia’s lineup for the third Test against the British and Irish Lions, with Billy Pollard promoted to start at hooker after David Porecki and Matt Faessler were ruled out of today’s match. Porecki was ruled out with a leg injury, making way for Pollard to move into the starting XV off the bench for his 10th Test. Faessler’s calf muscle injury meant Brandon Paenga-Amosa had to be drafted in.
FOOTBALL
Rees-Zammit ends NFL bid
Louis Rees-Zammit has ended his NFL bid and is to return to rugby union after swapping the sport for the NFL 18 months ago, the former Wales winger said. The four-time Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs signed the 24-year-old Welshman in March last year after he impressed scouts at the NFL International Player Pathway, but later left him off their roster for last season. In August last year, Rees-Zammit joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as part of their practice squad before signing to their active roster in February. “I’ve got an exciting announcement to make. I’ve decided to leave the NFL and return to rugby,” Rees-Zammit posted on Instagram on Thursday. “It’s been a great experience, but it’s time to come home. I’ve decided that this is the best time to make this decision to give myself time to get everything in place for next season.”
FOOTBALL
Michael Phelps aids Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens have reached out to a local expert for help with swimming. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey posted a video on social media asking 23-time Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps — a Baltimore native — for swimming lessons. The video includes Humphrey, tackle Ronnie Stanley, safety Kyle Hamilton and tight end Charlie Kolar standing in the pool. “Did you know that one in three Ravens cannot swim,” Hamilton says. “Come to Ravens training camp in this beautiful aquatics center and teach us how to swim.” Phelps seemed amenable to the idea, replying: “I got yall!!! Let’s do it!!” Kolar said after practice on Wednesday that he did not realize Humphrey was going to post the video. “I should have known. It’s so on brand,” Kolar said. “I thought it was going to be like a story or maybe sent to him, but I should have known better. I should have known better.”
‘DEVASTATED’: Argentina’s win was a reversal of their 28-24 defeat last week, with Australian forward Fraser McReight adding that ‘we did the same thing last week’ Argentina flyhalf Santiago Carreras punished an undisciplined Australia with 23 points off the tee as the Pumas held on grimly for a 28-26 win in Sydney yesterday to breathe new life into their Rugby Championship campaign. A try-fest beckoned in afternoon sunshine at Sydney Football Stadium, but Argentina needed only one through captain Julian Montoya, with Carreras doing the damage with seven penalties and a conversion in front of a sell-out crowd. A week after letting a 14-point lead slip in a 28-24 defeat to Australia in Townsville, Argentina saw most of a 21-point advantage erased in the final quarter as the
ELEVEN STRIKEOUTS: Blake Snell allowed two singles and two walks against the Rockies as he ended a personal three-game skid with his first win since Aug. 16 Blake Snell on Wednesday struck out a season-high 11 in six innings, while Mookie Betts hit a grand slam in the eighth as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 9-0 for their fourth straight win. Helped by their third series sweep of the Rockies this MLB season, the Dodgers increased their National League West lead to three games over the San Diego Padres, who lost 2-1 at home to the Cincinnati Reds. Betts went four for five with five RBIs, capped by his seventh career slam on a 3-0 pitch from reliever Anthony Molina to make it 8-0. Andy Pages and
Captain Vijay Kumar led the way yesterday as the Hsinchu Titans claimed the Taiwan Premier League title at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山), beating PCCT by 27 runs. The weather was a topic again, but not the rain that played a role in previous matches in the often-delayed tournament. Kumar, who made 80 not out from 63 deliveries, and teammate Vishwajit Kumar (58 from 43) rescued the Titans from a precarious state at the end of the power play in the T20 match. The visitors were put in to bat and struggled to 26-3 as PCCT
China’s state-run People’s Daily newspaper on Monday published an essay about Chinese basketball it said was written by LeBron James, but a representative for the NBA star said on Thursday that the article was based on a series of interviews. The paper, better known as the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, had said James authored the essay, “Basketball is a Bridge that Connects Us,” a tribute to Chinese players and fans of the sport written in the first person. “LeBron James Pens an Article in the People’s Daily,” read a post published on the newspaper’s official WeChat account. On Thursday, a representative
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