■ RUGBY UNION
Spies cleared to play
Former Springboks No. 8 Pierre Spies is en route to New Zealand to try and help slumping Super 14 champions the Bulls. Spies was cleared to play for the first time in eight months, ever since he was dropped from South Africa's World Cup squad last August, just days before the tournament that the Springboks would win. Dawie Spies, the player's uncle, told Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Sondag that specialists cleared Spies and he took the first available flight to New Zealand, where the Bulls were on tour. "It's a wonderful day for our family to get such news," Dawie Spies said. Pierre Spies coughed up blood at a Springboks practice and tests revealed blood clots on his lungs. The exact nature of his illness was never determined but he finally stopped taking blood-thinning medication at the end of last month. That allowed Spies and the Bulls to plan his return halfway through their tour. Western Force the following Friday before returning home.
■ SOCCER
Honduras grab late victory
Georgie Wilson Welcome scored in the 103rd minute to give Honduras a 1-0 victory over the US in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday in the final of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament. In the championship matchup of North American under-23 teams that had already booked their trips to the Beijing Olympics in August, Welcome beat US goalkeeper Dominic Cervi to the far post in the first period of extra time for the decider. The Hondurans got revenge for a 1-0 round-robin loss to the US squad eight days ago on Eddie Gaven's penalty kick five minutes into stoppage time.
■ BOXING
Pacquiao returns a hero
New World Boxing Council (WBC) super-featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao returned home to the Philippines yesterday to a hero's welcome and said he was not ruling out a second rematch with Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez. Philippine Cabinet officials joined Pacquiao's wife and three young children in welcoming the 29-year-old slugger, a week after a bruising 12 rounder with Marquez whom he beat by a split decision to grab the title in Las Vegas. The March 16 fight was a rematch of a 2004 draw in which Pacquiao knocked Marquez to the canvas three times in the first round. Now, Marquez's camp claims errors in judging and says a second rematch would settle the matter once and for all. Pacquiao, who took home a purse of at least US$5 million from the fight, said yesterday he was looking at going up to the lightweight division to face WBC champ David Diaz. But he says that can wait and he would oblige Marquez.
■ CYCLING
Meares to miss track meet
Anna Meares, the world record holder and gold medalist in the 500m time trial at the 2004 Olympics, will miss this week's world track cycling championships, placing her Beijing Games status in doubt. Meares is still recovering from a serious race accident she suffered during a World Cup meet in Los Angeles on Jan. 20. Cycling Australia yesterday announced its final team for the world titles which begin tomorrow in Manchester, England. Meares was replaced by Kaarle McCulloch in the sprint events. Given the complexity of the Olympic qualifying process, it is unclear how Meares' absence will affect her selection chances for Beijing. The women's 500m time trial is no longer on the Olympic program, meaning that Meares would have to attempt to qualify in other sprint events for Beijing.
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia yesterday advanced to the women’s doubles final at the Australian Open after defeating New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3 in their semi-final. Hsieh has won nine Grand Slam doubles titles and has a shot at a 10th tomorrow, when the Latvian-Taiwanese duo are to play Taylor Townsend of the US and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the championship match at the A$96.5 million (US$61 million) outdoor hard court tournament at Melbourne Park. Townsend and Siniakova eliminated Russian pair Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva 6-7
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
FINAL WEEK LOOMS: PSG rose to 22nd place to set up another tense challenge against 24th-placed Stuttgart, while Man City require victory against Club Brugge Manchester City are on the brink of a humiliating UEFA Champions League exit after a stunning loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, while Real Madrid is no longer at risk after routing Salzburg. Man City blew a two-goal lead in a high-stakes clash of super-wealthy underachievers that PSG won 4-2 in Paris, who could still be eliminated alongside the English champions after the final round of games next week. Only the top 24 in the 36-team standings are to advance. Man City, the 2023 champions, are in 25th place, but could squeeze into the knockout playoffs round by beating Club Brugge. “We will
Things are somewhat out of control at the Australian Open this year, and that has only a little to do with the results on the courts. Yes, there were some upsets, including Madison Keys eliminating No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the women’s singles semi-finals on Thursday. It also was the first time since 1990 that three teenagers beat top-10 men’s seeds at a Grand Slam tennis tournament. The loser of one of those matches, Daniil Medvedev, got fined US$76,000 for behaving badly. Last year’s women’s singles runner-up exited in the first round. However, the real fuss is happening elsewhere. The rowdy fans, for one
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