■ SOCCER
Thai gamblers arrested
More than 1,000 people have been arrested in Thailand for gambling on Euro 2008 soccer matches, with nearly 1 million baht (US$30,000) in cash seized, police said yesterday. Most gambling is outlawed in the kingdom, but it remains popular. “There were 1,098 people arrested, including 192 bookies, 831 punters and 75 others. We seized 931,496 baht and betting slips worth 524.2 million baht,” police spokesman Major-General Ruangsak Jaritake said. “We are satisfied with our arrests although we cannot arrest everybody. We focus on preventive measures,” he said.
■ OLYMPICS
Bush eases China gun ban
US President George W. Bush moved on Monday to ease restrictions on weapons exports to China so Americans competing in Olympic shooting events can take their equipment to the Beijing Games. In a letter to Congress, Bush said he was easing restrictions pertaining to firearms as well as to military gyroscopes used in high-definition television camera systems. “Licensing requirements remain in place for these exports and require review and approval on a case-by-case basis by the United States Government. The equipment will be returned to the United States following the end of the Games,” Bush said.
■ FOOTBALL
Martin faces dope charge
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Derrick Martin was charged with a misdemeanor for suspected possession of marijuana on Monday after an incident two days earlier at Cleveland International Airport. Martin, 23, was not arrested but must appear in court on July 15 after airport security found three small packets thought to be marijuana while the two-year NFL player was checking in for a flight. “We are aware of the situation with Derrick, and we have talked with him about this,” the Ravens said in a statement. “There is a due process taking place and we are following that.”
■ FOOTBALL
Patriots defender arrested
New England Patriots cornerback Willie Andrews was arrested early on Monday after allegedly holding a handgun to his girlfriend’s head, the Boston Herald reported on Monday. Police arrested Andrews at his Boston apartment on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was being held without bail pending a hearing tomorrow. Authorities told the newspaper that Andrews had denied having a gun, but police later recovered the weapon from a dumpster near the apartment building.
■ SOCCER
Chelsea snap up Deco
Portugal midfielder Deco has signed for Chelsea, the English Premiership club said on Monday, for £8 million (US$15.9 million). Deco, the midfield maestro of Porto’s 2004 European Champions League-winning campaign, leaves Barcelona, with whom he also won the Champions League two years later, after the Catalan club said he did not feature in their plans. Stamford Bridge have now confirmed the 30-year-old Brazil-born player has agreed the move to become the club’s first signing since Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed manager. The two-time Champions League-winner had been linked with Inter Milan, but the Italians appear to have been put off by the price. Chelsea, however, seem to have negotiated the fee down to sign Deco. Barcelona released a statement on Monday saying Deco had signed a three-year contract with Chelsea.
RECORD DEFEAT: The Shanghai-based ‘Oriental Sports Daily’ said the drubbing was so disastrous, and taste so bitter, that all that is left is ‘numbness’ Chinese soccer fans and media rounded on the national team yesterday after they experienced fresh humiliation in a 7-0 thrashing to rivals Japan in their opening Group C match in the third phase of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. The humiliation in Saitama on Thursday against Asia’s top-ranked team was China’s worst defeat in World Cup qualifying and only a goal short of their record 8-0 loss to Brazil in 2012. Chinese President Xi Jinping once said he wanted China to host and even win the World Cup one day, but that ambition looked further away than ever after a
‘KHELIFMANIA’: In the weeks since the Algerian boxer won gold in Paris, national enthusiasm is inspiring newfound interest in the sport, particularly among women In the weeks since Algeria’s Imane Khelif won an Olympic gold medal in women’s boxing, athletes and coaches in the North African nation say national enthusiasm is inspiring newfound interest in the sport, particularly among women. Khelif’s image is practically everywhere, featured in advertisements at airports, on highway billboards and in boxing gyms. The 25-year-old welterweight’s success in Paris has vaulted her to national hero status, especially after Algerians rallied behind her in the face of uninformed speculation about her gender and eligibility to compete. Amateur boxer Zougar Amina, a medical student who has been practicing for a year, called Khelif an
Taiwanese badminton superstar Lee Yang broke down in tears after publicly retiring from the sport on Sunday. The two-time Olympic gold medalist held a retirement ceremony at the Taipei Arena after the final matches of the Taipei Open. Accompanied by friends, family and former badminton partners, Lee burst into tears while watching a video celebrating key moments in his professional sporting career that also featured messages from international players such as Malaysia’s Teo Ee Yi, Hong Kong’s Tang Chun-man, and Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan. “I hope that in the future when the world thinks about me, they will
GOING GLOBAL: The regular season fixture is part of the football league’s increasingly ambitious plans to spread the sport to international destinations The US National Football League (NFL) breaks new ground in its global expansion strategy tomorrow when the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers face off in the first-ever grid-iron game staged in Brazil. For one night only, the land of Pele and ‘The Beautiful Game’ will get a rare glimpse into the bone-crunching world of American football as the Packers and Eagles collide at Sao Paulo’s Neo Quimica Arena, the 46,000-seat home of soccer club Corinthians. The regular season fixture is part of the NFL’s increasingly ambitious plans to spread the US’ most popular sport to new territories following previous international fixtures