■ SOCCE
Ukraine given Euro deadline
Ukraine’s ability to co-host Euro 2012 depends on what the country can achieve over the coming three months, UEFA president Michel Platini said on Thursday. French soccer legend Platini has issued repeated warnings to Ukraine and co-hosts Poland, who in April last year were UEFA’s surprise pick to host the 2012 edition of the quadrennial, 16-nation championships. Platini has set the two countries a Sept. 24 deadline to prove they are on target with their preparations. “The coming three months will be very important for Ukraine,” Platini told reporters at the end of a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko. “Things can advance in a very, very positive manner.” Platini, who described his impressions as “superb” after talks with the president and Prime Minister Yulia Timochenko, said he had received “oral guarantees” on the start of preparations. “We now have meetings with all the experts in three months. And the final, final, final decision will be taken in Bordeaux at the end of September at the UEFA executive committee meeting.”
■FIELD HOCKEY
Aussies reclaim No. 1 spot
Australia coach Barry Dancer said yesterday reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking will only motivate the team’s Olympic opponents in Beijing to topple the Kookaburras. The defending Olympic champions reclaimed the top International Hockey Federation ranking at the expense of Germany after winning last month’s Champions Trophy in the Netherlands. Germany eased back to second after finishing fifth in the pre-Olympic tournament. While proud to reclaim the No. 1 world ranking, Dancer said it would do little to alter the team’s preparations for next month’s Olympics. “While it is pleasing to be ranked so highly on the FIH’s world rankings, the announcement will not have any effect on our preparation for Beijing,” he said in a Hockey Australia statement. “Our players will remain focused on sticking to our process in a bid to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals.”
■SOCCER
Zheng a doubt for Games
China’s star player Zheng Zhi, a fixture with English club Charlton Athletic, is likely to miss the upcoming Beijing Olympics because of a back injury, state media reported. Zheng has a herniated disk in his lower back and doctors say he may have to sit out the Olympic Games to recuperate, the Titan Sports Weekly reported. However, there was a chance that the star midfielder would recover in time for next month’s Games, the paper said. “We will not easily let Zheng Zhi sit [out the Olympics], he is China’s best player at the moment, the Olympic team needs him, but we need a Zheng Zhi in top form,” the paper quoted China’s Serbian coach Ratomir Dujkovic as saying. Dujkovic said he was prepared for the worst and had already begun searching for another player to take Zheng’s place.
■CRICKET
Test match result changed
The result of Pakistan’s forfeited Test match at The Oval in 2006 has been changed from an England win to a draw, the International Cricket Council announced on Thursday. The first, and so far only forfeit in the history of Test cricket, took place at The Oval in August 2006 when Australian umpire Darrell Hair and West Indian colleague Billy Doctrove handed the win to England after Pakistan, under the captaincy of Inzamam-ul-Haq, refused to take the field after being penalized five penalty runs for alleged ball-tampering.
■ ATHLETICS
Athlete admits heroin charge
Former US track and field star Tim Montgomery pleaded guilty to heroin distribution at a federal court hearing in Norfolk, Virginia, on Thursday. Montgomery, who was once dubbed “the world’s fastest man,” appeared briefly before Judge Jerome Friedman. The Olympic gold medalist was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of over 100g of heroin. Already serving a four-year prison sentence for his role in a check-fraud conspiracy, Montgomery faces a minimum of five years in prison on the heroin charge. Sentencing is set for Oct. 10.
■BASKETBALL
Arenas inks US$111m deal
Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas agreed to a six-year, U$111 million contract on Thursday, the Washington Times reported. The deal, which will keep the star guard with the Wizards until 2014, cannot become official until a league moratorium concludes on July 9. Arenas opted out of the final year of his contract earlier this offseason and was offered a six-year, US$127 million deal on Tuesday — the first day of free agency. According to the Times, Arenas took less money because he did not want to be a burden on the team’s salary cap.
■BASKETBALL
Chris Paul extends contract
New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul agreed to a three-year contract extension, US media reported on Thursday. The deal includes a player option for a fourth year, and is estimated at US$68 million. Under National Basketball Association rules, the deal cannot be officially announced until July 9, when the league’s free agent moratorium ends. Paul, 23, emerged as one of the best point guard in the NBA this past season, when he spearheaded the Hornets to a franchise-record 56 regular-season wins. The runner-up to Kobe Bryant for the league’s Most Valuable Player, Paul averaged a league-leading 11.7 assists and 2.7 steals.
■ICE HOCKEY
Sharks sign Rob Blake
The San Jose Sharks signed veteran defenseman Rob Blake to a one-year contract on Thursday. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Canadian broadcaster TSN reported Blake, 38, will receive US$5 million in 2008-2009. In 71 games last season with the Los Angeles Kings, Blake scored nine goals and 31 points — his worst totals since the 1996-1997 season, also with the Kings. The addition of Blake helps alleviate some of the loss of all-star Brian Campbell, who signed an eight-year, US$56.8 million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
■ICE HOCKEY
Naslund moves to New York
Swedish star Markus Naslund, the runner-up for the NHL’s MVP trophy in 2002-2003, signed a contract with the New York Rangers on Thursday. The five-time all-star and former captain of the Vancouver Canucks was signed by the Rangers two days after becoming a free agent. He had many productive seasons in Vancouver, including the 2002-2003 regular season when he scored 48 goals and 104 points. Naslund, who had been captain of the Vancouver Canucks since the 2000-2001 season, is excited about moving to New York. “It seems like everyone that’s played for the Rangers said you only get a chance to play there once in a lifetime, and you have to take advantage of it,” Naslund said.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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