■ ENGLAND
Ashley denies Binladin link
Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley admits he is desperate for new investors to pump cash into his Premier League club, but even he draws the line at suggestions of a deal with the family of terrorist Osama bin Laden. Ashley wants to bring in a partner who can help share the burden of supplying the substantial funds needed to turn Newcastle into Premier League title contenders. But the billionaire businessman was shocked to hear reports that the Saudi Binladin Group had been approached to invest in Newcastle. Although the group, run by Osama’s half-brother Bakr bin Laden, distanced themselves from the al-Qaeda founder some years ago, Ashley was sufficiently outraged to issue a firm denial. “I would say that I am keen to have partners in Newcastle. That’s a very expensive seat I sit in,” he told the Evening Standard. “But I think I’ll start with people from Newcastle, not in some cave in Afghanistan.” Ashley spoke out as his Sports Direct empire, which was floated in March last year, reported that profits for the year to April had halved after a drop in sales, fueling talk he may cash in on Newcastle. But he is confident of getting the ship back on course in the coming months. “I think last year, we were on the Titanic and still dancing with the band. This year will be different,” he said.
■ GERMANY
Clubs told to release players
FIFA closed the door on Thursday on two German clubs’ hopes of stopping their Brazilian players going to the Olympics. After the Brazil squad for Beijing was announced on Tuesday, Werder Bremen said they would not release 23-year-old midfielder Diego, and Schalke 04 resisted giving up 22-year-old defender Rafinha. World soccer’s governing body responded by restating its rule obliging clubs to release players aged 23 or under. “The release of players younger than 23 has always been mandatory for all clubs,” FIFA said in a statement.
■ HONG KONG
Many arrests for gambling
Police in Hong Kong said yesterday that 87 people had been arrested as part of an Asian-wide crackdown on illegal soccer gambling on the Euro 2008 tournament led by Interpol. Betting slips worth nearly US$13 million were seized in a series of raids across the city of 6.9 million in May and last month during the Euro 2008 tournament, as well as during final games of major international leagues. The arrests were part of an Interpol-led operation that saw a total of 1,300 people arrested and 1,088 gambling dens busted in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Macau, Vietnam and China, police said.
■ BOSNIA
Blazevic appointed coach
Miroslav Blazevic, who took Croatia to third place at the 1998 World Cup, was on Thursday named as Bosnia’s new national coach. “Miroslav ‘Ciro’ Blazevic was elected new coach” for the next two-year period, Bosnia soccer association spokeswoman Slavica Pecikoza told journalists. The 73-year-old Blazevic is replacing Meho Kodro who was sacked in May after he had refused to lead the national team for a friendly with Iran.
■ ITALY
Mancini heading to Inter
Roma’s Brazilian midfielder Mancini is expected to switch to Italian champions Inter in a deal reported to be worth around 13 million euros (US$20.5 million). “The two parties are satisfied,” Inter official Gabriele Oriali told Sky television. Italian media claimed that the 27-year-old would be paid around 3.5 million euros a season.
BUMRAH WATCH: Captain Jasprit Bumrah left the SCG for scans for back spasms and although he returned to the ground, there was no word on if he would play Rishabh Pant’s blistering counterattack yesterday capped a chaotic second day of the fifth and final Test between Australia and India, with 15 wickets falling and the star bowler of the series leaving the Sydney Cricket Ground with an ambulance escort. Yet the Border-Gavaskar trophy still remains very much in the balance as India reached 141-6, holding a 145-run lead over Australia with three days remaining. “Low-scoring games like this, it just heightens the pressure within it, so long way still to go,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’s gonna be plenty of cricket, so we’ll see what happens.” Australia were bowled out for
Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek yesterday beat Elena Rybakina in straight sets to take Poland into the final of the mixed-teams United Cup with victory over Kazakhstan. Last year’s runners-up face the US today for the title in Sydney after they beat the Czech Republic in the other semi-final. “This win makes me really proud,” Swiatek said after seeing off Rybakina 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to give Poland an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie. It was a statement of intent from the world number two with the first major of the year to start on Jan. 12. “It is perfect preparation for the
Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien and Jiang Xinyu of China yesterday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, while Naomi Osaka retired from the women’s singles final with an abdominal injury. Second seeds Wu and Jiang defeated Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US 6-3, 6-4 on ASB Tennis Centre’s Stadium Court in 1 hour, 5 minutes. The WTA 250 victory was 25-year-old Wu’s second WTA Tour title, after winning the 2023 Hua Hin Championships in Thailand with Taiwanese partner Chan Hao-ching. Later that year, Wu and Taiwan’s Hsu Yu-hsiou won the mixed doubles gold at the World
SHORT-HANDED: Reigning champions the Boston Celtics were without stars Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, but they still downed the Timberwolves Oklahoma City on Thursday stretched the NBA’s best winning streak to 13 games with a home victory, while reigning champions the Boston Celtics held on for a last-shot triumph at Minnesota. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had game highs of 29 points and eight assists to spark the Thunder over the Los Angeles Clippers 116-98, improving the Western Conference leaders to 28-5. The Thunder’s winning streak is the longest since the team relocated from Seattle after the 2007-2008 season. “It’s just being present, going day by day, working on ourselves, and I think we’re doing a good job on that,” said Isaiah Hartenstein, who added 11
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