■FOOTBALL
Police find shot Jaguar
Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Richard Collier is in critical but stable condition after being shot in the early hours of Tuesday, the NFL team said. When contacted for information relating to the Collier incident, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office provided an incident report that did not name the victim but detailed a shooting at 2.50am on Tuesday. It referred to a handgun shooting and a report from a law-enforcement officer who attended the scene and said the victim had been found slumped over in the passenger seat of a red SUV in the parking lot in front of an apartment building. The shooting was the third of an NFL player since January last year — Denver Broncos’ Darrent Williams was shot dead after a New Years Eve party and Sean Taylor, a safety with the Washington Redskins, died after being shot during a break-in at his home near Miami in November.
■BASEBALL
Matsui off disabled list
The Houston Astros activated Japanese second baseman Kaz Matsui from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday. Matsui was activated a few days early. He had been on the DL since Aug. 13 with an irritated disc in his lower back, and still needs a few more days before he’s ready to play, manager Cecil Cooper said. Matsui, who has missed about a third of the season with various injuries, is expected to play this weekend at Colorado. Matsui was hitting .285 with 19 steals in 337 at-bats before injury.
■Cycling
Beltran ‘B’ sample positive
The second sample provided by Spanish rider Manuel Beltran, who tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) during the Tour de France, has also tested positive for the blood booster, a source close to the dossier said on Tuesday. The test on the second sample, known as the “B” sample, was carried out by French anti-doping agency AFLD which also tested the first sample in July, the source, who does not want to be identified, told reporters. The anti-doping agency is expected officially to announce the results of the testing on the “B” sample shortly. Beltran, who rides for the Liquigas team, tested positive for EPO at the first stage of the Tour de France and was excluded from the race after the seventh stage on July 11.
■GOLF
Woods expects second kid
World No. 1 Tiger Woods and his wife Elin are expecting their second child to be born in late winter, which could delay the US golf superstar’s return to action from a knee injury. Woods announced on Tuesday that he and his wife and daughter Sam, who was born in June last year, were expecting a new addition to the family. “I have some wonderful news to report. Sam is going to be a big sister,” Woods said on his Web site. “Elin and I are proud to announce that we are expecting our second child in late winter.”
■GOLF
English policy ‘drastic’
No. 1 women’s golfer Lorena Ochoa says a new US LPGA Tour policy requiring players to be effective in English starting next year is a “little drastic.” Ochoa, from Mexico, says golfers are better judged by their performance. She was asked at a charity event in her hometown of Guadalajara on Tuesday if she thought the new policy discriminated against international players. “That is a very strong word. I wouldn’t want to use it,” said Ochoa, who speaks English. “But I do think it is a little drastic.” There are 121 international players from 26 countries on the US LPGA Tour, including 45 players from South Korea.
■SOCCER
Ballack out of qualifiers
Germany captain Michael Ballack has pulled out of forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Finland, the German soccer federation said on Tuesday. Ballack’s bruised and inflamed left foot means he will have to miss Saturday’s clash against Liechtenstein and the game in Finland four days later, the federation said. The German federation had earlier said Ballack would be out of the first match but that there had been no decision on the Helsinki fixture. German coach Joachim Loew said Ballack’s injury was not as serious as his left ankle problem which put him out of the sport for eight months last year. The 32-year-old was injured on Aug. 17 playing for Chelsea in their 4-0 thrashing of Portsmouth on the first day of the Premiership season.
■SWIMMING
Phelps to open swim center
Michael Phelps will put his US$1 million Speedo bonus to start a foundation promoting water safety and youth swimming. Joe Gromek, president and CEO of Warnaco, Speedo’s US parent company, presented a check to Phelps on NBC’s Today show on Tuesday. The company, which has sponsored Phelps since he was 16, promised him a US$1 million bonus if he tied or broke Mark Spitz’s record for most gold medals at a single Olympics. The swimmer eclipsed the mark by winning eight golds at the Beijing Games — seven of them with world-record times. Company spokeswoman Audra Silverman said Speedo International and the Warnaco Foundation would donate an additional US$200,000 to the Michael Phelps Foundation.
■CRICKET
Chappell to coach youths
Former Test captain Greg Chappell has been appointed as the new head coach of Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence. Chappell will oversee the development of Australia’s next generation of players after being hired to replace Tim Nielsen, who has taken over as coach of the Australian national side. Chappell, who also served a two-year stint as India coach, signed a three-year deal to take what is considered to be one of the most important cricket jobs in Australia. The 60-year-old Chappell was one of Australia’s most successful batsmen during his playing career in the 1970s and early 1980s. He played 87 tests, scoring 7,110 runs at an average of 53.86 and captaining his country 48 times. “Greg brings to the role a great deal of experience as player, captain and coach,” Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said. “His recent coaching experiences in India add to the key lessons and insights he will offer Australia’s emerging talent.”
■CRICKET
Hick announces retirement
Ex-England batsman Graeme Hick will quit playing cricket after this season, ending a 24-year professional career in which he struck 136 first-class centuries. Worcestershire, the English county team which Hick joined in 1984, announced the 42-year-old’s retirement yesterday in a statement on its Web site. Hick has been one of cricket’s most prolific batsmen, but the Zimbabwe-born player struggled to replicate his domestic form for England after becoming eligible to play for the national team in 1991. He scored more than 64,000 runs in all forms of the game and averaged 52.23 from 526 first-class matches. In 65 Tests, spread over 11 years, his average was only 31.32. Hick was in 1987 named as one of five Cricketers of the Year by Wisden, the sport’s main reference source, and the following year made his highest score — 405 not out in a match against Somerset.
OFFENSE SHINES: First baseman Pan Chie-kai hit a solo homer in the fifth inning as all 10 batters Taiwan used contributed at least one hit toward their team total of 14 One day after their first shutout loss at the WBSC Premier12, Taiwan yesterday bounced back with a commanding 8-2 victory over the US, keeping their hopes for a spot in tomorrow’s final alive. The win in the Super Round marked Taiwan’s first triumph over the US at a top-tier international baseball tournament since 2003. Their previous win over the US was at the 2003 Baseball World Cup, with only one win in the previous 10 matchups since 1999. Yesterday’s game was tightly contested through the first six innings, with the margin never exceeding two runs. However, the tide turned in the top of
“Please love us. Please cheer us on. We have been working hard. Do not give up on us.” Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien’s heartfelt plea echoed across the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 tournament after a historic victory. Rather than boasting, Chen was making an earnest appeal after leading Taiwan to a 4-0 victory over Japan to claim their first major international baseball title at the senior level. Chen’s decisive three-run homer in the fifth inning and his Premier12 leading .632 batting average secured him the Premier12’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. He was also named one of the tournament’s outstanding defensive players
WELL-AGED: Although the youngest team in the tournament, Taiwan featured several veteran stars, including Sunday’s home-run hero Chen Chieh-hsien “I will never forget today,” veteran Taiwanese pitcher Chen Kuan-yu said after Taiwan on Sunday night blanked Japan to secure their first ever gold in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s (WBSC) Premier12 championship. Chen, who at 34 is the oldest member on the team, said Taiwan “made every difficult step to come to today’s victory. I will never forget today.” Taiwan made history when they won their first gold medal of the Premier12 tournament, beating Japan in a 4-0 shutout victory in the final at the Tokyo Dome. It was a jaw-dropping victory for many baseball commentators who went into the game with
Nikola Jokic on Saturday scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to spark the Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Lakers 127-102, continuing their dominance of the NBA rivalry, while Scotty Pippen Jr scored a career-best 30 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies past the Chicago Bulls, 142-131. The Nuggets won for the 13th time in the past 14 contests against the Lakers, including ousting the Lakers in the playoffs the past two seasons. Serbian star Jokic failed to achieve his sixth consecutive triple-double, managing only eight assists, but his effort was plenty as Michael Porter Jr added 24 points and 11
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