■SOCCER
Stadiums may add cells
Italian soccer bosses are mooting plans to install holding cells inside stadiums in a bid to combat crowd-trouble and hooliganism. Italian Football League boss Antonio Matarrese revealed the plans on Thursday as the government announced an anti-soccer violence publicity campaign. Matarrese said the drastic measure of incarceration within stadiums was a viable option. “If there are hooligans we can put them quickly behind bars and then transfer them to prison,” he said. “Either we have to be strong or it’s better to surrender. We will not surrender.”
■RUGBY UNION
Players say ‘No To Racism’
Players in this weekend’s Currie Cup matches in South Africa will wear jerseys with the slogan ‘No To Racism’ on them, in response to a racist attack on a black fan during the Springboks’ final Tri-Nations Test against Australia in Johannesburg on Aug. 30. “It’s important for South Africa Rugby to make a strong statement in the wake of the racist attack on the Springbok fan here and I’m pleased that all our local players and Springboks and the provincial unions and their sponsors have supported this,” South African Rugby Union (SARU) president Oregan Hoskins said on Thursday. SARU has offered a reward of 10,000 rand (US$1,297) to help find the three white men responsible for the attack on the female fan.
■SOCCER
‘Reggae Boyz’ ditch Simoes
Rene Simoes was fired as coach of Jamaica on Thursday, only nine months into a three-year contract. In recent World Cup qualifying games Jamaica drew Canada 1-1, lost to Mexico 3-0, and lost to Honduras 2-0. Simoes said before the Honduras match that the “Reggae Boyz “needed to win or they would have little hope of advancing. They are last in their four-team group. Simoes led Jamaica when they qualified for the World Cup, in 1998, but he resigned in 2000 after six years as technical director.
■SOCCER
Dopey Dodo banned
Former Brazil striker Dodo was suspended for two years on Thursday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over a failed doping test. The 34-year-old tested positive for fenproporex after his club, Botafogo, beat Vasco 4-0 in a Brazilian league match in June last year. He was initially suspended for 30 days and, after passing two other doping tests, was exonerated by Brazil’s highest sports court. World governing body FIFA and the World Anti-Doping Agency both filed appeals in September last year requesting a ban. CAS ruled in their favor Thursday, saying Dodo had failed to demonstrate that he bore “no significant fault or negligence” for the presence of the banned substance in his urine samples.
■ATHLETICS
Bolt joins Real Madrid
Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt has agreed to train with Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid, the Jamaican revealed on Thursday. Bolt, who picked up three golds medals and world records in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the Bejing Games, said he was particularly looking forward to meeting Real’s former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy. “Raul and Van Nistelrooy, I think they’re some of the best goalscorers ever,” Bolt said. “I’ve watched van Nistelrooy from when he was with Manchester United, so I know he’s a great, great guy so I look forward to meeting these guys.”
■BASKETBALL
Garrity to retire
Orlando Magic forward Pat Garrity announced his retirement from the NBA on Thursday. “As a professional athlete, I have always been aware that the time would come for me to begin another chapter in my life,” Garrity said on the NBA’s Web site. “That time has come and I look forward to the exciting challenges that lie ahead.” A first round pick (19th overall) by Milwaukee in the 1998 NBA draft, Garrity was traded to Orlando from the Phoenix Suns the following year and spent the rest of his career in Florida. In his 10 years in the NBA Garrity played in 552 regular season games averaging 7.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
■SUMO
Expelled Russian sues
An expelled Russian wrestler has taken the unprecedented step of suing Japan’s sumo authority, demanding he return to the ancient sport after being thrown out for marijuana possession. Soslan Gagloev, a 20-year-old who had risen quickly through the ranks under the ring name of Wakanoho, told reporters late on Thursday he had filed a suit against the Japan Sumo Association. “I don’t want to sue but this is the only way to return to sumo,” he said with a weary face. “Everyone makes mistakes when you’re young. I thought I did the wrong thing. I could accept a suspension but expelling me is a bit too harsh. I want to play sumo at any cost.” But the sumo association’s new chief Musashigawa — whose predecessor quit over the drug scandal — said he would not allow Wakanoho to return to the sport, Kyodo News reported. Wakanoho, who had been a professional sumo wrestler since 2005, was arrested last month for allegedly possessing a joint with 0.368 grams of marijuana inside. He admitted wrongdoing and apologized to the sumo association and fans. Tokyo prosecutors yesterday decided not to press charges against him as it was his first offense and the amount was small, reports said.
■FOOTBALL
Colts waive Johnson
The Indianapolis Colts have waived starting defensive tackle Ed Johnson following his arrest this week for possession of marijuana, the team said on Thursday. Johnson, 24, was arrested on Wednesday in Hamilton County, Indiana, between midnight and 1am and charged with speeding and possession of marijuana. “We consider every violation of a team rule or NFL policy on an individual case-by-case basis,” the team said in a statement. “If club discipline is appropriate, we consider the past record of the individual involved and the extent to which team rules were violated when imposing penalties. In this particular case, Ed was well aware that his past history required him to be in complete compliance with club rules.”
■BOXING
Laila Ali has baby boy
Laila Ali, daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali and a champion fighter in her own right, has welcomed her first child with husband Curtis Conway, she announced on Thursday on her Web site. Curtis Muhammad Conway was born on Aug. 26 and weighed in at 3.1kg. “Mama and baby are resting!” said Ali, who owns a ring record of 24-0 with 21 knockouts. The 30-year-old has also become a television celebrity, as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars and host of American Gladiator. Ali married Conway, a retired NFL player who is seven years her senior, in July last year. Her 66-year-old father, perhaps the best known athlete in the world, was banished from boxing for refusing induction into the US Army to fight in Vietnam.
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
‘HIGH STANDARD’: The Thunder are on track for a Finals-Cup double after they scored 22 three-pointers in equaling the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday bagged a 16th straight victory, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to romp into an NBA Cup semi-final clash with the San Antonio Spurs, who stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to lead the reigning NBA champions Thunder, who improved to 24-1 to equal the best 25-game start to a season in league history. They dominated from start to finish to book their place in the final four of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas, where they are tomorrow to take on the Spurs. The New York Knicks and
By the time Cameron Menzies finally left the arena on Monday, the blood gushing from the gash on his right hand had trickled down his wrist, part of his forearm and — somehow — up to his face. Smeared in crimson and regret, and already mouthing sheepish apologies to the crowd, he disappeared down the steps, pursued by a stern-looking Matt Porter, the chief executive of Professional Darts Corp (PDC). The physical scars from Menzies’ encounter with the Alexandra Palace drinks table after his 3-2 defeat against Charlie Manby at the Darts World Championship would be gone within a few weeks.
Italian Luca de Aliprandini described Saturday’s World Cup giant slalom at Val d’Isere as the hardest race of his life, coming two days after his Swiss partner Michelle Gisin suffered a heavy fall in training which required neck surgery. De Aliprandini finished 26th in the men’s event won by Loic Meillard, but the result paled into insignificance with two-time Olympic ski champion Gisin in hospital with injuries to her wrist, knee and cervical spine (neck). “It was Michelle’s wish that I race here. I couldn’t say no to her, but it was the toughest race of my entire life,” an emotional De
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