■CRICKET
Black Caps drop Ryder
All-rounder Jesse Ryder has been dropped from the New Zealand cricket team and fined after missing a team meeting and training session following a late night of drinking after New Zealand’s seven-wicket victory in the third one-day international. The aggressive left-handed batsman will miss the fourth one-day international against West Indies in Auckland today and his place has been taken by Mathew Sinclair, New Zealand Cricket said yesterday. It is the second time within 12 months the 24-year-old has faced issues after drinking sessions. Ryder was also fined after a team disciplinary hearing on Thursday. “I thought I had reached the point where I could control my drinking better, but that is obviously not the case,” Ryder said.
■BIATHLON
Austria wins relay
Austria clinched the men’s 4 x 7.5km relay in the biathlon World Cup ahead of Russia and Germany in Oberhof on Thursday. The Austrian team of Daniel Mesotitsch, Friedrich Pinter, Dominik Landertinger and Christoph Sumann posted 1 hour 19 minutes 36.6 seconds to beat the Russian team by 8.7 seconds, with Germany 19.2 seconds behind. Russian biathlete Ivan Cherezov was earlier suspended for an excessive hemoglobin level in his blood. His place in the team was taken by Yevgeny Ustyugov.
■BASEBALL
Cubs sign testy outfielder
The Chicago Cubs have signed switch-hitting outfielder Milton Bradley to a three-year deal worth US$30 million, the team announced on Thursday. Bradley is known as much for the tantrums and angry outbursts that have characterized his eight-year career as he is for his talent. “People who have never met me are speaking about me. It’s not very intelligent to speak about someone you’ve never met.”
■OLYMPICS
US won’t bid for 2018
The US will not bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, concentrating full efforts upon Chicago’s 2016 Summer Olympic bid, US Olympic Committee spokesman Darryl Seibel said. Seibel told the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph that the Americans will not join what is expected to be a crowded field to follow next year’s Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2014 Winter Games set for Sochi, Russia. The International Olympic Committee deadline for 2018 applications is mid-October while IOC members will vote on Oct. 2 on the 2016 host between Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.
■SOCCER
Kanoute faces fine
Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute faced a fine from the Spanish soccer federation for revealing a T-shirt expressing support for Palestine during a match. Kanoute lifted his Sevilla shirt over his head after scoring in the team’s 2-1 Copa del Rey win over Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday to display a black T-shirt on which the word “Palestine” was printed in several languages. The federation’s Competition Committee was expected to study the incident yesterday. Kanoute’s action, which has been interpreted as a response to Israel’s recent attacks on Gaza. Raphael Schultz, Israel’s ambassador in Madrid, said on Thursday: “I saw the match and the T-shirt bore nothing more than the name of Palestine. It was not an incitement against Israel. I don’t think it extolled violence.” Meanwhile, Palestine embassy official Mahmoud Aluanen said: “I’m sure that all Palestinian children, those who love football, will be happy about this gesture.”
■SOCCER
Moggi handed sentence
Former Juventus executive Luciano Moggi received an 18-month suspended jail sentence on Thursday for illegal activity involving the now defunct player agency GEA, local news agencies reported. Moggi, the central figure in the Italian match-fixing scandal, allegedly influenced player moves involving GEA, which was run by his son, Alessandro Moggi. Alessandro Moggi received a 14-month suspended sentence, the ANSA and Apcom news agencies reported. “In the end, they absolved GEA and condemned the Moggis. It’s shameful,” Luciano Moggi told ANSA after the verdict. “These accusations won’t hold up on appeal.”
■SOCCER
Thirteen face doping charges
Thirteen players and officials at Cypriot first division side APOP Kyniras face disciplinary action for alleged steroid violations, an official said on Thursday. Anti-Doping Committee member Michael Petrou said all 13 — including five players and the manager — face a maximum four-year ban. He said the Cyprus Football Association decided to summon all 13 to a disciplinary committee after a probe found they allegedly breached domestic and international anti-doping rules. The CFA identified the players as Angelos Efthymiou of Cyprus, Yiannis Sfakianakis of Greece, Dmytro Mykhailenko of Ukraine, Samir Bengeloun of France and Bernardo Vasconcelos of Portugal.
■SOCCER
UEFA reject Real request
UEFA have rejected Real Madrid’s request to play new signings Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra in the Champions League. UEFA’s disciplinary committee met in special session on Thursday and rejected the request. Real Madrid can take its case to UEFA’s appeals body, which could meet next week. The Spanish champions wanted the pair to be allowed to play in the second round against Liverpool starting on Feb. 25. The club challenged UEFA to reconsider Article 17.18 of its Champions League regulations that prevents both players being fielded. The rule says clubs can register up to three newly signed players for the knockout stage before a Feb. 1 deadline, but that only one can have appeared in European competition earlier in the season. Huntelaar (Ajax) and Diarra (Portsmouth) both played in the UEFA Cup.
■MOTOGP
Kawasaki pull out
Kawasaki announced yesterday that it would withdraw from this year’s MotoGP world championship, citing the global economic downturn. Kawasaki, which has participated in MotoGP since 2003, finished last among the five manufacturers taking part in last year’s MotoGP world championship. “Kawasaki Heavy Industries will suspend participation in 2009 MotoGP championship,” the company said in statement. “Due to the influence of the global economic crises, we have had to reevaluate our business structure.”
■SPEED SKATING
Song banned for a year
Chinese speed skater Song Xingyu has been banned from the sport for a year after making an obscene gesture toward fans from a rival province. Song, who represents Heilongjiang Province, raised his middle finger in the direction of fans from Jilin who were accusing him of skating out of bounds in the 10,000m event. Song will be banned from all training and competition until Jan. 6, 2010, the Heilongjiang sports committee said. “During the sanction period, Song should meditate on his mistake deeply and write a self criticism,” the committee said.
New Taipei Kings guard Jeremy Lin on Friday was named the Taiwan Professional Basketball League’s (TPBL) Player of the Month, the first domestic player to win the award, while the Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers are to welcome their third head coach in less than a year. Lin averaged 22 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists over five games in October and last month, helping the Kings to second in the standings with a 4-2 record as of Friday. The Kings last night defeated the Lioneers 96-78 to move level with the top-of-the-table Formosa Dreamers (5-2), while in the night game, the New Taipei
LIVERPOOL WIN: The 50th Champions League goal by Mohamed Salah helped the leaders of the Premier League to keep their perfect record intact Real Madrid’s big stars on Tuesday turned on the style to revive the Spanish giant’s faltering UEFA Champions League title defense. Galacticos Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all scored in a thrilling 3-2 win against Serie A leaders Atalanta BC. However, Madrid still had to ride their luck as Mateo Retegui fired over from in front of goal in stoppage-time when handed a golden chance to level the game. It was only Madrid’s third win in the competition’s revamped league phase and leaves the 15-time champions in the unseeded playoff positions in 18th place. “It’s a very important win. Not everyone wins
TO NO AVAIL: The Denver Nuggets’ Serbian center Nikola Jokic surpassed his 53-point performance in the 2023 Western Conference semi-finals against Phoenix The Washington Wizards withstood a 56-point explosion from Denver star Nikola Jokic to beat the Nuggets 122-113 on Saturday and snap their 16-game NBA losing streak. Jokic, who won his third NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award last season, posted a career scoring high — surpassing a 53-point performance in game four of the 2023 Western Conference semi-finals against Phoenix and a 50-point regular-season best against Sacramento in 2021. The Serbian big man added 16 rebounds and eight assists, but it was all to no avail as Washington, buoyed by 39 points from Jordan Poole, won for the first time
Taiwan on Wednesday finished with 15 medals at the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in Hong Kong, taking home four gold, five silver and six bronze medals across the age group divisions. Taiwan ranked third on the medal table after South Korea with 17 golds and the US with eight golds at the five-day competition. “Your athletes have proven themselves as the best in the world,” World Taekwondo president Choue Chung-won said at the closing ceremony of the martial art contest that was attended by a record 1,727 athletes from around the world. On the first day of the competition at the Hong Kong
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