■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.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
LONG TIME COMING: With the addition of Marcus Smart, the Washington Wizards finally held a team to under 100 points, the last team this season to do so The Detroit Pistons on Monday won their seventh straight game in the NBA with in-form Cade Cunningham making 32 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a 106-97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Pistons, who are in the playoff position, moved to 32-26, their best record at this stage of a season for 17 years. It was an all-round effort from Detroit with Tobias Harris adding 20 points and Jalen Duren making 19 rebounds along with his 12 points. It was a tight contest until Detroit pulled away late in the third quarter to tie their longest winning streak since the 2014-2015
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
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