■SOCCER
Star not kidnapped: police
Inter’s Brazilian star Adriano has not been kidnapped, police inspector Marcus Reimao told the Terra Web site in response to media speculation after the striker failed to return to Italy following a World Cup qualifier last week. He said that Adriano was apparently depressed because his girlfriend broke up with him and went to stay in the Vila Cruzeiro shantytown, where he was raised, to stay with friends. Adriano had not returned to Italy because of a personal matter, his agent said on Monday. “It’s not a family problem,” Gilmar Rinaldi told Brazilian media, according to Globo television’s Web site. “It’s something very personal, which could happen to anyone, but it’s a private thing and that’s why I can’t say what it is.” Once one of the world’s most fearsome strikers, Adriano has struggled with fitness and alcohol problems since the 2006 World Cup. Rinaldi confirmed that Adriano had been in Vila Cruzeiro. “I don’t have the right to ask Adriano not to go to the Vila Cruzeiro because it’s where his family lives, where he grew up,” Rinaldi said. “The price you pay for being someone who is well-known and for coming from where he came from is very high.”
■HORSE RACING
Broadcaster sorry for jibes
The BBC has apologized for jibes made by one of its presenters about jockey Liam Treadwell’s teeth, shortly after he had ridden a 100-1 outsider to victory in the Grand National, Britain’s leading steeplechase race. The broadcaster said it had received 1,477 complaints from viewers angered after presenter Clare Balding joked about the state of Treadwell’s teeth in a TV interview after the race. “Give us a big grin to the camera,” Balding said. Then to laughter from onlookers she added: “No let’s see your teeth. He hasn’t got the best in the world but you can afford to go and get them done now.” Treadwell, 23, had just sprung a huge surprise after guiding rank outsider Mon Mome to victory at the Aintree racecourse, becoming the biggest-priced winner since 1967.
■SOCCER
No charges for Robinho
British prosecutors will not charge Brazil forward Robinho over an allegation the Manchester City star committed a serious sexual assault at a nightclub, police said on Monday. Britain’s most expensive player was arrested in connection with a sexual assault on an 18-year-old woman in Leeds in January. “A file was submitted to the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] who decided no further action should be taken,” a spokeswoman for West Yorkshire Police said.
■FOOTBALL
Burress keeps bonus money
An arbitrator has ruled that former New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress can keep bonus money he earned prior to accidentally shooting himself in a nightclub last year. The decision means the Giants, who released Burress last week, must pay him the US$1 million that his been withheld from his US$4.25 million signing bonus since the shooting, the New York Times reported on its Web site. Burress was arrested in December and charged with criminal possession of a weapon after his gun accidentally discharged while tucked into his trousers, with the bullet wounding his leg. “We are very disappointed with the decision,” Giants president John Mara said in a statement. “To think that a player could carry a loaded gun into a nightclub, shoot himself and miss the rest of the season but get to keep his entire signing bonus illustrates one of the serious flaws in the current system.”
West Ham United on Monday advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out win against Brentford, who paid the price for Dango Ouattara’s spot-kick blunder. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side twice blew the lead as Jarrod Bowen’s double was canceled out by an Igor Thiago brace to force extra-time in the 2-2 draw at the London Stadium, but in the shoot-out, Brentford winger Ouattara attempted a chipped Panenka penalty, but his woeful effort was straight at West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. It was an awful mistake by the Burkina Faso international and West Ham took full advantage. Bowen, Valentin Castellanos, Callum
Teenage star Lamine Yamal’s superbly-taken goal on Saturday earned Barcelona a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao in Spanish La Liga. The champions restored their four-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid, who had on Friday temporarily closed the gap by beating Celta Vigo. Atletico Madrid tightened their grip on third with an entertaining 3-2 win over Real Sociedad. Yamal, 18, curled into the top corner after 68 minutes to split the sides at Athletic’s San Mames stadium. “We’re already seeing what Lamine can do — he puts it right in the top corner, and there’s nothing the keeper can do,” Barca
Thanks to Italy beating Mexico on Wednesday, the US get another chance in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). What looked like a potentially disastrous early exit for US manager Mark DeRosa and his team turned out to be nothing more than substantial worry and significant embarrassment for about 24 hours. It remains to be seen whether the US really want to win badly enough for the reprieve to matter, as if it is just a switch they can flick, but there is little reason for their fans to be optimistic. The team’s attitude and behavior have been all over the place when
MEDVEDEV AWAITS: The world No. 1 Spainiard said that he is ‘finding the right shots’ as he pushed his record so far this year to 16 victories and no losses Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday extended his unbeaten season and got revenge over Cameron Norrie to reach the semi-finals at Indian Wells for a fifth straight year. The world No. 1 from Spain emerged from a see-saw battle with 29th-ranked Norrie with a 6-3, 6-4 victory. In the semis tomorrow, he faces Russian Daniil Medvedev, who pushed his own ATP winning streak to eight matches with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over defending champion Jack Draper. World No. 2 Jannik Sinner powered past Learner Tien 6-1, 6-2 to line up a semi-final with fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Arthur Fils. Alcaraz, 22, became
RSS