■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.”
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
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
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