■SOCCER
Podolski to miss qualifier
Germany striker Lukas Podolski has been ruled out of tomorrow’s 2010 World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan after picking up a minor injury in training this week, the German soccer federation said on Sunday. Podolski had also missed Cologne’s season opener, a 1-0 defeat by Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, after feeling some pain in his leg muscle during training throughout the week. “It would have been too risky to play him in Baku because he could then be out for much longer,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said on the federation’s Web site. Germany are top of European qualifying Group Four, a point ahead of Russia.
■SOCCER
Real blank DC United
Real Madrid beat DC United 3-0 on Sunday in an exhibition game before 72,368 fans at FedEx Field. The Spanish powerhouse — which spent some US$375 million on new players in the offseason — also beat Toronto FC 5-1 on Friday during its preseason tour. United goalkeeper Josh Wicks kept Real at bay in a scoreless first half, but Gonzalo Higuain scored twice in a two-minute span in the second half as the visitors took control. Arjen Robben added another goal for Real. Real stunned the soccer world with its lavish offseason spending in hopes of regaining supremacy in Spain and Europe from Barcelona. Its newly purchased players included Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, FIFA’s world players of the year in 2007 and last year. Ronaldo played only the first half on Sunday, and Kaka was replaced in the 67th minute.
■ICE HOCKEY
Kane in 20 cent dispute
Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane, last year’s NHL Rookie of the Year, was arrested early on Sunday after an altercation in Buffalo with a cab driver. TV station WIVB reported that Kane pleaded not guilty to charges of felony robbery and misdemeanors of theft of services and criminal mischief that both he and a cousin face following the incident. Kane, 20, caught a cab from the city’s nightclub district and a police report says the driver claimed he was punched and hit by two men because he did not have US$0.20 in change for them, leaving cuts to his face and damaging his glasses.
■BASKETBALL
Rambis to coach T-Wolves
Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor says team executives have a verbal agreement for Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis to become the next coach of the T-Wolves. Taylor told the St Paul Pioneer Press about the deal, saying Rambis was expected to sign a contract yesterday. Rambis replaces Kevin McHale, who was fired in June after the Timberwolves completed a miserable 24-58 campaign. Rambis, 51, played nine seasons for the Lakers during the 1980s “Showtime” era featuring Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
■RUGBY UNION
Carter recalled to All Blacks
Star fly-half Dan Carter was on Monday recalled to the All Blacks squad for the rest of their Tri-Nations campaign six months after suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Carter has played in domestic games recently and declared himself fit to return to international duty. “He is a key member of the All Blacks, has recovered well from his injury and has made a great return to rugby so now is the right time to bring him back into the squad,” coach Graham Henry said. Carter was injured playing for the French side Perpignan against Stade Francais in February while on a New Zealand Rugby Union-sanctioned break from Super 14 duties.
Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen yesterday exited at the BWF World Tour Finals in China, losing in the semi-finals to China’s world No. 1 Shi Yuqi. Shi, who was named the BWF Men’s Singles Player of the Year, had a 9-4 record against Chou going into the match. He extended that record to 9-5 with a 21-14, 21-18 victory. Chou advanced to the men’s singles semi-finals on Friday by upsetting top-seeded Anders Antonsen of Denmark in a must-win match at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. The 16-21, 21-18, 21-15 victory saw Chou secure his second semi-finals appearance at the tournament, despite his relatively older
India’s chess star Gukesh Dommaraju returned to a hero’s welcome in his home city yesterday after becoming the youngest world champion aged only 18. Hundreds of fans crowded the arrivals area of Chennai International Airport, cheering alongside banks of television cameras as Gukesh made his way out of the airport after victory in taking the World Chess Championship title. “It means a lot to bring back the trophy to India,” Gukesh told reporters, with garlands of flowers draped around his neck, brandishing the glittering trophy in his hand. “I can see the support and what it means to India, I
Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest chess world champion on Thursday after beating the defending champion Ding Liren of China in the final match of their series in Singapore. Dommaraju, 18, secured 7.5 points against 6.5 of his Chinese rival in the contest, surpassing the achievement of Russia’s Garry Kasparov, who won the title at the age of 22. The Indian teen prodigy has long been considered a rising star in the chess world after he became a chess grandmaster at 12. He had entered the match as the youngest-ever challenger to the world crown after winning the Candidates tournament earlier
BOOT TO FACE: Wilfried Singo said that his actions were not intentional, ‘but I was able to see afterwards that’ the ’keeper had a significant face injury Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday came from behind to extend their unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 season with a 4-2 win away against AS Monaco, but lost goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to a gruesome facial injury. The bloodied Italy international was left requiring 10 staples after sustaining lacerations to the right side of his face when he was caught by the studs of Monaco defender Wilfried Singo. “I don’t know if the referee was badly positioned, but VAR [video assistant referee] needed to intervene, you have to protect the players,” PSG captain Marquinhos said. “To not give a red in a situation like
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