■OLYMPICS
Medal designer dies
Leo Obstbaum, a designer of Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic medals and mascots, died suddenly at age 40, Games organizers said on Monday. The cause of his death at his home on Thursday evening has not been released. As design director for the Games, Obstbaum led a team that created the yet-to-be-unveiled 2010 Winter Olympic medals, as well as the torches and mascots.
■SOCCER
Everton sign Bilyaletdinov
English Premier League side Everton have signed Lokomotiv Moscow skipper Diniyar Bilyaletdinov on a five-year deal, the railway-backed side announced on their official Web site on Tuesday. The 24-year-old midfielder, who has played for Lokomotiv since 2004, signed a deal with Everton late on Monday in Hamburg, Germany, where he had undergone a medical examination. No financial details of the deal were disclosed.
■BASKETBALL
Beasley checks into rehab
The Miami Heat’s troubled forward Michael Beasley has checked into a Texas rehab facility, the Miami Herald reported on Monday. The newspaper said that Beasley had spent the last two weeks in a Houston rehab as part of the NBA’s substance abuse program to address concerns over his mental state and drug abuse. The paper said the team was concerned about pictures and messages posted to the player’s Twitter page. The photos show Beasley showing off a tattoo on his back in front of a mirror with two bags on either side that were rumored to be filled with marijuana. The messages reportedly indicated Beasley writing that life was not worth living. Both the picture and the posts have been removed, the paper said.
■SOCCER
Man charged over stabbing
A 25-year-old man was charged on Monday with stabbing West Ham defender Calum Davenport, who remained hospitalized in serious condition with leg wounds. Davenport and his 49-year-old mother were attacked on Friday night at her home in Bedford, 92km north of London, and the centerback needed emergency surgery. The 26-year-old player’s condition was described as serious but stable. Bedfordshire police said on Monday that 25-year-old Worrell Whitehurst, from Derby, was charged with grievous bodily harm to Davenport and also assaulting the player’s mother. Whitehurst was due to appear in court later on Monday, while a 19-year-old man who was also arrested on Sunday has been released on bail. No motive for the attack was given.
■RUGBY UNION
Australia delay naming team
Lock Nathan Sharpe and center Berrick Barnes have been ruled out of Australia’s team to play South Africa in the Tri-Nations on Saturday. The pair joined a mounting casualty list that forced the Wallabies to delay the naming of their team by 48 hours. The selectors were due to name their side yesterday, but had to postpone the announcement until tomorrow because of the heavy injury toll from last weekend’s 19-18 loss to New Zealand in Sydney. Four players, Sharpe, Barnes, teenage fullback James O’Connor and flanker Rocky Elsom, missed Monday’s training session in Perth to seek medical treatment. Sharpe was then ruled out of the match because of a shoulder problem while Barnes was overlooked after suffering concussion and injuring his neck against the All Blacks last weekend. Elsom is nursing an ankle injury while O’Connor limped off the field after hurting his leg, although X-rays later cleared him of any fractures.
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
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
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
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
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