RUGBY UNION
Leinster win fourth title
Leinster shrugged off the injury absence of star center Brian O’Driscoll to beat Stade Francais 34-13 on Friday to clinch the European Challenge Cup. It was the Irish side’s fourth continental title to add to their 2009, 2011 and last year’s European Cup triumphs. For Stade, it was another story of final heartbreak, having lost the 2011 Challenge Cup title match as well as suffering the agony of European Cup final losses in 2001 and 2005. Leinster, who scored four tries, also became just the fourth team to complete the European Cup-Challenge Cup double. British Lion Jonny Sexton shone brightly, being named man of the match for his perfect kicking and game control in a final where the French enjoyed the lions’ share of possession.
RUGBY UNION
Clarett tests sevens skills
Former collegiate gridiron star Maurice Clarett, who went to prison on robbery and weapons charges, is testing his skills at rugby sevens with an eye toward the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The Columbus Dispatch newspaper reported on Friday that the former Ohio State star running back, who never made it in the National Football League, will play in the eight-team Ohio Rugby Sevens Invitational on Saturday at Mechanicsburg. Clarett is to play for the Columbus affiliate of Tiger Rugby, the development program to select US players for the 2016 Olympics. As an American football star, Clarett ran for 1,237 yards and scored 18 touchdowns in powering the Buckeyes to the 2002 US national college title. He was a 2005 NFL Draft pick by Denver, but did not make the squad.
CRICKET
Warner’s tweets probed
Cricket Australia is to investigate an extraordinary Twitter outburst by opening batsman David Warner that attacked two senior Australian cricket journalists. The 26-year-old Warner criticized News Limited journalists Robert Craddock and Malcolm Conn in an expletive-filled tirade, which has created headlines. A series of fiery rants were yesterday morning posted on Warner’s Twitter account in response to Craddock’s article on the perils of the rich and corrupt Indian Premier League. Warner is currently competing in the IPL as vice-captain of the Delhi Daredevils. His Twitter account has almost 190,000 followers. Among the tweets, which started at approximately 4am Indian time, Warner called Craddock a “prick,” and said they “talk shit” and branded Conn an “old fart” in an unprecedented attack. To Craddock, one tweet said: “Shock me @crashcraddock1 talking shit about ipl jealous prick. Get a real job. All you do is bag people. #getalife.” “Cricket Australia is attempting to contact Warner and will continue to investigate the matter,” Cricket Australia said in a statement yesterday. It was unclear whether Warner’s Twitter account had been hacked.
BASKETBALL
Ranadive group buys Kings
A group led by software magnate Vivek Ranadive of India has purchased the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Sacramento Kings and will keep the team in the California capital, according to several media reports. The Maloof family had made a deal to sell the club to a group that would have moved it to Seattle, but league owners voted 22-8 to reject that deal on Wednesday, setting the stage for the sale to Ranadive’s group for a record sum. Ranadive becomes the first NBA owner of Indian heritage at a time when the league has made moves to try and grow interest in basketball among the 1.2 billion people of cricket-loving India.
SOCCER
Pig head sparks probe
Stoke City have launched an internal investigation following reports that a pig’s head was found in the locker of one of the team’s players. The Premier League club says it “takes seriously reports of an incident” at its Clayton Wood training ground and “those responsible for any unacceptable behavior will be dealt with in accordance with the club’s disciplinary procedures.” Stoke midfielder Brek Shea posted a picture of him holding a pig’s head, which was severed down the middle, by the ears in the changing room. Shea tweeted “locker room banter gone wild!!!” The British media are reporting that the pig’s head was found in the locker of striker Kenwyne Jones. Another Stoke striker, Michael Owen, was the subject of a prank last week when he tweeted a picture of his car covered in eggs and flour.
SOCCER
Remy could play final game
Queens Park Rangers striker Loic Remy could play in his side’s final game of the season at Liverpool today, despite being investigated over rape allegations, the London club said on Friday. Remy was released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of rape along with three other men over an offense that is alleged to have taken place in London on May 6. The 26-year-old France international denies the claim. QPR manager Harry Redknapp would not discuss the matter during his pre-game press conference on Friday, but a club spokesman said that Remy was in contention to play at Anfield. “With regard to Loic Remy, the club can confirm he’s training today and will be available for selection against Liverpool, but the manager can’t take any questions on him,” the spokesman said. Remy joined QPR from Marseille in January for a club-record fee of ￡8 million (US$12.2 million), but despite scoring six goals since his arrival at Loftus Road, he could not prevent the team’s relegation from the Premier League.
SOCCER
UEFA reduces Malaga ban
European soccer’s governing body has revoked the second year of the ban it had imposed on Malaga for not meeting its financial fair-play regulations. While the club remains barred from European competition next season for failing to pay player wages and taxes on time, the second year of the ban had been lifted, Malaga said on Friday.
BOXING
Purdy fails to make weight
England’s Lee Purdy failed to make weight for yesterday’s planned welterweight world title fight against champion Devon Alexander, squandering his chance for the crown. Purdy tipped the scales on Friday at 147.8 pounds (67kg), just over the 147-pound limit, while US southpaw Alexander weighed in at 146.7 pounds. As a result, Purdy cannot win the International Boxing Federation title even if he defeats Alexander, 24-1 with 13 knockouts, at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. Purdy, 20-3 with one draw and 13 knockouts, has won five fights in a row. It was to have been Alexander’s first defense of the crown he took from US compatriot Randall Bailey in October last year. He has won three decisions since suffering his only loss, to Tim Bradley in January of 2011. Alexander’s fight has been cursed with bad luck from the start. He was to have fought England’s unbeaten Kell Brook, 29-0 with 19 knockouts, but a foot injury last month forced Brook to withdraw from the fight, which was earlier delayed by a Brook ankle injury in December last year and a February biceps injury to Alexander.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
AGING WELL: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, 22, was sent packing after being dispatched by world No. 97, Laura Siegemund, the second-oldest player in the draw at 36 Novak Djokovic yesterday created a slice of Grand Slam history on his way into the Australian Open third round, but last year’s women’s finalist Zheng Qinwen was knocked out in the biggest shock so far. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, in-form Coco Gauff, two-time Melbourne winner Naomi Osaka and a rampant Carlos Alcaraz were all victors on a rainy day four. Play was suspended on the outside courts for a couple of hours in the early evening because of the wet weather. That led to the rescheduling of a women’s doubles match between wild-cards Tsao Chia-yi of Taiwan and Thailand’s Peangtarn Plipuech and 11th
RSS