The Malaysian Insider :: Sports

Bayern triumph has origins in bitter 2012 defeat

Sun, 26 May 2013 00:52:20 GMT

LONDON, May 26 — Bayern Munich’s shock 2012 Champions League defeat in Munich was a dark chapter in the club’s history but it sowed the seeds for their fifth European triumph at Wembley stadium yesterday. Bayern grabbed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund with an 89th-minute winner from Dutchman Arjen Robben to clinch their first ...

Rogers joins Los Angeles Galaxy

Sun, 26 May 2013 00:29:38 GMT

LOS ANGELES, May 26 — Former US soccer international Robbie Rogers has joined Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy, the team said yesterday, making him the latest openly gay male athlete in an American professional team sport. Rogers, who came out in February on the same day he retired from the game, will be on the Galaxy’s roster for Sunday’s ...

Girl power no longer a novelty at Indy 500

Sun, 26 May 2013 00:07:26 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS, May 26 — While Formula One flirts with the idea of a female driver, girl power is already as much a part of the Indianapolis 500 as turbo-charged engines and the winner chugging cold milk in Victory Lane. Swiss Simona de Silvestro, Brazilian Ana Beatriz and Britons Pippa Mann and Katherine Legge represent the four women who will take ...

Ribery and Robben combine to give Bayern victory

Sat, 25 May 2013 23:24:30 GMT

LONDON, May 26 — A brilliant Franco-Dutch move involving Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben in the final minutes settled a memorable all-German Champions League final as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at Wembley yesterday. Frenchman Ribery’s backheel allowed Dutchman Robben to break through a gap in the Dortmund defence and dance round ...

Robben infuriates, bemuses, misses goals and wins match

Sat, 25 May 2013 23:18:56 GMT

LONDON, May 26 — Arjen Robben’s Champions League final was a microcosm of his career as the Bayern Munich winger perplexed opponents, left team mates waiting in vain for passes, infuriated fans and produced two match-winning moments. As usual, the Dutchman stubbornly refused to contemplate using his right foot in a man-of-the-match ...

Nicol makes it to British Open squash final

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:21:43 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Malaysia’s world number one Datuk Nicol Ann David is on track for her fifth British Open Squash Championships title. In today’s semi-finals, Nicol just took 27 minutes to defeat Alison Waters of England in straight sets of 11-5, 11-4 and 11-5 at Hull and East Riding Squash Club, Hull City, East Yorkhire, England. “It may ...

Rosberg puts Mercedes on pole in Monaco

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:21:22 GMT

MONACO, May 25 — Germany's Nico Rosberg scorched to his third successive Formula One pole position with team mate Lewis Hamilton completing a front row lockout for Mercedes at the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday. The pole was the fourth in a row for Mercedes, whose qualifying form has faded in the races so far this season, and second successive ...

Raikkonen in the hunt without the Hunt

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:23:00 GMT

MONACO, May 25 — Formula One title contender Kimi Raikkonen has covered up a tribute on his helmet to late champion James Hunt after the lettering was deemed to contravene television regulations. The party-loving Lotus driver, second in the championship at present, is a big fan of Britain's 1976 champion and once entered a snowmobile race under ...

Djokovic and cold weather threaten Nadal’s Paris bid

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:44:12 GMT

PARIS, May 25 — Old foe Novak Djokovic and damp weather conditions are the most likely obstacles to claycourt machine Rafael Nadal's bid for a record-extending eighth French Open title over the next two weeks. Nadal, who last year beat Bjorn Borg's record of six Roland Garros crowns, has lost only one match on the Paris clay and has already won ...

IPL’s Chennai official arrested in spot-fixing scandal

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:47:59 GMT

NEW DELHI, May 25 — Mumbai Police apprehended a key official of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) Chennai franchise today in connection with a spot-fixing scandal that has also led to the arrest of three cricketers. Former India test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two other local cricketers were arrested last week on suspicion of taking ...

F1 is a superego trip for Wurz’s wife

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:33:25 GMT

MONACO, May 25 — Truth can be stranger than fiction in Formula One so perhaps it was inevitable that even some regulars were fooled when the launch of a new grand prix team was announced on April 1. Despite a polished website and team details, there was no such thing as Dupont F1 — on the racetrack, at least. Julia Wurz, the former Benetton and ...

Bayern meet Dortmund in all German Champions League final

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:12:30 GMT

LONDON, May 25 — Tens of thousands of Germans will descend on London’s Wembley Stadium later today (1845 GMT) when four-times winners Bayern Munich take on domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final. The world’s most prestigious club soccer match pits unassuming 68-year-old Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes against excitable ...

Pacers upset Heat in Miami to level series

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:50:37 GMT

MIAMI, May 25 — The Indiana Pacers threw open the NBA Eastern Conference finals today, upsetting the Miami Heat with a 97-93 victory to level the series at 1-1. LeBron James scored 36 points for Miami but gave up a crucial turnover down the stretch that cost the Heat while Roy Hibbert top scored for the Pacers with 29 points and Paul George added ...

Rogers to return to game with LA Galaxy

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:08:43 GMT

LOS ANGELES, May 25 — Former US soccer international Robbie Rogers, who came out as gay and retired from the game in February, is to join Major League Football’s L.A. Galaxy, USA Today reported today. The newspaper’s website said Rogers had agreed terms with the Galaxy and the team later announced a press conference for Saturday for a “player ...

Woods heads Potent Field for next week’s Memorial

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:58:36 GMT

OHIO, May 25 — Next week’s Memorial tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio will feature one of the season’s strongest fields with the world’s top six players all taking part in the PGA Tour event hosted by Jack Nicklaus. Top-ranked Tiger Woods will be back to defend the title he claimed by two shots last year while Rory McIlroy (second), ...

Brazil’s Santos decide to sell Neymar

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:49:01 GMT

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 25 — Brazil’s Santos said it had agreed sell striker Neymar to one of two unnamed soccer clubs, according to the club’s official Twitter feed. Neymar will have the right to choose which proposal to take, Santos said. “In the face of the offers and the player’s contract, the management committee of the club decided to sell the ...

Man United assistant manager Phelan leaves club

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:55:20 GMT

MANCHESTER, May 24 — Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan left the Premier League champions today as new manager David Moyes prepared to make his own coaching appointments. Former United player Phelan is departing along with goalkeeping coach Eric Steele ahead of the arrival of Moyes, who takes over from the retired Alex Ferguson on ...

Gibraltar gets UEFA membership at last

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:33:35 GMT

LONDON, May 24 — Gibraltar was finally accepted as a member of European football’s governing body UEFA today, allowing their national team and clubs to enter to take part in international competition. UEFA’s annual Congress voted in favour of a motion to allow the tiny British colony to become their 54th member. Gibraltar, which was granted ...

European football final adds new chapter to Adidas-Puma rivalry

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:55:06 GMT

LONDON, May 24 — German sportswear makers Adidas and Puma will renew their own decades-old rivalry when Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund meet in the Champions League Final at Wembley tomorrow. Adidas is the long-standing kit supplier to Bayern and owns a stake of around nine per cent in the Bavarian club, while Puma became the sportswear ...

UEFA : Europa League winners to get Champions League place

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:17:38 GMT

LONDON, May 24 — The Europa League winners in 2015 will qualify for the Champions League the following season, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino said today. Sixteen teams rather than the current six will also qualify directly for the group stages of UEFA’s secondary competition in a bid to boost its prestige and attraction to sponsors. The ...

Malaysia tycoon plans IPO of football club Cardiff City-sources

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:35 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — Malaysian billionaire Vincent Tan is exploring an IPO of British soccer team Cardiff City for as early as this year, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, in a deal that would follow the team’s recent promotion to the Premier League. The process is in its early stages, the people said, with details on the timing, ...

Johor FA to tighten inspection at stadiums

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:21:46 GMT

JOHOR BARU, May 24 — The Football Association of Johor will be tightening inspection at entry points in stadiums in Johor to weed out spectators using fake tickets. Its president Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said this had to be done to avoid a situation like what happened at the Tan Sri Hassan Yunos Stadium in Larkin during the match between Johor ...

Nadal, Djokovic on semi-final collision course in Paris

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:08:27 GMT

PARIS, May 24 — Defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal was drawn in the same half as world number one Novak Djokovic today as the Spanish claycourt machine chases a record eighth title at Roland Garros. Third seed Nadal, who beat Djokovic in last year’s final, could face the Serbian in the semis. “But is not in the first round, no?,” Nadal ...

Football club Man Utd refinances to cut interest costs

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:47:37 GMT

LONDON, May 24 — English football champions Manchester United have trimmed 10 million pounds (RM45 million) off the annual interest bill on their debt through a refinancing arranged by Bank of America. The move could free up more cash to help new team manager David Moyes to strengthen his team for next season after taking over from Alex Ferguson, ...

Platini repeats call for European sports police force

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:57:16 GMT

LONDON, May 24 — UEFA president Michel Platini renewed his call for the formation of a European sports police force today, telling delegates at the opening of the UEFA Congress he was upset that his appeal for one had been ignored for six years. “Six years ago now, in response to...problems of betting, corruption and match-fixing, as well as the ...

Manchester City target five trophies in five years

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:30:45 GMT

LONDON, May 24 — Manchester City have set their next manager the daunting task of winning five trophies in the next five years. City sacked manager Roberto Mancini earlier this month, saying the club had failed to achieve any of its stated targets for the season except qualification for the Champions League and are expected to appoint Malaga coach ...

Rosberg puts Mercedes on top in Monaco

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:51:46 GMT

MONACO, May 24 — Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton gave Mercedes a dream start to the Monaco Grand Prix weekend with the fastest times in practice for Formula One’s most glamorous race yesterday. Rosberg, who has been at home on the twisty streets ever since he was a boy growing up in the principality, set the pace in both sessions with a best time ...

Vincent Tan plans IPO of Cardiff City

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:33:42 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — Billionaire Tan Sri Vincent Tan is exploring a market listing of UK football team Cardiff City for as early as this year, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, in a deal that would follow the team’s recent promotion to the Premier League. A listing for the Welsh team would follow Manchester United’s debut on the ...

In Indonesia, football is kicked around by political parties

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:22:43 GMT

JAKARTA, May 24 — As monsoon rains swept the stadium, the chanting grew louder. “Indonesia! Indonesia!” More than 60,000 people packed into Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on a recent Saturday night to see the national football team play. Another 100 million tuned in to television to watch the match, underlining the appeal of football in ...

Andretti eager to end family’s Indy500 ‘curse’

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:08:42 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS, May 24 — It was media day at the Indianapolis 500 yesterday and Marco Andretti knew the question was coming before it was even asked. What about the Andretti curse? For Marco, grandson of former Formula One champion Mario Andretti and son of IndyCar champion and team owner Michael, the family name is both a blessing and curse when it ...

German football clubs setting example on and off pitch

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:05:42 GMT

BERLIN, May 24 — Champions League finalists Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are the envy of football fans across Europe for the way the German clubs run their business as well as their success on the field. Bayern and Dortmund are the top two teams in the Bundesliga where clubs boast the largest crowds in Europe, keep ticket prices low, are ...

Ferdinand signs one-year Man United deal

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:59:37 GMT

MANCHESTER, May 24 — Manchester United centre back Rio Ferdinand signed a one-year contract yesterday to stay with the English Premier League champions for a 12th season. The 34-year-old would have been out of contract this summer after helping his club to a 20th league title but will now be part of new manager David Moyes’s set-up following the ...

Milan striker Pazzini ruled out for up to six months

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:09:22 GMT

ROME, May 23 — AC Milan striker Giampaolo Pazzini has been ruled out of action for up to six months after undergoing a knee operation, the Serie A club said on Thursday. "AC Milan announces that today Giampaolo Pazzini has undergone surgery on his right knee. The operation, performed in Namur, Belgium, by the team of Prof. Martens, was perfectly ...

UEFA agrees tougher sanctions to combat racism

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:01:44 GMT

LONDON, May 23 — Players or officials found guilty of racist offences in European club matches or internationals will face a minimum ban of 10 matches under tougher disciplinary regulations approved by UEFA's executive committee on Thursday. The executive will also propose to their annual Congress in London on Friday that all their 53 national ...

Watford and Palace chase Premier League jackpot

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:24:01 GMT

WEMBLEY, May 23 — Two days after Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund fight it out for Europe's most prestigious club prize at Wembley, Watford and Crystal Palace will take to the same pitch chasing an even more financially lucrative reward. Monday's English Championship (second tier) playoff final will determine which team will be promoted to the ...

Rosberg on top for Mercedes in first Monaco practice

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:20:10 GMT

MONACO, May 23 — Nico Rosberg gave Mercedes a quick start to their Monaco Grand Prix weekend with the fastest time in first practice on Thursday. The German, a local resident who has been at home on the twisty streets ever since he was a boy growing up in the principality, lapped with a best time of one minute 16.195 seconds. While Rosberg will be ...

Boxing chief Wu confirms IOC presidency bid

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:48:05 GMT

TAIPEI, May 23 — Taiwan's world boxing chief (AIBA) President Ching-kuo Wu announced his intention to run for International Olympic Committee president on Thursday, saying the Olympic movement should be bigger than just the Games. IOC Executive Board member Wu is the fourth IOC member following Germany's Thomas Bach and Singaporean Ng Ser Miang, ...

Sponsor Adidas criticises Garcia over Woods jibe

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:44:28 GMT

LONDON, May 23 — Sponsor Adidas has criticised Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia for a jibe directed at Tiger Woods that has drawn accusations of racism. A repentant Garcia said "sorry" 11 times and used the word "apology" on five occasions on Wednesday when he told reporters of his regret at saying he planned to invite Woods to dinner and serve him ...

James saves Miami in last-gasp win over Indiana

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:50:23 GMT

MIAMI, May 23 — LeBron James scored the game-winning points in the dying embers of overtime as the Miami Heat held off a determined Indiana Pacers 103-102 in a thrilling Eastern Conference Finals opener yesterday. If broadcasters were concerned that another easy series win for Miami would further damage ratings, they got the perfect antidote with ...

Big away win puts Santa Fe within reach of semis

Thu, 23 May 2013 04:43:15 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, May 23 — Colombia’s Independiente Santa Fe took a big step towards their first Libertadores Cup semi-final since 1961 when they beat Real Garcilaso 3-1 in Peru yesterday. The winners of the quarter-final tie will meet Brazilian champions Fluminense or Olimpia of Paraguay, who are locked at 0-0 after their first leg in Rio de ...

Heynckes vs Klopp: Experience meets exuberance in final

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:21:37 GMT

BERLIN, May 23 — When Bayern Munich take on Borussia Dortmund in the first all-German Champions League final on Saturday, it will not only be a clash of footballing cultures but also a showdown of two different coaching styles. Bayern’s Jupp Heynckes, 68 and at the twilight of his career, is chasing a second Champions League crown and ...

Good defending is simple answer to Robben riddle

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:16:16 GMT

LONDON, May 23 — An internet search for “Arjen Robben cuts inside” produces more than two million items, one of them a recent tweet declaring: “That was the 10,000th time Robben has cut inside and shot with his left foot — so predictable”. Yet, when the Bayern Munich winger bears down the right in Saturday’s Champions League final, Borussia ...

Pressing tactical engagement for Bayern and Dortmund

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:12:48 GMT

LONDON, May 23 — Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are bitter rivals, yet in tactical terms they offer variations on the same theme. Both press their opponents high up the pitch, can move the ball from defence to attack with bewildering speed and play with a 4-2-3-1 formation featuring wide players on each flank and a ...

Tradition meets modernism in German Wembley showdown

Thu, 23 May 2013 02:07:27 GMT

BERLIN, May 23 — The all-German Champions League final on Saturday pits traditional powerhouses Bayern Munich against modernists Borussia Dortmund at London’s Wembley Stadium (1845 GMT) with more at stake than Europe’s premier club trophy. Bayern, four-times European champions, are Germany’s richest and most successful club, while rejuvenated ...

Perez still confident McLaren can win

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:06:46 GMT

MONACO, May 23 — McLaren can win races this season despite their car still being some way off the pace, Mexican Sergio Perez said yesterday. “That’s the target. To win a race or a couple of races,” the driver told reporters at the Monaco Grand Prix where last year he set the fastest lap for Sauber. “We know that at the moment there’s no chance, no ...

Fulham pick up Boateng, Amorebieta on free transfers

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:01:43 GMT

LONDON, May 23 — Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng and Venezuela centre back Fernando Amorebieta have both joined Premier League Fulham on free transfers, the club said yesterday. Boateng, 30, has 46 caps for his country and joins Fulham from Ukrainian side FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on an extendable one-year deal after playing against the west London ...

Puerto Rico’s Carrion makes run for IOC presidency

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:28:59 GMT

BERLIN, May 22 — Puerto Rican banker Richard Carrion launched his bid for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today, with his long financial experience a powerful pitch in his quest for the world’s top sports job. The 60-year-old Carrion, who is chairman of Puerto Rican lender Popular Inc, heads the IOC’s finance commission ...

CAS reject Murofushi appeal against IOC election block

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:28:22 GMT

BERLIN, May 22 — The Court of Arbitration for Sport have rejected Japanese hammer thrower Koji Murofushi’s appeal against the blocking of his election to the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission, CAS said today. The court said the main reason for turning down his appeal was that the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) “did not comply ...

Malaga have European ban lifted by UEFA

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:39:10 GMT

MADRID, May 22 — Malaga will be free to compete in the Europa League next season after UEFA announced today that the European ban imposed on the Spanish club had been lifted. The Costa del Sol club, who reached the quarter-finals of this season’s Champions League, had been given a one-year ban by UEFA due to financial irregularities but had ...

Relegation woes worry toothless Argentinos Juniors

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:14:56 GMT

BUENOS AIRES, May 22 — Argentinos Juniors, staring into the jaws of relegation, have had a set of false teeth thrown at their coach by an angry fan while the club’s president has quit his seat at the Argentine FA. An irate fan threw a set of dentures at coach Ricardo Caruso Lombardi during Monday’s 3-1 home defeat by Belgrano that left Argentinos ...