Football - Giggs signs one-year contract extension at United
Ryan Giggs has signed a one-year extension to his contract at Manchester United, tying the veteran winger to the English club until the summer of 2012. The 37-year-old former Wales international has made a club-record 862 appearances for United since signing professional terms in 1990. Giggs, who has been one of United’s best players this season, says “it’s great to know I’m still contributing to the team’s success and I feel I’ve got a lot to offer on and off the pitch.” Giggs is one of the most decorated players in British football, having won 11 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and four FA Cups.
Tennis - Wozniacki to reclaim No. 1 ranking after Dubai win
Caroline Wozniacki ensured she will regain the No. 1 ranking from Kim Clijsters after beating Shahar Peer of Israel to reach the semi-finals of the Dubai Championships yesterday. The 20-year-old Dane only lost the top spot on Monday, but she will claim it back when the new rankings are released next week after seeing off Peer 6-2, 6-4. Wozniacki will take on the former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, who beat fourth-seeded Australian Samatha Stosur 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (4). The WTA said in a press release that Wozniacki will stay at No. 1 for at least four weeks until 20 March.
Motor Racing - Kubica leaves intensive care unit
Hospital officials said Formula One driver Robert Kubica, who has undergone several surgeries after a car crash in Italy, has left the intensive care unit. The hospital in Pietra Ligure near Genoa said in a medical bulletin yesterday that Kubica’s condition was “satisfactory.” It said he has been “transferred as scheduled from an intensive care unit to a rehabilitation department.” Kubica had elbow surgery Wednesday. Immediately after the crash, he underwent seven hours of surgery to save his right hand and then had subsequent operations.
Motor Racing - Mercedes hires Bell as new technical director
Mercedes GP has hired Bob Bell, who helped Fernando Alonso to his two world championship titles, as the Formula One team’s new technical director. Bell has spent the last 10 years at Renault in the same position, helping Alonso to his successes in 2005 and 2006, before leaving the team in October. Bell, who has also worked at McLaren, Benetton and Jordan, will begin working with Mercedes from 1 April.
Motor Racing - Vettel tops Alonso in F1 testing at Barcelona
Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull was quickest on the first day of Formula One’s penultimate testing session before the start of the new season. Vettel, the reigning world champion, set the pace with a lap of 1 minute, 24.374 seconds late in yesterday’s session after the Catalunya Circuit dried out. Fernando Alonso of Ferrari trailed by over one second ahead of fellow Spanish driver Jaime Alguersuari of Toro Rosso and Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber. McLaren driver Jenson Button was just under two seconds behind for fifth. Michael Schumacher of Mercedes was eighth as teams were able to assess the new Pirelli tires in wet conditions early on.
Cricket - Pakistan duo fined for breaking curfew
Pakistan fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Wahab Riaz have been fined for breaking a team curfew while in the Bangladeshi capital. Team manager Intikhab Alam said yesterday that the pair came back 30 minutes after the midnight curfew on Wednesday. He said each player must pay a $42 fine.
Football - Malaga’s Baptista out 4-6 weeks
Malaga said forward Julio Baptista will be sidelined four to six weeks by a knee injury. Medical tests yesterday revealed the Brazil player tore his meniscus and suffered a sprain in his right knee after a training ground accident earlier this week. The Spanish club says Baptista will undergo surgery “in the next few days.”
Football - FIFA postpones Yemen’s 2012 Olympics qualifier
FIFA has postponed Yemen’s home qualifying match for the 2012 Olympics against Singapore because of anti-government protests in the capital Sanaa. FIFA agreed yesterday with the Asian Football Confederation to delay next Wednesday’s scheduled first-leg match by one week until 2 March. “The joint decision was taken in order to ensure that all parties concerned can organize this match and play it in a totally safe and secure environment,” FIFA said in a statement. The match could later be switched to a neutral country.
Rugby - Moody to stake claim for England recall
England captain Lewis Moody will attempt to prove his fitness ahead of a pivotal Six Nations match against France on 27February when he makes his return from injury for Bath today. Moody has been sidelined for five weeks with a knee injury, forcing him out of England’s opening two matches of the Six Nations, but has been named among Bath’s replacements for their English league match against Northampton. If Moody features at The Rec and emerges unscathed, England manager Martin Johnson should recall the flanker for the match against France at Twickenham — a potential championship decider with both sides having 100 per cent records so far. Meanwhile Stuart Broad grabbed five wickets to propel England to a 67-run victory over Pakistan in a World Cup warm-up match yesterday in Fatullah.
Yesterday’s results
BOV League Div III:
Pembroke-Ghaxaq 3-0; Sirens-Gozo (postponed)