Football - Nottingham Forest bought by Kuwaiti family
The Al-Hasawi family from Kuwait has bought English first-division football club Nottingham Forest from the estate of its late owner Nigel Doughty. Doughty put the club up for sale last October before dying of a cardiac arrest at his home in February. "It is an honor and a privilege for the Al-Hasawi family to assume control of this great club steeped in history," Fawaz, Abdulaziz and Omar Al-Hasawi said in a statement. Forest, a two-time European champion, finished 19th in the division last season. The new owners will be introduced on Saturday.
Football - Freund returns to Tottenham as assistant coach
Former Tottenham midfielder Steffen Freund has returned to the club as assistant coach to Andre Villas-Boas. Tottenham announced Freund's return yesterday to complete Villas-Boas' new backroom staff. Former Germany international Freund played 120 games for Tottenham over five years after joining from Borussia Dortmund in 1999 and was inducted into the north London club's hall of fame. He was coach of Germany Under-16s before going back to the English Premier League side as assistant head coach. Villas-Boas was appointed a week ago after Harry Redknapp was fired despite leading Spurs to fourth in the league last season. Tottenham plays Los Angeles Galaxy, Liverpool and New York Red Bulls on a preseason tour to the United States this month.
Authorities drop doping probe of German doctor
Prosecutors have dropped a doping investigation of a German doctor who injected patients with their own blood after giving it ultraviolet light treatment. Among the patients were 30 athletes. The Erfurt prosecutor's office said yesterday there was no evidence of any wrongdoing and that a "conviction was not to be expected." The prosecutors said they had no evidence that the athletes used the method to enhance their performances, something they have denied. Doctor Andreas Franke has used the procedure for years and has made no secret of it at the Erfurt Olympic training center where he works.
Football - Real Madrid defender Carvajal signs for Leverkusen
Defender Daniel Carvajal from Real Madrid's reserve side has joined Bayer Leverkusen.
The Bundesliga club said yesterday the 20-year-old right back signed a five-year contract. Carvajal won the Under-19 European Championship with Spain.
Olympics - Czech sprint kayak crew member banned for doping
A member of the Czech Republic's sprint kayak K4 crew for the London Olympics has been banned six months for doping by the International Canoe Federation. Jan Sterba tested positive for a banned stimulant during Olympic qualifying in Poznan, Poland on May 17. The Czech Canoe Federation announced the ban yesterday, but said Sterba is appealing the verdict and still hopes to compete at the London Games. Sterba acknowledged he used a food supplement called "Shot Gun" that contains the substance beta-methylphenylethylamine. Sprint kayak events in London are scheduled for 6-11 August.
Golf - Unassuming Donald ready for British Open spotlight
Luke Donald remains as unassuming as ever despite being golf's top-ranked player for 52 of the past 59 weeks. Take his visit to Wimbledon last Friday, for example. Donald had lunch with Australian pop star Kylie Minogue before spending a long afternoon in the Royal Box at the All England Club for both Wimbledon semifinals, including watching British hope Andy Murray play. "She actually wasn't aware that I was a golfer," Donald said. "So I had to mention that to her. Despite his recently elevated status, Donald has managed to keep a low profile compared to the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.
That could all change soon, however. Starting today, Donald goes in search of his first major title at the 36th time of trying when he plays in his home event, the British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Anne's.
Olympics - 3,500 more troops assigned to Olympics
The British government is putting 3,500 extra military personnel on standby to protect venues at the London Olympics, after a private contractor acknowledged yesterday it may not be able to provide enough guards on time. The contractor, G4S, which was supposed to provide the bulk of 13,200 private security guards across 100 venues, said in a statement it had encountered problems providing staff, but insisted it still hoped to meet its obligations. A person brief on the government's planned response, who demanded anonymity because the move has yet to be announced publicly, said the troops are being prepared after G4S held talks with organizers and Britain's government. Britain's defense ministry declined to provide immediate comment, but government officials said a public announcement was expected shortly.
Tennis - US Open boosts early round prize money for 2012
The U.S. Open is increasing singles prize money by 11 percent this year, with the biggest boosts for players who lose in early rounds. The men's and women's champions will each receive $1.9 million, a $100,000 bump from 2011, with the chance to earn additional money based on performances in other North American hard-court tournaments this summer. Total prize money goes from $23.7 million to $25.5 million, the U.S. Tennis Association announced yesterday.