David Haye & Dereck Chisora to fight at Upton Park

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

David Haye and Dereck Chisora are to face each other at Upton Park on 14 July in a fight sanctioned by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation.

 

Chisora's manager Frank Warren told the BBC he would officially announce the fight at 1230 BST at a news conference. The British heavyweights were involved in a brawl following Chisora's defeat by Vitali Klitschko in Munich. The British Boxing Board of Control will not sanction the fight because neither holds a British licence. Chisora had his licence withdrawn after a number of controversial incidents before and after the Klitschko fight - but he has appealed against the decision. The 28-year-old slapped Klitschko at the weigh-in and spat water at the Ukrainian's brother Wladimir before the contest. Haye relinquished his licence when he retired in October last year , three months after losing his WBA title to Wladimir in Hamburg. Warren had previously said he would not go ahead with a fight between the two boxers. However, he said he changed his mind because Chisora's appeal against his licence withdrawal had been "pushed back to July". Warren said: "What he [Chisora] did was stupid and there should be some sort of punishment. "But he will be out of action for six months and will lose money.

Why should he not make a living?" Chisora was granted a licence to fight by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation but Warren added that "a number of commissions" had been willing to do so. Warren said he would not be taking a commission from Chisora for the fight, but would make money as a "shareholder" in the Box Nation subscription channel that will air the fight. When asked whether holding the fight might threaten his own licence as a promoter with the British Boxing Board of Control, Warren said he hoped they would not hold it against him. "What I'm doing is legal and lawful," he said. "I have a managerial contract with Chisora, I have legal obligations to him and I won't have these compromised by the British Boxing Board of Control. "When they made their decision, they said he was able to apply for a licence in another jurisdiction, that was said at the hearing, and that is what he's done."













8 May 2012 Last updated at 08:20
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/boxing/17987600

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Blackburn face player exodus after relegation - Kevin Gallacher

Blackburn could face an exodus of players after relegation from the Premier League, according to their former striker Kevin Gallacher.

 

And Gallacher believes players such as striker Junior Hoilett will leave "Junior is not holding off signing a contract for no reason. He wants to see what the future holds and now we know the club's future is in the Championship," said Gallacher. "No disrespect to Junior but I think he's gone and I am sure he will attract offers from the Premier League and also abroad because he is a real talent. "You then worry that people like Paul Robinson may go as well. He has been a fantastic goalkeeper for Blackburn and you wonder whether another Premier League club will come in for someone of that experience and calibre. "[Defender] Gael Givet has been a stalwart but the concern for Blackburn fans will be that these players will want to play at the highest level rather than drop down a division with Rovers.

There may be others who feel the same." During the defeat by Wigan there was sustained criticism from supporters of Indian owners Venky's and manager Steve Kean, while a chicken was released onto the pitch in an apparent protest against the club's owners, a company that specialises in meat processing. Gallacher said Rovers have been in serious trouble for some time and believes the sale of key figures earlier this season proved costly. "I'm afraid relegation has had a feeling of inevitability about it for a while," added the Scot, who was part of the Blackburn squad which won the Premier League title in 1995. "They lost their better experienced players such as Ryan Nelsen and Chris Samba, good players and big influences in the dressing room. "When you do that and don't replace them then you can end up in trouble and sadly for Blackburn it has ended up with relegation."











By Phil McNulty Chief football writer, BBC Sport
8 May 2012 Last updated at 12:49
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17992153

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Rory McIlroy is world number one as Rickie Fowler wins at Quail

Monday, May 7, 2012

Rory McIlroy returned to golf's world number one spot, despite losing a play-off to Rickie Fowler, who won his first PGA Tour title at Quail Hollow Club.

 

The duo tied at 14 under with DA Points and headed into a sudden-death play-off for the Wells Fargo Championship. American Fowler, the world number 39, took the title after producing a superb approach shot at the first extra hole. McIlroy's second-place finish was enough for him to leapfrog Luke Donald at the top of the world rankings. "It's a little consolation," said the 23-year-old Northern Irishman. "I would rather win the tournament, but it's good. "I want to try to play well for the next few weeks and solidify my spot at number one." Fowler, also 23, was making his 67th PGA Tour start since turning professional in 2009. He needed just one hole to win the play-off - sinking a four-foot putt to birdie the 18th hole, while McIlroy and Points could only par. Fowler, who won on his 72nd attempt, said:

"It's been a wait, but I'm definitely still young, and hopefully this opens the door to many more." "It's nice to be mentioned as a PGA Tour winner." The win brought back memories of McIlroy's first Tour win, which came at the same venue two years ago - albeit in more spectacular fashion as he finished with a course-record 62. Fowler said of McIlroy: "We've always had a great camaraderie, been good buddies. I definitely respect him as a player, and I feel like he respects me as well". "I've had a lot of fun playing against him." Fowler carded the best final round of the trio, a three-under 69, but it was not the best of the day. That honour went to Englishman Lee Westwood. The world number three was clubhouse leader for much of the afternoon after firing a fine six-under-par round of 66 to reach 11 under.






7 May 2012 Last updated at 07:14
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/17979055

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Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova both win in Madrid

Top seeds Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova are both through to the second round of the Madrid Open.

 

The world number one and last year's runner up Azarenka beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6 6-4. Second seed Sharapova crushed Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu 6-0 6-2. Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki also made it through, but only after being pushed all the way by Ksenia Pervak . She eventually prevailed 7-6 (9-7) 3-6 6-4. Another ex-world number one, Ana Ivanovic beat French qualifier Mathilde Johansson 6-4 6-1. Of the other players fancied to do well on the new blue clay surface, the 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone crashed out 6-4 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 to American qualifier Varvara Lepchenko .

The courts have been attracting almost as much attention as the players. Speaking before the tournament Wozniacki said: "Blue is my favourite colour, this makes things a bit different. "The court seems a bit faster than when it was (traditional) red. "Adding the Madrid altitude (650 metres above sea level) makes it even faster. But we will only know who handled it best when the tournament is over." Defending champion Petra Kvitova added: "I haven't practised on them enough yet to say, but I think they are something new for us."In my opinion they look very nice, very cool. "I like the colour, so I'm looking forward to playing on them." Both Venus and Serena Williams are in action on Monday with ninth-seed Serena taking on Russia's Elena Vesnina while Venus, who is on a wildcard, takes on Angelique Kerber of Germany in the second round.









 6 May 2012 Last updated at 20:56
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/17978470

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Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy head field at Wentworth

Friday, May 4, 2012

World number one Luke Donald and number two Rory McIlroy will tee-off against a strong field at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on 24 May.

 

The line-up at the Surrey course boasts 14 major champions, including Ireland's Padraig Harrington, Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal and South African Ernie Els. Donald beat Lee Westwood in a play-off to win in 2011, a victory which saw him lead the rankings for the first time. The event is only one of two Tour events taking place in England in 2012. The Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes in July is the other English event. England's Donald and Northern Ireland's McIlroy have swapped places at the top of the rankings four times in 2012, with the Englishman moving back to number one after finishing third in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April. World number three Westwood will also compete at Wentworth, alongside British major winners Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Paul Lawrie.

The other major champions competing at the event will be German Martin Kaymer, South Africans Retief Goosen and Charl Schwartzel, New Zealand's Michael Campbell, Mike Weir from Canada and Americans Shaun Micheel and Rich Beem.





 4 May 2012 Last updated at 11:52
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/17954418

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London 2012: GB canoeist Tim Brabants confident of Olympic place

Reigning Olympic canoe sprint champion Tim Brabants says he is confident of beating 1000m rival Paul Wycherley to selection for the London Games.

 

The GB squad will head to Poznan in Poland for the second round of European qualification on 16-17 May. Brabants and Wycherley are battling it out with each other to represent GB. "It'll be one of us who goes to the Olympics, hopefully it'll be one of us on the podium. I think it will be me if I'm honest," Brabants told BBC South. GB have so far qualified three boats for London 2012, and have another three host nation places. Poznan will be an opportunity to qualify more boats and for individuals to impress selectors. While the boats are qualified, exactly who will fill the seats will not be announced until 14 June. The Olympic canoe sprint event will take place at Dorney Lake in Berkshire during the second week of the Games, with the majority of the squad now living in and around the area. One of the key battles is for the place in the K1 1000m men's race. At the national championships last month, Beijing 2008 Olympic champion Brabants beat rival Wycherley in the first of three race-offs. Brabants edged their K1 1000m heat on Nottingham's Holme Pierrepont course by three hundredths of a second.

Wycherley beat Brabants last summer, earning himself the right to compete at the 2011 World Championships, but Brabants - who also won bronze over 500m in Beijing - has started his home Olympic year in excellent form. Two races remain, at separate World Cup events in May, and the first to two wins will be selected in Team GB for London. As Brabants explains, he is relishing the rivalry. "For the last 10 years I've never been contested in the 1000m," he said. "My biggest competition has always come from abroad. Last year was a rubbish year having spent most of the year in a sling. Paul beat me in the selection race last year, so it showed me just how far behind I was in terms of selection." Wycherley admits he is facing a huge battle to earn qualification for 2012 against the man he believes is the best canoeist in the world. "It's a real honour to be compared to Tim, who is the reigning Olympic champion," said Wycherley. "I'm just going out there and doing what I've always done, which is racing from A to B as fast as I can, and it turns out that Tim and I are having a very close race. These are exciting times and great for GB canoeing." Wycherley added: "I am in absolutely no doubt that Tim is in fine form this year and a fantastic athlete, and in my mind the best 1000m paddler in the world. "So I'm just going to go out there and do my very best and fight for every point and hope it goes my way like it did last year."











4 May 2012 Last updated at 11:37
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/17942488

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America-based businessman Miller nears takeover at Rangers

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Rangers' administrators have granted Bill Miller preferred bidder status and hope the club will be in his hands later this month.

 

The America-based businessman announced plans to form an "incubator" company that would see the assets of Rangers transferred to a new company. Miller's initial bid was dependent on the Scottish football authorities not imposing further sanctions on the club. But Duff & Phelps describe the offer as "unconditional". "Bill Miller has got sufficiently comfortable in terms of the football authorities to go unconditional with his bid, and on that basis we can proceed," said Rangers joint administrator David Whitehouse. "Mr Miller now proposes to complete his transaction by the end of the season." The "incubator" idea would leave an "old company" saddled with the club's debts and aiming to deal with its creditors via a Creditors Voluntary Arrangement [CVA]. Administrator Paul Clark explained that the two entities would later reunite, saying he thought it was an "entirely workable strategy". Clark also revealed that Miller's bid was "substantially greater" than the rival offer from the Blue Knights consortium led by former Rangers director Paul Murray and backed by Sale Sharks owner Brian Kennedy. He added that it would provide "a stable platform" for the club and provide the best return for creditors. Clark stressed that the bid "avoids the need for liquidation" but did not address what would happen in the event of a failure to agree a CVA.

Rangers are facing a 12-month transfer embargo, pending an appeal against the Scottish Football Association's decision. And given PFA Scotland believe players are not legally obliged to join a newco, the American, who runs a tow truck business, may struggle to assemble a squad. Uefa also insist clubs are members of national associations for three years before they are allowed into European competition. Sections of the Rangers support have voiced opposition to Miller's proposed takeover. However, following Wednesday's 5-0 win over Dundee United manager Ally McCoist said: "I think everybody has got to be given a chance, whether it's Bill Miller or whoever it may be. "We would all be wrong to sit and be judge and jury immediately before anything could happen. "I don't think we are in a position other than we have to be supportive of somebody that will hopefully come in and take the club forward. "People will have their own opinions on things and ideas of who they want. "But, from within the club, we just want somebody who will come in and give us a little bit of stability again and hopefully take the club forward."












3 May 2012 Last updated at 11:36
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17921616

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London 2012: GB men and women avoid Olympic champions USA

Both of Great Britain's teams have avoided the reigning world and Olympic champions the USA in the draw for the group stage of London 2012.

Britain's men will face European champions Spain, Australia, Brazil, China and another team to be determined by an additional qualifying tournament. The women will face Australia, Brazil, European champions Russia and two additional qualifiers in their group. The top four teams in each group will qualify for the knockout stages. As such, they could both still meet the US in the latter rounds. GB performance director Chris Spice told BBC Sport: "The balls have fallen in our favour because we know what we are up against. "We pushed the boat out for the test event last year and played Australia and China, so that has helped us.

We always have tight games against Spain - Brazil remains the unknown but we will do our research on them." GB captain Andrew Sullivan told BBC Sport: ''I suppose it's as good as what you can hope for at an Olympics, but we are still going to be playing against quality teams. The draw makes no difference if we don't compete as well as we can." Forward Kieron Achara, who plays professionally in Spain with Manresa, tweeted after the draw: "Not a bad group if you ask me". Britain's teams were admitted to the Olympics as hosts, following a vote by the International Basketball Federation (known as Fiba) last year. They were only given permission after satisfying the world governing body that they were competitive at international level and had a legacy plan for the game in the UK. Both teams have qualified for European championship finals since 2006, the men in 2009 and 2011 and the women in 2011. GB's men have only previously played in the Olympics in the 1948 London event, while the women's squad, under Australian coach Tom Maher, will be making their debut in London. Natalie Stafford was enthusiastic about what, at first sight, is a difficult draw. She tweeted: "Russia plus two countries yet to make it! Not a bad one!" The matches will take place at London's Basketball Hall and the O2 Arena in Greenwich.

 The three additional spots in the men's draw will be filled by an Olympic qualifying tournament to be held in Venezuela in June, where Greece, Macedonia, Lithuania, Russia, New Zealand, Angola, Nigeria, Jordan, South Korea, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Dominican Republic will be in action. The women's qualifying tournament, to be held in Turkey, offers five additional places with Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Turkey, New Zealand, Mali, Mozambique, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Argentina and Puerto Rico taking part.









30 April 2012 Last updated at 17:20
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/17896707

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Heather Watson wins but Elena Baltacha bows out in Estoril

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

British number three Heather Watson beat Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-4 6-4 to reach the second round of the Estoril Open.

 

Watson, ranked 115th, overcame the world number 98 to book a match against fourth seed Petra Cetkovska in round two of the clay-court event. British number one Elena Baltacha lost 7-6 6-1 against second seed Maria Kirilenko in Portugal. Watson had to win three qualifying matches to reach the main draw. The Guernsey-born player took two hours and 33 minutes to defeat American Sloane Stephens 4-6 6-4 6-2 in the final qualifier.




1 May 2012 Last updated at 16:24
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/17913970

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James Anderson given all-clear after thumb injury

England pace bowler James Anderson has been given the all-clear after undergoing an X-ray on a thumb injury.

 

The 29-year-old was twice struck on the hand while fielding for Lancashire on the first morning of the game against Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford. But the county champions said on Twitter there was "no break to his thumb" and later added: "Anderson has returned to the field." England's first Test against West Indies at Lord's begins on 17 May. Andrew Strauss's side play three Tests, three one-day internationals and one Twenty20 against the Windies, with five ODIs against Australia scheduled before the visit of South Africa. Anderson, playing in first match since England's tour of Sri Lanka, is lining-up against a Notts side that includes England team-mates Graeme Swann, Samit Patel and Stuart Broad, himself returning to action after a spell on the sidelines with a calf problem.

The right-armer had bowled 10 wicketless overs and showed no obvious signs of discomfort but, at the end of his spell, left the field and went to hospital as a precaution. BBC Radio 5 live's Kevin Howells, who was at Old Trafford, said: "He was involved in an unusual dismissal when he parried the ball from gully over to third slip where the South African Ashwell Prince caught Michael Lumb. "I understand it wasn't actually that incident that caused Anderson the problem, rather one a little bit later off his own bowling." Anderson looks likely to return to bowl for Lancashire in the remainder of the match against Nottinghamshire and is set to be available for next week's game at Sussex.









2 May 2012 Last updated at 14:07
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/17925340

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