BITS AND PIECES

BITS AND PIECES

Ko, Ariya top field in last LPGA major tuneup

LOS ANGELES, California: Top-ranked defending champion Lydia Ko and world number two Ariya Jutanugarn pace an elite field for this week’s LPGA Kia Classic, the last tuneup for next week’s first major championship.

In all, 23 of the world’s 25 top-ranked players will compete at Aviara Golf Club near San Diego ahead of next week’s ANA Inspiration at Rancho Mirage, California.

But New Zealand’s 19-year-old Ko will be a focus as the reigning champion at Rancho Mirage as well as this week even as she tries to enjoy some of her favorite holes.“This is my favorite stretch of events,” Ko said. “I don’t think it real clicked until I had to do media days that I actually did win back to back. They are great events.”

Many players, including South Korea’s sixth-ranked Jang Ha-Na, will try to treat the week like any other even as she fine tunes her game in quest of a first major title next week.

“It feels really good this week. So maybe it will be a really good score after this week,” Jang said. “Feels really exciting, but not thinking too much, not thinking too differently. Just thinking tournament.”

Thailand’s Ariya has been ranked second to Ko with 34 weeks in a row and hopes to close the gap even as the South Korean-born Kiwi has found her form with three top-10 showings this year, including shares of eight last week at the Founders Cup and in Thailand and ninth at Singapore.  

Jamaica’s Spencer denies evading drug test

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Reigning Commonwealth Games 400 metres hurdles champion Kaliese Spencer denied on Wednesday that she “refused or evaded a drug test” and plans to legally challenge the assertion by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission.

Spencer’s denial came less than 24 hours after Jamaican athletics officials said they were notified by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission of rule violations by Spencer and 2011 World Championship relay bronze medallist Riker Hylton.

“Ms Spencer categorically refutes any assertion that she has refused or evaded a drug test,” Spencer’s manager, Marvin Anderson, said in a statement.“This allegation is simply false, as Ms Spencer has always made herself available to be tested by JADCO.”According to the statement, Spencer intends to pursue all legal channels necessary to protect her name.

Jamaica’s Spencer won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and was also a world championship silver medallist in the 4x400m relay in Berlin in 2009. 

Sanchez and Ozil contract talks are on hold, says Wenger

LONDON: Contract negotiations with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are on hold until the end of the season, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said on Wednesday.

Speaking to beIN Sports, Wenger had no news about his own future at the club other than saying he would remain committed and “completely focused” for as long as he stayed.

Chile striker Sanchez, the club’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with 18 goals, and Germany international midfielder Ozil both have just over a year remaining on their contracts.

“At the moment we have not got an agreement,” Wenger said of Sanchez, who is currently on international duty and has been tipped to leave Arsenal in the summer as frustrations grow.

“We have decided to focus on the end of the season and talk about it during the summer. It is the same situation with Ozil, because once you don’t find an agreement and it lasts, it is not good.“So it is better you get it out and sit down during the summer.”

Toure’s return top priority for new Ivory Coast coach

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast: Ivory Coast boss Marc Wilmots has made trying to persuade Yaya Toure out of international retirement one of his top priorities after taking over as coach of the former African champions this week.

“I’ve seen the last two games that he played for Manchester City in a defensive midfield position. He’s always great, he’s so good physically,” Wilmots told reporters after signing a two-year contract in Abidjan. “I’ll go see him, I’ll talk with him.”

Toure has not played for his country since leading them to the Nations Cup title in 2015. In his absence this year, the Ivory Coast crashed out in the first round as they defended their title in Gabon in January.

“I know how important it is to have experienced players. It’s not yet over for Toure, we’ve got to get him back. The Yaya Toure case will be one of my first missions.”The 48-year-old Wilmots, who quit as Belgium coach after their quarter-final exit to Wales at Euro 2016, takes over from Michel Dussuyer, who left after the Ivorians failed to retain their Nations Cup title.

“I do not know much about the country, but I have a lot of information about the national team, and I was very interested in the national team,” he said.“They have a very good generation of players. I would say that this is a golden generation. When the challenge was offered to me, I thought why not?” 

Virat ‘great ambassador of game’, says Pujara

DHARAMSALA, India: Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara defended Virat Kohli on Thursday against a barrage of criticism from the Australian media, insisting his outspoken skipper was one of cricket’s great ambassadors.

Speaking ahead of the fourth and final Test between India and Australia which begins on Saturday, Pujara said he regretted how the series had been dogged by controversy but said the home side were all behind Kohli.

“He is a great leader and so we are fully supporting him,” Pujara told reporters in Dharamsala where the series reaches its climax.

Kohli has been in the cross-hairs of the Australian media after accusing his opposite number Steve Smith of systematically abusing the decision review system (DRS) in the second Test in Banglaore.

Smith has admitted breaching the DRS rules by looking up to his own dressing-room to seek advice over whether to review an lbw dismissal, but he insists it was a one-off “brain-fade”.

Kohli’s failure to substantiate claims that it was part of a wider pattern of abuse prompted Australia’s ‘Daily Telegraph’ newspaper to dub him the “Donald Trump of sport” who peddled “fake news”.

And the former fast bowler Geoff Lawson, now a pundit for Fox Sports, has accused Kohli of acting like India’s “worst behaved player” rather than displaying the gravitas expected of the captain of his country.“I think it’s really sad to hear such comments. We fully support Virat and he is one of the great ambassadors of this game,” Pujara told reporters. 

Hard-working Ricciardo hopes for reward for effort

MELBOURNE: Daniel Ricciardo will again carry his nation’s hopes of a first home winner at the season-opening Grand Prix at Albert Park on Sunday and it would be a well-earned victory for the Red Bull driver after a punishing week off the track.

The pin-up boy of Australian motor racing, Ricciardo’s profile has grown year by year since humble beginnings with the defunct Hispania Racing team in 2011.

Since replacing compatriot Mark Webber at Red Bull in 2014 after two years with Toro Rosso, the affable 27-year-old’s popularity has soared in his home country and his ‘shoey’ celebration — drinking champagne from his race boot on the podium — has been adopted enthusiastically by local athletes.

On Wednesday, he raced down Melbourne’s Yarra River on speed-boats with team mate Max Verstappen early in the morning before a big media scrum.

Perth-born Ricciardo is desperate to reward his fans with a win on Sunday. But he won’t be putting too much pressure on himself.“It is demanding, it is a tiring week but obviously it’s pretty cool to see so many people supporting me and the event,” he said at the pre-race media conference on Thursday.

“It’s kind of overwhelming actually. But it’s nice and encouraging to see. I hear ticket sales are up quite a chunk from last year. I try to enjoy it as well. I appreciate it won’t last forever.”Ricciardo won three races in his 2014 debut season with Red Bull before going winless in a disappointing 2015.