Sports round-up

Match-fixing: India is mulling a law to deal with the issue of spot-fixing in sport following last week’s arrest of cricketers and bookmakers, government officials said yester-day. Former India test bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and two other players were arrested along with 11 bookmakers on Thursday on suspicion of spot-fixing in the country’s ongoing Twenty20 league. The cricket board immediately suspended the trio, who have been accused of taking money to concede a certain number of runs in a particular over.

Ice Hockey: Sweden swept aside Switzerland 5-1 in the final to become the first team since 1986 to win the ice hockey world championship on home ice late Sunday. The Swedes’ victory in Stockholm snapped a nine-game winning streak that carried the unfancied Swiss all the way to their first final since 1935. The United States secured the bronze medal as they beat Finland 3-2 after a shootout. Alex Galchenyuk converted two shootout penalties to give the Americans their first medal since 2004.

Basket, NBA: San Antonio Spurs blew away Memphis 105-83 to open the Western Conference finals with a convincing victory. Tony Parker had 20 points and nine assists, Kawhi Leonard added 18 and the Spurs wasted little time sending a message to the Grizzlies who are experiencing their first conference finals. San Antonio are trying to get back to the NBA finals for the first time since 2007 and looked especially determined in Game One of the best-of-seven series.

Cycling: Russia’s former Giro d’Italia and Vuelta winner Denis Menchov has announced his retirement from cycling at the age of 35. Menchov, Russia’s best stage rider of the past decade, winning the Tour of Spain in 2005 and 2007 and the 2009 Giro, missed this year’s Italian race with a knee injury. “Winning the Giro was no doubt the pinnacle of my career,” the Katusha rider said. “This year I couldn’t take part in the Giro because of the injury. The Giro was my main goal for this season, and I understood it was time to end my sporting career.”