Weightlifting: Bulgaria have withdrawn from this year’s European weightlifting championships in Georgia after 11 athletes tested positive for doping, the European weightlifting federation (EWF) said. Eight male and three female Bulgarians, including three European champions, tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol at a training camp in Sofia. The European championships will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia from April 9-18. The Bulgarian federation faces suspension from the International Weightlifting Federation. Bulgarian weightlifting has suffered repeated embarrassment due to doping cases and the national body was temporarily stripped of its licence in 2009.

Golf: With next month’s Masters in mind, Graeme McDowell withdrew from the opening round of the Texas Open in San Antonio after nine holes because of a nagging left ankle injury. The Northern Irishman was five over par after battling strong gusting winds at the TPC San Antonio when he told his playing partners Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk that he was pulling out of the PGA Tour event. “Apologies to everyone at @valerotxopen for my withdrawal,” McDowell, whose only major victory came at the 2010 US Open, tweeted. McDowell, 35, is scheduled to play in next week’s Houston Open as his final tune-up event before the April 9-12 Masters, the first of the year’s four majors.

Basketball: Triple Euroleague champions Olympiakos Piraeus sealed a play-off berth with two games to spare after a strong final quarter helped them to an 86-75 home win over Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Alba Berlin kept alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage thanks to a 73-68 home defeat of Red Star while Laboral Kutxa Vitoria missed a chance to edge closer after a 99-85 setback at Emporio Armani Milan. Olympiakos, having lost their previous two games without injured playmaker Vassilis Spanoulis, dug deep in the final 10 minutes as his understudy Oliver Lafayette netted 17 points and Georgios Printezis added 15.