Olympics: McDonald’s will remain a key sponsor of the Olympic Games until at least 2020. The deal was announced on the opening day of the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck yesterday. McDonald’s has been an official Olympics sponsor since 1976.
Rugby Union: The Scottish Rugby Union are not ready to give up their fight for Steven Shingler after announcing their intention to ask the IRB to formally consider his eligibility, despite being advised that the player cannot play for any country other than Wales. The 20-year-old was last week named in Andy Robinson’s Scotland squad for their Six Nations fixtures with the coach believing Shingler to be available for selection due to his Dumfries-born mother.
Cricket: Australian opener David Warner slammed the equal fourth fastest century in Test cricket on a horror opening day for India in the third Test in Perth yesterday. Warner reached his 100 off 69 balls and his feat capped a miserable day for the tourists with Sachin Tendulkar dismissed for just 15. The Indians, down 2-0 in the series, were routed for just 161 as Australia raced to 149 without loss at stumps.
Rally of Dakar: Marc Coma reclaimed the overall lead in the Dakar Rally yesterday when he stormed to victory on the 12th stage from Arequipa to Nasca, replacing France’s Cyril Despres. The KTM rider, who had been more than two minutes off the lead, led home fellow Spaniards Joan Barreda Bort and Jordi Viladoms.
London 2012: The Philippines said they would field one of their smallest Olympic delegations ever at the London Games with just five athletes set to represent the world’s 12th most populous nation. Boxer Mark Anthony Barriga has qualified on merit, while each country must field a male and female competitor each to athletics and swimming regardless of performances.
Tennis: Jarkko Nieminen and Julien Benneteau earned themselves a rare ATP title shot at the Sydney International yesterday. Nieminen, 30, needed a marathon 26-point tiebreaker before prevailing over Denis Istomin 7-6, 6-3 and Benneteau had to win through a see-sawing 14-minute final game before seeing off Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 6-4.