Squash: Egyptian great Amr Shabana continued his brilliant start to the year yesterday before admitting that last month he almost quit the sport. The 32-year-old four times world champion said he suffered a career crisis while withdrawing from the PSA Masters in Delhi five weeks ago although there was no sign of it in the first round of the Tournament of Champions Series in New York. Shabana was near his brilliant best in an 11-7, 11-8, 11-7 triumph over his room-mate Ali Anwar Reda.
Basket, NBA: Champions Dallas Mavericks made do without Dirk Nowitzki in an 83-81 victory over New Orleans on Saturday, and will miss the German for three more games as he works on fitness issues. With injuries rife in the lockout-shortened season, 33-year-old Nowitzki said his troubles stretch back to his participation in the European Championships in August. Without his usual amount of off-season rest, he was feeling the pain as the busy NBA schedule unfolded after a truncated pre-season.
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Athletics: Britain’s Holly Bleasdale (picture) laid down an Olympic Games marker on Saturday when she went second on the all-time list of women’s indoor pole vault performers. The 20-year-old leapt to 4.87 metres at a meeting in Lyon with only world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva (5.00 metres), of Russia, having gone higher indoors in the history of the sport. And only Isinbayeva (5.06 metres), Jennifer Suhr and Svetlana Feofanova have bettered the mark outdoors.
Rugby Union: Welsh hopes for the Six Nations tournament were dealt more serious injury blows at the weekend during European Cup action. With Warren Gatland’s men preparing to fine-tune their preparations for the competition in Poland both fly-half Rhys Priestland and flanker Dan Lydiate failed to finish their club matches. Priestland suffered a knee injury during the Scarlets’ 16-13 win at Castres, while Newport star Lydiate lasted just 16 minutes of his team’s Challenge Cup victory over Italian side Cavalieri Prato.
Sumo: Estonian sumo wrestler Baruto won his first Emperor’s Cup trophy yesterday as the New Year’s tournament closed. The 27-year-old Ozeki, the second highest ranking in sumo, finished the 15-day tournament with 14 wins and one loss. It was Baruto’s first victory in sumo and only the second tournament win by a European, following a 2008 victory by Bulgarian Kotooshu.