HORSE RACING: Outstanding Irish chaser Florida Pearl died on Saturday evening, aged 20, the Irish National Stud said in a statement on Sunday. Formerly trained by Willie Mullins, the Violet O’Leary-owned gelding won the 2001 King George VI Chase at Kempton and a record-breaking four Irish Hennessy Gold Cups. Florida Pearl had spent the last five years at the Co Kildare-based Irish National Stud, who said he had to be put down due to a rare condition linked to a malignant cancer.
SNOOKER: Stephen Hendry thinks it is inevitable the World Champion-ship will be played in China at some point in the future. Hendry, who announced his retirement from the game last week, thinks China could host the sport’s top tournament. Hendry said: “I do think it’s inevitable. I can’t see it happening in the next 10 years but I think (it will) in the future. There are five major tournaments in China and only three in the UK so it’s going there at an alarming rate.”
RUGBY UNION: Wallaby forward Wycliff Palu has knocked back a Japanese club offer to re-sign for the NSW Waratahs and the Australian Rugby Union for another year, both unions said yesterday. Palu, 29, said the prospect of playing against the British and Irish Lions next year was a major incentive to stay in Australia. Sydney-born Palu, who is of Tongan heritage, has played 38 times for the Wallabies and has made 76 Super Rugby appearances for the Waratahs.
BASKET, NBA: Ramon Sessions nailed the go-ahead three-point shot with 48 seconds left to lift Los Angeles Lakers to a 92-88 win over Denver Nuggets in game four of their first round play-off series. Kobe Bryant finished with 22 points and six assists, Andrew Bynum scored 19 points and Pau Gasol had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who seized a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
TAEKWONDO: Turkey won three golds and a silver on the final day of the European Championships to serve notice of their strength ahead of the Olympics. In the women’s 53kg final, Hatice Yangin just edged Croatia’s Ana Zaninovic 8-7 while Nur Tatar enjoyed a more comfortable 11-5 success over Haby Niare, of France, to win gold in the 67kg category. Meanwhile, in the men’s events, Servet Tazegul had a walkover against Croatia’s Filip Grgic in the 68kg gold medal match while Ridvan Baygut just missed out on another Turkish gold after a 6-5 defeat by Russia’s Aliaskhab Sirazhov in the 74kg class.
FIELD HOCKEY: An elite player died after being hit in the head by a ball in a weekend club match in Australia. Elizabeth Watkins, 24, was fatally injured while playing for North Coast Raiders in a Western Australian State League game in Perth. Watkins, a former state junior representative, collapsed uncon-scious when the ball deflected off a stick and hit her on the head. Watkins died in an ambulance on the way to hospital after attempts were made to revive her at the ground, officials said.