CRICKET: Jacques Kallis recorded the best Twenty20 figures for his country to inspire South Africa to a convincing 10-wicket win over Zimbabwe in a Group C match at Hambantota yesterday. The 36-year-old allrounder grabbed 4-15 and was well supported by Morne Morkel’s 2-16 as Zimbabwe were kept down to 93-8 – their second lowest total in all Twenty20 internationals – after they were put into bat. Openers Richard Levi then notched 50 not out and Hashim Amla an unbeaten 32 to knock off the low target in the 12.4 overs to cap a comfortable victory for one of the title favourites in this 12-team competition.
CYCLING: Qatar’s list of forthcoming major sports events grew this week as the Gulf state was awarded the 2016 World Road Championships by the International Cycling Union (UCI). The historic Italian city of Florence is due to host next year’s edition, with the Spanish city of Ponferrada the host in 2014 and the American city of Richmond, Virginia, scheduled to organise the event in 2015. Qatar is already due to host the 2022 football World Cup, while in recent years they have also been awarded the 2014 world swimming championships and the 2015 men’s handball world championships.
BOXING
• Boxer Floyd Mayweather has been ordered by a US judge to pay over $100,000 in legal costs after the American failed to answer questions from Manny Pacquiao’s lawyers in a defamation case. American federal judge Larry Hicks awarded Pacquiao about $113,000 in legal fees for his lawyers and $774 in costs, because of “Mayweather’s obviously intentional decision not to appear for his court ordered deposition.” Pacquiao filed a lawsuit three years ago in Las Vegas, saying that Mayweather defamed him by suggesting Pacquiao used performance-enhancing substances.
EQUESTRIAN
• Jessica Springsteen (picture), daughter of American rock music legend Bruce, has bought Olympic showjumping champion Murka’s Vindicat, the latter’s rider at the London Olympics, Peter Charles, revealed. Charles, 52, sealed Great Britain’s team showjumping gold medal in August riding a faultless final round for the team on the Dutch-bred bay gelding Murka’s Vindicat. Jessica Springsteen, 20, has inherited her mother Patti Scialfa’s love of horse riding and made the American Olympic team long list. While the price was not revealed, top class showjumpers have of late been changing hands for as much as €6 million.
GOLF
• Former Masters champion Fred Couples was elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame yesterday. Couples, an American, posted 15 wins on the PGA Tour, including the 1992 Masters and two at The Players Championship. Nicknamed “Boom-Boom” at the height of his powers for his prodigious length off the tee, he competed five times each in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup and was ranked world number one for several months in 1992.
BADMINTON
• Athens Olympic gold medallist Taufik Hidayat revealed yesterday that he will retire next year, as he reached the quarter-finals at the Japan Open. “After the (London) Olympics, I decided to play 10 more tournaments and this is the first one. I will retire after the Indonesian Open next year,” said the Indonesian seventh seed. Hidayat, 31, who has yet to win a title this season, added: “I’m satisfied that I can still compete in a big tournament like this.”