Cricket: Cricket journalist and former president of the Marylebone Cricket Club, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, has died of cancer. He was 67. The news was reported by the BBC where Martin-Jenkins worked as a commentator on Test Match Special. He also worked as a cricket correspondent for both the Daily Telegraph and The Times during his career. Martin-Jenkins was given an MBE in 2009 and served as the MCC’s president in 2010 and 2011.
Athletics: Kenyans won both the men’s and the women’s races in the 88th edition of Saint Silvester Road Race on Monday. Setting off just after the break of day to avoid the worst of the afternoon heat in the Brazilian city, the men’s 15 kilometres race was a triumph for Edwin Kipsang who led a Kenyan clean sweep of the podium in a time of 44 minutes and 04 seconds. The women’s winner was Maurine Kipchumba in a time of 51 minutes and 42 seconds.
Sporting Couple: NHL star Alex Ovechkin used Twitter to trumpet his engagement to tennis star Maria Kirilenko, posting a picture of the Russian sports power couple. “We are engaged!!!!!!” tweeted 27-year-old Ovechkin, a star for the NHL’s Washington Capitals who is playing in his home country during the lockout that has idled the North American league and threatens to wipe out the entire season. The accompanying photo showed the pair, both wearing skates, posing arm in arm on a patch of outdoor ice. The two have been dating since late last year.
Tennis: British teenage tennis sensation Laura Robson crashed out of the Shenzhen Open in straight sets yesterday, a disappointing start to a year in which she is seeking to break into the world top 50. The 18-year-old, currently ranked 53rd in the world, lost her second-round match against Romania’s Monica Niculescu 6-2, 6-3 in one hour and 16 minutes. She was seeded seventh in the hard court tournament, and came into the contest ranked five places above her opponent. The Shenzhen Open – carrying total prize money of $500,000 – is being played for the first time as the sport of tennis expands in China on the back of Li Na’s huge popularity.
Basketball: Former NBA player Marcus Williams has been banned from playing in China for six months after testing positive for marijuana, in what is said to be the Chinese professional basketball league’s first drugs case. The former San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers player, who is now with Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons, was banned by the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) after testing positive on December 9, state-run media said yesterday. Xinhua news agency said it was the first drugs case in the CBA league’s 17-year history.
Swimming: Japan’s four-time Olympic swimming champion Kosuke Kitajima has announced his engagement to a 27-year-old pop singer. Kitajima, 30, said in a statement he had been going out with Chisa for two years and “was able to devote myself to my competitive career because of her support”. Chisa is the vocalist with the Girl Next Door trio. Her family name has not been publicly disclosed. In a separate statement on the band’s website yesterday, Chisa called for her fans’ continuing support and said she would continue her singing career.