BASKETBALL: Rutgers University fired the head of its men’s basketball team after the release of video showing him shoving players, hurling balls at their heads and berating them with homophobic slurs. The video prompted outrage and calls from players, fans and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for the ousting of the coach, Mike Rice. The governor said the dismissal was “the right and necessary action to take in light of the conduct displayed” at New Jersey’s largest university with 58,000 students.

ATHLETICS: The IAAF is confident it can find another title sponsor for the Diamond League after Samsung opted not to renew its contract. The series of 14 meetings, which includes the Birmingham Grand Prix and London Grand Prix at the Olympic Stadium, gets under way on May 10 in Doha.

TENNIS: Hungarian teenager Timea Babos took the scalp of fourth seed Ana Ivanovic (picture) in their late-night second-round clash at the Monterrey Open. Babos, who has dropped out of the world’s top 100 on the back of poor results this year, took a close first set before Serbian player Ivanovic levelled the match, and then held her nerve in the decider to come through a 7-5 3-6 6-2 winner.

CRICKET: England named four uncapped players yesterday in a provisional 30-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales in June. The selectors included uncapped Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance, Warwickshire opener Varun Chopra and seamers James Harris and Chris Wright in the squad which will be cut to 15 players by May 5.

RUGBY UNION: Ewen McKenzie could be prepared to shelve his stated ambition of coaching Australia if the opportunity arose for him to take charge of Ireland. McKenzie is the favourite in a narrowing field of potential candidates to replace Declan Kidney, whose departure was announced on Tuesday after Ireland finished fifth in the Six Nations.