Racist chants: Action must be taken to end Italian soccer's culture of racism, Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli said yesterday. Inter goalscorer Mario Balotelli was racially abused by some home fans during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Juve. "In the name of Juventus and the great majority of our fans, I express a firm condemnation of the racist chants against Balotelli," Cobolli Gigli said.
Hillsborough: Britain ordered the release of hundreds of secret documents relating to the 1989 Hillsborough stadium crush which killed 96 people. The interior ministry said Home Secretary Jacqui Smith wants a 30-year secrecy rule waived to allow police and public body documents on the tragedy to be published 10 years early. Survivors and victims' families have been fighting for a fresh inquest to be held, unhappy at the decision by the coroner at the original 1991 inquest to limit the scope of his review. They also accuse police of a cover-up and of trying to place the blame on supporters' behaviour.
Itandje: Liverpool reserve goalkeeper Charles Itandje, banned for 14 days for inappropriate behaviour during the Hillsborough memorial service, said British media had blown the affair out of proportion. Television footage showed Itandje smiling at a ceremony for the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy. "It is a 30-second video montage that was given senseless proportions. My behaviour should be judged over a one-hour video," Itandje said.
In Holland: AZ Alkmaar clinched their second Dutch championship after Ajax failed to beat PSV yesterday. AZ lifted the title for the first time since 1981 despite losing 2-1 at home to Vitesse Arnhem on Saturday. They are 11 points clear of Twente Enschede with three matches left to play. It is the sixth league title for coach Louis van Gaal after he steered Ajax to success in 1994, 1995 and 1996 and led Barcelona to Primera Liga glory in 1998 and 1999.
Snooker: World Championship first round - O'Sullivan bt Bingham 10-5; Carter bt Greene 10-5.
Ice hockey: Bulgaria goalkeeper Kiril Vuzharov was stabbed to death in an attack outside a nightclub in Sofia early on Saturday. One of Vuzharov's friends, who was celebrating his birthday, was also killed and another man seriously injured after a fight between two groups. Vuzharov, 21, had just broken into the national team and was in goal during Bulgaria's 10-3 win over Mexico in the World Championship second division last week.
Motor racing: Brazilian Helio Castroneves jumped back in an Indy car to race for the first time in six months on Saturday after a seven-week tax trial. Castroneves, acquitted of six US tax evasion charges on Friday, showed little sign of being rusty and finished seventh in unofficial practice for the weekend's Indycar race. The twice Indianapolis 500 winner became a celebrity in the US after winning the popular TV competition 'Dancing with the Stars'.
Basket, NBA: The Chicago Bulls pulled off a surprise 105-103 overtime win at champions Boston Celtics in a thrilling opening game in the NBA play-offs on Saturday. Rookie Derrick Rose produced an outstanding display for the Bulls, who finished five places behind the Celtics in the East, with 36 points and 11 assists in his first play-off. Rose tied Kareem-Abdul Jabbar's NBA record for most points scored by a player in their first play-off game.
Golf: Scott Strange shot a final round four-under-par 68 to win the $2.2 million China Open by a single stroke yesterday. The 32-year-old Australian overcame damp conditions to finish eight-under for the tournament and win his second European Tour event after last year's Celtic Manor Wales Open. Strange will pocket a cheque for $366,660. Victory at the 15th China Open also meant Strange was the first winner on the fledgling OneAsia Tour.