Sports FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2014 Chelsea jet-setters return to local business LONDON: In case they needed it, the short trip to south east London. A 1-0 defeat at Palace in late win is one of the driving forces behind their blistering Crystal Palace will re-focus Chelsea’s globe-trotting March, when John Terry’s own goal sealed their fate, early season form. “To him, finishing second is a fail- players on matters at home as the Premier League slips put a serious dent in Chelsea’s title ambitions last sea- ure,” the 23-year-old told Bild. “He doesn’t know the back into gear this weekend after the second interna- son and had Mourinho accusing some of his players of word ‘losing’. That’s how he holds his talk before the tional break of the season. Like most of their Premier “disappearing” against certain low-key opponents. It is matches. His thinking is impressive- as impressive as League rivals, Chelsea’s squad was scattered far and unlikely to happen again, given the improvements the way he gets his message across. “He challenges wide after their 2-0 home win over Arsenal on Oct. 5, a Mourinho has made to his squad during the close-sea- you to be robust on the pitch, to play like a man. To result that left them five points clear after six wins and son and the clear hunger of his side to reclaim the commit a foul. I feel much better since joining Chelsea a draw from their opening seven matches. Premier League trophy after an absence of four sea- and I have become much more confident.” Yet The leaders will need no reminding, however, that sons. Mourinho would still have been anxious as he counted modest Palace will have scant regard for Chelsea’s Chelsea’s German World Cup-winning forward his players back in through the training ground gates clear squad superiority come Saturday afternoon in Andre Schuerrle said Mourinho’s unrelenting will to this week.—Reuters Australia’s sports criticized over ‘unhealthy’ sponsors BRISBANE: The biggest and most influential sporting groups in Australia are being criticized for signing “unhealthy” and high- profile sponsorship deals with beer and liquor companies, gam- bling agencies and fast-food chains. A study by the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health reveals nearly three-quarters of national and state government-funded sporting bodies are sponsored by companies promoting “harmful” products. In a sports-mad country, that’s not the best of news. Companies promoting unhealthy food and drink were the most prevalent, sponsoring nearly 50 percent of Australia’s main sporting groups, followed by alcohol and gambling com- panies. “Our research revealed a pervasive level of unhealthy sponsorship across our sporting codes,” study researcher Rona Macniven said. “Associating these harmful products with posi- tive aspects of sport normalizes associated activities.” The findings of the study were released a day after A- League football’s Western Sydney Wanderers were criticized over a sponsorship deal with a fast food company which will see a meal named after the club served in dozens of locations in the western Sydney region. The “Wanderers Meal” will include chicken nuggets, a large hamburger, large french fries and a large sugary drink. Food experts said the meal accounts for 70 to 75 percent of an average person’s recommended daily calo- rie intake, and twice the amount of salt. The critics said a 10- year-old child would have to play football or another similarly active sport for 10 hours to burn off the calories from that meal. Despite an international reputation for its sporting success and ABUJA: Sudan’s defenders Ali El Rayah (left) and Kamal Amir (right) jump next to Nigeria’s forward Emmanuel Emenike during outdoor lifestyle, Australia has experienced a surge in the rate the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying football match between Nigeria and Sudan on October 15, 2014 in Abuja. — AFP of obesity. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that three in five adults in Australia are overweight or obese, and the overall number of obese or overweight people Keshi fired; Nigeria put has increased by 5 percent since 1995. The institute said one in four Australian children were overweight or obese. Macniven said the University of Sydney-funded study into ‘consortium’ in charge sports sponsorship used a set of criteria developed by 12 health experts from government and non-government organizations to determine what constituted an unhealthy food or drink. “It CAPE TOWN: Stephen Keshi has been removed as head coach of four points behind leaders South Africa and three behind second- included representatives from the cancer council and heart Nigeria and replaced by a “consortium” of coaches for the side’s final placed Congo in their qualification group with the top two sides, as foundation who were looking at the main nutritional content of two African Nations Cup qualifiers next month. The Nigeria Football well as the best third-place finisher, advancing to the finals in the foods that were prominently produced by the company,” Federation (NFF) confirmed the move in a statement yesterday, Morocco. — Reuters Macniven said in a telephone interview Thursday with The despite Keshi leading the Super Eagles to a 3-1 victory over Sudan in Associated Press. “In some cases, the companies involved did Abuja the previous evening, a result that got their qualification cam- produce healthy mineral water, but their main product streams paign back on track. The consortium will be led by Shaibu Amodu, were unhealthy.” who returns to the helm for a fifth time, having qualified the side for Macniven said there were 14 mainstream Australian sports the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa before being replaced by groups which had no unhealthy sponsorship tie-ins, including Swede Lars Lagerback. cycling, swimming and triathlon. Cricket Australia, which fea- Salisu Yusuf, Gbenga Ogunbote and Aloysius Agu are the other tures a large beer company logo on the shirts of its limited- coaches involved in the group to lead the reigning African champi- overs international team, was considered by the study to be the ons. They will be in charge for next month’s final two qualifiers away worst offender. A check of major Australian sports websites at Congo and home to South Africa-but will then be replaced by an backs up the study. Cricket Australia’s website has a prominent overseas coach, the NFF also confirmed. “The committee, unanimous- beer company logo as one of its “platinum” sponsors, while ly, praised the contributions of the technical crew of the senior nation- smaller logos of companies representing a gambling agency, al team, led by Stephen Keshi, to the glorious accomplishments of the fast-food fried chicken and sugary drinks also appear. team in the past three years and hailed Keshi, Daniel Amokachi and The fast-food fried chicken company is the major naming- Ike Shorounmu as true national heroes,” the NFF statement said. rights sponsor for the domestic Twenty20 cricket league. “However, in the interest of Nigeria football and the desire to Cricket Australia said in an emailed statement to the AP that its ensure qualification for the 2015 African Nations Cup finals, the com- commercial sponsors “provide critical financial support for the mittee decided to relieve them of their duties with immediate effect.” game at all levels, from the grassroots to elite competition.” It Keshi, a former captain of the national team, led the side to the 2013 defended its association with an alcohol sponsors by saying it Nations Cup title in South Africa and also qualified the Super Eagles has a responsible drinking campaign called “Know When to for the World Cup in Brazil this year, where they reached the second Declare.” —AP round before losing to France. Nigeria’s victory over Sudan left them Nigeria’s coach Stephen Keshi.