SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2015 SPORTS Figueredo bribes Kooyong to host Davis Bryant leads voting paid ‘for decades’ Cup clash with US for All-Star game MONTEVIDEO: Former FIFA vice-president Eugenio Figueredo received mil- SYDNEY: Australia’s first-round Davis Cup World Group clash with LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant, in his swan song season for the Los lions of dollars in bribes throughout his career at the top of South American the United States in March will be played on grass at Kooyong in football, prosecutors claimed Friday. Figueredo, 83, was extradited from Angeles Lakers, is the early leader in voting for the 2016 NBA All-Star Melbourne in a tie marking Lleyton Hewitt’s debut as captain. The game, the NBA announced on Friday. Despite his mediocre form this Switzerland and spent Christmas in jail pending a trial which could see him former home of the Australian Open Grand Slam will host its first imprisoned for up to 15 years. Late Friday, he was admitted to a season, Bryant has logged 719,235 votes, more than 200,000 ahead of Davis Cup showdown in 10 years from March 4-6 on a portable Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (510,202). Montevideo hospital with chest pain, but was expected to return grass court, organisers said. “To play Davis Cup in Melbourne, the to his cell in a matter of hours, said the prosecutor in his case, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers leads the home of tennis in Australia, at a club like Kooyong with so much Eastern Conference with 357,937 votes, followed by Juan Gomez. Gomez said evidence given by Figueredo showed tennis history is a privilege,” said Hewitt. “The tie against the United clearly that the official was corrupted from the moment he Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (300,595). The 65th States is going to be tough,” he added. “It will be my first tie as cap- NBA All-Star game will be played in Toronto on joined the executive committee of CONMEBOL, the South tain and I’ll be looking to help the boys build on the momentum American federation. “From the time he became a member of Feb. 14. Voting runs until Jan. 19. Fans will select and progress of 2015.” The United States and Australia are the two three frontcourt players and two guards from the executive committee, he received huge sums of most successful nations in Davis Cup history. The Americans have money from plans hatched by various members of each conference. Bryant, 37, is listed as a front- won a record 32 times while Australia is second overall with 28 court player. Bryant, who announced last month CONMEBOL with the objective of maintaining a twist- wins. Australia’s most recent tie against their arch-rivals was in ed form of corruption,” said Gomez in his initial that the 2015-16 campaign will be his final sea- 1999 where Hewitt made his Davis Cup debut. Alongside Pat son, is the all-time highest NBA All-Star scorer report. As CONMEBOL president, the Uruguayan Rafter, he led his country to a 4-1 World Group quarter-finals victo- looked to distribute the money via “a network of cor- with 280 points. His 17 All-Star selections is second ry over the United States, whose team included current captain behind the 19 appearances by Kareem Abdul- ruption that hit South American football with Jim Courier.— AFP impunity and persisted for decades.” —AFP Jabbar, the legendary Lakers center. —Reuters SYDNEY: Ragamuffin 100 sails away from Wild Oats XI during the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race in Sydney, yesterday. The 8-nautical-mile62 race started in Sydney Harbour and is expected to end two to three days later in Hobart, the capital of the island state of Tasmania. — AP Wild Oats XI out of Sydney to Hobart as squall hits SYDNEY: Eight-time line honours winner Wild rudder and continue racing”. The front half of just after the start, and another a short time lat- evening, while Koa withdrew with steering Oats XI pulled out of the Sydney to Hobart yes- the fleet in the gruelling 628 nautical mile er. Among them was Ark323, one of two damage. Last year’s line honours winner Wild terday while American super-yacht Comanche (1,163 kilometre) race was enduring the brunt Chinese entries and one of 27 foreign boats in Oats XI had initially led in the moments after World champion was attempting repairs after fierce winds hit off of the punishing weather as they sailed into the race which draws spectators on land and in the starter’s horn blew, but was overtaken by Australia’s east coast, officials said. “southerly buster” gale force winds, the CYCA boats in Sydney on Boxing Day. Perpetual Loyal before Comanche took the Lovchev backed A 108-strong fleet set sail from Sydney added. The navigator on one of the leading “Ark323, one of two Chinese entries, retired lead after unfurling her big spinnaker. Wild despite doping ban Harbour earlier Saturday, but by late evening yachts, Ichi Ban’s Will Oxley, had reported gusts following a collision 300 metres after the start. Oats holds the race record of one day, 18 hours, 10 boats had retired, including one with a bro- of up to 43 knots while another boat, CEX All on board were safe,” race organisers said in a 23 minutes and 12 seconds set in 2012 and her MOSCOW: Russian sports minister ken mast, the organising Cruising Yacht Club of Dolce, was returning to Sydney with a broken statement. Australian boat Cougar II retired at retirement and Comanche’s rudder damage Vitali Mutko on Friday threw his Australia said. mast, it said. Officials had warned of thunder- about the same time with damage to her star- open up the race for line honours. support behind world champion “Wild Oats XI has retired from the race after storms and gales late yesterday as the fleet board quarter while the British entry Lupa of Rambler was in the lead late Saturday, weightlifter Aleksey Lovchev who reporting a torn mainsail,” the club confirmed travelled down the east coast of Australia. London also pulled out with a damaged bow ahead of Comanche, Ragamuffin 100 and has been banned for suspected in a statement. It said the Mark Richards skip- Storms are not unknown to the race, with six after a collision. Maserati. pered crew was returning to Sydney but no fur- people dying, five boats sinking and 55 sailors Another boat, M3, withdrew after shattering A brief update from Ragamuffin reported doping in the latest controversy to ther details were available. rescued on a fatal night in 1998 when a deep its forestay, her crew deciding that the harsh conditions as “wet and windy” as the leaders hit the country’s sports authorities. Early reports indicated the sail “tore in half depression exploded over the fleet in the weather forecast ruled out a possible repair tracked down the New South Wales coast. Lovchev, 26, who won gold in when the yacht was hit by a 40 knot squall”, the treacherous Bass Strait. and rejoining of the race. The winds are expected to ease today, and the +105kg category at the world Wild Oats XI twitter feed stated. Organisers Line honours contender supermaxi will be light off the coast of Tasmania as the championships in Houston last said the crew of the Comanche, which had ‘WET AND WINDY’ Perpetual Loyal and St Jude were later retire- boats head to Hobart’s Constitution Dock, with month, tested positive for the been leading the race after bolting out of It was an eventful beginning to the race, ments, both understood to have sustained rud- the first boats not expected to cross the finish banned growth hormone Sydney Harbour, “will try to effect repairs to a with three yachts retiring early after collisions der damage from the rough weather in the line until tomorrow. —AFP Ipamorelin. He claims he had permission to use a medicine to ease pain from a knee injury he was suffering at the Broncos new chaplain offers spiritual, financial help time of the tournament where he broke the clean-and-jerk and total ENGLEWOOD: When Gary Kubiak was hired to and drink; he just made bad business decisions. ing second mortgages and doing just all sorts help him rebuild his life. His wife’s family sold world records. coach the Denver Broncos, he wanted a full- Elliss, who also serves as a transition coach of silly things that you really shouldn’t have them a home at a good price and former team- “We are going to give him all the time chaplain. for the NFL and speaks at the league’s rookie been doing. mates pitched in to help the Ellisses. Kubiak went looking for someone players symposiums, brings firsthand knowledge into “But being that I’m not used to losing, I fig- “You think of people that normally go support necessary since he has not could really relate to, someone who had played the job of convincing players they’ll one day ured, hey, I just needed a little bit more, a little through bankruptcy and everything else, rags been officially found guilty of dop- the game and “had some stories to tell.” lose their Midas touch. bit more time,” said Ellis, who still rues hurting to riches or riches to rags, you see that story so ing and no decision has been tak- That led him to Luther Elliss, once the high- “Everything they touch turns to gold.