Sports FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015 China’s drinks king denies plans to buy Italy’s AC Milan SHANGHAI: The billionaire chairman of were “sheer fiction”. “We have no inten- February he had held “cordial and pri- pany to invest in a top European club. Chinese drinks maker Hangzhou tion of getting into the soccer sphere, vate” discussions with the club, prompt- Media reports in China had suggest- Wahaha Group Co has knocked back and have not made any contact with AC ing Berlusconi to respond that he was ed Wanda may also be interested in tak- reports he is planning a bid for strug- Milan,” Zong said on his official Sina not interested in selling his controlling ing a stake in AC Milan as part of plans gling Italian soccer giants AC Milan, cur- Weibo microblog account yesterday. stake. China’s billionaires have been to deepen its push into sports and rently controlled by Italy’s former prime Reuters could not reach Wahaha for starting to snap up sporting assets out- entertainment. minister Silvio Berlusconi. further comment. Speculation has side the country’s borders. Zong, however, said Wahaha Zong Qinghou, worth an estimated swirled around the Italian club, one of In January, property conglomerate would prefer to look within China’s $19 billion according to the latest annu- the country’s most prestigious teams, Dalian Wanda Group bought 20 percent borders rather than overseas. “Even if al Hurun rich list, said reports in Italian but which has struggled since last win- of Spanish soccer champions Atletico we wanted to buy a soccer club, we media that he was planning to purchase ning a league title in 2011. Thai busi- Madrid for 45 million euros ($48.45 mil- would only consider a domestic up to 75 percent of the Italian team nessman Bee Taechaubol said in lion), becoming the first Mainland com- team,” he said. — Reuters Nonu joins select group for pacesetting Hurricanes SYDNEY: All Black powerhouse Ma’a Nonu joins select com- pany in Super Rugby over the Easter weekend as leaders Wellington Hurricanes face the Western Stormers, while David Pocock returns to his favoured No.7 position for the ACT Brumbies. Nonu will play his 150th Super Rugby game at inside-centre for the Hurricanes against the South Africans in Wellington today. He will join two New Zealand hookers-Keven Mealamu and Corey Flynn-and Australian lock Nathan Sharpe in reaching the milestone. It will be the 32-year-old’s 114th appearance for the Hurricanes, having also played for the Auckland Blues and Otago Highlanders in recent seasons. Nonu will form part of a powerhouse Hurricanes backline along with All Blacks winger Julian Savea and fly-half Beauden Barrett. The Hurricanes are the only unbeaten team in the competition, while the Stormers are eighth with four wins from six outings and coming off a 39-21 loss to the Highlanders in Dunedin last weekend. Returning Springboks Duane Vermeulen and Eben Etzebeth will give the Stormers Shooters preparing during the trap event. the extra grunt up front for the match. Former Wallaby cap- tain Pocock returns to open-side flanker, while Wallaby centre Tevita Kuridrani is out injured for the second-placed Brumbies home match with South Africa’s Central Cheetahs. HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Pocock’s second start of the year comes on the back of a solid return two weeks ago from the bench against the annual shooting championship begins Waratahs. He pushes Jarrad Butler to No.8 and Ita Vaea on to the bench. With Kuridrani out, the Australian conference leading Over 200 shooters participate Brumbies have switched Henry Speight from the wing to out- side-centre. “David made a successful return to rugby last By Abdellatif Sharaa to qualify for the Brazil 2016 Olympics. Yesterday’s competitions included the week and we’ll see him start, while Jarrad Butler, who’s been Secretary General of Kuwait and Arab double trap men, 10 meter air pistol and fantastic for us all year, moves to No.8,” coach Stephen KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al- Shooting Federations Obaid Munahi Al- rifle men, besides the official training of Larkham said. “Henry’s itching to get his hands on the ball a little bit more and we’ve moved him to 13.” Ahmad annual championship began yes- Osaimi, thanked, on behalf of Kuwait other events, scheduled to start today terday with the participation of more than Shooting Sport Club board members, HH including the trap men and women skeet Replaced 200 shooters from the club and military the Amir for his unlimited care and sup- men and women, 10m air pistol and rifle Springboks Willie le Roux and Coenie Oosthuizen return sports associations. port of Kuwait shooting and shooters, giv- women and 50m prone rifle men. for the Cheetahs after being rested last week, while scrum-half Competitions were at their highest ing them the motive and incentive to con- Tomorrow, (Saturday) will see the finals Sarel Pretorius, who missed the first two games of the tour for from the start in the preliminaries as tinue their winning ways and keep Kuwait of trap and skeet men, 50m three position the birth of his second child in Bloemfontein, will be playing shooters were keen on qualifying for the in prominence in the international arenas. rifle men, 50m pistol men, as well as 25m from the bench. final rounds to compete for this valuable Al-Osaimi also thanked HH the Crown pistol women, as well as the finals of All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter will miss the Canterbury cup which makes the winner Kuwait Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad and HH Olympic archery. Obaid Al-Osaimi called Crusaders game against the Coastal Sharks in Durban after champion for the 2014-2015 season. the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al- upon shooting fans to come to the club returning to New Zealand to attend the birth of his second The tournament includes the Olympic Mubarak as well as PAYS Director General and see there champions compete for the child. Carter has been replaced by Nathaniel Apa, while Colin skeet, trap and double trap in addition to for their support. He said the administra- coveted cup, and attend the closing cere- Slade is likely to wear the No.10 shirt tomorrow. the air rifle and pistol, and Olympic tion and technical apparatus were keen on mony at 5 pm at Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Sharks centre Francois Steyn will be missing as he serves a archery. This tournament concludes a sea- making sure the tournament comes in a Olympic Shooting Complex, Saturday. four-game ban after the Super 15 governing body successfully son full of achievements at all levels be it fitting manner, worthy of bearing the HH the Amir will be represented by appealed a decision not to punish him for a red card in a local, continental and international levels, name of HH the Amir, and be the best con- Information Minister, Minister of State for recent game. Steyn, a 2007 Rugby World Cup winner with the and shooters are still preparing for highly clusion for a season full of achievements Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al- Springboks, was sent off on March 21 after a dangerous lifting important events at the international level made possible by HH the Amir’s support. Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah. tackle on Waikato Chiefs and All Blacks fly-half Aaron Cruden. A judicial hearing surprisingly cleared Steyn and removed the red card from his record, but the ruling body appealed the verdict. “I am not quite sure how it happened (getting to the top of the South Africa conference) given some of the chal- lenges we have had but I am very happy nonetheless,” Sharks director of rugby Gary Gold said. “But nobody in our camp is fooled into thinking we are playing anywhere near well enough to be title contenders. We are grateful to win these close ones (against the Force and the Chiefs the week before) but I just feel we should not be in situ- ations where we just get over the line.” In the Easter weekend’s remaining games, the Chiefs face the Blues in Hamilton, the Rebels host the Queensland Reds in Melbourne and the Golden Lions take on the Northern Bulls in Johannesburg, while the NSW Waratahs, Highlanders and Western Force have byes. — AFP Fuhaid Al-Daihani in action. Shooters during the competition..