SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2015 SPORTS Lankan great to retire Beji suspended for doping Dunga sorry for comment COLOMBO: Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara will quit international cricket BAKU: Azerbaijan’s Ethiopian-born 3,000 metre steeplechase SAO PAULO: Brazil coach Dunga apologised on Friday after his comments about during the test series against India, the island nation’s most prolific batsman runner Chaltu Beji has been suspended from the European people of African descent sparked criticism ahead of the team’s Copa America quar- said yesterday. Games for doping, the European Olympic Committees (EOC) ter-final against Paraguay. “I have decided to call it a day...(after) the second test of the India series,” said yesterday. The 18-year-old, who also competed in the Dunga was asked to compare the pressure on his Copa America team with that the 37-year-old, who retired from 50-over cricket after Sri Lanka’s World Cup 1,500 metres, won the steeplechase event on Sunday but EOC of the side he captained to win the 1994 World Cup, Brazil’s first triumph in 24 years. campaign this year, told reporters. said her urine sample contained osterine, a banned substance. “Everything we did was bad,” he said, referring to criticism of his 1994 squad. “I “The original plan was to retire from all international cricket “Ms Beji was therefore charged with an Anti-Doping Rule even think I am an Afro-descendent because I get hit so much. People look at me after the World Cup but...following a discussion with the pre- Violation,” the governing body said in a statement yesterday. “It and think, I’ll have a go at him.” vious selection committee, I gave my word that I would be was determined by the EOC Executive Committee on the rec- The comments provoked a storm on social media with some calling available for these two series. “But at the same time I said ommendation of the EOC’s Committee for Legal, Eligibility, them racist while others said they acknowledged reality. Dunga later that I would be unable to play six test matches,” he said. Disciplinary and Doping Matters that she is suspended from said in a statement published on the website of the Brazilian Football India arrive in early August to play three tests in Sri Lanka participation in the European Games and that she is disquali- Confederation: “I want to apologise to all those could have felt offend- but the dates and the venues have not been finalised. fied from the 3,000m steeplechase which took place on 21 ed with my comment about Afro-descendents. “The way I expressed Sangakkara made his international debut in 2000 and is cur- June. “Further anti-doping procedures will be conducted by myself does not reflect my feelings or opinions.” rently playing his 132nd test against Pakistan, having the competent international organisations.” Hosts Azerbaijan Father David, head of Educafro, an organisation that aims to get amassed more than 12,000 runs at an average of over 54 and finished fifth in the team athletics championship, narrowly blacks into higher education, said the comments reflected the including 38 centuries. The left-hander is one short of missing out on promotion to the second tier of the European injustices suffered by blacks in Brazil. Australian great Donald Bradman’s record of 12 double cen- Athletics Team Championship. Earlier in the inaugural games in “I’d like to congratulate him for telling Brazil and the world turies in tests. His ODI record is no less impressive, having the Azeri capital of Baku, 19-year-old Albanian boxer Rexhildo that blacks here are hit simply for being black,” he told amassed 14,234 runs in 404 matches, averaging nearly 42 Zeneli was suspended after testing positive for another prohib- Reuters. “He is affirming what we know, that being black and including 25 centuries.—Reuters ited substance furosemide. —Reuters in Brazil is to suffer injustice.—Reuters Nationals thrash Phillies, Cardinals roll PHILADELPHIA: Max Scherzer took a perfect it. The Giants scored three times in the ninth game into the sixth inning in his bid to against Tommy Kahnle to make things inter- become the second pitcher in major league esting. history to throw two consecutive no-hitters and the Washington Nationals beat the YANKEES 3, ASTROS 2 Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 Friday night. Chris Young had a go-ahead, three-run On a day Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg homer among three hits in his hometown, lift- resigned, Scherzer stole the show. Scherzer (9- ing New York to a win over Houston. Nathan 5) retired the first 16 batters before Freddy Eovaldi (7-2), another Houston native, yielded Galvis doubled on a 1-1 pitch to the right-field five hits and two runs with six strikeouts in six wall. The Nationals right-hander allowed two innings to give him a career-high seven wins. runs and five hits in eight innings. New York managed just three hits through Scherzer tossed a no-hitter last Saturday the first six innings and trailed 2-0 before against Pittsburgh, falling one strike shy of a Carlos Beltran and Garrett Jones had back-to- perfect game before hitting Jose Tabata on a back singles with one out in the seventh to 3-2 pitch with two outs. He threw a one-hitter, chase Houston rookie starter Vince Velasquez. striking out 16 in his previous start. But he He was replaced by Will Harris (4-1), who was couldn’t match Johnny Vander Meer, who greeted with Young’s shot to the Crawford threw two straight no hitters for the Cincinnati Boxes in left field to put the Yankees on top. Reds in June 1938. Young, who extended his season-long hit- ting-streak to nine games Friday, has nine CARDINALS 3, CUBS 2 homers, 33 RBIs and 14 multihit games in 25 Peter Bourjos scored the winning run from career games at Minute Maid Park. Carlos third on a throwing error by Mike Baxter in the Correa had a run-scoring single in the third 10th inning to lift St. Louis to a win over inning for Houston and an RBI single by Evan Chicago. Gattis made it 2-0 in the sixth. Bourjos began the inning with a double off Justin Grimm (1-2). Kolten Wong followed with METS 2, REDS 1 a single off the second base bag and Matt Noah Syndergaard pitched eight sharp Carpenter was walked to load the bases. innings and light-hitting New York got exactly Jhonny Peralta then hit a routine grounder to the help it needed when Johnny Cueto sud- second base, where right fielder Baxter was denly lost the strike zone, edging Cincinnati. positioned with the bases loaded and no one The Mets returned home from a 1-7 road out to give the Cubs five infielders. trip in which they totaled 11 runs, and won He had plenty of time, but threw wildly to despite getting just two hits. Curtis the plate. Kevin Siegrist (2-0) got the win as St. Granderson launched a leadoff homer into the Louis won its fourth in a row overall and sev- second deck on Cueto’s third pitch. enth straight at home, where the Cardinals are The Reds lost for the third time in nine a major-league best 27-7. Chicago lost its third games. They got to their New York hotel at in a row after a four-game winning streak. 4:17 a.m. after a rain-delayed, 13-inning win at Pittsburgh. ROYALS 5, ATHLETICS 2 It was 1-all in the fifth when Dilson Herrera Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon home- tripled with two outs. Cueto (4-5), pitching red to back Edinson Volquez, and Kansas City with eight days’ rest to give his aching right SAN FRANCISCO: Colorado Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez (5) slides safely home under the tag by San Francisco Giants pitcher Mike Broadway beat Oakland. Unlike when these two teams elbow some extra rest, hadn’t walked a batter during the ninth inning of a baseball game. —AP met in April, when there were bench-clearing all game until walking Granderson, Eric scuffles in all three games, there were no signs Campbell and Lucas Duda to force home the Mike Trout’s two-out homer in the first. benefited from Milwaukee’s six-run first inning single to right. Zach Britton got three outs for of lingering animosity. A few players from go-ahead run. Fernando Rodney got three outs for his to get his first win since May 16 as the Brewers his 22nd save. both clubs exchanged hugs and handshakes 15th save in 18 chances and his first since May beat Minnesota. before the game, and both managers down- DODGERS 7, MARLINS 1 29. The right-hander, who set a franchise Lohse has beaten every team in the majors PADRES 4, DIAMONBACKS 2 played talk of any carry-over effect. Brett Anderson tied a career high with 10 record last season with 48, got his first save now after the 13-year veteran’s first victory in Tyson Ross overcame control problems to Instead the Royals rode the power of strikeouts and allowed only one fly ball to help opportunity since being demoted from the three career starts against the club he broke combine on a two-hitter and Matt Kemp hit a Morales and Gordon, and got another strong Los Angeles send Miami to its fifth straight closer role. into the majors with and spent six seasons. go-ahead sacrifice fly, lifting San Diego to a outing from Volquez.