THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014 SPORTS Nishikori loses US Open, wins $940,000 bonus TOKYO: Japanese tennis sensation Kei Nishikori rival Zara and H&M, and has opened flagship stores may have lost the US Open final, but he has won a at prestigious addresses in London, New York and $940,000 special bonus from a sponsor delighted Shanghai, as well as at home in Tokyo. Nishikori about seeing its brand splashed across screens became the first Japanese and the first Asian man worldwide. Fast Retailing and its charismatic to play in a Gland Slam singles final, after defeating President Tadashi Yanai will each give 50 million yen world number-one Novak Djokovic, who is also to the 24-year-old tournament runner-up, who lost sponsored by Uniqlo. in straight sets to Croatian giant Marin Cilic. The Nishikori’s performance in New York led the casual-clothing firm, which operates the Uniqlo news in Japan for days and dominated all sorts of brand, saw a run on shirts worn by Japan’s best television programs and newspapers, with the male tennis star during the tournament at Flushing semifinal between Nishikori and Djokovic touted as Meadows, which feature the cheap-chic brand’s a showdown between two Uniqlo players. Even logo. The firm wanted to congratulate the athlete after the youngster came undone in the final, and celebrate his achievement, and to reward him crushed by Cilic 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, his cheerful but hum- for boosting both Uniqlo’s brand image and the ble demeanour further endeared him to Japanese morale of its workers, a company spokesman said. fans. The final between the two younger stars was “We wanted to celebrate his historic achieve- also seen as a possible signal of the end of domi- ment,” he said. The bonus “was also meant to show nance by the Big 4 - Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael our continued support as he aims to be the world’s Nadal, and Andy Murray. It also showcased a possi- number one,” he said. The bonus comes on top of a ble future without established sports brands like runner-up’s purse of $1.45 million. Fast Retailing has Nike or Adidas, with Cilic wearing shirts from been working to make itself a top global brand to Kei Nishikori of Japan China’s Li-Ning sport brand. — AFP The End of an era for a shattered village team PARIS: The tiny French village football team of (federation president Noel) Le Graet, who confirmed ex-Toulouse player, who had been at Luzenac for Luzenac, denied permission to play in the second to us that Luzenac could play in CFA 2. “We did all we two seasons, added: “I feel a lot of sadness about division yesterday disbanded their first team while could to get back into National. I became president what’s been done over recent years. “They’re send- French World Cup-winning goalkeeper Fabien and majority shareholder. Everything’s stalled, as ing us to DHR with a great kick up the bum. In two Barthez stepped down as managing director. well as the budget. “We take the list of pros and cons weeks, we’ll no longer speak about Luzenac. Luzenac refused to play in the amateur French and there’s no comparison. For the shareholders, it “The players, like many people in France, will go championship (CFA 2), as proposed by the French was not the same project to play in CFA 2. We sug- down to the dole office.” Luzenac (pop. 649) had football federation, Barthez said. The club will con- gested to Luzenac townhall and the town’s sporting caught the public’s attention with their fairytale rise tinue to exist in the DHR (division d’honneur association to play in CFA 2, but they refused.” from obscurity, winning promotion from the third regionale), the amateur seventh division, with the Luzenac’s erstwhile midfielder Nicolas Dieuze tier of French football last season. The Professional second team now becoming the first team. “I’m earlier bemoaned the stark fact that many players Football League (LFP) since ruled that they could not pulling out of the club from today with (president) were now unemployed. “The second team becomes take their place in Ligue 2 because their ground did Jerome Ducros,” Barthez said after meeting with his the first team. The players are freed from their con- not conform to the required safety standards. Last players. tracts and are now in the jobmarket,” he told AFP. season, the club from the Pyrenees, whose own COLOMBO: In this file photo, Pakistan bowler Saeed Ajmal successfully appeals for “You need to know when to say ‘stop’, when you “Who would have thought that five months after Stade Paul Fedou has only one stand and 400 seats, the wicket of Sri Lankan batsman Dhammika Prasad. Top Pakistani off-spinner Saeed can no longer struggle. We can no longer struggle.” our promotion to Ligue 2, we’d be saying goodbye played their home games at nearby Foix, where the Ajmal has been suspended from international cricket after tests found his bowling Barthez added: “We were received this morning by to each other in a car park?” lamented Dieuze. The capacity was just 3,000. —AFP action was illegal. — AFP CRICKET No quick technology fix for problem bowlers: ICC MELBOURNE: The ICC is cautiously optimistic and senior manager at Australia’s cricket board. that wearable sensors can provide the techno- The mounting of the sensors also has yet to logical breakthrough needed to stamp out ille- be perfected so the data cannot be compro- gal bowling actions but does not expect them mised to an intolerable extent. “If you’re in a to be ready for trial in matches before mid-2015. match situation, the mounting of the sensors of Geoff Allardice, the International Cricket the arm has to be so that they don’t shift posi- Council’s general manager of cricket said in an tion. If they do, then the calibration is disturbed,” interview yesterday that there has been lots of added the Australian. The sensors have already progress in using the technology but stumbling been tested on youth cricketers, with players at blocks remain to deploying it in matches. the Under-19 World Cup in Dubai providing data The ICC on Tuesday banned off-spinner during net sessions. Crunching the data still Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan’s most prolific test wicket- required the support of video analysis which, taker among active players, after biomechanic despite advances in digital image resolution, tests found all his deliveries broke the limit for remains a process clouded by subjectivity. straightening of the elbow joint. The latest in a The third phase of the program is set to kick string of suspensions for internationals over off at Australia’s National Cricket Centre in their bowling actions, Ajmal’s ban has fanned Brisbane next week and is likely to entail far fears that ‘chucking’ is rife at the highest level of more time poring over data in laboratories than the game but it has also been applauded as a putting bowlers through their paces. If the final timely crackdown on a highly contentious and phase proves successful and the sensors are often elusive problem. Where umpires have ready to be road-tested in matches, their appli- often been reluctant to report their suspicions cation is likely to open up a whole new can of to match officials, the ICC hopes technology can worms, Allardice conceded. Keeping the devices eliminate subjectivity from the equation, mak- powered and capable of feeding data to officials ing violations clear-cut through measured, real- on and off the field will take “a lot of engineer- TOULOUSE: The President of the Luzenac Ariege Pyrenees (LAP) football club Jerome Ducros (right) is pictured with players during a visit of time data. The ICC has been working with ing”. How the data is shared - whether after each French Junior Minister for Sports in the Creps sports center after the Toulouse administrative court yesterday refused the club’s appeal against Australian researchers to develop wearable bowl, at the end of each over or after a day’s the ruling of the French Professional Football League (LFP). — AFP “inertial” sensors that can measure bowlers’ play - is also likely to be a matter of fierce debate actions against the permissible limit for over between the ICC and stakeholders. two years. The program has reached key mile- stones and is now in its third and final phase but Decision maker US, Lithuania storm into challenges remain, believes Allardice. “There’s a “In terms of absolute accuracy, the question fair bit of work to do before we’re going to be is whether it could be used as a sole decision able to use them in a match setting,” he said. maker on the field,” Allardice said. “It’s too early “This next stage is probably going to take 18 to tell.” Though technology has been credited for Basketball WCup semis months to two years. You wouldn’t expect it to making the game fairer, it has also been blamed be trialled in a match setting until mid-2015 at for some howling decisions that have irked play- the earliest. “But the science is encouraging.” ers, fans and officials alike. The Decision Review BARCELONA: Lithuania will face holders the United States in a repeat of their a 119-76 thrashing of Slovenia. Lithuania, who finished third at the 2010 System, which employs video and audio tech- World Cup semi-final four years ago after both came safely through their quar- Worlds in Turkey, made 10-of-19 three-pointers and will take on the winners of Fine line nologies to verify or correct decisions by ter-finals on Tuesday.