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Monday June 19, 2017

SOME of soccer’s biggest names remain linked with a move to China but a 100 percent tax on transfer fees looks likely to hit spending when the China’s transfer window opens today.

Wayne Rooney, Diego Costa and Pierre-Emerick Aubamey-ang are among the stars rumored to be considering big-money moves to the Chinese Super League (CSL), which has been smashing spending records in recent seasons.

Brazilian international Oscar moved to Shanghai SIPG for 60 million euros (US$67 mil-lion) as Chinese clubs splashed an unprecedented 388 million euros in the January-February window.

But in May, the Chinese Foot-ball Association (CFA) stepped in to limit the largesse, effectively slapping a 100 percent tax on transfers for loss-making clubs, with the proceeds going to a government-run fund.

In each game next year, clubs will have to fi eld as many Chinese under-23 players as foreigners, who are already capped at three maximum. (SD-Agencies)

China transfer window opens

JUSTIN THOMAS managed to stand out in a U.S. Open where par is going out of style.

All it took was a 9-under 63, the lowest round to par in a major long known as the tough-est test in golf. Thomas capped off his record day on the 667-yard 18th hole at Erin Hills with the prettiest 3-wood he ever hit, stopping 8 feet away on a green where some players struggled to land a wedge.

He made the eagle to get his name in the record book Sat-urday.

The lead, however, belonged to Brian Harman.

Harman closed with two birdies and three tough pars for a 5-under 67 that gave him a one-shot lead at 12-under 204.

“Yeah, 12 under, I’d have about a 10-shot lead in most Opens,” he said.

Erin Hills again lacked enough wind to be the stern test the U.S. Open wants, and it showed. There were 18 rounds in the 60s Saturday. Going into the fi nal round, 42 players were still under par.

“Usually when you shoot even in a U.S. Open and you’re one off the lead, you’re not six down afterward,” J.B. Holmes said.

In the 116 previous U.S. Opens, only six players had ever reached 10-under par or better, never in the same tournament. By the end of a wild and wide-open Satur-day, fi ve players were double digits under par.

Brooks Koepka made three birdies over his last seven holes for a 68 and joined Thomas one shot out of the lead.

Also at 11 under was Tommy

Thomas sets record in US Open history

Fleetwood, who was poised to take the lead until his pitch came up short, his next shot went 60 feet down a slope on the back of the 18th green and he turned potential birdie into bogey and settled for a 68.

Rickie Fowler, on the verge of being left behind, rallied with three straight birdies and shot 68. He was 10 under, only two shots behind.

“It’s going to be a really cool day for someone tomorrow,” Fowler said. “I’m looking forward to my shot at it. I’ve been there a handful of times and had some good fi nishes. But I’m looking

forward to getting the job done.”Thomas fi nished in style, and

it had nothing to do with his hot pink pants. He had 310 yards to the hole when he hit 3-wood that could have led to big trouble if he went too far long or left. “Oh gosh, Jimmy, be good,” he said to caddie Jimmy Johnson when the ball was in the air, and it was close to perfect.

Thomas poured in the eagle to become the 29th player with a 63 in a major championship.

“The fi nish was awesome. I’d love to have another one of those,” Thomas said.

He might need one at this

rate. About all that will save Erin Hills from another onslaught is a forecast for the strongest wind of the week. Regardless of the weather, it didn’t take long for the 24-year-old Thomas to understand the signifi cance of his record round.

“That means I’m a part of his-tory,” he said. “It means I have a lot better chance to win the tournament than I did when the day started. I felt like I’ve been playing pretty well all week, and didn’t have quite the numbers to show for it. Obviously, today I defi nitely had something to show for it.” (SD-Agencies)

THE Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to a deal with the Boston Celtics to acquire the No. 1 over-all pick in the NBA draft, clear-ing the way to select Washington point guard Markelle Fultz, league sources said.

The teams are expected to fi nalize the trade with the league offi ce today, league sources said.

Philadelphia is planning to send Boston the No. 3 overall pick in Thursday’s draft and the 2018 fi rst-round pick that the Los Angeles Lakers owe the Sixers, league sources told The Vertical. The Lakers’ pick in 2018 is protected Nos. 2-5, league sources said.

If that pick doesn’t convey to the Celtics, the Sixers will send a 2019 fi rst-round pick via the Sacramento Kings to Boston, league sources said.

Fultz traveled to Philadelphia for a workout and meeting with the Sixers on Saturday.

(SD-Agencies)

CRISTIANO RONALDO is in the spotlight again, but this time not for his skills as a player.

Ronaldo was making head-lines Friday, two days before Portugal’s Confederations Cup debut in Russia, because of a report that said he wants to leave Real Madrid and Spain following allegations that he defrauded the country’s tax authorities.

The Portuguese sports daily A Bola published a front-page story Friday saying that Ronaldo was upset with the accusations made against him and that his decision was “irreversible.”

The newspaper published the report citing an unnamed source close to Ronaldo.

The information could not be independently confi rmed.

Ronaldo’s staff did not imme-diately respond to messages asking for a comment. The player did not talk to reporters in Kazan.

After the report, international media fi lled Portugal’s training session in Kazan, where Ron-aldo trained normally with the rest of the squad.

Portugal, the defending European champions, plays

Ronaldo in the spotlight after report he might leave

Cristiano Ronaldo

Mexico in their Group A opener in the eight-nation competi-tion that serves as a warm-up for next year’s World Cup in Russia.

“Ronaldo is motivated,” young Portugal forward Andre Silva said Friday. “He is taking this competition very seriously and is fully focused on train-ing and on the match against Mexico.”

On Tuesday, a Spanish state

prosecutor accused Ronaldo of four counts of tax fraud from 2011-14 totaling 14.7 million euros (US$16.5 million).

The prosecutor said Ronaldo used a shell company in the Virgin Islands to hide the true amount of income made from image rights, among other means of illegally reducing the amount of tax he paid.

Ronaldo has denied any wrongdoing.

“My conscience is quite clear,” Ronaldo said Wednesday as he walked from a Portugal team bus into Lisbon airport on his way to Russia.

Madrid on Wednesday issued a statement saying that it was convinced Ronaldo “will demon-strate his complete innocence.”

Ronaldo last year extended his contract with the Spanish team until June 21, saying he wanted to end his career at the club.

But Ronaldo has also publicly expressed his discontentment about being jeered at times by some Madrid fans at the San-tiago Bernabeu Stadium, saying that it’s unfair considering all that he has done for the club since arriving in 2009.

(SD-Agencies)

76ers acquire No. 1 pick: sources

Justin Thomas plays his shot from the fi rst tee during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Erin Hills on Saturday.SD-Agencies

THE fi rst-ever BRICS Games raised its curtain in Guangzhou at the Guangzhou Baiyun Inter-national Convention Center on Saturday evening.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to express his sincere welcome to all of the distinguished guests, athletes and coaches attending the fi ve-day Games.

“I believe that the upcoming BRICS Games will provide a unique opportunity to improve performance, popularize tradi-tional sports, promote sports development and enhance friendship among peoples. I hope athletes on all sides will display true sportsmanship and excel in the Games,” Xi said in the letter.

Gou Zhongwen, director of China’s General Administra-tion of Sport, declared open the Games, which features some 300 athletes from fi ve countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, with 10 events up for grabs in three sports — men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and Wushu.

As the host country, China has sent a delegation of 53 people, including 32 athletes, to take part in the fi rst comprehensive multilateral sports and culture exchanges under the framework of BRICS cooperation.

The Chinese athletes, with an average age of 21.4, will cover all the 10 events.

The launch of the fi rst BRICS Games marked an important consensus reached at the 8th BRICS Summit in Goa, India, last October.

(Xinhua)

2017 BRICS Games open in Guangzhou