Jordan no-show in Beijing

Beijing: Thousands of fans were left disappointed at a Beijing sports park on Wednesday after legendary basketball star Michael Jordan failed to show up for a promotional event. Fans began arriving to the Dongdan sports complex in central Beijing hours ahead of the event, only to find the fences around the outdoor basketball court shrouded in plastic tarpaulins that were put up to block the view of the six-time NBA champion.

Organisers refused to say why the event was cancelled, but Chinese press reports said it was because the crowds were too big and that some fans had climbed the fence and ripped down the tarpaulins. Jordan was slated to unveil a plaque commemorating his and his corporate sponsor Nike’s contribution to the renovation of the basketball court.

Coe to head London bid

London: Sebastian Coe, the only man to win back-to-back Olympic 1500m titles, took over as chief of London’s bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games from Barbara Cassani on Wednesday. Cassani, an American, was appointed in June 2003. She takes on a new role as a bid vice-chairman, with specific responsibility for the development of the candidature file. She was previously the chief executive of budget airline Go and it was clear in International Olympic Committee circles the appointment of an American had done little to help London’s case.

Redondo to leave Milan

Milan: Argentine midfielder Fernando Redondo is to leave Italian champions AC Milan, the former Real Madrid player said on Wednesday. Redondo, who will be 35 next month, has made just eight league appearances for Milan in the three seasons since he joined them from Real for $11.4 million.

He suffered a knee injury shortly after signing for Milan and it took him two years to make his debut for the club. “I am sorry to be leaving Milan but I need to be playing,” he told the club’s website.

“I know that at my age I don’t have many years left ahead of me and I explained my reasons to the club’s management and they were understanding.”

Forensic test clears duo

London: Leicester City are confident three of their players charged with rape in Spain will be cleared after forensic tests showed no link between them and their three accusers. Leicester City chief executive Tim Davies said lawyers for Paul Dickov, Frank Sinclair, and Keith Gillespie would make an application to a Spanish judge for charges to be dropped. “There is nothing that links our players with the girls,” he said.

The players were accused of rape by three German-based African women while they were training in La Manga, southern Spain, in March.

Leicester City’s formal application is expected to include evidence uncovered in a sting by the News Of The World newspaper that the alleged victims “were not business-women,” as they claimed, but prostitutes, Davies said. The case is to be heard by the same judge, Jacinto Areste, who released the players on bail in March.

Tyson back in the gym

New York: Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is back in the gym preparing for a possible fight with Ireland’s Kevin McBride on July 31, according to a website report. Tyson’s manager Shelly Finkel told the website that St Louis and Louisville were the front-runners to stage the bout.

The website said Tyson had returned to gym at the Central Boxing Club in Phoenix after several weeks of doing road work and conditioning on his own. Tyson has not fought since knocking out Clifford Etienne in the first minute of their 10-round bout in February last year.

Sport on Screen

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