Sports Digest, January 2, 2013
Cricket commentator loses cancer battle
Respected English cricket journalist and commentator Christopher Martin-Jenkins has died of cancer at the age of 67 after being diagnosed with the disease last January. Popularly known as "CMJ" in Britain, Martin-Jenkins was one of the voices of Test Match Special on BBC Radio and previously worked for the Daily Telegraph and The Times. Martin-Jenkins also served as the president of Marylebone Cricket Club in 2010 and 2011. "Desperately sad to tell you that CMJ died peacefully this morning," his friend and colleague Jonathan Agnew said on Twitter yesterday. AFP
Basketball ace banned after marijuana test
Former NBA player Marcus Williams has been banned from playing in China for six months after testing positive for marijuana, in what is said to be the Chinese professional basketball league's first drugs case. The former San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers player, who is now with Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons, was banned by the Chinese Basketball Association after testing positive on December 9. Xinhua said it was the first drugs case in the CBA league's 17-year history. The punishment means he will have to sit out the rest of the season. AFP
Hong Kong retain cup in penalty shootout
Hong Kong retained the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup after winning the second leg 2-1 to level the tie 2-2 on aggregate, then taking the penalty shootout 9-8 at Mong Kok Stadium. Hong Kong, who trailed 1-0 after the first leg in Huizhou, opened the scoring in the 35th minute through Bai He, who scored from a corner. Guangdong equalised in the 66th minute when striker Huang Fengtao delivered a lovely pass to Shi Liang, who lobbed the approaching goalkeeper Yapp Hung-fai. Hong Kong struck back in the 73rd minute when substitute Kwok Kin-bong curled a pass into the Guangdong penalty area and Lee Wai-lim headed past the keeper. Both teams were unable to find the winning goal during extra-time and penalty kicks were called for. The teams each converted eight penalty kicks successfully before Wisdom Agbo scored Hong Kong's team's ninth. It was all down to Yapp to deny Shi's spot kick and he did well to keep out the attempt to give Hong Kong the cup. Unus Alladin
Comfortable win for Li in Shenzhen opener
Top-seeded Li Na opened her Shenzhen Open campaign with a clinical 6-4, 6-0 victory over Mandy Minella of Luxembourg yesterday. Li, ranked No. 7 in the world, broke Minella four times without facing a break point. Sixth-seeded Peng Shuai swept past Ayumi Morita of Japan for a seventh straight time, 6-1, 6-1, and Zhou Yi-miao, a lucky loser, defeated American qualifier Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-2. AP