Sports Digest, March 5, 2013

HK windsurfers look for Rio training site

Hong Kong's windsurfers are scouting locations for a training site in Rio de Janeiro as their preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games begin. The windsurfing team are currently taking part in the RS:X World Championships in Buzios, along the coast from the city of Rio, and are using the opportunity to do some research. "It's not convenient to go there for site visits, so this is therefore a good opportunity to do it with the worlds being held there," said Hong Kong Windsurfing Association executive director Dennis Chau Wai-keung. Head coach Rene Appel is leading a team of five boardsailors in Buzios, including Hayley Chan Hei-man in the women's and Leung Ho-tsun, Michael Cheng Chun-leung and Gabriel Brettell in the men's. "We are planning to go for a training camp in Rio every year leading to the 2016 Olympics, so the windsurfers can have a better understanding of the conditions they will face," added Chau. Chan Kin-wa

Four in running to replace AFC head

Four officials - three from the Middle East and one from Thailand - have been nominated to run for president of the Asian Football Confederation replacing the scandal-hit former boss. Worawi Makudi of Thailand, Hafez Ibrahim al-Medlej of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al-Khalifa of Bahrain and Yousuf al-Serkal of the United Arab Emirates will all be vying for the top post. Their main task will be to clean up Asian football's top governing body after its former president, Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, stepped down amid allegations of corruption, which he has denied. AFP

Liverpool soccer club slips deeper in the red

Liverpool said its 10-month pretax loss widened as sales declined after the English soccer club failed to make it into European competitions. The pretax loss for the 10 months to May 31 last year was £40.5 million (HK$472.6 million), compared with £49.3 million for the 12 months to July 2011, the company said. The club shortened the financial year to align it with the soccer season. Net debt for Liverpool rose to £87.2 million from £65.4 million. Bloomberg

Sun Hei to play in Maldives minus Barry

Sunray Cave Sun Hei will be missing top scorer Mamadou Barry in their opening AFC Cup group match against home team New Radiant of Maldives due to a lack of match fitness. Sun Hei reached the semi-finals in 2005, but are currently bottom of the domestic table. Chan Kin-wa

Cuba trounce China 12-0 in baseball classic

Cuba overwhelmed China 12-0 in the World Baseball Classic in Japan yesterday to go into the second round, joining fellow two-time champions Japan. In pool B the Netherlands, Australia, Taiwan and South Korea are fighting for two second-round places. AFP