Global Sport

Wattana lost the match played late last night at Bangkok’s Ambassador Hotel by two frames to five (67-9 80-9 64-63 79-46 52-37 102-4 66-17).

“A man called James on his mobile phone at around 6:00 p.m. (1630 IST) and told him that he would kill him if he beat Ken,” Thai Snooker Association vice-president Sakda Rattanasuban told AFP.

Wattana had been provided with a plain clothes police escort at the request of the association. “It was clearly an effort to disrupt his concentration, and increase the pressure on him. His mother really did not want him to compete,” Sakda said. Wattana’s father was gunned down in the Thai capital in February 1992, allegedly over a gambling dispute.

Police traced the call made to Wattana to a public telephone in downtown Bangkok.They said the caller was a Thai.

Mutola eyes career in soccer

MAEBASHI: Maria Mutola took another stride towards a fourth straight 800m indoor world title today but is already looking to launch a new career in women’s football.

The powerful 26-year-old Mozambican clocked 2min 02.96 secs to extend her impressive unbeaten record indoors which goes back to 1993 when she won her first world title. Though first in her heat it was only the sixth fastest time through to the semi-final.

Mutola wants an Olympic gold from the Sydney Games next year — the only major honour she has missed — and is considering soccer as a profession when she retires from running. “It depends how women’s football in Africa develops,” she said.

Mutola, who played soccer as a child is a big fan of European soccer clubs.

Hakkinen escapes unhurt after crash

MELBOURNE: Formula One champion Mika Hakkinen smashed his new McLaren into a wall but walked away unharmed on Friday after setting a slick time in openingpractice for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.

Hakkinen’s crash allowed teammate David Coulthard to pip him for the fastest time as the Scotsman edged out the Finn with the last lap of the day. Ferrari star Michael Schumacher, considered the greatest threat to the McLaren pair this season, was relegated to seventh but the two sessions have no bearing on the grid for Sunday’s race.

After 21 laps and 11 minutes 41 seconds left in the second of two hour-long practice sessions, Hakkinen spun out in his new model MP4-14 and crunched into a fence. He got out quickly and strolled back to the pits after the damaged car was hoisted onto a truck.

Kovacs splashes to another hat-trick

IMPERIA: Hungarian Agnes Kovacs has won the 50 and 200 metres World Cup short-course breast stroke to complete her second successive hat-trick of the series.

The 200 metres breaststroke world champion clocked two minutes 23.79 seconds over the distance to romp home by almost three seconds on Thursday. Kovacs, who swam thesixth fastest time in history to win the 100m on Wednesday, then triumphed in the 50m In 31.42 seconds.

English counties to get nicknames

LONDON: In a move likely to generate a shoal of angry letters from the Shires, English cricket authorities released a list of nicknames for county teams in the New Sunday league. Division one will feature the Essex Eagles and the Lancashire Lightning while the Durham Dynamos and the Somerset Sabres will fight for promotion from the second. The only team among the 18 counties to escape a soubriquet is Kent, whose name has yet to be decided.