Sports

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – The Minnesota Timberwolves  fired head coach Kurt Rambis after a last-place overall finish  that stretched the struggling team’s playoff drought to seven  seasons, the National Basketball Association team said yesterday.

(Trinidad Guardian) West Indies captain Darren Sammy on Sunday, paid tribute to his teammates describing the draw in the final Test against India as testament to their fighting spirit and says he will continue to lead them once he is asked to do so.

CORDOBA, (Reuters) – When Lionel Messi plays for  Barcelona he is the goalscorer supreme but when he represents  Argentina the responsibility carried by FIFA’s world player of  the year is far greater.

NAIROBI,  (Reuters) – Olympic 800 metres women’s  champion Pamela Jelimo will miss the Kenyan national  championships this week which will automatically preclude her  from the world championships starting in Daegu, South Korea,  next month.

SANDWICH, England,  (Reuters) – Tom Watson was within  a whisker of achieving a golfing miracle when he almost won the  2009 British Open and the veteran American believes a  “50-something” could challenge strongly for the Claret Jug again  this week.

(Trinidad Guardian) Former vice president of FIFA, Jack Warner, says he has unfinished business with the world football governing body and he may return in due course.

Guyana came from behind to down Bermuda in the males team competition of the Digicel Caribbean Junior Squash Championships yesterday at the National Racket Centre on Woolford and Camp streets while the local girls had an easier time.

Led by two goals from Tyson McNaughton, Region Seven champions Waramadong Secondary yesterday secured an impressive 2-1 victory over Region 5 Champions, Ash Educational Institute in the latest zone playoff finals.

Shemroy Barrington, Leon Johnson and Christopher Barnwell batted well for a Rest XI Team on the first day of the three-day practice match against the recently named Guyana Under-19 team at the Everest Cricket Club (ECC) Ground, yesterday.

Linden Technical Institute pulled off an overtime win to dethrone the defending champions, Kwakwani Secondary on Sunday to claim the Division One title of the National Schools’ Basketball Festival at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

CORDOBA, (Reuters) – Lionel Messi at last came into  his own at the Copa America as Argentina beat a defensive Costa  Rica 3-0 with two goals from Sergio Aguero to secure second  place in Group A yesterday.

Keisha Jeffrey won her fifth title on Sunday when she defeated Ashley Khalil in the female under-19 final of the Digicel Junior Caribbean Squash Championships  at the Georgetown Club Courts.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Fidel Edwards’ 19 wickets in the just concluded series against India has seen him jump two places to a career-best 16th in the International Cricket Council bowler rankings.

Guyana’s Jessica Clementson  scored two wins in the girls under-16 category of the annual Sagicor Open Junior Chess Championships hosted by the Barbados Chess Federation (BCF) in Barbados at the St.

BUENOS AIRES,  (Reuters) – Captain Lucio slammed  Brazil’s Copa America performances yesterday saying the holders  needed to improve their commitment in the colours of the five  times world champions.

Joel ‘Mr. Majestic’ Mc Rae is predicting a stoppage within six rounds when he appears in the main bout against Edmond De Clou for the interim middleweight title of Guyana on July 29 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

LONDON, (Reuters) – World Boxing Council heavyweight  champion Vitali Klitschko promised yesterday to knock Briton  David Haye to the floor if the pair ever meet in a world title  fight.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Arsenal recruited Lille’s  24-year-old Ivory Coast forward Gervinho yesterday as they bid  to boost their firepower this season and end a trophy drought  stretching back to 2005.

(Trinidad Guardian) Former FIFA vice-president and president of CONCACAF, Jack Warner, was warned by the CONCACAF general secretary that the payment of the expenses for the special meeting of regional football delegates at the Hyatt by Mohammed Bin Hammam “would raise ethical issues.”

MADRID, (Reuters) – Spain have stuttered in a couple  of friendlies since their first World Cup triumph a year ago but  Vicente del Bosque’s side are cruising through Euro 2012  qualifying and will be firm favourites to retain their title.