The Japan Times: Sports feed

Giants edge Pats in Super Bowl XLVI

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:10:00 PST

Elite and Eli. One and the same.
And now there are two Super Bowl championships and two MVPs to prove it.

Pakistan whitewashes England

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:11:00 PST

Pakistan recorded its first ever clean sweep against England with an emphatic 71-run victory in the third and final test on Monday.
England — chasing an imposing 324-run target — was dismissed for 252 on the fourth day with fast bowler Umar Gul grabbing 4-61 and offspinner Saeed Ajmal 4-67.

Thomas guides Bruins to win in return to D.C.

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:12:00 PST

Tim Thomas' return to the nation's capital was less political and more successful.
Playing about 10 blocks from the White House — a place he famously avoided two weeks ago — Thomas carried a shutout deep into the third period Sunday as the Boston Bruins snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals.

Wales beats Ireland in Six Nations

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:13:00 PST

Leigh Halfpenny kicked a last-minute penalty to snatch a dramatic 23-21 victory for Wales over Ireland in the Six Nations opening round on Sunday.
A thrilling test was settled in contentious circumstances after flanker Stephen Ferris was penalized for a dangerous tackle on Ian Evans, giving Halfpenny his chance.

Contador gets two-year doping ban, loses 2010 Tour title

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:14:00 PST

Alberto Contador was stripped of his 2010 Tour de France title Monday and banned for two years after sport's highest court found the Spanish cyclist guilty of doping.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport suspended the three-time Tour champion after rejecting his claim that his positive test for clenbuterol was caused by eating contaminated meat.

Capello says Terry should be captain

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:15:00 PST

Four months before he is due to coach England at the European Championship, Fabio Capello publicly criticized his employers on Sunday for going against his wishes and removing John Terry as captain.
Terry was stripped of the armband by the English Football Association on Friday, two days after his trial for racially abusing an opponent was scheduled to be held after the European Championship.

Giants may live to regret letting prolific slugger Ramirez leave

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:16:00 PST

The Yomiuri Giants hit fewer singles, doubles, triples and home runs in 2011 than they did in 2010. The Kyojin also drove in fewer runs and struck out more.
Being that the Giants are the Giants, it was hardly surprising they would, fairly or unfairly, find someone to shoulder all the blame, and amiable slugger Alex Ramirez was the fall guy.

United salvages point with furious fightback

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:17:00 PST

Three goals down after 50 minutes at Chelsea, Manchester United produced a trademark comeback to draw 3-3 on Sunday and stay within reach of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
But even though a point had appeared an unlikely prospect early in the second half, manager Alex Ferguson was still aggrieved.

LeBron shuts door on Raptors in fourth quarter

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:18:00 PST

LeBron James took a hard foul and clearly was not happy. So the next time he saw the ball, he made sure no Toronto player could reach him.
James' steal and dunk with just more than two minutes left gave Miami some breathing room, and the Heat held on to defeat the Raptors 95-89 on Sunday. James finished with 30 points and Dwyane Wade added 25 for the Heat (18-6), who won for the 10th time in their last 12 games and moved within one game of Chicago (20-6) for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Tachimoto sisters capture judo gold

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:19:00 PST

Haruka and Megumi Tachimoto struck gold at the Paris Judo Grand Slam on Sunday, winning the women's 70-kg and 78-kg divisions, respectively.
Haruka, the younger of the Tachimoto sisters and ranked fourth in the weight class, stunned France's Lucie Decosse by decision 2-1 after extra time, denying the two-time defending world champion what would have been her eighth title in Paris.