By wire sources Egypt’s army, police blamed for deadly soccer riot ADVERTISING CAIRO — Witnesses say scores of Egyptian soccer fans were stabbed to death while others suffocated, trapped in a long narrow corridor trying to flee rival fans armed
Egypt’s army, police blamed for deadly soccer riot
CAIRO — Witnesses say scores of Egyptian soccer fans were stabbed to death while others suffocated, trapped in a long narrow corridor trying to flee rival fans armed with knives, clubs and stones in the country’s worst ever soccer violence.
At least 74 people died and hundreds were injured after Wednesday’s game in the seaside city of Port Said, when disgruntled fans of the home team, Al Masry, rushed the pitch, setting off clashes and a stampede as riot police largely failed to intervene.
Ahmed Ghaffar, one of the visiting Al Ahly fans at the stadium, says “layers of people” were stuck trying to escape, “suffocating inside a narrow corridor.”
Activists have accused the police and military of failing to intervene to deepen instability and chaos in Egypt, a year after ouster of longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak.
Mayweather to
fight Cotto May 5
LAS VEGAS — Floyd Mayweather Jr. got almost everything he wanted Wednesday, receiving a boxing license and naming an opponent and a date for his next fight.
The unbeaten champion got everything except a showdown with Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather will fight Miguel Cotto on May 5 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden after Nevada’s athletic commissioners granted him a conditional license for one fight before he goes to jail in June.
Mayweather (42-0, 26 KOs) chose Cotto (36-2, 29 KOs), the respected Puerto Rican champion, as his next opponent only after failing to land a date with Pacquiao, the superstar Filipino congressman.
The two sides have discussed what’s likely to be the most lucrative fight in boxing history for nearly three years without reaching a deal.
Ali’s legendary trainer, Dundee, dies at 90
There was no way Angelo Dundee was going to miss Muhammad Ali’s 70th birthday party.
The genial trainer got to see his old friend, and reminisce about good times.
It was almost as if they were together in their prime again, and what a time that was.
Dundee died in his apartment in Tampa, Fla., Wednesday night at the age of 90, and with him a part of boxing died, too.
He was surrounded by his family, said his son, Jimmy, who said the visit with Ali in Louisville, Ky., meant everything to his dad.
“It was the way he wanted to go,” the son said. “He did everything he wanted to do.”
Jimmy Dundee said his father was hospitalized for a blood clot last week and was briefly in a rehabilitation facility before returning to his apartment.
Dundee was the brilliant motivator who worked the corner for Ali in his greatest fights, willed Sugar Ray Leonard to victory in his biggest bout, and coached hundreds of young men in the art of a left jab and an overhand right.
More than that, he was a figure of integrity in a sport that often lacked it.
“To me, he was the greatest ambassador for boxing, the greatest goodwill ambassador in a sport where there’s so much animosity and enemies,” said Bruce Trampler, the longtime matchmaker who first went to work for Dundee in 1971. “The guy didn’t have an enemy in the world.”
Gronkowski
skips practice
INDIANAPOLIS — Rob Gronkowski still hasn’t practiced with the New England Patriots for the Super Bowl, sidelined by a high left ankle sprain four days before the game against the New York Giants.
“He’s day to day,” coach Bill Belichick said after Wednesday’s practice. “He’s getting better, but we’ll just take it day to day.”
The All-Pro tight end hasn’t worked out with his teammates in Indianapolis. The Patriots practiced Monday and Wednesday and held meetings and film sessions Tuesday.
Gronkowski also missed the last two practices in Foxborough, Mass., on Thursday and Friday.
Gronkowski, who set an NFL single-season record for the position with 17 touchdown receptions, was hurt late in the third quarter of the 23-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game Jan. 22.
Melzer, Haase advance at Zagreb Indoors
ZAGREB, Croatia — Michael Berrer of Germany upset top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals of Zagreb Indoors.
Berrer, last year’s finalist, had little trouble as shown by him breaking back immediately in the second set after dropping serve for the only time in the match.
Defending champion Ivan Dodig defeated Marsel Ilhan of Turkey 7-6 (5), 7-5, and later said he wasn’t concerned by the back injury which forced his retirement in the first round of the Australian Open.
“It was more important not to feel the injury during play,” Dodig said.
By wire sources
