Rugby player dies from injury
BRISBANE - A rugby league player died at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital yesterday, two days after being critically injured during a match in Brisbane.
Sunshine Coast Falcons front-row forward James Ackerman, a 25-year-old father of two, suffered a serious head injury in a tackle during a Queensland Cup match against the Norths Devils on Saturday.
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Danish cyclist says he doped
COPENHAGEN - Former Danish champion road cyclist and Tour de France rider Nicki Sorensen admitted to doping during the early part of his career yesterday.
"I've doped, I've admitted that fully and wholly. I'm saddened by it and I wish I could go back and undo it," Sorensen, currently the sporting director of the Tinkoff-Saxo team, told Danish daily BT.
REUTERS
Parma set to fall to Serie D
MILAN - Parma are set to drop into Serie D, the top tier of Italy's amateur football leagues, after administrators received no takeover offer before a noon deadline yesterday.
The club finished bottom of Serie A last season, having been deducted points on several occasions for their failure to pay players and staff.
Despite automatically dropping into Serie B - Italy's second division - the club's failure to find a buyer means they are set to drop into Serie D.
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Russia wins teams c'ship
PARIS - Russia capitalised on home conditions in Cheboksary to win the European teams athletics championship on Sunday, lifting the doping gloom which has descended on the country's track and field set-up.
Russia has now won four of the six editions of the tournament, finishing ahead of defending champion Germany.
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Sick Petra skips warm-up event
LONDON - Wimbledon holder Petra Kvitova will begin her title defence in a week without any official grass-court matches following her withdrawal from the Eastbourne International yesterday.
"I didn't feel well when I arrived last Thursday," said the Czech. "I have a sore throat."
Kvitova has not played since losing in the fourth round at the French Open.
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