IN BRIEF (Page 24)
Baseball
Pitcher blames positive test on Japanese doctor
NEW YORK: Major League Baseball's disciplinary officials have slapped former Colorado Rockies pitcher Dan Serafini with a 50-game ban for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Serafini, a free agent, blamed the positive test on a Japanese doctor who treated him while he was playing baseball in Asia.
"I suffered two significant injuries that limited my playing time to seven games in 2006 and nine games in 2007," Serafini said.
"While trying to accelerate the healing process of these injuries, I took substances that were prescribed for me by a doctor in Japan.
"What I did not know at the time was that these substances would cause me to test positive once I returned to the US.
"I have not taken these or any banned substances since returning to the US and signing with the Colorado Rockies' organization in July."
Soccer
Chelsea charged over referee protest
LONDON: Chelsea has been charged with failing to control its players after Michael Essien was sent-off during its 2-0 Premier League win away to Derby last weekend.
Several Chelsea players, including England captain John Terry, surrounded referee Andre Marriner after he'd issued a straight red card to Essien for a push on Kenny Miller in stoppage time.
The Football Association charge came as the governing body rejected Essien's appeal against his expulsion.
"Chelsea FC have been charged for the behavior of Chelsea players towards referee Andre Marriner during the match at Derby County on Saturday November 24.
"The club were charged with failing to ensure that its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion following the sendingoff of Michael Essien for violent conduct, and have until 12 December to respond."
Motor sports
Red Bull not interested in one-year deal for Alonso
BERLIN: The boss of Formula One team Red Bull, Dietrich Mateschitz, told a German magazine he was not interested in signing former two-time world champion Fernando Alonso to a one-year contract.
Spain's Alonso is reportedly yet undecided whether to return to Renault, where he won the two titles, despite pressure from team boss Flavio Briatore.
Mateschitz told Wednesday's Motor Sport Aktuell: "We would like a two-year contract with an option for a third year. We need to build something solid and durable.
"From what I have heard, he is discussing with other teams a possible one-year contract but that is out of the question for us."
NFL
New court date set for Vick over dogfighting charges
ATLANTA: Disgraced US football star Michael Vick will stand trial on April 2 on state charges of involvement in dogfighting, a Virginia state court ruled on Tuesday.
The trial of the suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback in a state court is separate from federal charges of dogfighting, to which Vick pleaded guilty in August.
Vick is due to be sentenced on those charges on December 10 and faces up to five years in jail, though prosecutors have requested a sentence of between 12 and 18 months.
In an unusual move, the 27-year-old turned himself in to US marshals last week to begin serving the federal sentence early.
The two state charges carry sentences of five years each, which would be added to any sentence on the federal charges, according to media reports.
(China Daily 11/29/2007 page24)
