IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Soccer

Keane quits as coach

SUNDERLAND, England: Roy Keane walked away from Sunderland on Thursday after a run of five defeats in six matches convinced him he was no longer the man to take the relegation-threatened club forward.

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn, who brought Keane to the Stadium of Light in August 2006, said the parting of the ways had been amicable, and backed his former Ireland team-mate to return to management once he has had a break from the game.

Quinn said: "He will get a bit of time to himself now and I am sure he will re-charge and get going again, and I am sure we all know the Premier League hasn't seen the last of him. He has got great things to come."

Valencia release Hildebrand

MADRID: Valencia have agreed to part company with their German goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand, the former international's agent revealed on Thursday.

Hildebrand, 29, joined Valencia from Stuttgart in 2007 having just won the German title, but failed to settle in Spain. His contract was initially due to expire in 2010.

Hildebrand played 26 league games last season, but this season he has not featured in the first team since the Spanish Super Cup on August 24.

A return to the Bundesliga could now be on the cards, with Hoffenheim and Cologne reportedly interested in acquiring his services.

Baseball

Fewer charges against Bonds

SAN JOSE, California: Federal prosecutors again revised the perjury indictment against Barry Bonds on Thursday, with four fewer charges against baseball's embattled home run king.

The San Jose Mercury News reported that the new indictment contains 11 felony counts relating to allegations of lying to a grand jury about using performance enhancing drugs - 10 counts of perjury and one of obstructing justice.

The new indictment reflects a November 24 ruling by US District Court Judge Susan Illston, who threw out three perjury charges and ordered others combined.

The trial of the 44-year-old player is still expected to go ahead in March.

Basketball

China captain punished

China's national basketball captain Liu Wei has been suspended for 10 games and fined 50,000 yuan ($7,273) for leading an attack on a foreign player as he was exiting a stadium with his family.

Liu and several teammates from Shanghai Sharks ambushed Yunnan Bulls' Nigerian forward Gabe Muoneke last week as he was walking through the players' area with his wife, three kids and mother-in-law, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) said.

Liu, who lead China to the quarterfinals at August's Beijing Olympics, had also lied to investigating officials, the CBA said.

Golf

Wie shares qualifying lead

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida: Michelle Wie, needing only a top-20 finish for a 2009 LPGA Tour berth, fired a seven-under par 65 Thursday to share the lead after the second round of a qualifying tournament.

The 19-year-old Korean-American and Japan's Shiho Oyama each stood on 10-under par 134 after 36 holes in the five-day, 90-hole showdown over two courses, one stroke ahead of American Stacy Lewis, who had a 66 Thursday.

Wie shared sixth after day one with an opening 69 on the more difficult Legends course and followed up with a strong second-round on the Champions layout.

(China Daily 12/06/2008 page12)