Ice Hockey

Yakupov selected first

Right wing Nail Yakupov became only the third Russian to be selected first overall in the National Hockey League Draft when he was taken by the Edmonton Oilers on Friday.

Yakupov, who played last year for the Sarnia Sting junior team in Canada, became the third of his countrymen to take the top spot after landmark 2001 top pick Ilya Kovakchuk and 2004 selection Alex Ovechkin.

Columbus chose Canadian defenseman Ryan Murray with the second pick and the Montreal Canadiens followed by selecting center Alex Galchenyuk, Yakupov's US teammate at Sarnia.

Athletics

Sprinters, Eaton shine at US trials

World 100m champion Carmelita Jeter and sprint stars Sanya Richards-Ross and Allyson Felix made winning starts for London double bids on Friday at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials.

And Ashton Eaton, last year's runner-up at the world championships in the decathlon, outclassed reigning world champion Trey Hardee and 2008 Olympic champion Bryan Clay, winning four of the first five events.

Bekele says he's back after win

Kenenisa Bekele said he was "100 percent back" after running the third fastest 10,000 meters time in the world this year on Friday.

Bekele, the reigning Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion, and the world record-holder over both distances, was running his first 10,000m of the year.

He finished strongly to win in 27 minutes, 02.59 seconds, a time he hoped would be enough to book his spot on the Ethiopian team for the London Olympics.

Farah pulls out of British trials

Mo Farah became the latest British athlete to withdraw from the UK Olympic trials when he pulled out of the 1,500 meters final due to be run on Saturday.

Farah ran in Friday's heats and qualified comfortably for the final.

But the 29-year-old, the reigning world 5,000m champion, has now decided to concentrate on defending his European 5,000m title in Helsinki next week as he builds towards a gold medal bid at the London Olympics.

Cricket

First Asian to lead Yorkshire

Azeem Rafiq became the first cricketer of Asian origin, and the youngest player in the county's history, to captain Yorkshire in a senior match when he led it to victory in a Twenty20 match at Durham on Friday.

The 21-year-old Karachi born offspinner was deputizing for Andrew Gale after Yorkshire's regular captain was ruled out with a hip injury.

Soccer

Japan's Kagawa joins United

Japan midfielder Shinji Kagawa has joined Manchester United on a 4-year deal from German champion Borussia Dortmund, the Premier League side announced on Friday.

The 23-year-old passed a medical earlier that day and veteran United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was confident Kagawa would enjoy a successful spell with the English giant.

"Shinji is an exciting young midfielder with great skill, vision and a good eye for goal," said Ferguson.

"I am delighted he has chosen to come to United. I believe he will make an impact upon the team very quickly as he is suited to United's style of play."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 06/24/2012 page12)