IN BRIEF (Page 24)
BASEBALL
Rare Wagner card sells for $2.35 million
LOS ANGELES: A rare 1909 baseball card dubbed "the Mona Lisa of trading cards" was purchased for a record $2.35 million by an unknown California collector, an auction company announced on Tuesday.
The fabled T206 Honus Wagner card, recognized as the most valuable souvenir trading card in existence, went to a private collector with auctioneers SCP Auctions Incorporated serving as a minority partner in the purchase.
Last sold in 2000 for $1.265 million, the card has nearly doubled in price three of the past four times it has been sold over the past two decades.
Retired hockey star Wayne Gretzky was a former owner of the card, which once was the top prize in a Wal-Mart contest.
American Tobacco Company released the Wagner card 98 years ago in a series of more than 500 different cards. Wagner was among the five original inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
BASKETBALL
Livingston out for season after horror injury
LOS ANGELES: Shaun Livingston, who is considered one of the cornerstones of the Los Angeles Clippers, suffered multiple torn ligaments in his left knee and will be out for eight to 12 months.
Livingston suffered the injury early in an sickening scene during the first quarter of Monday's NBA victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.
Driving to the basket on a fast break, he collapsed to the floor after taking an awkward step, bringing a shocked silence over the crowd at the Staples Center.
"It's obviously a big loss for us," Los Angeles coach Mike Dunleavy said.
Initially thought a dislocated kneecap. an MRI revealed tears to the ACL, PCL, MCL and lateral meniscus.
SOCCER
Confusion surrounds Vogts Nigeria arrival
LAGOS: Nigerian soccer was thrown into confusion on Wednesday after former Germany coach Berti Vogts failed to arrive to take charge of the national team.
The Nigeria Football Association (NFA) said Vogts, who was initially scheduled to fly in on Tuesday, had called to postpone his arrival citing "personal reasons."
But the Nigerian media reported that Vogts, who signed a four-year contract in early February, put back his trip because he had not been paid three months salary upfront as spelt out in the deal.
The NFA said Vogts, who is on $50,000-a-month, has been paid and is expected to set a new arrival date soon.
"There is no problem with the contract whatsoever. The money was wired to his account in Germany on Monday," said an NFA official Tunde Aderibigbe.
Vogts led Germany to victory at Euro 96 was expected to take over the Super Eagles three weeks ahead of 2008 Africa Nations Cup qualifier against Uganda on March 24.
Danish club fined for racist fans
COPENHAGEN: A football club in Denmark have been fined for the first time by the Danish Football Federation (DBU) on Tuesday for racism by their fans.
Second division Lyngby were fined $888 after their supporters racially insulted several players from the reserve team of first division FC Copenhagen during a training session last week.
It was not the first time that complaints of racism have been lodged against Lyngby supporters.
On Tuesday, a court in Copenhagen also upheld a $177 fine against a fifth division player who racially abused an opponent.
(China Daily 03/01/2007 page24)
