Winning goal
WASHINGTON - Washington Capitals right wing Joel Ward took the high road yesterday after his game-winning over-time goal that ousted Boston from the NHL playoffs was greeted by a spate of racist tweets. "It does't faze me at all," Ward told USA Today. "We won and we are moving on. People are going to say what they want to say." Ward, a Canadian whose parents are from Barbados, told the newspaper that as a black ice hockey player he long ago became accustomed to being a rarity in his sport
Political role
NEW DELHI - India's prime minister has put forward batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar for membership of the upper house of parliament, reports said on Thursday. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has written a letter to the president recommending the cricketer be nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the NDTV news channel quoted sources as saying. Tendulkar, who turned 39 this week, was in New Delhi to play an Indian Premier League match for the Mumbai Indians against the Delhi Daredevils.
Hill sprint
GENEVA - Frenchman Jonathan Hivert of the Saur-Sojasun team dominated an uphill sprint at the end of the Tour of Romandie's second stage as Britain's Bradley Wiggins retained the overall lead Thursday. Paris-Nice champion Wiggins, who took the race leader's yellow jersey from Geraint Thomas with victory on the opening stage, leads another Sky teammate, Australian Michael Rogers, by 7sec in the overall standings. Dutchman Bauke Mollema, of the Rabobank team, lies third two further seconds off the pace.
Jersey sales
NEW YORK - Jeremy Lin, the New York Knicks playmaker who became an instant icon in February, finished second to NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose in jersey sales over the past year, the NBA said Thursday. Annual sales figures released at the end of each season showed Chicago star Rose, who climbed from fifth on last year's list to No.1 over the past 12 months, on top with Lin, who only came to prominence two months ago, in second.
League ban
LONDON - Australian fullback Clint Greenshields has found himself in hot water with his Super League club Catalan Dragons after derogatory comments he made on Twitter about referee Ben Thaler. The 30-year-old was punished after describing Thaler as "retarded" as he watched his side lose 34-18 in Stobart Super League at Headingley last Friday. Greenshields has been given a three-day suspension and fined STG1,635 ($A2,563) by his club, who has also been dropped for Sunday's Carnegie Challenge Cup fifth-round tie.
Soccer threats
GLASGOW - Rangers manager Ally McCoist has condemned as "disgusting" threats made to the Scottish Football Association (SFA) judicial panel who imposed a 12-month transfer embargo upon the Glasgow giants. The financial crisis engulfing the 140-year-old Scottish football institution took a sinister twist Wednesday when the SFA revealed police had given security advice to the three-member panel after their names were published online and threats made against them.