‘Make my drug-test results public'
lONDON: Fed up with being accused of doping, Rafael Nadal has written to the president of the International Tennis Federation and asked for all of his drug-test results and blood profile records to be made public. “It can't be free anymore in our tennis world to speak and to accuse without evidence,” the 14-time Grand Slam champion said in a letter obtained on Tuesday by The Associated Press. Nadal's letter was sent to ITF President David Haggerty on Monday, the same day he filed suit against a former French government minister who suggested he had been doping. “I know how many times I am tested, on and off competition,” Nadal wrote in the letter. “Please make all my information public. Please make public my biological passport, my complete history of anti-doping controls and tests.
Bolt to run 100m at Golden Spike
PRAGUE: Usain Bolt will run the 100 meters at the Golden Spike in the Czech city of Ostrava on May 20. Organizers say it will be the Jamaican great's second start of the Olympic season after a May 14 race in the Cayman Islands, and his first race in Europe. The six-time Olympic champion will race for the eighth time at the meet, part of the IAAF world challenge series. Bolt is also scheduled to race in the london Diamond league meet on July 22, two weeks before the Rio de Janeiro Games open.
5% increase in Wimbledon prize money
lONDON: This year's men's and women's singles champions at Wimbledon will each receive nearly $3 million, as the Grand Slam tournament increases overall prize money by 5 percent. The All England Club announced on Tuesday that the total prize fund is going up to 28.1 million pounds ($40 million) for the grass-court championships. The prize for the singles champions has been raised by 6.4 percent, or 120,000 pounds ($175,000), to 2 million pounds ($2.9 million). last year, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams each collected 1.88 million pounds ($2.74 million). The highest increase was in 2013, when the prize fund went up by 40 percent.
Brazil wrestles chaos 100 days before Oly
Rio De Janeiro: Brazil promises a roaring Rio Olympics party, but with 100 days to go before the sporting mega bash, the hosts are battling nightmarish political and economic gate crashers. Stunning scenery and traditional Brazilian warmth mean the 10,500 athletes from 206 countries and 450,000 tourists should have a spectacular time. Officials say the stadiums are 98 percent ready and International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach has promised “an excellent Games.” But the first Olympics ever staged in South America is threatened by an almighty hangover before it even gets under way.
Vinod to represent Australia at Olympics
Melbourne: Indian origin wrestler Vinod Kumar Dahiya is all set to represent Australia at the Rio Olympics after he qualified in the 66kg weight category in Greco-Roman event. According to the official website, Vinod, originally from a small village of Khanda in Haryana, became a citizen of Australia a year ago and is now all set to make his debut at the Olympics, to be held in August. The 31-year-old grappler secured an Oly berth after winning a silver medal at the African/Oceania Oly qualifiers in Algeria. Vinod started wrestling at age of eight. Seeing his potential, Vinod's family sent him to Mahabali Satpal's wrestling academy in Delhi in 1998. Thereafter, he participated in state and national competitions for four years. Vinod migrated to Australia in 2010, where he started training at the United Wrestling Club. Based in Victoria, Vinod has so far claimed six national C’ships and countless medals at Australia Cup and Canberra Cup.