Digest

SOCCER

World's oldest pro Miura renews contract

Former Japan striker Kazuyoshi Miura, who turns 53 next month, has renewed his contract with Yokohama FC to extend his record as the world's oldest professional soccer player.

The veteran, admiringly nicknamed "King Kazu" for his spirited on-field style, will kick off his 35th career season this year, the club announced over the weekend.

Miura, who has played for Yokohama FC since 2005, has said he won't hang up his boots until he turns 60.

He played for the club three times last season but did not find the net.

In a short statement, Miura said he was concentrating on enjoying his soccer and keeping the club in the top league. "I'll do my best to contribute to the team winning," he said.

In 2017, Miura surpassed soccer's previous professional longevity record and became the oldest player to score a competitive goal in a professional match. Both records were previously held by English legend Stanley Matthews.

Miura left Japan for Brazil in 1982, making his pro debut with Santos.

BASKETBALL

Clark hobbles out of CBA debut for Xinjiang

A suspected groin injury to Ian Clark overshadowed the Xinjiang Flying Tigers' 132-118 victory over the Fujian Sturgeons in Urumqi on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old Clark was making his CBA debut, having been sidelined four months ago by a right-hand finger injury, while Zhou Qi returned to Xinjiang's starting lineup after missing the last four games.

Clark had handed out four assists in the opening quarter as Xinjiang raced into a 21-11 lead, but hobbled off the court in pain in the second period and never returned.

Jarnell Stokes had a career-high 46 points for Xinjiang, with Zeng Lingxu adding 21 points and 11 assists for the host. Fujian's Eugene Jeter and Wang Zhelin each scored 33 points.

"We did a great job to limit the opponents' fast breaks, that's why we held on to win," said Xinjiang head coach Murat Adiljan.

NBA fines Detroit's Rose for pen throw

Detroit Pistons guard Derrick Rose was fined $25,000 by the NBA for tossing a pen into the stands, executive vice-president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe announced on Tuesday.

Rose threw the pen across the court and into the crowd with 37 seconds to play in Monday's 117-110 overtime loss to the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.

The incident occurred after Detroit called a timeout following a New Orleans basket. A dejected Rose walked over toward the bench and stopped near a media table. He then picked up a pen that belonged to one of the Pistons' coaching staffers and flung it to the other side of the court.

Rose had 23 points and eight assists in the contest but the Pistons lost for the 12th time in the past 15 games. He has scored 20 or more points in six straight games.

TENNIS

Doubles specialist Farah tests positive

Top-ranked doubles player Robert Farah has revealed he tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid.

Farah made the announcement on social media hours after he pulled out of the Australian Open for what he initially said were personal reasons.

Farah said the International Tennis Federation had informed him of the finding.

The 32-year-old Canada-born Colombian, who won last year's men's doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open, said he tested positive for Boldenona, which he claimed was the result of eating Colombian meat.

"I will not be able to play at the Australian Open, an event for which I had been preparing since December," Farah wrote in remarks translated from Spanish on Twitter.

"A few hours ago the ITF informed me of the presence of Boldenona in a test that I did on October 17, 2019 in Cali."

ICE HOCKEY

Washington re-signs assists ace Backstrom

The Washington Capitals re-signed center Nicklas Backstrom to a five-year, $56 million contract on Monday.

The Swede was in the final year of a 10-year, $67 million deal signed in 2010. The new agreement carries an average annual value of $9.2 million.

Backstrom, 32, is the franchise's all-time leader in assists (668) and trails only teammate Alex Ovechkin (1,255) in points (908). The Capitals won the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

Backstrom is the only active NHL player with at least 50 assists in each of the last six seasons.

He has 26 assists and nine goals in 39 games entering Thursday's home game against the New Jersey Devils.

Drafted fourth overall by Washington in 2006, the Swedish star has scored 240 goals in 934 games since making his debut in 2007-08.

Backstrom also has 106 points (36 goals, 70 assists) in 123 playoff games.

TABLE TENNIS

Video-review tech to be used at Tokyo Olympics

Video reviews will be used in table tennis at the Tokyo Olympics, allowing players to challenge umpire decisions.

A combination of ball-tracking technology, similar to tennis, and reviews of slow-motion replays, as in top-level soccer, will be introduced at Tokyo 2020 and other major events this year, the International Table Tennis Federation said on Tuesday.

"We felt it was important to implement a new technology that will ensure a fair competition for all the athletes, empowering them to challenge any decision made by the umpire," the governing body's chief executive, Steve Dainton, said in a statement.

The technology has been officially named Table Tennis Review (TTR), and will check if the ball touched the net or the table edge, struck a player's body or if a service was legal.