Sports Briefs

Ambrose keen on foreign coaching role

LONDON (CMC):

Legendary West Indies fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose says he is open to a coaching role outside the Caribbean in the future.

Speaking on TalkSport Radio here Wednesday, Sir Curtly said while West Indies remained his priority, he was willing to serve anywhere an opportunity arose.

"It wouldn't be a problem. I'm into coaching, and wherever I get an opportunity to coach, I will coach because, for me, giving something back to cricket means a lot to me," said the 51-year-old, who currently serves as bowling consultant to the West Indies team.

Sir Curtly finished a sterling 98-Test career with 405 wickets, only behind long-time counterpart Courtney Walsh with 519, on the all-time West Indies list.

 

Pakistan, Zimbabwe in T20 clash

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP):

With security measures so far holding up, international cricket returns to Pakistan today for the first time in six years when they host Zimbabwe in a Twenty20 match.

Thousands of policemen have been busy over the last three days providing protection to the Zimbabwe team as Pakistan tries to avoid a repeat of 2009 when gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore.

Pakistan have deployed at least 4,000 policemen and paramilitaries to protect the visitors, whose team bus has been surrounded by vans with armed guards on its daily trips for evening training sessions at the Gaddafi Stadium.

 

Shuttle Time swings to MoBay

Montego Bay welcomed the introduction of the Jamaica Badminton Association's Shuttle Time programme at the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh Day Adventists' Recreation Centre in Mount Salem on Wednesday.

Shuttle Time trainer, Gregory Wong, remarked, " The day went well, the teachers were very enthusiastic about learning the game."

Shuttle Time is the Badminton World Federation's worldwide programme to introduce badminton to children by teaching teachers how to teach the sport.

Shuttle Time was first introduced in Jamaica in 2012 with the official launch in 2014 at the Office of the Prime Minister.

The course in Montego Bay started on Wednesday and will end today. On the final day of the course, the teachers will introduce badminton to children from the region.

 

Figo pulls out of FIFA race

LISBON, Portugal (AP):

Luis Figo dropped out of the FIFA presidential election yesterday, calling football's governing body a dictatorship under Sepp Blatter.

The Portugal great and former FIFA world player of the year said in a statement sent to The Associated Press that he refuses to go along with an election process that is designed "for the delivery of absolute power to one man" - indicating Blatter, the current FIFA president.

Figo's announcement came hours after another candidate, Dutch soccer federation president Michael van Praag, also withdrew from the May 29 election. That leaves only Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan in the race against Blatter.