World Sport Briefs Japan’s Niida defends WBA title

TOKYO – Japan’s Yutaka Niida pounded out a unanimous-decision victory over Eriberto Gejon of the Philippines to defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) minimum weight title on Saturday.

The bout was a re-match of the September 2005 battle between the pair, in which Niida defeated Gejon by a split decision. It was Niida’s sixth defence of the title he wrested from Noel Arambulet of Venezuela in July 2004, improving his record to 22 wins, including eight KOs, against one defeat and three draws.Aussies Olympic bids in balance STUTTGART – Australia’s hopes of making the women’s team final at the world gymnastics championships and next year’s Beijing Olympics are in the balance as their team fell and stumbled their way through women’s qualifying yesterday.Lead by national champion Daria Joura, Australia was sixth in qualifying with 12 countries still set to compete late yesterday, including the United States and Russia.The top eight teams advance to Wednesday’s team final with the best 12 earning their berth to the Beijing Games.US punch tickets to Beijing Olympics LAS VEGAS – Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 27 points and Michael Redd scored all 23 of his in the second half as the United States hammered Puerto Rico 135-91 to book a spot in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.Once again the heavily-favoured US dominated their opponents and kept their perfect record intact in the FIBA America’s Olympic qualifying tournament by winning their ninth-straight game in Las Vegas.Lorenzo gets eighth win of season in San Marino MISANO – Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo moved towards retaining his 250cc world title yesterday when he notched up his eighth win of the season at the San Marino Grand Prix.The victory gave the 20-year-old Aprilia rider 241 points, 54 more than Alex de Angelis of San Marino who finished fifth at his home grand prix to move up to second in the overall standings.Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso, who had led for most of the race before his Honda seized up nine laps before the end, dropped back to third in the standings with 186 points.Nampa-Reuters and AFPIt was Niida’s sixth defence of the title he wrested from Noel Arambulet of Venezuela in July 2004, improving his record to 22 wins, including eight KOs, against one defeat and three draws.Aussies Olympic bids in balance STUTTGART – Australia’s hopes of making the women’s team final at the world gymnastics championships and next year’s Beijing Olympics are in the balance as their team fell and stumbled their way through women’s qualifying yesterday.Lead by national champion Daria Joura, Australia was sixth in qualifying with 12 countries still set to compete late yesterday, including the United States and Russia.The top eight teams advance to Wednesday’s team final with the best 12 earning their berth to the Beijing Games.US punch tickets to Beijing Olympics LAS VEGAS – Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 27 points and Michael Redd scored all 23 of his in the second half as the United States hammered Puerto Rico 135-91 to book a spot in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.Once again the heavily-favoured US dominated their opponents and kept their perfect record intact in the FIBA America’s Olympic qualifying tournament by winning their ninth-straight game in Las Vegas.Lorenzo gets eighth win of season in San Marino MISANO – Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo moved towards retaining his 250cc world title yesterday when he notched up his eighth win of the season at the San Marino Grand Prix.The victory gave the 20-year-old Aprilia rider 241 points, 54 more than Alex de Angelis of San Marino who finished fifth at his home grand prix to move up to second in the overall standings.Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso, who had led for most of the race before his Honda seized up nine laps before the end, dropped back to third in the standings with 186 points.Nampa-Reuters and AFP