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Fitzgerald Cecilio - AHN Sports Reporter Vancouver, BC, Canada (AHN Sports) - The Seattle Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps kicked off the Cascadia Cup rivalry series with a wild 2-2 draw at the BC Place Saturday. Seattle forward Fredy Montero scored on a sensational curling shot in the 90th minute that left Vancouver goalkeeper Joe Cannon stunned. Left back Alain Rochat opened scoring in the 12th minute for the Whitecaps, who had several scoring opportunities but failed to capitalize. In the 33rd minute, Omar Salgado outmuscled Jeff Parke before scuffing his shot wide and Rochat set up rookie Darren Mattocks but the Jamaican's weak effort failed to find the target. In the 46th minute, Mattocks broke free but couldn't hit the frame, firing well over. The Whitecaps' missed opportunities came to haunt them in the 47th minute when Eddie Johnson tied the count with a header from a cross by Mauro Rosales. Camilo's free kick found a way through a crowded penalty area and gave Vancouver a 2-1 lead in the 83rd minute before Montero scored the game-tying goal. The Whitecaps, now 5-3-3 (win-loss-draw), are now preparing prepare for the decisive second leg of the Canadian Championship Wednesday at BMO Field. The Sounders host the Columbus Crew Wednesday in MLS action at CenturyLink Field, after falling to 7-2-2. The Cascadia Cup is the name of the trophy created in 2004 by supporters of the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which is awarded each season to the best soccer team in the Pacific Northwest. The Timbers, Sounders, and Whitecaps have roots dating to the days of the North American Soccer League. It was first contested in 2004, and was claimed by the Whitecaps. In 2011 the competition continued with the MLS sides Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The Whitecaps and Sounders have three Cascadia Cup apiece. Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved

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Fitzgerald Cecilio - AHN Sports Reporter Helsinki, Finland (AHN Sports) - Jamaica and Qatar, two countries not affiliated with cold weather or snow, have been accepted by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) as its newest members. During the IIHF Annual Congress in Helsinki, Jamaica and Qatar were accepted as the 71st and 72nd members, joining hockey superpowers Canada, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Jamaica joins the IIHF as an associate member, and Qatar as a full member under the pre-condition of an audit. Qatar became the third country from the Gulf Region to be accepted into the IIHF, following United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Currently, Qatar has two hockey rinks and its two-year-old hockey program features a senior league with five teams and 70 players. The country also has an ice hockey school with more than 100 registered participants. The Jamaican Olympic Ice Hockey Federation (JOIHF) was founded last winter. The Caribbean country has one ice rink and currently 20 players but aims to grow and fulfill the criteria to participate in IIHF tournaments in the future. Jamaica hockey federation's ultimate dream is to participate in the Olympics, like the Jamaican bobsled team in Calgary 1988 that became famous in the film "Cool Runnings". The country's original goal was to participate in the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia but with such short notice, Jamaica is now focusing on the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. But with its status as an associate member, Jamaica is not yet ready to participate in any IIHF events. The Jamaican Olympic Ice Hockey Federation was founded last winter. The Caribbean country has one ice rink and currently 20 players but aims to grow the game and fulfill the criteria to participate in IIHF tournaments in the future. And the dream is to once participate at the Olympics like the Jamaican bobsled team in Calgary 1988 that became famous in the film "Cool Runnings". The JOIHF is chaired by Edmond L. Phillipps Jr., and his son Edmond R. Phillipps, a player and Level 4 coach, is the CEO. They are Americans of Jamaican descent who want to develop their favorite sport in the country of their heritage. The Jamaica ice hockey team will not require financial support from Jamaica's already cash-strapped coffers, but have budgeted that to achieve their goals it will cost about $1.7 million, money that they claim they are well on the way to acquiring from donors. Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved

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Fitzgerald Cecilio - AHN Sports Reporter Rome, Italy (AHN Sports) - World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and second-seeded Rafael Nadal lived up to their billing in the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. The top-seeded Djokovic defeated third seed Roger Federer, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) while Nadal beat sixth-seeded David Ferrer, 7-6 (8-6), 6-0 Saturday to arrange their finals showdown. Nadal and Djokovic split their two meetings this year. Djokovic defeated Nadal in the Australian Open finals while the Spaniard defeated the world No. 1 in Monte Carlo recently. "Rome for me is an important tournament and I am here for the seventh time and I couldn't have imagined this a few years ago," Nadal said. Nadal is eyeing a sixth Italian Open title. He lifted the trophies from 2005-2007 and 2009-2010 before being dethroned by Djokovic in the 2011 final. Nadal struggled with his rhythm in the first set, committing 20 unforced errors, 15 of them backhands. "The first set was unbelievable, how David set the match with amazing rhythm and aggression," said Nadal. "His movements were unbelievably good and so I did the best possible for me. The thing that I tried to do was to maintain the score close." On the women's side, defending champion Maria Sharapova advanced to the finals after beating rising German star Angelique Kerber, 6-3, 6-4. The Russian will face China's Li Na, who advanced to the finals without breaking a sweat after Serena Williams withdrew with a lower back injury. "Coming back to a place where you have accomplished so much, and to be in a position to regain that success, makes me very happy," Sharapova said. She will be gunning for a second straight WTA title of the year, after winning in Stuttgart recently. "It was a tough match today and I'm looking forward to another tough one tomorrow," added Sharapova, who has an impressive 25-16 career record in WTA finals. Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved

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Jojo Doria - AHN Sports Contributor Annapolis, MD, United States (AHN Sports) - Though it has held a strong following in Montgomery County since the early 1990s following its establishment as an Olympic sport in 1988, table tennis is emerging as a fast-growing sport in Maryland and the entire country. The expansion of the Maryland Table Tennis Center in April to about 10,000 square feet in size and 16 tables is indicative of the sports increasing popularity. At present, Maryland has eight clubs sanctioned by USA Table Tennis, the national association for the sport. Five of those clubs are based in Montgomery County. Table tennis has given the state dozens of winners in the junior Olympic table tennis, including last year's gold medalists for Boys Team play under 18, according to USA Table Tennis records. The sport's popularity can also be seen in the collegiate level. Last year, there were 148 schools in the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association tournaments, a huge increase from about 30 schools in 2001, according to the group. Incidentally, Peter Li, who ruled the 2011 U.S. Nationals, the countrywide table tennis tournament, trains in private clubs in Rockville and Gaithersburg. Interest in the sport has been sustained by local and regional tournaments. The Potomac Country Table Tennis Club, which has 145 members, has maintained almost the same number in terms of membership due to the regular weekly competitions. The club plays in two recreation centers in Potomac. Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved

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Jojo Doria - AHN Sports Contributor Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN Sports) - Kobe Bryant once again carried his team by scoring eight of Lakers' final 10 points, helping Los Angeles get back in the series with a 99-96 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 Friday night at Staples Center. Bryant finished with 36 points, but made up for a 9-of-25 shooting by making all 18 of his free throws, and the Lakers now trail this Western Conference semifinals 2-1. Struggling to find his range, Bryant willed his team to win by making huge shots and hitting clutch free throws. Bryant, who also had seven boards and six assists, aggressively attacked the basket, which resulted in 18 successful trips to the charity line. Bryant, who scored 14 in the decisive fourth, made six free throws in the final 1:08 of the period, including the final pair with 9.8 seconds remaining for the final margin. The Lakers, who were blown out in the series opener and fell in Game 2 despite holding a lead in the final minutes, were nearly perfect from the charity stripes as they finished 41-of-42. Andrew Bynum also struggled on the floor on a 2-of-13 shooting, but asserted his defensive presence all night in the paint and challenging shooters on perimeters. He finished with 15 points and 11 boards. Pau Gasol chipped in 12 markers and 11 boards, while Steve Blake, who missed a potential game-winning three-pointer in Game 2, was 4-of-5 from the floor and 2 for 2 from 3-point range for 12 points. The Lakers roared out from the gate with a 16-4 lead in the first. They took a 50-47 lead into intermission following a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Metta World Peace, who finished with 10 points. The Thunder started to regain some momentum in the third frame and surged ahead by as much as seven with three minutes remaining in the period. James Harden, who scored 21 points, sparked a 7-0 burst that gave the Thunder their largest lead in the fourth stanza, 83-78. The Lakers were unfazed and took control down the stretch, with the contest decided at the foul line. Los Angeles outscored the Thunder 12-4 down the stretch. Kevin Durant finished with 31 points on 12-of-23 shooting from the floor. He had some huge baskets in the fourth to help keep Oklahoma City ahead, but missed a potential tying 3-pointer on the game's final possession. The Thunder, poised to moved to the brink of their second straight trip to the Western Conference finals, suffered their first setback of this postseason after sweeping the defending NBA-champion

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AHN Sports Staff Seattle, WA, United States (AHN Sports) - Kristi Toliver scored 25 points off the bench and Candace Parker added 11 and the Los Angeles Sparks overcame a 21-point hole to defeat the Seattle Storm, 72-66, in Friday's 2012 season opener at Key Arena. Toliver shot 9-for-16 from the field, including 5-for-8 from the three-point range, to lead the Sparks' comeback in the second half. Toliver racked up 10 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter as the Sparks pulled off a massive 30-10 run in the period. Trailing since the start of the game, the Sparks tasted their first lead on a nifty reverse by Toliver with 1:38 remaining on the clock and eventually sealed the game on shot by Parker in traffic with 28 second left. Veteran center Ann Wauters scored a team-high 17 points while the 31-year-old Sue Bird continued to defy her advanced age by recording 15 points, 6 boards, and 6 dimes in 23 minutes of action. Bolstered by a huge second half, the Sparks shot .400 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free-throw line. Their defense also forced the Storm to commit 22 turnovers, most of them in their decisive fourth quarter rally. Three-time WNBA MVP and Settle's star forward Lauren Jackson is expected to miss the first half of the WNBA season as she prepares with the Australian women's basketball team for the upcoming London Olympics. Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved

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Fourth Estate Cooperative Staff Kerala, India (4E) - Nearly three months after two Italian marines killed Indian fishermen off India's southwestern coast, Italy on Friday recalled its ambassador to New Delhi for consultations. Indian authorities charged the marines with murder for allegedly killing the fishermen, while the marines claimed their innocence, saying they mistook the fishermen for pirates. "The Italian ambassador to New Delhi has been recalled to Rome for consultations on the matter of the marines, who are currently in custody in southern Indian state of Karela," an Indian Foreign Ministry statement said. Rome contends the marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, should be tried in Italy since the incident happened in international waters while the men were guarding an Italian oil tanker, MV Enrica Lexie. The diplomatic dispute has between the countries deepened despite the talks between the two governments. Moreover, Italy and the families of the fisherman have reached a deal under which Rome agreed to pay compensation of $189,000 to each of the families of two fishermen and the families agreed to withdraw court cases against the marines. Italy argued that an Indian fishing boat ignored the Italian ship's warning shots and behaved aggressively, while India claims that the fishermen, Selestian Valentine and Ajesh Pinky, were unarmed. Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved

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Fourth Estate Cooperative Staff Colombo, Sri Lanka (4E) - Sri Lanka's High Court on Friday granted bail of $8,000 to jailed ex-army chief Sarath Fonseka, who has been accused of employing military deserters. Talking to reporters outside the court in the capital Colombo, Fonseka's wife welcomed the news and hoped that her husband would receive a pardon from Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse. "I was promised that my husband will be cleared of all charges and released unconditionally," she told AFP. In the 2010 presidential election, Fonseka unsuccessfully attempted to unseat Rajapakse. The former four-star general missed the court's hearing on Friday due to a respiratory problem caused by injuries that he suffered during an April 2006 suicide bomb attack. It remained unclear whether Fonseka would have to go for trial for employing military deserters. Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved

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Fourth Estate Cooperative Staff Camp David, Md., United States (4E) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday welcomed leaders from the European Union, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia at his rural presidential retreat of Camp David as the two-day G8 summit begins. During the meetings, the leaders are expected to discuss Iran's nuclear challenge before talks resume with global powers in Baghdad later this month. The Syrian government crackdown on a civilian uprising, North Korea's ambitions to launch a nuclear test and Myanmar also will be high on the agenda. The leaders will also focus on Europe's economic woes during their time at the wooded Catoctin Mountain compound in Maryland on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved

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Fourth Estate Cooperative Staff Washington, D.C., United States (4E) - In what could affect long-term Sino-U.S. relations, the House of Representatives on Thursday voted to force the Barack Obama administration to sell 66 new F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan in addition to Washington's plans to upgrade the island nation's existing planes. The move is awaiting Senate approval, where Obama's party holds the majority. Stressing Taiwan's need to upgrade their aging fleet, Republican Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, the main supporter of the proposal, said it was important for Taiwan to upgrade its military aircraft in wake of neighbor China's growing military spending. China still considers the island as its territory, although Taiwan has been governing itself since 1949. "The sale of F-16s to Taiwan ensures our key strategic ally in the Pacific has the defense capacity to defend its own airspace," Granger said in a statement Friday. "Our support for a democratic Taiwan is consistent with our national security priorities in the region and demonstrates that we will continue to stand by our friends and allies no matter who or where the threats are from," she added. Responding to the vote, Taiwan defense ministry spokesman David Lo said, "Taiwan welcomes any projects that will help enhance and strengthen our self-defense capabilities." Article © AHN - All Rights Reserved

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