Sports briefly: Drugs in sports

DRUGS IN SPORTS

Doping scandal, brawl mars university games

The World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand, were rocked Tuesday by a doping scandal and the aftermath of an ugly soccer brawl between Thailand and Mexico.

News of the positive tests followed a Monday night brawl at a game between Thailand and Mexico. There were three separate outbursts of fighting, four players were red-carded and spectators became involved before police were called.

Late Tuesday, the International University Sports Federation announced match bans on six players -- three on each team -- and a Thai team official.

Dr. Lawrence Rink, the head of the doping commission at the University Games, said there have been positive drug tests, but would not say how many athletes or identify them. Rink said details would remain private until the appeal process is over.

SOCCER

Beckham to play today

David Beckham said he'll play tonight in Carson, Calif., when the Los Angeles Galaxy are host to D.C. United in the Super Liga tournament. The English superstar practiced Tuesday for the first time since joining the team a month ago. He appeared to move well laterally and got off a few long kicks toward the end of a scrimmage.

Beckham, 32, has been hindered by a nagging left ankle injury. It isn't completely healed, but he said he was "about 78 percent" ready to go.

• Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Clint Dempsey head a relatively full-strength roster picked by the U.S. for next week's exhibition game at Sweden. The Aug. 22 game in Goteborg will be their first in Europe since Bob Bradley took over as coach from Bruce Arena in December.

GOLF

Ames will defend Skins title

Defending champion Stephen Ames and Masters winner Zach Johnson will play in the 25th Skins Game on Thanksgiving weekend in Indian Wells, Calif. Organizers said Ames and Johnson will be joined on the Celebrity Course by Fred Couples, the most successful golfer in Skins Game history, and Brett Wetterich.

• Defending champion Davis Love III withdrew from this week's Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N.C., after his doctor recommended removing kidney stones that had been bothering him.

WNBA

Melvin hurt in Comets' win

The Chicago Sky (13-19) beat the visiting New York Liberty 77-65 in a WNBA game in which Chicago forward Chastity Melvin suffered an eye injury.

Melvin was poked in the left eye in the first quarter and her eye briefly came out of its socket. Melvin said: "It was kind of traumatizing. It's going to take some time to get over this."

The team said preliminary tests at UIC Medical Center showed no loss of vision.

Former Gophers center Janel McCarville scored 11 points for New York (13-18).

• Alana Beard scored 18 of her 28 points in the fourth quarter as Washington (15-17) rallied for a 65-64 victory over visiting Connecticut (17-14). Minnesotans played prominent roles. Coco Miller, a former Rochester Mayo athlete, had 15 points for Washington, while former Gophers star Lindsay Whalen scored 13 for the Sun.

• Tina Thompson had 25 points and nine rebounds as Houston (12-20) handed Detroit (24-8) an 81-73 surprise in Auburn Hills, Mich.

• San Antonio (20-11) defeated host Los Angeles (10-22) in overtime 84-77.

AROUND THE HORN

Colleges: Florida A&M University fired men's basketball coach Mike Gillespie less than three months after he was charged with misdemeanor stalking. ... In New York, Kia Vaughn, a member of the Rutgers women's basketball team, sued Don Imus and CBS, claiming the radio personality's sexist and racist comments about the team damaged her reputation.

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