A brief look at Citizen wire service stories that appear in Thursday's edition of the Prince George Citizen:
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Dancers dunked
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- FIBA’s dance team has been benched during Turkey’s games.
The Red Foxes have been told to stop performing in games involving the host country at the world basketball championships because their risque costumes and routines are offensive to the nation that is nearly entirely Muslim. Islam prohibits women from exposing their skin in public.
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Canada flunks out at worlds
IZMIR, Turkey -- Canada will make an early exit from the world basketball championship after stumbling to a fourth straight loss Wednesday.
A 71-61 loss to New Zealand dropped the Canadians to the bottom of Group D with an 0-4 record. With no chance to move into the top two, Canada won’t advance to the knockout round.
Canada closes out group play Thursday against defending champion Spain.
The Canadians also lost to Lebanon, Lithuania and France earlier in the tournament.
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The honest golfer of the year
MILWAUKEE -- Zach Nash was shocked when he discovered he had one too many golf clubs in his bag two hours after winning a junior Wisconsin PGA tournament.
But rules are rules, and the 14-year-old from southern Wisconsin made a decision that might surprise some people: He disqualified himself and surrendered his medal.
The Wisconsin PGA plans to present it to runner-up Dane Reinhardt.
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Arum's son missing
SEATTLE -- Nearly two dozen mountaineers and park rangers are searching for the son of Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum, who’s been missing since a weekend camping trip in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state.
John Arum was expected to arrive home Sunday after climbing Storm King, a rugged mountain peak about a seven-hour drive from Seattle. Family members grew worried when the 49-year-old environmental lawyer and accomplished hiker did not return.
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Sanchez giving back
SURREY -- When Davis Sanchez was a rookie trying to crack the Montreal Alouettes lineup, Tony Proudfoot was an assistant coach at the training camp.
Proudfoot, who played defensive back for 12 seasons in the CFL, took Sanchez under his wing. He gave the North Delta native advice, showed him how to play the game. Teacher and pupil formed a bond.
Sanchez, now a cornerback with the B.C. Lions, knows he owes a debt to Proudfoot. That’s one reason why he will donate his paycheque from Friday’s game between the Lions and Alouettes to the fund Proudfoot has established to help people suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
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No vuvuzelas in Euro 2012
GENEVA -- The honking plastic horns that caused such an uproar at the World Cup have been shut out of Champions League and European Championship qualifying matches.
UEFA issued a ban Wednesday that prevents fans from bringing vuvuzelas into the stadium at any match it organizes in the continent’s 53 soccer nations. The governing body of European soccer said it made the decision to protect the culture and tradition of fans singing at matches from the “negative effect” of South Africa’s signature musical contraption.
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NHL prospects eager
TORONTO -- During his peak years as a collector, between the ages of eight and 13, Brayden Schenn earned a fresh pack of NHL trading cards every time he registered a hat trick in minor hockey.
His mother bought them from a local convenience store as a reward, and she ended up buying more than a few for Brayden and his older brother, Luke. Brayden was always on the lookout for a Pavel Bure, while Luke hunted for the newest Peter Forsberg card.
“I haven’t touched them in probably five years,” Brayden said with a smile Wednesday. “There’s a lot of good cards, actually.”
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Marino pushes Venus
NEW YORK -- Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino turned heads at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, giving American Venus Williams all she could handle in the first set before succumbing 7-6 (3), 6-3 to the third seed.
Williams struggled early on a steamy, windy day before reeling off the last six points of a tiebreak against the 179th-ranked qualifier from Vancouver.
“Seemed like every time I had an opening she would hit a big serve,” Williams said of the first set. “So I guess I know what it’s like now playing myself. I was very impressed. She’s got a good future ahead of her.”
