Sports news briefs for April 18, 2003

Friday, April 18, 2003 | 9:55 a.m.

New Yorker takes World Cup opener

McLain Ward of Brewster, N.Y., riding Viktor, owned by Ward and Harry Gill, won the first round of the Budweiser World Cup show jumping championships Thursday evening at the Thomas & Mack Center. Malin Baryard of Sweden was second aboard H&M Butterfly Fly. Three-time world champion Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil finished third on Baloubet Du Rouet.

Ward, one of 14 U.S. riders in the competition, had one rail down in the speed class, but was able to maintain the lead with a time of 68.73 seconds.

Show jumping will continue through Sunday's Grand Prix of Las Vegas and the World Cup.

Wilkens fired as coach of Raptors

Lenny Wilkens is out as coach of the Toronto Raptors, leaving by mutual agreement after the worst season of his 30-year NBA career.

Wilkens, who owns the league's career coaching records for most victories (1,292) and losses (1,114), went 24-58 this season. Toronto finished seventh in the eight-team Central Division.

He had one season left on his contract with the Raptors, who will pay him what's due after reaching what the team called "a mutual agreement that concludes Wilkens' coaching tenure with the team."

Last week, NBA commissioner David Stern set April 18 as the deadline for reaching a new collective bargaining agreement. Otherwise, he said, the WNBA's seventh season won't be played.

Williams cheered at Kansas banquet

Roy Williams received a standing ovation when he returned to Kansas for an awards banquet, and not even the lone cry of "traitor" from the audience could spoil his evening.

A tearful Williams appeared at the team ceremony three days after resigning as coach of the Jayhawks and taking the job at his alma mater, North Carolina.

Raiders aim to block foes' uniform scheme

The Oakland Raiders have asked a judge to prevent the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers from wearing their uniforms for games in California because they violate the Raiders' trademark rights.

The Raiders claim Tampa Bay's pirate logo is too similar to Oakland's. And the Raiders object to the Panthers' uniforms because two colors -- silver and black -- match those of the Raiders.

Kournikova withdraws from Challenger event

Anna Kournikova pulled out of a minor league event in Alabama because of a thigh injury.

She signed up for the $75,000 USTA Women's Challenger Tournament, part of the lower tier of tennis tournaments typically for players trying to move up. But Kournikova scrapped her plans because of the injury that forced her to quit during a match last week at the Family Circle Cup in Florida.

Navarro still unbeaten

U.S. Olympian Jose Navarro remained unbeaten as a professional with a unanimous 12-round decision over Jorge Luis Gonzalez in a super flyweight fight Thursday night in Los Angeles.