Hospitalized Maradona Tests Positive for Cocaine Use Again

Blood and urine samples taken from Diego Maradona on Wednesday tested positive for cocaine use, a day after he was hospitalized for high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat at Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Maximo Costa Rocha, police chief in the Uruguayan province of Maldonado, said a initial round of testing had shown signs of “excessive cocaine” in the former soccer star’s system.

Rocha said Maradona had not been detained in the case, but added an investigation has started, as is required by Uruguayan law when someone tests positive for drug use.

Maradona remained in intensive care Wednesday, his doctor said.

Dr. Frank Torres said the former Argentine captain was responding favorably to treatment for his heart-related problems and reiterated that the hospitalization was expected to be “brief.”

“He is stable and progressing well,” Torres said.

Maradona was suspended 15 months by the Italian League in March 1991 after a positive test for cocaine, and for another 15 months by FIFA in 1994 after testing positive for stimulants during the World Cup.

Tennis

Bulgaria’s Magdalena Maleeva, once ranked as high as fourth in the world, continued on her comeback trail with a 6-0, 6-1 quarterfinal thrashing of top-seeded Julie Halard-Decugis of France in the Australian Women’s Hardcourt championship at Gold Coast, Australia.

Anna Kournikova of Russia was beaten, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, by Croatia’s top player, seventh-seeded Silvija Talaja.

One day after he shocked top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Czech Michael Tabara was ousted from the $430,000 Gold Flake Open at Chennai, India, losing to Lorenzo Manta of Switzerland, 6-4, 6-3.

The upsets continued as Martin Damm of the Czech Republic ousted seventh-seeded Ronald Agenor of Haiti, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Third-seeded Fabrice Santoro of France defeated John van Lottum of the Netherlands, 7-6 (10-8), 6-1, in a second-round match of the Qatar Open at Doha.

College Football

The NCAA reprimanded Tennessee State, cut its football scholarships and recruiting visits and put the school on probation for three years for rules violations.

The NCAA’s Committee on Infractions imposed the sanctions for violations involving overspending on athletes, recruiting and a lack of institutional control.

The NCAA has granted Nebraska offensive lineman Jason Schwab an extra year of eligibility. Schwab, a senior tackle, was slated to start this season until he was sidelined by a knee injury in August.

Miscellany

A high school hockey player pleaded not guilty at Waukegan, Ill., to charges that he intentionally slammed the captain of a rival team into the boards, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.

The 15-year-old Glenbrook North student is charged with two counts of aggravated battery for delivering a hit that sent a New Trier player into the boards head first. The collision occurred near the time the final buzzer sounded in the game.

The name of the defendant wasn’t disclosed because he is a juvenile. The next hearing in the case has been set for Jan. 26.

As expected, Lennox Lewis agreed to defend his undisputed heavyweight championship against Michael Grant on April 29, a spokesman for his U.S. promoter, Main Events, said.

Although the site for Lewis’ first defense has not been set, it probably will be Madison Square Garden in New York. Lewis will receive about $10 million and Grant $3-4 million for the bout.

Dave Sarachan, an assistant for D.C. United of Major League Soccer, was hired as a full-time assistant coach to Bruce Arena, the coach of the U.S. national soccer team.

Nicolas Anelka, Raul and Savio scored as Real Madrid opened the inaugural World Club Championship in Sao Paolo, Brazil, with a 3-1 victory over Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr. In the second Group A game, Brazil’s Corinthians beat Raja Morocco’s Raja Casablanca, 2-0, on goals by Luizao and Fabio Luciano.

Olympic swimming gold medalist Amy Van Dyken was resting after what doctors called successful follow-up surgery at Denver to remove scar tissue around the rotator cuff of her right shoulder.

Van Dyken is expected to undergo at least eight weeks of rehabilitation and be back in the water for training in March.

Olympic gymnast Dominique Moceanu, who sued in 1998 to gain independence from her family, says she has patched up relations with her parents and is focusing on the Sydney Games.

“It’s normal now,” Moceanu said after her first workout at Coach Mary Lee Tracy’s Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy. “I see my mom and sister. I talk to my dad. It’s all getting back on track.”