SOCCER

High-scoring forward for Galaxy is MLS MVP

Robbie Keane was named Major League Soccer’s MVP after the Irish forward’s dynamic season for the LA Galaxy.

New England’s Lee Nguyen and Seattle’s Obafemi Martins were the other finalists.

The 34-year-old Keane had 19 goals and 14 assists, providing dangerous attacking and steady leadership for the MLS Cup finalists. After winning two league titles in Keane’s first three seasons, the Galaxy will attempt to win a third when they host New England in the championship game Sunday.

• D.C. United’s Bill Hamid was named Goalkeeper of the Year and Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Pedro Morales won Newcomer of the Year.

AUTO RACING

FORMULA ONE: The circuit is scrapping its rule to award double points to the winner of the final race of the season and has reviewed its safety procedures in the light of French driver Jules Bianchi’s life-threatening crash at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The decision was ratified Wednesday at a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, when South Korea was provisionally added to a 21-race calendar for the 2015 season. It is scheduled to stage a Grand Prix on May 3, subject to approval.

• Tony Stewart has undergone a fourth surgery on the leg he broke last year during a sprint car race in Iowa.

Stewart was released from a hospital on Wednesday. He was then headed to Las Vegas to celebrate Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick’s championship.

GOLF

EUROPEAN TOUR: The fight to topple Rory McIlroy starts again on Thursday in South Africa at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, with three former top-ranked players – Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald – among those looking to get a jump on the 2014 money list winner.

PGA: Tiger Woods swung freely and easily during the pro-am at the Hero World Challenge in Windermere, Florida, his first time walking 18 holes since he missed the cut Aug. 9 at the PGA Championship.

“It felt good to be out there,” Woods said. “I took that much time off right after the PGA and built up my body and made a few adjustments on my swing and hit some good shots today.”

But the real test is Thursday in the first round of an unofficial event with 18 elite players from the top 50 in the world.

OLYMPICS

2016 SUMMER GAMES: Organizers of upcoming Rio de Janeiro Games said they have matched the domestic sponsorship revenues for the 2012 Games and expect to surpass London’s total with almost two years to go.

Renato Ciuchini, the chief commercial officer of the Rio Games, said Rio has already earned $1 billion in sponsorship sales, amid fluctuating exchange rates.

London raised about $1.1 billion from domestic sponsors.

• USA Track and Field nearly doubled its annual revenue in 2014 and will put more of that money into athlete training in hopes of pumping up the medal count at Rio.

BIATHLON

WORLD CUP: Norway’s Emil Hegle Svendsen won the men’s 20K individual race in Ostersund, Sweden, at a biathlon World Cup event.

Svendsen, who won Olympic gold in the 15K mass start and the mixed relay at the Sochi Games earlier this year, shot cleanly and finished with a time of 53 minutes, 25.6 seconds.

– From news service reports

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