SPORTS / U.S.A.
May 1, 2017
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 7
Ichiro returns to Seattle as
member of 3,000-hit club
By Jim Hoehn
The Associated Press
S
OFFICIALLY AMERICAN. India-born U.S. national cricket team
player Timil Kaushik Patel, middle, takes an oath as a naturalized U.S. citi-
zen at a ceremony in Los Angeles. His wife, Pooja Patel, is seated to his
left. Patel says becoming an American citizen will help bring new players
onto the team since there are only three spots allowed for non-citizen
residents. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)
India-born U.S. cricket player
becomes American citizen
By Amy Taxin
The Associated Press
L
OS ANGELES — India-born U.S. national cricket
team player Timil Kaushik Patel has become a
naturalized American citizen — a move he hopes
will help bolster his new country’s team.
The 33-year-old California resident took the oath to
naturalize at a ceremony in Los Angeles with nearly 3,800
immigrants from more than 100 countries.
Until now, Patel has been occupying one of three slots
on the U.S. national team for residents of the country who
are not American citizens.
Becoming an American shores up his standing as a
player and helps the national team bring on talented new
players before a key tournament in Uganda, he said.
“It just gives us more options to select players and to be
a stronger team,” said Patel, the team’s vice captain,
adding that other teammates are trying to do the same to
free up more spots for newcomers.
Patel, who recently signed to play cricket for the St.
Lucia Stars along with the U.S. national team, moved to
the U.S. from India seven years ago with his family.
He said he played for a junior national team in India but
couldn’t start playing for the American team until he met
a four-year U.S-residency requirement.
Since the team is made up largely of immigrants from
India, Pakistan, and other countries where cricket is
popular, Patel said it’s key for those who can naturalize to
do so to bring on new players.
Patel, who also has a medical transport business in
California, said he sees the sport growing in the United
States.
“It is not as crazy as it is in India but it is getting there,”
Patel said. “We have a lot of plans in place. We’re playing
more cricket than we used to.”
EATTLE — Ichiro Suzuki
received a rousing ovation for
his first at-bat in Safeco Field
as a member of the 3,000-hit club.
The Japanese star spent his first
11-and-a-half American seasons with
Seattle, getting 2,533 hits before
heading to the New York Yankees
and Miami Marlins.
He batted ninth for Miami in his
first appearance at Safeco since June
12, 2014, when he was with the
Yankees.
“He deserves everything he gets,”
Marlins manager Don Mattingly
said. “He’s been a great player. He’s
been a great player for a long time.
And obviously he started his career in
the states here. It was nice to see
that.”
With the Mariners leading 3-0,
Ichiro grounded out to second to end
the third inning. He grounded out
three times as his average dipped to
.067 with one hit in 15 at-bats. The
Marlins lost 1-6.
The 43-year-old got his 3,000th
career hit last season, and the
Mariners had a pregame video
tribute for him on the scoreboard,
followed by an introduction at home
plate with several former Seattle
teammates and current players.
Ichiro also had 1,278 hits in nine
seasons in Japan.
Banned yak
meat smuggled
in sweaters seized
NEW YORK (AP) —
Customs agents at John F.
Kennedy Airport have
seized more than 300
pounds of banned Yak
meat smuggled in sweat-
ers, pants, and shawls.
Officials said the meat
came from Nepal, a country
affected by foot-and-mouth
Continued on page 9
Passenger who was dragged off jetliner settles with United
By Michael Tarm and Don Babwin
The Associated Press
C
HICAGO — The passenger who
was dragged off a flight after
refusing to give up his seat settled
with United for an undisclosed sum in an
apparent attempt by the airline to put the
fiasco behind it as quickly as possible.
David Dao’s legal team said the agree-
ment includes a provision that the amount
will remain confidential. One of his law-
yers praised United CEO Oscar Munoz.
Munoz “said he was going to do the right
thing, and he has,” attorney Thomas
Demetrio said in a brief statement. “In
addition,
United
has
taken
full
responsibility for what happened ...
without attempting to blame others,
including the city of Chicago.”
The settlement came less than three
weeks after the episode and before Dao
had even sued. The deal means United will
not face a lawsuit, which could have been
costly, both in legal bills and in further
damage to the airline’s reputation.
United issued a brief statement, saying
it was pleased to report “an amicable
resolution of the unfortunate incident that
occurred aboard Flight 3411.”
The dragging was one of several recent
embarrassments for United.
The airline was criticized in March after
a gate agent stopped two teenage girls
from boarding a flight because they were
WARM WELCOME. Ichiro Suzuki of the Miami Marlins waves to fans while taking the field dur-
ing batting practice before a baseball game against his former team, the Seattle Mariners, in Seat-
tle. Ichiro received a rousing ovation for his first at-bat at Safeco Field as a member of the 3,000-hit
club. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
“You know it’s been three years reaffirms that this is a special place.”
Ichiro, who played mostly right
since I’ve been back,” Ichiro said
through a translator. “To get that field during his time in Seattle,
warm reception that I did get, and started in left and made a nice
with the ceremony and with having running catch on Taylor Motter’s
the guys come out, Edgar (Martinez) drive into the corner in the eighth
and Felix (Hernandez) and (Kyle) inning.
“Even when I was with the
Seager and (Hisashi) Iwakuma come
out, just grateful. Grateful to them Yankees, I never played left field here
and grateful to the fans. ... it’s been so at Safeco,” he said. “So this was the
first view I got from that angle. That
long.
“I could have been forgotten, but for definitely kind of felt weird, kind of
them to do that for me I was very was a little different. It was a
thankful,” he said. “It kind of different experience.”
wearing leggings — an apparent violation
of a dress code for passengers travelling in
a program for employees and their
dependents. Then a giant showcase rabbit
died in late April after it was shipped
across the Atlantic on a United flight from
London’s Heathrow Airport to O’Hare.
Cellphone video of the April 9 confronta-
tion aboard a jetliner at Chicago’s O’Hare
Airport sparked widespread public out-
rage over the way Dao was treated.
The footage showed airport police
officers pulling the 69-year-old Kentucky
physician from his seat and dragging him
down the aisle. His lawyer said he lost
teeth and suffered a broken nose and a
concussion.
In a phone interview with The Associ-
ated Press, Demetrio said the settlement
also averts any lawsuit against Chicago
officials, the airport police officers who
pulled Dao off the jet work for the city.
“I praise Mr. Munoz and his people for
not trying to throw the city under the bus
or pass the buck,” Demetrio said. “He stood
in front of the world and has stated that,
‘We, United, take full responsibility.’”
Demetrio said it was “unheard of” for a
company to admit responsibility so quickly
and completely.
“I hope corporate America notices when
you goof up. People respect you a heck of a
lot more when you admit it, instead of
making people go through three years of
Continued on page 9
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