Broncos’ Nash dies suddenly

Denver Broncos running back Damien Nash collapsed and died after a charity basketball game in suburban St. Louis on Saturday, less than two months after the slaying of teammate Darrent Williams.

Officials at Christian Hospital in St. Louis said the 24-year-old Nash died early Saturday evening. The cause of death wasn’t immediately determined.

Nash collapsed shortly after participating in the game benefiting a foundation named for older brother Darris Nash. The foundation raises money for heart transplant research. It was established last month, after Darris Nash received a heart transplant.

The Broncos signed Nash as a free agent last season and he played in three games, rushing for 98 yards in 24 carries.

The Broncos are still reeling from the slaying of Williams, who was shot once in the neck while leaving a New Year’s Eve party in his rented stretch Hummer in downtown Denver hours after the season ended. His slaying remains unsolved.

LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers, the NFL’s most valuable player, is “devastated” by the death of his father, who was killed when a pickup truck flipped on a highway in Waco, Texas, on Friday.

Oliver Tomlinson, 71, was killed in the rollover, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The driver, Ronald McClain, was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he died. McClain, 48, was Tomlinson’s brother-in-law.

TENNIS

Venus Williams returns and wins

Venus Williams capped her first tournament back from an injured left wrist in winning fashion, defeating top-seeded Shahar Peer, 6-1, 6-1, in the Cellular South Cup at Memphis, Tenn.

In the men’s draw, the top two seeded players advanced to the final in the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.

Top-seeded Andy Roddick defeated third-seeded Andy Murray, 6-3, 7-6 (4), and second-seeded Tommy Haas beat fourth-seeded Mardy Fish, 6-3, 6-4.

Top-seeded Justine Henin defeated second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo, 6-4, 7-5, to win the Dubai Open in the United Arab Emirates for the fourth time. She also won in 2003, 2004 and 2006.

WINTER SPORTS

Guay ends Canada’s Cup drought

Erik Guay won a downhill at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, for his first World Cup victory and the first by a Canadian man in 13 years.

Guay clocked 1 minute 56.80 seconds on the Kandahar course to beat Friday’s winner, Andrej Jerman, by half a second. Didier Cuche was third in 1:57.33.

Bode Miller did not start because of a neck injury. The top American was Scott Macartney of Redmond, Wash., who finished 23rd in 1:58.70.

Michaela Kirchgasser won a giant slalom at Sierra Nevada, Spain, for her first World Cup victory. She rallied from third place after the first run and completed the two trips down the Fuente del Tesoro course in 2 minutes 14.41 seconds.

Nicole Hosp skied the fastest second leg and finished 0.42 of a second behind. Tanja Poutiainen, who had led after the first run, was third in 2:14.99. Julia Mancuso of Olympic Valley, Calif., was sixth, holding her position from the opening leg.

MOTOR RACING

Stewart wins AMA Supercross race

Kawasaki’s James Stewart raced to his sixth win of the season in the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, edging Suzuki’s Ricky Carmichael in front of a record crowd of 70,649 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

SOCCER

Manchester United beats Fulham

Manchester United defeated Fulham, 2-1, on Cristiano Ronaldo’s 88th-minute goal to move nine points ahead of Chelsea in the English Premier League.

United leads the league with 69 points. Defending champion Chelsea does not play a league match this weekend because it faces Arsenal in today’s League Cup final.

Fulham’s Brian McBride opened the scoring in the 17th minute with his 12th goal, and Ryan Giggs tied the score midway through the first half.

MISCELLANY

Carrera stripped of WBA title

Argentina’s Mariano Carrera will be stripped of his World Boxing Assn. middleweight title for failing a second drug test, making Spain’s Javier Castillejo the new champion.

Carrera’s urine sample tested positive for clembuterol, a drug banned by the WBA. The test was done Wednesday in Cologne, Germany, and was based on a sample after the Dec. 2 title fight in Berlin in which Castillejo lost to Carrera.

James Harden of Lakewood Artesia and Taylor King of Santa Ana Mater Dei have been selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American boys’ basketball game on March 28 at Freedom Hall in Louisville. Woodland Hills Taft Coach Derrick Taylor will coach the West team. Jeanette Pohlen of Brea Olinda and Lenita Sanford of Lynwood were selected to play in the girls’ game.

Grants worth $2.3 million were awarded by the Amateur Athletic Foundation (AAF) to 25 organizations providing sports opportunities for children. The AAF grant funds are a lasting legacy of the 1984 Olympics.

The biggest grant award ($615,000) went to Kids In Sports, an organization that runs sports programs, year round, at 14 parks and school-based sites in Los Angeles.

The AAF has invested more than $164 million in such programs and organizations of this nature since its inception in 1984.

-- Lisa Dillman