Basketball Player Hurt When He Rams Head Into Support

Serbian player Slobodan Jankovic was in serious condition in Athens, Greece, today after ramming his head into a concrete support to protest a referee's decision in a Greek playoff game.

The 6-foot-8 Panionios forward was rushed to a hospital last night after he told paramedics he had no feeling in his legs.

As he raised his arms in dis-belief after fouling out of Panionios' 65-58 loss to Panathinaikos, Jankovic rammed his head against concrete blocks supporting the backboard and basket. He bounced back, fell to the floor and was carried away on a stretcher.

"It is 99.9 percent certain that Jankovic's legs will be paralyzed, while his arms will be partially disabled," the team doctor said today. Dr. Giorgos Katsifarakis said the 30-year-old player fractured his spine.

-- FOOTBALL

Cornerback James Hasty can earn $1.5 million next season with the Cincinnati Bengals, or more than a million dollars higher than that by staying with the New York Jets. The Bengals made a one-year, $1.5 million bid that includes a clause requiring that Hasty be paid $1.5 million, or the equivalent of what the highest-paid player on the team with five or more years' experience is making. For New York to retain Hasty, a former Washington State Cougar who will be entering his sixth NFL season, it will cost at least $2.7 million.

-- The Buffalo Bills, Super Bowl losers the last three years, extended Coach Marv Levy's contract through 1996. He reportedly will make about $850,000 annually.

-- TENNIS

Top-seeded Pete Sampras defeated Horst Skoff of Austria 6-1, 6-2 and Richard Fromberg of Australia beat Mats Wilander of Sweden 6-3, 6-1 in the second round of the AT&T Challenge in Duluth, Ga. Wilander was playing his first ATP Tour event since 1991.

-- RUGBY

One person was killed and 17 injured today near Grantville, Ga., when a van carrying members of a British army team ran off Interstate 85 and overturned after the driver fell asleep.

-- SOCCER

Five members of the Zambian national team who play professionally for clubs in other countries were not aboard the plane that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Libreville, Gabron, killing 18 players.

At least three of them, Kalusha Bwalya, Johnson Bwalya and Charles Musonda, planned to rejoin the team after it arrived in Senegal for a World Cup qualifying match.

Others killed in yesterday's crash were five team officials, five flight crewmen and the deputy news editor of the state-run Zambian News Agency.

-- HOCKEY

Mark Recchi of the Philadelphia Flyers scored two goals and added an assist as Canada beat Finland 5-1 to advance to a semifinal match with Russia in the world championships in Munich. The Czech Republic, which beat Italy 8-1, will face Sweden in tomorrow's other semifinal.

-- COLLEGE BASEBALL

Gordie Gillespie, St. Francis (Ill.) coach, passed former USC coach Rod Dedeaux to become the all-time victory leader with 1,333 as his team swept a doubleheader from McKendree, 20-1 and 13-3.

-- BOXING

Gregorio "Goyo" Vargas of Mexico stopped Paul Hodkinson of Britain with 33 seconds left in the seventh round to capture the WBC featherweight title in Dublin, Ireland.

-- AUTO RACING

British driver Nigel Mansell received permission to postpone his Indianapolis 500 rookie test and underwent back surgery yesterday to repair an injury suffered in an April 3 crash at Phoenix International Raceway.

-- VENUES

After three decades of battling to replace the Boston Garden, officials promised a new arena for the Bruins and Celtics will be ready in 889 days. Civic and sports officials joined project leaders at a groundbreaking ceremony for the $160 million arena that should open in time for the 1995-96 seasons.