Sports briefs

BASEBALL

KT Wiz signs pitcher Yohan Pino for a one-year deal

The KT Wiz announced on Wednesday that the team has signed right-handed pitcher Yohan Pino for a one-year deal worth $700,000.

Pino, 31, played with the Kansas City Royals this season, going 0-2 with a 3.26 ERA in seven games. The Venezuelan pitcher made his big league debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2004 but mainly played in the minors. In 310 games in the minor league, he went 90-60 with a 3.82 ERA.

With Pino, the Wiz, which finished last in the KBO League this year, has completed its foreign player signings for next season. The Suwon-based club re-signed infielder Andy Marte and also inked deals with pitchers Sugar Ray Marimon and Travis Banwart.

By Joo Kyung-don

FOOTBALL

Top officials plead not guilty to FIFA-related charges

NEW YORK - The former president of Honduras and a former FIFA vice president extradited from Switzerland have pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the sprawling investigation of bribes and kickbacks involving soccer’s governing body.

Former Honduras President Rafael Callejas pleaded not guilty to bribery charges through his lawyer on Tuesday. Former FIFA vice president Juan Angel Napout also pleaded not guilty to racketeering, conspiracy and wire fraud and was released on a $20 million bond.

Honduras officials said Callejas came to New York on the advice of his lawyers.

Callejas served as president of Honduras from 1990 to 1994. He’s a current member of FIFA’s television and marketing committee.

About 20 soccer officials have been indicted on charges stemming from the U.S. investigation.

GOLF

McIlroy gets third Player title on the European Tour

VIRGINIA WATER, England - Rory McIlroy has been voted the European Tour’s player of the year for 2015, winning the award for the third time in the past four seasons.

The 26-year-old Northern Irishman successfully defended the Race to Dubai title after winning the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last month. He had two other victories, at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the WGC-Cadillac Match Play.

McIlroy says he feels “very proud to have won this prestigious award for the third time.”

He says it is “always special, no matter how often, to be recognized this way.”

The former top-ranked McIlroy, now No. 3, was granted special dispensation to play the European Tour’s Final Series. He had not fulfilled the standard membership criteria because of an ankle injury sustained midway through the year. AP