IN BRIEF (Page 20)
Soccer
Morales says to tackle Blatter on altitude ban
LA PAZ: Bolivia's soccer-loving president Evo Morales said on Tuesday he planned to meet FIFA chief Sepp Blatter to challenge him over a ban on playing international matches at high altitude.
Morales is leading opposition in Andean countries to a ruling by world soccer's governing body to stop games being played at stadiums that lie more than 2,500 metres above sea level on health grounds.
"I can't understand how an organization like FIFA, which has more members than the United Nations, can sideline those of us who live at high altitude," Morales told a local radio station.
"We've got arguments, not just medical, sporting and cultural, but also political to defend high-altitude play."
He said he expected to meet Blatter at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich on June 27.
Real crush Peace Team 8-0 in Tel Aviv friendly
TEL AVIV: Real Madrid defeated a joint Israeli-Palestinian "Peace Team" 8-0 on Tuesday in a friendly match in Tel Aviv aimed at promoting Middle East peace.
About 30,000 spectators saw Real cruise to victory at the National Stadium against a team made up of Jewish and Arab Israeli players and a handful of Palestinians who play for clubs across the occupied West Bank.
Four goals by Guti and others by Raul, Esteban Romero, Sergio Sanchez and Alvaro Negredo added to the entertainment value for the fans.
The match was organised by the Peres Centre for Peace, an organisation set up by Israeli President-Elect and elder statesman, Shimon Peres. It promotes many joint sporting and educational activities between Israelis and Palestinians.
"You became the champions of Spain and now you are also the champions of peace," the 83-year-old Peres said before the match.
Qatar bids to host 2011 Asian Cup
LONDON: Qatar is the first country to submit a bid to host the 2011 Asian Cup, tournament officials said on Tuesday.
India and Iran have indicated they are also likely to apply for the right to host the 2011 tournament and the Asia Football Confederation will announce its choice in Jakarta on July 29.
"We hope the AFC Executive Committee will be satisfied with our bid and give us a chance to host the biggest Asian football event in four year's time," Qatar Football Association General Secretary Saud Al Mohannadi said in a statement.
Cricket
England beat West Indies by seven wickets
DURHAM, England: England completed a 3-0 series win over West Indies on Tuesday with a seven-wicket victory on the final day of the fourth test.
England, set 110 to win, reached 111 for three as Michael Vaughan (48 not out) steered England home in his first test series in 18 months after injury.
Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar took five for 46 in West Indies' second innings' 222 in which Shivnarine Chanderpaul scoring 70, his sixth successive test in excess of 50.
Chanderpaul had batted for 17 hours 38 minutes in the series without being dismissed until he was last man out on Tuesday and he is the only batsmanto have gone unbeaten for more than a 1,000 minutes on three occasions.
He holds the world record with an unbeaten sequence of 1,513 minutes in 2002 against India, a series in which he averaged 148.66.
West Indies' hopes of survival faded after lunch when Dwayne Bravo miscued a lofted straight drive and was caught at mid-off off Panesar for 43. The innings then gradually folded around the seemingly immovable Chanderpaul.
(China Daily 06/21/2007 page20)
