IN BRIEF (Page 24)

Baseball

Bell to resign as Royals manager at end of season

NEW YORK: Kansas City Royals manager Buddy Bell said on Wednesday he would resign at the end of the season.

"I had to make a choice - managing or my family. And, to me, that's a no-brainer," the 55-year-old Bell said at a news conference in Minneapolis, where the Royals played on Wednesday.

"I have grandchildren, I have a daughter that's handicapped and needs a lot of attention and I want to spend more time with. And, quite frankly, I need to be at home," Bell said.

He will remain with the team next season as a senior advisor to general manager Dayton Moore, the Royals said.

Bell had been Kansas City's manager since May 2005, compiling a 152-228 record. The team was in last place in the American League West with a 47-59 record before Wednesday's game.

Tennis

Johansson comes back to down defending champ

WASHINGTON: Sweden's Thomas Johansson served his way into the third round of the $600,000 Washington Classic with a 1-6 6-3 6-4 victory against fourth seed and defending champion Arnaud Clement on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old former Australian Open champion was blitzed in the opening set but discovered his serving touch to claim his fifth career victory in 10 matches against the Frenchman.

"After the first set, I thought to myself, 'It can't get any worse than this, it can only get better'," Johansson, the world No 74, said. "I tried to go for it a little more in the second set."

In other second-round matches, sixth seed Mardy Fish of the United States lost to Germany's Michael Berrer 7-6 6-4 while wild card John Isner of the United States stunned eighth seed Benjamin Becker of Germany 3-6 7-5 7-6.

Soccer

MU sign 9-year-old YouTube wonder

LONDON: Manchester United have signed a gifted nine-year-old after his grandfather sent the Premier League champions a DVD showcasing the boy's talents which has become a YouTube sensation.

Rhain Davis, who was born in England but has lived in Australia since the age of four, was hailed by the British press on Thursday as the next Wayne Rooney after the United striker.

The boy's dribbling and goalscoring prowess for an Under-10 side in Brisbane, Australia, feature in a four-minute YouTube clip, already viewed more than 800,000 times.

United confirmed the signing but played down the hype around Davis, who has moved back to Cheshire in northern England with his father, near the club's training ground.

"He's a member of our academy and we don't comment on individual members," a United spokesman told the media.

Thaksin promises Man City fans a taste of Thailand

BANGKOK: New Manchester City owner and former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will lay on a slice of his homeland at Saturday's friendly against Spain's Valencia, with chart-topping singers and authentic eastern cuisine.

Thaksin's Bangkok-based lawyer Noppadon Pattama said 20-year-old Thai R&B singer Saranrat Wisutthithada, who goes under the stage name Lydia, would serenade the Sky Blues faithful during the pre-season clash.

The club's board and players would also be served two signature Thai dishes at a post-match reception: Pad Thai, a fried noodle combination, and Tom Yam Kung, a spicy prawn soup.

(China Daily 08/03/2007 page24)