IN BRIEF (Page 22)

Liverpool owners admit to Klinsmann meeting

LONDON: Liverpool's American owners met former Germany manager Juergen Klinsmann in November to discuss the possibility of him replacing Rafael Benitez, chairman Tom Hicks said on Monday.

Hicks admitted they had sounded out Klinsmann, who has since been appointed as Bayern Munich boss from next season, but said they had now given Benitez their full backing after a meeting with the Spaniard.

"In November, when it appeared we were in danger of not advancing in the Champions League, weren't playing well in our Premier League matches, and Rafa and we were having communication issues over the January transfer window, George and I met with Juergen Klinsmann to learn as much as we could about English and European football," Hicks told the Liverpool Echo.

James unrepentant after speeding ticket

CLEVELAND, Ohio: NBA superstar LeBron James downplayed his most recent brush with the law after being ticketed for going 163 km per hour (101 mph) on the highway in his white Mercedes.

The Cleveland Cavaliers franchise player was unapologetic after acknowledging driving 58 kph over the speed limit on December 30, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Monday.

"It's no big deal," James told the newspaper. "I was on my way home to go to sleep. You have to abide by the rules. I made a mistake."

Ohio state police stopped James' car at 2:43 am local time on his 23rd birthday. The car carries vanity license plates which read "KING OF AK".

Officer Harley Steppenbacker said James was polite and cooperative after being pulled over.

James pleaded not guilty to the charge and could face a fine of $150. A court hearing is scheduled for February 11.

Lakers lose center Bynum for at least eight weeks

LOS ANGELES: Andrew Bynum, a major contributor to the revival of the Los Angeles Lakers this season, will miss at least the next two months of the NBA season with a left knee injury.

The Lakers announced on Monday that an MRI exam showed the center suffered a bone bruise and a left kneecap injury with 8:52 remaining in the third quarter in Sunday's 100-99 home victory over Memphis.

While Bynum, 20, was expected to make a full recovery, he will not be available to the Lakers until at least March 11 if the prognosis is correct.

That would mean the 2.13m center will miss 27 games and have barely a month to work his way back into top shape before the start of the playoffs.

Bynum, a third-year NBA player, has averaged 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots a game.

Bynum jumped to the NBA from high school and was the youngest player ever taken in the NBA Draft. When he played his first NBA game in 2005, Bynum was the youngest player to ever play in an NBA game at 18 years and six days.

Romanian weightlifter Calancea banned for doping

BUCHAREST, Romania: Former Romanian weightlifting world champion Valeriu Calancea has been banned for two years after testing positive for an anabolic steroid, the Romanian Weightlifting Federation (FRH) said on Monday.

"Calancea failed a dope test for methandienone at the 2007 Worlds in Chang Mai, Thailand," FRH president Nicu Vlad told Reuters. "His second sample was also positive."

Calancea, 27, was a double gold medalist at the 2003 World Championships in Vancouver and was a Romanian medal hope for this year's Olympics in Beijing.

Embattled umpire Bucknor unhappy with cricket ouster

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica: Embattled cricket umpire Steve Bucknor expressed disappointment Monday in being sent home from the Test series between India and Australia.

Bucknor said he was "disappointed that I am not continuing the tour between Australia and India, in Australia. But I respect ICC's authority in the matter.

"To err is human, to forgive divine, as the old saying goes.

"However, I consider it a sad day to see umpires sidelined after making only two wrong decisions out of a record of 35 appeals."

Bucknor, a West Indian umpire, was dumped by the ICC after India complaints over his performance in last week's Sydney Test match won by Australia.

Several wrong decisions by Bucknor swung the odds against the Indians.

(China Daily 01/16/2008 page22)