IN BRIEF (Page 24)

Cycling

Boonen to compete

PARIS: Belgian rider Tom Boonen will compete for the first time since the revelation of his positive test for cocaine, when he takes part in this week's Ster Elektrotoer, his Quick Step team confirmed yesterday.

Boonen, 27, will be team leader in the stage race which starts in the Netherlands on Tuesday.

The 2005 world champion and reigning Paris-Roubaix champion was banned by organisers from competing in this week's Tour of Switzerland because of the positive test.

The sprinter was also barred from starting next month's Tour de France, a decision which the Quick Step team area hoping to overturn.

Olympics

Aussies to skip opening

BRISBANE, Australia: The majority of Australia's track and field team will not march in the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Beijing on Aug 8 after opting to remain at their training camp in Hong Kong.

An Australian Olympic Committee spokesman said the decision to skip the opening ceremony was a logistical one and had nothing to do with health concerns.

Mike Tancred told the Australian Associated Press the bulk of Australia's athletics team would be at their camp in Hong Kong until shortly before the start of track and field competition on Aug 15.

Brazil's women gain berth

MADRID: Brazil overcame Cuba 72-67 in the final of the women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament to take the last place available for the Beijing Games on Sunday.

Brazil joins the four quarterinal winner, Spain, Czech Republic, Latvia and Belarus.

Brazil, which was fourth at the Athens Olympics in 2004, suffered a dramatic bust-up after that game when coach Paulo Bassul kicked his captain Iziane Castro Marques off the team for refusing to come on in overtime.

Soccer

Bad day for Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil lost 2-0 to 10-man Paraguay and Argentina needed a stoppage-time equalizer to hold Ecuador 1-1 at home in South American World Cup qualifiers on Sunday.

Chile completed a dramatic day by winning 2-0 at high altitude in Bolivia with two goals from defender Gary Medel, the first a bicycle kick.

Brazil and Argentina's poor displays should add to the usual spice when the two meet in Belo Horizonte on Wednesday in the next round of matches.

The top four teams qualify directly for the 2010 World Cup and the fifth play off against a side from the CONCACAF region.

Baseball

Yankees sweep Astros

HOUSTON: The New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros with a 13-0 win on Sunday but lost pitcher Wang Chien-ming to a foot injury.

The Yankees ace got a rare chance to hit in the game against a National League opponent and it was in running the bases that he injured his foot.

He pulled up rounding third base on a two-run single by Derek Jeter during New York's eight-run sixth inning. Wang managed to hop across the plate to score on the play but he pointed to his right foot and after being attended to by a trainer was helped off the field.

Wang was on crutches with a soft case on his foot as he addressed reporters through a Yankee spokesperson.

"I feel sore," Wang said. "Of course I'm disappointed."

(China Daily 06/17/2008 page24)