IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Soccer

Flu threatens Cup

CAPE TOWN: South Africa faces a possible health crisis if a swine flu outbreak strikes during the soccer World Cup this year, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told parliament on Monday.

"One of our biggest nightmares is the fact that 2010 is going to be held in June when there is a possibility of another bout of A(H1N1)," Motsoaledi said.

The month-long tournament, hosted in Africa for the first time, is expected to attract 450,000 tourists during the South African winter.

Motsoaledi said the department of health had managed to acquire 1.3 million doses of the A(H1N1) vaccine and another 3.5 million doses from the World Health Organization.

Basketball

Gasol is best again

MADRID: Spaniard Pau Gasol has been voted European player of the year for 2009, winning the award for the second year in a row, the governing body FIBA Europe said on Monday.

The 2.15m center won an NBA championship title with the Los Angeles Lakers and followed that up by helping Spain to win its first European championship gold medal in Poland in September.

Gasol came in ahead of Germany's Dirk Nowitzki and Serbia's Milos Teodosic in the voting by fans and a panel of experts.

Cricket

Tendulkar feat

KOLKATA, India: Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar hit centuries in the final test as India fought to level the series against South Africa and hold on to their No 1 ranking.

Opener Sehwag smashed 165 and Tendulkar carved out a spectacular 106 to help the tourists take a first-innings lead of 46 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens on Monday.

India were 342 for five at the close on the second day, with Sehwag scoring his 19th test century and second in a row and Tendulkar extending his world record to 47 with his fourth straight hundred.

Sehwag and Tendulkar shared in a stand of 249 for the third wicket to put the South African attack to the sword after India had dismissed the tourists, who lead the series 1-0, for 296.

(China Daily 02/17/2010 page12)