IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Cricket

ICC sets date for Pakistan trio appeal

Pakistan's Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif, who were suspended after being caught up in allegations of corruption, will have their appeals heard in Doha on Oct 30 and 31.

The International Cricket Council said on Wednesday that Michael Beloff, the head of the governing body's code of conduct commission, will hear the appeal by the three players against their provisional suspensions.

Test skipper Butt and fast bowlers Asif and Aamer were banned from all forms of cricket after they were charged with various offences under the anti-corruption code of conduct on Sept 2.

Athletics

Eager Bolt already surprising rivals

World and Olympic 100 and 200-meter champion Usain Bolt has already surprised his training partners and served notice to his major rivals about his hunger to defend his world titles in 2011.

Bolt, a notorious latecomer to practice sessions, was the first person at the track on Monday's first day of workouts in advance of the 2011 season.

Bolt said he was "anxious" to begin training and "eagerly looking forward" to next season, especially the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, next August.

The 24-year-old Caribbean speedster plans to defend the 100m and 200m crowns he won in world-record time last year at Germany, the marks of 9.58 seconds and 19.19 seconds merely the latest shock times by the Beijing Olympic sprint king.

Motor sports

Under-fire track picks up the pace

The track for South Korea's first Formula One event will be ready this week before a final inspection from the sport's world governing body, organizers said on Wednesday.

European and South Korean engineers have begun final work on the surface of the track built by the Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO) at Yeongam, 320 kilometers (200 miles) south of Seoul.

"Work on the final surface layer will probably be done by Friday," KAVO spokesman Kim Jae-Ho said.

Other facilities such as mobile stands, parking lots and a pedestrian overpass will not be ready when inspectors from the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) visit the circuit on Oct 11.

"However, we are confident that inspectors will see a complete track down at Yeongam," Kim said.

Former Lotus boss Warr dies at 72

Formula One has paid tribute to former Lotus team boss Peter Warr after his death from a heart attack at the age of 72.

The sport's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who turns 80 this month, said in a message on the official Formula One website that he had lost a good friend.

"When Peter was in Formula One he helped me to build it to what it is today," he added.

Warr, who died at home in France on Monday, was the Lotus team manager under founder Colin Chapman and went on to run the team for seven years after the Briton's death in 1982.

Nfl

Big Ben back at Steelers practice

Ben Roethlisberger made a strong return to practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, his first workout with the NFL club since Sept 2 after a four-week suspension.

Seven months after Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman at a Georgia bar, he returned from a suspension imposed for his actions even though he was never charged in the incident.

The Steelers started the season 3-1 without "Big Ben", who apologized to his teammates during off-season workouts for putting their season at risk.

Figure Skating

Kim taps Oppegard to be new coach

Olympic women's figure skating champion Kim Yu-Na has selected Peter Oppegard, the brother-in-law of US skating legend Michelle Kwan, as her new coach, Kim announced on Tuesday.

The news comes only two months after breaking up with her previous coach, Canadian Brian Orser, and a month after Kim said she was switching her training base from Toronto to Southern California.

"I'm so glad to be training here in Los Angeles with my new coach and new skaters," Kim said. "It's new motivation for me."

Afp - reuters

(China Daily 10/07/2010 page11)