The All-Star guard proving again he is basketball's ultimate showman as he lifted the Los Angeles Lakers to a 94-92 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday with some late game heroics.

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant has the ball swatted away by Toronto Raptors shooting guard DeMar DeRozan (L) during the first half of their NBA basketball game in Toronto, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

With charismatic newcomer Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks set to follow the Lakers into Toronto on Tuesday, the buzz around Sunday's matinee was very much focused on the phenomenon that has become known as 'Linsanity'.

But after Bryant came to the rescue with a jaw-dropping winner with less than four seconds to play, everyone was caught up in the grips of Kobe-mania.

"That's who he (Bryant) is," praised Lakers coach Mike Brown. "We are in a one-point game, a two-point game, the ball is going to be in his hands.

"We expect him to make the play and he did that tonight. When you have a guy like Kobe Bryant you are always going to give yourself a chance."

Recognized as one of the NBA's hardest working athletes and relentless perfectionist, Bryant is also described as one of the game's most ruthless competitors, willing do whatever it takes to win.

"Don't matter if you're in the backyard playing or on the main stage, he's going to try to take your neck off," Raptors DeMar DeRozan told reporters as he prepared to face Bryant "It don't matter where, it could be a snowy day against Eskimos. He's going to try to kill them all."

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant catches an inbound pass against Toronto Raptors small forward James Johnson (R) during the first half of their NBA basketball game in Toronto, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Ivica Kostelic of Croatia speeds down in the downhill portion of the men's Alpine Skiing World Cup Super Combined event in Rosa Khutor near Sochi, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

* Kostelic wins super-combined World Cup

SOCHI, Russia - Ivica Kostelic scored one of the most frustrating victories of his Alpine skiing career when he won the Sochi super-combined and the specialty's World Cup but injured his knee in the process on Sunday.

Kostelic's father Ante blamed the injury on the icy Russian course and the many jumps on the Rosa Khutor downhill piste, which will be used for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Defending overall World Cup champion Ivica, whose career has been marred by several knee and back operations, was taken to a local hospital for tests before being flown home in a private jet for treatment.

Ivica Kostelic of Croatia uses a stick to climb up the podium after winning the men's Alpine Skiing World Cup Super Combined event in Rosa Khutor near Sochi, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Despite the problem, Kostelic was a solid 15th after the morning downhill section and destroyed the opposition in the afternoon slalom to win in a combined time of two minutes 50.21 seconds.

It was Kostelic's fifth World Cup of his career and his second in succession in the super-combined.

He also increased his lead in the race for this season's overall title to 70 points over Swiss Beat Feuz.

Feuz, the winner of Saturday's downhill on the Olympic piste, was second in Sunday's race, 1.16 seconds behind Kostelic. Third place went to France's Thomas Mermillod-Blond, 1.77 off the pace.

Feuz sympathized with Kostelic, saying: "I sincerely hope his injury is not too bad. It would be a great shame for our fight to end in these circumstances.

"In any case, there was no beating him today; he skied an extraordinary slalom run."

With more speed events than technical races left in the season, Feuz had already looked to be at an advantage over Kostelic in the fight for the overall cup, even before the Croatian's injury.

American Bode Miller pulled out of the slalom run after only a few gates, suffering from the ankle pains which have troubled him for a couple of seasons.

Ivica Kostelic of Croatia reacts in pain during the podium ceremony for the men's Alpine Skiing World Cup Super Combined event in Rosa Khutor near Sochi, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

LIBREVILLE - Didier Drogba's ghosts returned to haunt him as Zambia won the African Nations Cup for the first time after beating Cote d'Ivoire 8-7 in a drama-filled penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw on Sunday.

Cote d'Ivoire's captain Dider Drogba reacts after his team lost their African Nations Cup final soccer match against Zambia at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Libreville Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Stoppila Sunzu converted the winning penalty after three successive efforts had been missed in a long and nervy shootout that totalled 18 kicks.

But the goalless match might not have had to go to the shootout had Drogba not ballooned a 70th-minute penalty well wide to deny his team victory inside 90 minutes, repeating his miss in the 2006 final which the Cote d'Ivoire lost to Egypt.

The loss was another near miss for the Cote d'Ivoire's golden generation, who had been expected to win African football's top prize at the last four editions but failed every time.

Two of their English Premier League players - Kolo Toure and Gervinho - missed kicks in the shootout.

"We did not play well but we also had our chances. It is a huge disappointment, we had expected a different outcome," Cote d'Ivoire coach Francois Zahoui said.

Zambia, who had gone into the game as underdogs, won over the 40,000 crowd in the Friendship Stadium in the Gabon capital with their positive play against a surprisingly timid Cote d'Ivoire side who failed to take the initiative in the game.

"We told ourselves we would not be scared of them. We knew we had the team to win this and we wanted to make sure we did," goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene said.

After winning, the Zambian team held up banners remembering their side that died in a air crash not far from the stadium in 1993 and whose memory they had honoured on the eve of the game.

"I can't explain why we won, it was like there was special force with us," added a teary coach Herve Renard.

At times, Zambia showed complete disdain for their star-studded opponents, with showy tricks on the ball and some clever routines although they also lived dangerously in defence.

Zambia's Felix Katongo (R) is challenged by Ivory Coast's Max Gradel during their African Nations Cup final soccer match at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Libreville, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Yaya Toure and substitute Max Gradel both went narrowly wide for the Cote d'Ivoire but it was Drogba who could have been the hero after Isaac Chansa had pushed down Gervinho in the penalty area in the 70th minute and the Senegal referee Badara Diatta bravely awarded a penalty.

But Drogba hit his shot well over and then seemed to sink into a sulk for the rest of the game.

He was brave enough, however, to take the fifth penalty for the Cote d'Ivoire in the shootout. The first 14 kicks were successfully converted before a reluctant Kolo Toure had his shot saved at 7-7 but Rainford Kalaba then missed for Zambia.

Gervinho, who also did not want to take a kick, then missed before Sunzu won the cup for Zambia, who had suffered two previous defeats in the 1974 and 1994 finals.

It was the seventh Nations Cup final to be decided on penalties. The most recent was when Egypt beat the Cote d'Ivoire 5-3 in the 2006 final, which also ended goalless.

Zambia's goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene saves the winning penalty kick by Cote d'Ivoire's defender Kolo Toure to win the African Cup of Nations tournament at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Gabon's capital Libreville, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Entertainers carry drums with the flags of the different African countries during a performance before the final match of the 2012 African Cup of Nations between Cote d'Ivoire and Zambia at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Gabon's capital Libreville, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Zambia's national soccer team celebrate after winning the 2012 African Cup of Nations tournament final against Cote d'Ivoire at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Gabon's capital Libreville, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Cote d'Ivoire's President Alassane Ouattara (R) consoles his national soccer player Yaya Toure after they lost to Zambia in the 2012 African Cup of Nations tournament finals at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Gabon's capital Libreville, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

LIBREVILLE - Didier Drogba's ghosts returned to haunt him as Zambia won the African Nations Cup for the first time after beating Cote d'Ivoire 8-7 in a drama-filled penalty shootout following a 0-0 draw on Sunday.

Cote d'Ivoire's captain Dider Drogba reacts after his team lost their African Nations Cup final soccer match against Zambia at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Libreville Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Stoppila Sunzu converted the winning penalty after three successive efforts had been missed in a long and nervy shootout that totalled 18 kicks.

But the goalless match might not have had to go to the shootout had Drogba not ballooned a 70th-minute penalty well wide to deny his team victory inside 90 minutes, repeating his miss in the 2006 final which the Cote d'Ivoire lost to Egypt.

The loss was another near miss for the Cote d'Ivoire's golden generation, who had been expected to win African football's top prize at the last four editions but failed every time.

Two of their English Premier League players - Kolo Toure and Gervinho - missed kicks in the shootout.

"We did not play well but we also had our chances. It is a huge disappointment, we had expected a different outcome," Cote d'Ivoire coach Francois Zahoui said.

Zambia, who had gone into the game as underdogs, won over the 40,000 crowd in the Friendship Stadium in the Gabon capital with their positive play against a surprisingly timid Cote d'Ivoire side who failed to take the initiative in the game.

"We told ourselves we would not be scared of them. We knew we had the team to win this and we wanted to make sure we did," goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene said.

After winning, the Zambian team held up banners remembering their side that died in a air crash not far from the stadium in 1993 and whose memory they had honoured on the eve of the game.

"I can't explain why we won, it was like there was special force with us," added a teary coach Herve Renard.

At times, Zambia showed complete disdain for their star-studded opponents, with showy tricks on the ball and some clever routines although they also lived dangerously in defence.

Zambia's Felix Katongo (R) is challenged by Ivory Coast's Max Gradel during their African Nations Cup final soccer match at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Libreville, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Yaya Toure and substitute Max Gradel both went narrowly wide for the Cote d'Ivoire but it was Drogba who could have been the hero after Isaac Chansa had pushed down Gervinho in the penalty area in the 70th minute and the Senegal referee Badara Diatta bravely awarded a penalty.

But Drogba hit his shot well over and then seemed to sink into a sulk for the rest of the game.

He was brave enough, however, to take the fifth penalty for the Cote d'Ivoire in the shootout. The first 14 kicks were successfully converted before a reluctant Kolo Toure had his shot saved at 7-7 but Rainford Kalaba then missed for Zambia.

Gervinho, who also did not want to take a kick, then missed before Sunzu won the cup for Zambia, who had suffered two previous defeats in the 1974 and 1994 finals.

It was the seventh Nations Cup final to be decided on penalties. The most recent was when Egypt beat the Cote d'Ivoire 5-3 in the 2006 final, which also ended goalless.

Zambia's goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene saves the winning penalty kick by Cote d'Ivoire's defender Kolo Toure to win the African Cup of Nations tournament at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Gabon's capital Libreville, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Entertainers carry drums with the flags of the different African countries during a performance before the final match of the 2012 African Cup of Nations between Cote d'Ivoire and Zambia at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Gabon's capital Libreville, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Zambia's national soccer team celebrate after winning the 2012 African Cup of Nations tournament final against Cote d'Ivoire at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Gabon's capital Libreville, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Cote d'Ivoire's President Alassane Ouattara (R) consoles his national soccer player Yaya Toure after they lost to Zambia in the 2012 African Cup of Nations tournament finals at the Stade De L'Amitie Stadium in Gabon's capital Libreville, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Liverpool's Luis Suarez reacts after missing a scoring chance against Manchester United during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The Uruguayan was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Evra in October but refused to shake the Frenchman's hand during Saturday's pre-match Premier League ritual, prompting widespread condemnation.

"I have spoken with the manager since the game at Old Trafford and I realize I got things wrong," Suarez said in a statement issued by Liverpool.

"I've not only let him down, but also the club and what it stands for and I'm sorry. I made a mistake and I regret what happened.

"I should have shaken Patrice Evra's hand before the game and I want to apologize for my actions. I would like to put this whole issue behind me and concentrate on playing football."

United manager Alex Ferguson branded the Uruguayan a "disgrace" while Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish, who has backed his striker throughout the saga, gave a robust post-game interview where he argued with a television reporter.

Statements from the official website of Liverpool and Manchester United shows Suarez's apologies and Manchester United's acceptation of Liverpool's apologies, Feb 12, 2012. [Photo/sports.sina.com.cn]

Reds accepts Liverpool's apologies

In another statement issued on Sunday, Dalglish said: "It is right that Luis Suarez has now apologized for what happened at Old Trafford.

"To be honest, I was shocked to hear that the player had not shaken hands having been told earlier in the week that he would do.

"When I went on TV after yesterday's game I hadn't seen what had happened, but I did not conduct myself in a way befitting of a Liverpool manager during that interview and I'd like to apologise for that."

As the club tried to limit the damage after a raft of criticism from players, fans and the media, Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre said in a third statement that Suarez had been wrong.

"We are extremely disappointed Luis Suarez did not shake hands with Patrice Evra before yesterday's game. The player had told us beforehand that he would, but then chose not to do so," said Ayre.

"He was wrong to mislead us and wrong not to offer his hand to Patrice Evra. He has not only let himself down, but also Kenny Dalglish, his team mates and the Club. It has been made absolutely clear to Luis Suarez that his behaviour was not acceptable."

The match itself, between two of England's great rivals, was a tense affair and scuffles took place in the tunnel at halftime and fulltime.

United accepted Liverpool's apologies in their own statement. "Manchester United thanks Liverpool for the apologies issued following Saturday's game," it read.

"Everyone at Old Trafford wants to move on from this. The history of our two great clubs is one of success and rivalry unparalleled in British football. That should be the focus in the future of all those who love the clubs."

Manchester United's Patrice Evra celebrates victory as Liverpool's Luis Suarez walks off during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

"Everyone knows Carlos is a top player," the City manager was reported as saying in The Observer. "If he was here and playing it would be better, because Carlos can change games.

"If he were to come back next week maybe he can still help us in the next three months."

Argentine soccer player Carlos Tevez of England's Manchester City laughs as he attends the farewell match of former Boca Juniors striker Martin Palermo at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires, Feb 4, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The 28-year-old Argentine striker, who fell out with Mancini after failing to heed his instructions to warm up during a Champions league game in September, had been widely expected to leave the club in the January transfer window.

However, despite interest from AC Milan, Inter Milan and Paris St Germain he was not sold.

He has been fined six weeks' wages for gross misconduct over his disappearance to Argentina without permission in November, a punishment he is appealing to the Premier League, and has also not been paid while he has been absent.

Carlos Tevez could be making a surprise return to City, who has been back to the top of the Premier League with a tense 1-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday, as Mancini softened his opposition to the Argentinean striker.

But how soon Tevez could feature again for City would depend on how quickly he could regain match fitness if he did come back to the club.

"It depends on his condition, and when he returns," added Mancini. "We have already played a lot of games with only one striker. But Carlos knows the situation.

"I talked to him before he left, to try to resolve this situation, and if he comes back we can talk again. I don't have any problem with that. If he wants to play, it could happen."

The Argentine's reintegration could be a key point in the season but England defender Lescott, a boyhood Villa fan, made his mark by scoring his fifth goal against the Birmingham side to make City's dominance pay having earlier headed wide.

He last played for city in a League Cup win over Birmingham city on Sept 21.

US first lady Michelle Obama plays mini-tennis during a "Let's Move!" faith and communities physical activity at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. The first lady is concluding a three-day trip to mark the second anniversary of her "Let's Move" initiative. [Photo/Agencies]

US first lady Michelle Obama reacts to an errant swing from a boy as they play mini-tennis during a "Let's Move!" faith and communities physical activity at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

US first lady Michelle Obama (C) dances the "platypus walk" next to Perry the Platypus, and Disney actors Debby Ryan and Rosero McCoy (R) during a "Let's Move!" faith and communities physical activity at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

US first lady Michelle Obama shares a hi-five with a boy as they play mini-tennis during a "Let's Move!" faith and communities physical activity at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

US first lady Michelle Obama plays mini-tennis during a "Let's Move!" faith and communities physical activity at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

US first lady Michelle Obama plays soccer during a "Let's Move! faith and communities physical activity event at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

US first lady Michelle Obama plays mini-tennis during a "Let's Move!" faith and communities physical activity at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. The first lady is concluding a three-day trip to mark the second anniversary of her "Let's Move" initiative. [Photo/Agencies]

US first lady Michelle Obama reacts to an errant swing from a boy as they play mini-tennis during a "Let's Move!" faith and communities physical activity at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

US first lady Michelle Obama (C) dances the "platypus walk" next to Perry the Platypus, and Disney actors Debby Ryan and Rosero McCoy (R) during a "Let's Move!" faith and communities physical activity at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

US first lady Michelle Obama shares a hi-five with a boy as they play mini-tennis during a "Let's Move!" faith and communities physical activity at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

US first lady Michelle Obama plays mini-tennis during a "Let's Move!" faith and communities physical activity at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

US first lady Michelle Obama plays soccer during a "Let's Move! faith and communities physical activity event at Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida, Feb 11, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Gunners' striker scores on English soil for maybe the last time

SUNDERLAND, England - Arsene Wenger has refused to rule out another return to Arsenal for Thierry Henry after the Gunners legend said farewell to the Premier League with a dramatic winner at Sunderland.

Henry came off the bench and struck in stoppage-time as Wenger's side came from behind to beat Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

The France forward, who rejoined Arsenal on loan from New York Red Bulls, returns to America after Wednesday's Champions League second-round first-leg trip to AC Milan and this was his final appearance in the English top-flight, for the moment at least.

Asked if Henry may come back again, Wenger said: "We'll see next season, he might want to stop at some stage.

"I felt it might haunt me because when he goes again, people would say: 'Why did he not stay?'

"Thierry finished the story of the legend. I hope he reacts in the Champions League on Wednesday.

"It shows they never lose it, these players. Exceptional talent survives, you have that at Manchester United with Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, and we have it with Thierry."

Arsenal trailed to Irish winger James McClean's 70th-minute goal, but hit back five minutes later through substitute Aaron Ramsey, whose shot went in via both posts.

Then Henry, introduced in the 66th minute, took center stage as he guided in fellow substitute Andrey Arshavin's cross from close range.

Wenger said: "Thierry got us the three points in a very difficult game. Sunderland were resilient and well organized and they tried to catch us on the break every time.

"It was a spirited performance, but I thought we were intelligent, patient and resilient."

Arsenal players complained when Sunderland scored, claiming McClean should have stopped playing after centerback Per Mertesacker had gone down with what proved to be ankle-ligament damage.

Yet Wenger said: "I thought about it after the goal, but you cannot demand that. You don't know whether the guy has gone down because of injury or if he has slipped.

"We were unfortunate because Mertesacker told me he got pain in his ankle and couldn't move.

"We are a bit worried about it because he goes home on crutches and he's done some ligament damage. How deep the damage, we have to check. But, for sure, he is out for Wednesday."

It was Martin O'Neill's first home defeat as Sunderland manager after going unbeaten in six on Wearside, and he said: "I thought we didn't deserve to lose.

"They won't have Henry next weekend when we play them here in the FA Cup. He has been a terrific player in the Premier League and he's scored again. But from our point of view, he shouldn't be allowed to find the net from that distance.

"Maybe the exertions from extra-time at Middlesbrough on Wednesday evening took a toll on us a little. We were tired but perhaps the tables will be turned next week when we've had a week to rest and they've played in midweek."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/13/2012 page23)

MADRID - Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola admitted his side's sinking hopes of hanging onto its La Liga crown were at the mercy of bitter rival Real Madrid following Saturday's shock 3-2 defeat at Osasuna.

The loss left Real with the chance to open up a 10-point gap at the top if Jose Mourinho's side beats Levante on Sunday.

"Win the title? Well, we will try to defend our Champions League crown and then attempt to negotiate each match in La Liga," said Guardiola on a freezing night in Pamplona.

"We will see what happens. But we are a significant distance behind, which I guess will increase on Sunday. The league will be more difficult for us now.

"In the second half tonight we did well on this pitch but we should have done better in the first half. It was hard for us to get into this game but we have to congratulate Osasuna."

The reigning La Liga and Champions League winner has struggled on its travels this season with just four wins and succumbed to its second defeat on Saturday.

A double from Dejan Lekic put Osasuna in a commanding position before the break and while Alexis Sanchez reduced the arrears after 50 minutes, a clinical finish from Raul Garcia restored the two-goal cushion.

Substitute Cristian Tello hit Barca's second and there were chances at either end in the final stages, but Osasuna held on.

While Barca struggle, Real continues to roll over its opposition, having won 18 of 21 games, scoring 71 goals in the process, eight more than the champion.

Guardiola continued to put his faith in youth against Osasuna and left Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas on the bench with possibly their midweek Champions League match with Bayer Leverkusen in mind.

Sergio Busquets was also absent through injury, and the Catalan side lacked its normal fluidity on a bumpy pitch.

A double from Lekic put Osasuna in a commanding position before the break with only a shot from distance by Lionel Messi, tipped over by the keeper Andres Fernandez, offered in response.

Barca started the second half strongly and after five minutes substitute Juan Cuenca crossed for Sanchez to reduce the arrears.

But just as the visitors appeared to be turning the game around, Garcia restored the two-goal cushion with a clinical finish off the post.

Barca had more of the ball and another substitute, Tello, fired in their second, which beat the keeper at his near post.

In the final stages, Francisco Punal hit the post for the home side while Sanchez had a goal ruled out for offside.

Despite Barcelona's problems, Real Madrid coach Mourinho feels the title contest will not be decided any time soon.

"February is possibly more difficult for us than Barcelona as we take on Levante, Racing (Santander), who are improving, Rayo (Vallecano), without doubt the surprise package this season, and then Espanyol, who are fighting for a place in Europe," he said.

"Levante are a good side and not just for the fact they have beaten Barcelona but also for where they are in the table. In October and November everyone thought they would run out of steam."

Earlier, a series of spurned chances saw Atletico Madrid draw 0-0 at struggling Racing Santander but the revival under Diego Simeone continued as it pushes for a place in Europe.

Atletico is now in sixth place while it is unbeaten in six games and yet to concede a goal under the new Argentine coach although this was its second consecutive goalless stalemate.

It is a point above Athletic Bilbao who lost 2-1 away to Real Betis after conceding an injury-time strike from Nelson.

Ruben Castro put the home side ahead after 10 minutes but Athletic drew level with Javi Martinez heading home after being left unmarked at a corner.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/13/2012 page23)

United manager slams striker after handshake snub at Old Trafford

MANCHESTER, England - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said Liverpool should sell Luis Suarez and ensure he never plays for the club again after the Uruguayan snubbed Patrice Evra's handshake.

Ferguson's outburst came in the wake of an ill-tempered meeting between the clubs at Old Trafford which United won 2-1 thanks to goals from Wayne Rooney.

Ferguson also made an impassioned plea for English soccer to ensure that racism is stamped out of the game once and for all.

Suarez was starting a game for the first time since serving an eight-match suspension, handed out by the FA after he was found guilty of racially abusing United defender Evra in a game between the clubs in October.

Before kickoff, Suarez refused to shake Evra's hand as the two clubs met in the traditional pre-match handshake between opposing clubs.

In response, United's Rio Ferdinand declined to shake Suarez's hand, setting the tone for an ugly afternoon which featured a tunnel melee at halftime as Evra reportedly attempted to remonstrate with the Liverpool forward.

On the final whistle, Evra also inflamed matters when his enthusiastic celebrations took him alongside Suarez in what appeared a clear attempt to taunt his rival.

"For a club with their history, I'd get rid of him, I really would," said Ferguson. "Liverpool Football Club have a player banned for eight matches and they've tried to blame Patrice Evra. It's him they should be bloody blaming. He could have cost them a European place.

"I couldn't believe it. I just could not believe it. We had a chat this morning and Patrice said: 'I'm going to shake his hand, I have nothing to be ashamed of, I'm going to keep my dignity.' And he refuses.

"He is a disgrace to Liverpool Football Club. That player should not be allowed to play for Liverpool again. The history that club has got ... and he does that today. It could have caused a riot.

"I was really disappointed in that guy."

Ferdinand responded in the handshake line by ignoring Suarez as the mood turned confrontational even before a ball was kicked.

"It created a tension," said Ferguson. "You have seen, the referee didn't know what to do about it. It caught him off guard. It was a terrible start to the game, a terrible atmosphere it created."

Ferdinand also entered the controversy by explaining his actions. "After seeing what happened, I decided not to shake his hand," he said. "If he is not going to have the respect to say sorry. I lost all respect for the guy."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/13/2012 page24)

FA says England could end up playing at the European Championship with a caretaker manager

England could take part in the European Championship in June with a caretaker coach in charge, English FA chairman David Bernstein said on Thursday. The FA will meet on Friday to begin its search for a new manager following the sudden resignation of Italian Fabio Capello on Wednesday, with Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Redknapp considered the favorite.

Stuart Pearce, England's Under-21 manager who is also boss of the London 2012 British Olympic squad, will take charge for the friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley on Feb 29, but Bernstein said after that they had a totally "open mind" about the future.

When asked at a news conference if England could go to the tournament with a caretaker coach, Bernstein replied: "I would say that is a possibility, all options are open.

"We are not prepared to restrict ourselves at this stage. He might be English, he might be British, he might not be, he might be for the Euros only, he might be long-term.

"We need to look at all the options. It would be pointless, 24 hours or less after we have lost our manager, to start limiting ourselves."

Following the friendly against the Dutch, England plays Norway on May 26 and Belgium on June 2 before the Euros, where it faces France on June 11, Sweden on June 15 and Ukraine on June 19.

While some England players and almost every pundit have called for Redknapp to be installed as Capello's replacement, the 64-year-old said on Thursday that he had not thought about managing England and was totally focused on his job at Spurs and their next match on Saturday against Newcastle United.

Speaking a day after being found not guilty on two charges of evading tax after a 13-day trial in London, Redknapp told reporters: "I don't know anything about the England job. I've not thought about it.

Give Pearce a chance?

"I've got a big job to do, I've got a big game on Saturday with Tottenham, so Tottenham is my focus."

Tottenham is also unlikely to allow Redknapp to leave before the end of the season at the earliest as it continues its push for a probable Champions League spot next season while retaining an outside chance of landing its first League title since 1961.

It is currently third in the Premier League, seven points behind leader Manchester City with 14 matches still to play.

Bernstein, and fellow FA officials Alex Horne, Adrian Bevington and Trevor Brooking, would not be drawn on Redknapp's possible appointment on either a short-term or long-term basis.

However, FA general secretary Horne said they were fully aware of the widespread support for Redknapp.

"Of course we understand the feeling of the nation and the supporters. The England fans are very important when it comes to choosing the right person," he said.

"But we have to sit down and look long-term and give ourselves as many options as are available. We owe it to ourselves to write-up the job brief and we've got an exhaustive list."

Bernstein added that the FA's immediate concern had been to get a manager in place for the Netherlands game, explaining: "We have got a match in three weeks' time. We need a short-term quick answer.

"We have some very good football people within the FA set-up and Stuart is one of them and is a first class available option for the match."

He would not ignore the possibility of Pearce being the long-term successor to Capello.

"We have an open mind beyond that. He is not ruled out," Bernstein said.

Capello quit on Wednesday saying he felt that the FA undermined his authority by stripping John Terry of the captaincy after the player's criminal trial for allegedly racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand was put back by the court until after the end of Euro 2012.

Capello told Italian TV over the weekend that he did not agree with the FA's decision to remove the center-back from the job.

Reuters

(China Daily 02/11/2012 page15)

XIANGHE, Hebei province - The Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced plans to transfer some of the responsibility for running the domestic leagues to a professional league council at the CFA Special Representative Conference in Xianghe, Hebei province on Friday.

The CFA, formerly in charge of nearly every aspect of the Chinese Super League (CSL) and the second division, launched a pilot reform plan. The newly established council will take over direct management of the domestic leagues, while the CFA will retain the power of supervision, club-entry admission and services of the leagues.

The council will be comprised of people directly involved with the sport, including representatives from the CFA, first- and second-tier clubs, and company and industry experts.

The conference held on Friday was in preparation for the approaching CFA Representative Conference, during which a new CFA president will be selected.

The CFA Representative Conference was established in 2003, with a plan to hold it every four years. However, in order to prepare for the 2007 Women's World Cup and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2007 conference was postponed to 2008. The reshuffle of CFA leaders and the exposure of the country's soccer bribery scandals in 2008 again delayed the conference.

"The CFA Representative Conference has been interrupted for nine years, and this special meeting is a new start for CFA to carry out its obligation in accordance to the CFA regulations," said CFA deputy president Wei Di. "We have spent more than a year working out this scheme, and have organized many meetings to collect opinions from the clubs through the whole process. We were very confident to have the plan passed before the conference."

Wei said the establishment of the council was the first step toward China running its soccer programs professionally.

"The scheme fully stressed the importance of opinions from the direct participants of the domestic league, which converts the managing body of the leagues from an administrative authority to an organ managed by the main participants," Wei said. "It gives the professionals the right to work in a professional way, and will help CFA to walk in the right direction."

CFA deputy president Yu Hongchen was named the first chairman of the council to ensure a smooth transition. His successors will be selected through elections instead of being appointed by the CFA. All CFA staff will stop to serve in the authority if they take a position in the professional league council, and Yu will focus on work in the council during his tenure.

China Daily

(China Daily 02/11/2012 page15)

BERLIN - Retired former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich has been found guilty of doping in relation to a blood-doping scandal that engulfed his sport six years ago and has been banned for two years, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Thursday.

The ruling comes three days after CAS banned another former Tour winner, Spaniard Alberto Contador, for doping.

The Operation Puerto scandal broke in 2006, when Spanish police launched raids that uncovered more than 200 code-named blood bags, some of which were linked to cyclists.

Ullrich, who retired in 2007 after also winning an Olympic gold and silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Games, became the first German to win the Tour de France in 1997.

The rider, a huge sports name in his home country during his prime, also finished second in the world's top race on five occasions, three times behind seven-time champion Lance Armstrong.

With his name linked to Operation Puerto, Ullrich was barred from starting the Tour de France in 2006 and was then fired by his T-Mobile team although he repeatedly denied he had links with Eufemiano Fuentes, the doctor at the heart of the investigation.

CAS, however, ruled that, based on the evidence, Ullrich, who had waited for more than five years for a final ruling, had engaged "at least" in blood doping.

The court also annulled all Ullrich's results from 2005 until his retirement.

Blood doping

"Given the volume, consistency and probative value of the evidence...the Panel came to the conclusion that Jan Ullrich engaged at least in blood doping in violation of Article 15.2 of the UCI (International Cycling Union) anti-doping rules," CAS said.

It said there had been "documentary evidence" that Ullrich, now 38, had been in contact with Fuentes and had paid him 80,000 euros ($106,000) for "services that had not been particularized".

"A DNA analysis confirmed Jan Ullrich's genetic profile matched blood bags ready for use for doping purposes found in the possession of Dr Fuentes," CAS said in its decision.

The UCI said it had already annulled Ullrich's results for the period 2005-2007.

"The UCI acknowledges the decision of CAS to impose a suspension of two years on the rider Jan Ullrich starting retroactively on August 2011, following the UCI's appeal. All results achieved by the athlete on or after 1 May 2005 until his retirement, on February 26, 2007, are annulled," it said in a statement.

"The UCI will now examine in detail the reasoning of the CAS award. In the meantime the UCI will not issue any further comments on the matter."

Reuters

(China Daily 02/11/2012 page15)

NBA commissioner Stern says Knicks' guard Lin is a 'phenomenon' - but hold off on Yao comparisons

BEIJING - David Stern's league got a big gift out of nowhere.

The NBA commissioner is already hailing Jeremy Lin - the New York Knicks' new point guard - as a sensation who might mean another boost to the league's appeal in Asia.

"He's really been a phenomenon," Stern told China Daily during a videophone conference on Thursday night. "Having a Chinese-American player who suddenly burst on the scene and did so well is very exciting for us. I think it's more exciting for Knicks fans as well.

"He's started for only three games. But his stats are very impressive, and he has been warmly embraced by the New York City fans. That can only help us in terms of lifting the game's ratings and popularity in China."

Lin, a Harvard graduate, averaged 25.3 points and 8.3 assists in his past three games to lead the Knicks to three straight wins, rising quickly from obscurity to stardom.

Driving the team's offense smoothly during the absence of scorers Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, Lin has won over New York's notoriously picky fans, who have already nicknamed him "Linsanity".

New York had lost 11 of 13 before Lin's emergence.

Even the Phoenix Suns' former MVP guard Steve Nash tweeted about Lin - "if you love sports you have to love what Jeremy Lin is doing. Getting an opportunity and exploding!!"

The 23-year-old, whose parents are from Taiwan, has already become a star in China.

The highlights of his breakout game against the Nets on Sunday had drawn 1.27 million views on Sina.com's NBA page even before his name became the 19th most-searched-for term on China's biggest web search engine, Baidu.com, three days later.

Lin's rocketing popularity has reminded fans of the impact of Yao Ming, whose July retirement left a big void.

Stern said Yao's popularity won't likely be matched, and stressed that Lin still has a long way to go.

"I don't think anybody in the NBA, from the Chinese perspective, will ever become a bigger star than Yao. Yao was the first, the biggest and the most successful. And he will always have a special place in the heart of NBA and Chinese fans," Stern said. "Jeremy has three good games. We have to see how he does in the next 300 before we make any judgments."

Stern says he doesn't want to count on Lin prematurely.

"It's true that fans at least come sometimes initially to the TV set to see someone who is special for them," he said. "And someone with Chinese-American heritage will bring more fans to the sets I think. This will be good for us.

"But how good will it be? He was cut by the Golden State Warriors, by the Houston Rockets and was sent by the Knicks to the (National Basketball Development League). And then he comes up and becomes a star. That was wonderful for our league, but we have to wait and see how he will do. I don't want to overburden him with expectations."

China Daily

(China Daily 02/11/2012 page16)

PHOENIX - Chase Budinger and the Houston Rockets' reserves roughed up the Phoenix Suns.

Budinger scored 12 points while playing a team-high 31 minutes and starter Luis Scola had 16 points to help the Rockets outlast the Phoenix Suns, 96-89, on Thursday night.

"The first half, we played so well," said Patrick Patterson, who had 14 points in a backup role. "We thought in the second half we could go out there and keep passing the ball, sharing the ball, looking for each other, getting stops on defense and pushing it on transition. We feel that our second unit can go out there and compete with anybody."

Kyle Lowry scored 14 points, joining Scola as the only Houston starters in double figures, and the Rockets used a 57-13 edge in scoring from their backups to win their third straight and fourth in five games. Houston's reserves averaged 51.5 points in the Rockets' two victories against Phoenix this season.

"All of those guys shot over 50 percent," Lowry said. "You can't do any better than that. You can't ask for no more."

The Rockets held Phoenix to five field goals and 13 points in the fourth quarter.

"We definitely tightened down our defense and just tried to make it as tough as possible for them and create chaos for them," Budinger said. "We were able to make some steals, get in the passing lanes and make it tough for them."

Houston also dominated on the glass, pulling down 12 offensive rebounds to Phoenix's five and scoring 22 second-chance points to Phoenix's six.

"These guys are relentless on the board, so you've got to be able to put your body on them," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said after Rockets snapped his team's three-game winning streak. "You have to be able to pursue the ball and go get it. When you have good defensive possessions time after time and they get the ball back time after time, it's a little deflating."

Associated Press

Notes:

The Rockets attempted only six free throws, making four. Houston did not go to the line in the first half. ... Houston guard Goran Dragic matched a season high with 11 assists. ... Markieff Morris had the Suns' other two points off the bench. ... Gortat played 41-plus minutes, one below his career high. ... Suns F Grant Hill was the only starter to come off the floor for Phoenix in the third quarter, giving way to Redd.

(China Daily 02/11/2012 page16)

Houston general manager Daryl Morey admitted Thursday the Rockets made a mistake when they cut Jeremy Lin, whose recent exploits for the Knicks have made him an NBA sensation.

"Did not know he was this good," Morey admitted in a Twitter posting on Thursday. "Anyone who says they knew misleading U".

Lin scored 25 points off the bench to help the Knicks beat the New Jersey Nets on Saturday.

On Monday, in his first career start, he follwed with a career-best 28 points in a Knicks win over Utah that had fans at Madison Square Garden singing his praises.

On Wednesday, he delivered a double-double of 23 points and 10 assists to help the Knicks beat the Wizards in Washington 107-93.

Such was the buzz surrounding Lin that the Wizards' arena was packed with spectators eager to see and cheer him, and the team had to open the arena's ice hockey press box to accommodate Asian media outlets.

"Finally, really happy for (Jeremy Lin)," Morey said. "Very hard working, nice, & humble. He has a great, great future".

AFP

(China Daily 02/11/2012 page16)

NEW YORK - Dirk Nowitzki's streak survives, despite one of the worst seasons of his career.

Two other older stars are no longer All-Stars.

Nowitzki was chosen on Thursday to his 11th straight All-Star Game, with coaches overlooking the lowest scoring average since his second NBA season in favor of his long-term excellence.

"It was a tough road back to full health for me, but I am honored that the coaches thought enough of me to make me an All-Star," Nowitzki said in a statement. "It has been a privilege to represent the Mavericks organization over the last decade and I look forward to doing it again in Orlando."

Paul Pierce will join him despite his own slow start caused by a foot injury and was picked for the 10th time.

But Kevin Garnett wasn't chosen after 14 consecutive selections, and Tim Duncan was left out after 13 in a row. Other All-Star regulars such as Ray Allen and Amare Stoudemire will be home, giving way to five first-timers among the reserves: Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol of Memphis, Andre Iguodala of Philadelphia, Indiana's Roy Hibbert and Chicago's Luol Deng.

Also headed to the Feb 26 game are NBA assists leader Steve Nash of Phoenix, Tony Parker of San Antonio, Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City, Kevin Love of Minnesota, Chris Bosh of Miami, Atlanta's Joe Johnson and Deron Williams of New Jersey.

Already voted to start by fans in the Eastern Conference were Orlando's Dwight Howard, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of Miami, Chicago's Derrick Rose and New York's Carmelo Anthony. The West starters are the Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin of the Clippers, and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant.

Coaches voted for the reserves, and they had a tough task in this lockout-shortened season, when they were given only about 25 games to evaluate players. That threatened to make it tough for Nowitzki and Pierce, whose bodies weren't ready to go after the lengthy offseason and brief training camps, and have played below their usual standards.

"I think it's too early. I'm sitting on my couch when they announced the rosters and I'm floored. I didn't even know they had started the voting," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

Associated Press

(China Daily 02/11/2012 page16)

Despite a rough offseason, commissioner David Stern is bullish on the NBA's future in China, Sun Xiaochen writes.

Suddenly, everything's looking sunny for the NBA again - and that goes double in China. Despite the season being delayed due to a lockout, and some of the league's stars heading overseas, Commissioner David Stern said he isn't worried the NBA's appeal has been damaged. "We feel confident that basketball will still be number one among Chinese sports fans," Stern told China Daily during a video conference on Thursday.

The shortened 66-game schedule hasn't prevented TV ratings, social media followers or online highlight viewers from continuing to grow in China.

The league got some help on the court, too. The recent hype surrounding Jeremy Lin - the New York Knicks' point guard, whose parents were from Taiwan - has taken some of the sting out of Yao Ming's retirement and the fact Yi Jianlian is struggling on the bench in Dallas.

Still upbeat after last year's gloom, Stern attributed the league's strong season to the game's consistent high quality.

"There are some questions about injuries, lower shooting percentages. But to me, all of the storylines are there. The quality is very high," Stern said. "The numbers may be down from last year. Whether our players are shooting at 46 percent or 44 percent, they're still the best basketball players in the world. It is still NBA basketball.

"I think by the time we get to the playoffs, you're going to see the great NBA that you have become accustomed. On that basis, I say we're having a very good season."

Meanwhile, the league's deep roots in China after more than 20 years of multi-level promotion have cultivated a loyal fan base, Stern said.

"For us, the long-term growth in China and the popularity of the NBA will come from the fans who understand our game and follow our stars," Stern said. "Wherever the stars are from and wherever the fans are from. As Yao said recently, the NBA is stronger than ever in China because fans are focusing on LeBron and Kobe and other great players.

"It's always good to have a star from that country because it will get additional fans interested. But those are the two things together: training and discovering local young talents, but also connecting with NBA stars."

In cooperation with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), the NBA launched its basketball academy in Dongguan, Guangdong province in November.

The league hopes to produce future stars by providing them with advanced coaching methods, fitness programs and sports nutrition.

Stern also said the league has plans to stage two more exhibition games in China prior to next season.

"That's the kind of relationship that we would like to have with the CBA, to work together to improve the talent, the coaching, and to share what we think we know about the sport," he said. "Together we can grow the sport of basketball in China and around the world."

The NBA's close ties to the CBA took a hit last week, when FIBA cleared Kenyon Martin, who opted out his one-year contract with the CBA's Xinjiang Flying Tigers, to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers before the Flying Tigers' season was over.

The other top imports, J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler, have also failed to meet expectations.

Still, Stern says his players improved the CBA's level of competition.

"I think the answer is that the opportunity for the Chinese fans to see NBA players, the opportunity for Chinese players to play with and against NBA players, the opportunity for coaches and referees and trainers to see what the experience is, is something that will continue to raise the quality of the game in China, the same way it raised the quality of the game on a global basis coming out of the Olympics."

Stern said he expects the league's new collective bargaining agreement to level the NBA's playing field.

"If you want to sign another team's free agent now, you may only sign him for four years under the new deal," said Stern. "When that contract is over, the players who have performed well will get new contracts and more money, and those who haven't will not do as well. That will make the league more competitive."

Stern also praised the NBA's new tax system.

"We are going to have a very high luxury tax the year after next so that if you sign a player and you are over the tax threshold, let's say you sign a player for $20 million, you will have to pay $45 million in additional taxes, so that player will cost you $65 million," he said.

"We think that will discourage the teams that have lots of money from overspending because they would rather save that money and we think that will, in our opinion, level the playing field."

So, who was it that resurrected a moribund league known as the NBA in the 1980s?

Was it Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and their transcendent rivalry?

Was it the jaw-dropping skills of the greatest player of all-time, Michael Jordan?

Or was it a little Jewish guy who started his working life behind the counter of his family's New York deli - David Joel Stern?

After tiring of cutting sandwiches, Stern went off to law school and had his first contact with the NBA in 1966 as outside legal counsel and slowly but steadily ingratiated himself into the organization.

Providentially, in 1984 he took over as commissioner from Larry O'Brien - just at a time when Larry and Magic were in their primes and MJ, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and John Stockton were all drafted.

It's better to be lucky than good, and many of Stern's detractors claim he rode Jordan's coattails through a period of unprecedented success for the league.

That would be over-simplifying things.

Magic and Bird and their Lakers and Celtics made the game an American coast-to-coast affair, and Jordan's brilliance thrust the NBA onto the international stage, but it was Stern who artfully harnessed and marketed the talent and product.

More businessman than lawyer in his new role, he chose a process of consolidation then expansion, consolidation then expansion.

Under his leadership, seven new franchises were created while five others were relocated and 28 new stadia were built.

He also oversaw the start of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), which is sort of a reserve competition for the NBA.

However, among his many achievements, what probably gives him most delight is the NBA's increased global appeal. When he took over in '84, the game was barely seen beyond US shores - and certainly not live.

Now, NBA games are televised in 215 countries - including China - and in 43 languages. The growing franchise also boasts 11 overseas offices, including one here. Meanwhile, the number of foreign players squeaking their sneakers on NBA courts grows year by year.

Of course, it hasn't all been smooth sailing for the man who looks like a kindly uncle but is tough as nails. He's been involved in four NBA lockouts as "The Commish" ,and the latest one nearly saw the entire 2011-12 season scrapped. He represented the cry-poor owners against the players and eventually, after numerous acrimonious talks, wheedled concessions out of the millionaires for his billionaires.

During the impasse, Stern allegedly said during one meeting he "knew where the bodies are buried (in the NBA)", because he put them there.

He also, more recently, quashed a major trade deal involving the NBA-owned New Orleans Hornets and the powerful LA Lakers, which brought down a hail of media criticism and conflict-of-interest charges.

Autocratic - yes. Arrogant - maybe. But when the names of those who turned the NBA around and made it one of the greatest shows on earth are writ, Stern's deserves to be placed alongside Bird, Magic and Jordan.

Tym Glaser is a senior sports copy editor who could really go for a bagel right now. He can be contacted at tymothyg@hotmail.com

(China Daily 02/12/2012 page8)

BELLEFONTE, Pa. - Jerry Sandusky declare on Friday that people have turned against him, moments after the ex-Penn State football coordinator asked a judge for greater freedom while he awaits trial on child sex abuse charges.

Sandusky was in a Centre County courtroom and asked a judge to let him see relatives, including supervised visits with his grandchildren, and friends. He denies the criminal allegations. The judge could rule early next week on Sandusky's request.

Sandusky also said he felt people who had been welcomed in his home were trying to keep him confined indoors.

"I've associated with thousands of young people over the years," said Sandusky, 68, the former Penn State defensive coordinator charged with 52 criminal counts involving 10 victims over 15 years. "And now, all of a sudden, because of allegations and perceptions that have been tried to be created of me, now I can't take our dog on my deck and throw out biscuits to him."

Sandusky's home borders an elementary school and its playground. After he sought permission to see relatives and friends and leave his home to help lawyers prepare his case, the attorney general's office countered with a court filing that said neighbors expressed concern for the safety of children.

A teacher and intern also reported he had been watching children from his back deck.

Prosecutors want an order that restricts Sandusky to the inside of his home.

Associated Press

Jeremy Lin is making the New York Knicks must-see TV in Asia.

The NBA says on Thursday its Asian TV partners have added Knicks games to their broadcast schedules following the emergence of Lin, the first American-Chinese NBA player.

Sina in Chinese mainland will show Friday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers, while stations in Taiwan will televise five Knicks games this month. ESPN Philippines also added the Feb 17 New Orleans Hornets game in New York.

Lin, an undrafted guard from Harvard University, has led the Knicks to three straight wins, scoring more than 20 points in each game.

Ironically, his performances are missed by many in New York. A dispute between Time Warner Cable and MSG Network is keeping the Knicks off that system.

MSG Network said its ratings are up 36 percent over its season average in the two games since Lin moved into the starting lineup on Monday.

Associated Press

Patrick Chan of Canada competes during the men's free skate and goes on to win the overall men's competition at the ISU Four Continents Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Feb 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado - Shaking off a poor morning practice session, world champion Patrick Chan nailed his men's free skate program on Friday to win the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

The Canadian, also the 2009 winner, had a season-best 185.99 points to take the title with 273.94 points.

"This whole week was a big test for me," Chan said. "It wasn't easy, and it wasn't like I just walked in and thought I was going to have it in the bag. Coming into the long (program), I was very unsure and very nervous - more nervous than I've been in this past year and a half.

"But with the program, I just went with the flow. I knew that, if I just let things go, it would happen the way I wanted it to."

Two-time world champion Mao Asada of Japan won the women's short program.

Chan easily outpointed Japan's Daisuke Takahashi, the Vancouver Olympics bronze medalist and defending Four Continents champion. Takahashi earned 161.74 points in the free skate and 244.33 overall.

Takahashi was unable to stick to his program, turning a triple axel into a double early in his routine, but was still pleased with his showing.

"I missed two jumps, and my performance was not so good, but I am still happy," Takahashi said. "Overall, my performance (for the competition) was not bad, but I have many points to improve. I just need to continue to practice and work hard."

Chan spent the afternoon trying to settle his nerves by walking around downtown Colorado Springs - the city where he trains - and trying to regroup after a shaky morning practice.

"This week, I learned a lot about not getting hung up on little things from practice or on feelings from off the ice," Chan said. "This morning's practice was great for me, actually. I needed the mistakes to kind of wake me up, get me back on my feet and remind myself that this is not a walk in the park."

American Ross Miner, the 2012 US bronze medalist, survived a fall in the free skate to post a season-best 146.34-point score and earn the bronze with 223.23 points. He narrowly edged compatriot Adam Rippon, the 2012 US silver medalist and 2010 Four Continents champion, for a spot on the medal stand.

Associated Press

China's Song Nan competes in the free skate during the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on Friday. Julie Jacobson / Associated Press

NEW YORK - Jeremy Lin outplayed Kobe Bryant, ended the mighty Lakers' dominance of the Knicks and then tried to pretend it was just another game.

Wrong.

This was the night that proved he's no one-week wonder, that he's got a real NBA career ahead of him.

After all, Kobe's waiting for revenge next season.

Lin had the most astounding performance of his remarkable week, scoring a career-high 38 points and outdueling Bryant as New York held off the Los Angeles Lakers 92-85 on Friday night.

Buried deep on the bench a little more than a week ago, Lin led the Knicks to their fourth straight win, tying their longest streak of the season. His two free throws with 52 seconds left amid booming "MVP! MVP!" chants stopped the Lakers' final rally and allowed the undrafted Harvard product to pass Carmelo Anthony for the highest-scoring game by a Knicks player this season.

"I didn't try to see this game as any different," Lin said. "I just try to make sure that when I get there on the floor, I play as hard as I can and try to do everything I can to help the team win.

"The only thing we established tonight is four in a row. Now we try to go for five tomorrow. I'm not too worried about proving anything to anybody. As a team we're growing and trying to build on the momentum."

Iman Shumpert added 12 points for the Knicks, who are without Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. But they have Lin, the point guard two other teams gave up on in December and didn't get his chance in New York until three other players couldn't do the job.

Bryant finished with 34 points, but he got off to a horrendous start and finished 11 of 29 from the field. The Lakers' nine-game winning streak against the Knicks was snapped.

Four of those wins came at Madison Square Garden, where fans used to roar for Bryant.

They've got a new favorite.

"I think it's a great story," Bryant said. "I think it's a testament to perseverance and hard work. Good example for kids everywhere."

A night earlier, Bryant said he wasn't familiar with Lin's game. Now, he'll awake to headlines that Lin beat him at the "world's most famous arena."

"Enjoy it," Bryant said. "They'll receive judgment next season."

Associated Press

Name: David Stern

Birth date: Sept 22, 1942

Birth place: New York City

Career

1966: Outside counsel representing NBA

1978: NBA's general counsel

1980: Executive vice president of NBA

1984-present: Fourth commissioner of NBA, succeeding Larry O'Brien

Highlights

1980-1984: Reached two landmark decisions with the NBA Players Association on drug testing and team salary cap.

1991: Successfully brought NBA games to Chinese audience by providing CCTV (China Central Television) a free broadcasting deal during his first visit to China.

1996: Oversaw the foundation of the Women's National Basketball Association.

2002: Houston Rockets make Chinese center Yao Ming the No 1 pick in the draft, cementing league's ties with China.

Oct 2004: Launched NBA preseason games in China with games between Yao's Rockets and the Sacramento Kings in Shanghai and Beijing.

2005: Launched NBDL (National Basketball Development League), the NBA's official minor league basketball association.

Current: Under Stern's management, the NBA has expanded from 23 to 30 franchises, and is televised in 215 countries in 43 languages. The NBA has 11 offices in cities outside of the United States. Reached a new collective bargaining agreement that ended 2011 lockout.

New York Knicks' guard Jeremy Lin (L) drives past Los Angeles Lakers' guard Derek Fisher in the third quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

NEW YORK - "Linsanity" reigned at Madison Square Garden for another night on Friday as point guard Jeremy Lin outdueled Kobe Bryant to lead the New York Knicks to a fourth straight win with a 92-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lin, an overlooked 23-year-old who had been cut by two other teams earlier this season, led New York with a career-high 38 points and seven assists, while rookie Iman Shumpert was the next highest scorer for the Knicks with 12 points.

The Lakers, looking as though they were feeling the effects of back-to-back games after beating Celtics in overtime in Boston on Thursday, shot a poor 37.5 percent from the floor as they fell to 15-12.

Bryant, who scored only 10 points in the first half, heated up after the intermission to pace the Lakers with 34 points.

Spurred on by the dazzling performance of Lin, the NBA's first player from Taiwan of China, the Knicks led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter, 12 points in the third and 13 in the fourth at 86-73 before a late fight-back by the Lakers brought them within six at 88-82.

Lin put on one last burst with a reverse layup and a pair of free throws, and drew a charge against Matt Barnes to help ice the victory and improve New York to 12-15 for the season. 

New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) passes past Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Blake (5) in the first quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

New York Knicks' guard Jeremy Lin (L) drives for a layup as Los Angeles Lakers' forward Pau Gasol (2nd L) and Knicks' guard Landry Fields (2) watch in the first quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) makes a layup past Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol (16) in the fourth quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

New York Knicks' guard Jeremy Lin (17) and Los Angeles Lakers' guard Kobe Bryant (24) pause as a foul is shot in the third quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

New York Knicks' guard Jeremy Lin (17) drives past Los Angeles Lakers' forward Metta World Peace in the third quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

A fan holds a sign in the stands as the New York Knicks play the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

New York Knicks' guard Jeremy Lin (17) gets past a reaching Los Angeles Lakers' guard Derek Fisher (R) in the third quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin controls a loose ball against the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

New York Knicks' guard Jeremy Lin directs his team against the Los Angeles Lakers in the third quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

New York Knicks' guard Jeremy Lin dives for a ball out of bounds while playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the fourth quarter of their NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York February 10, 2012.[Photo/Agencies]

The decision was approved during the UCI Professional Cycling Council (PCC) met in Geneva, Switzerland on Feb 9-10. The five stage event would run from Wednesday to Sunday during the week following the 2012 Tour of Beijing.

"It would be held in the area surrounding Hangzhou, a city with a population of 8.7 million in southern China. It would thus become the 29th event of the UCI WorldTour calendar. It would also be the fifth to be held outside Europe after the Tour of Beijing, the Tour Down Under in Australia and the GP Cycliste de Quebec and the GP Cycliste de Montreal in Canada," said UCI on its website.

Hangzhou is the capital city of China's southeastern Zhejiang province.

The court said on Friday that Dragos Enache would pay compensation of 50,000 Romanian lei ($15,155) to former Steaua defender George Galamaz who fractured his cheekbone in the incident.

"I talked to my lawyer and we respect the court's decision," Galamaz told reporters.

"I will donate the 50,000 lei to an orphanage," added the defender who joined Universitatea Cluj in December.

Flamboyant Steaua owner Gigi Becali, a European Member of Parliament, reacted angrily to the court's decision.

"A three-year suspended sentence? That's wrong," said Becali. "Give him a three-week sentence but in jail."

The Romanian Football Federation awarded Steaua a 3-0 win in the match that was delayed for almost half an hour on Oct. 30 and then abandoned just before halftime following the incidents.

Petrolul were also ordered to play six home games behind closed doors.

The Romanian league is in the middle of a winter break and bad weather is threatening the scheduled resumption on Feb. 25.

Steaua are seventh in the 18-team competition while Petrolul are 13th.

Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts after losing his Davis Cup tennis match against John Isner of the U.S. in Fribourg February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

MADRID - John Isner shocked Roger Federer in four sets to secure a 2-0 lead for the United States away to Switzerland in Davis Cup World Group action on Friday while holders Spain carved out the same advantage over Kazakhstan in their first-round tie.

Big-serving Isner beat Federer 4-6 6-3 7-6 6-2 to end his opponent's 15-match unbeaten run in Davis Cup singles rubbers and described it as the greatest win of his life.

He had lost his two previous meetings with the Swiss, both on hardcourts, but this time the 17th-ranked Isner spoiled a rare Davis Cup appearance by the 16-times grand slam singles champion with a clinical performance on clay in Fribourg.

John Isner of the U.S. reacts during his Davis Cup tennis match against Switzerland's Roger Federer in Fribourg, February 10, 2012.  [Photo/Agencies]

"It's one of the greatest wins of my life, no that's wrong, it's the greatest win of my life," said Isner at courtside after the two-hour 39-minute contest.

Mardy Fish had earlier edged Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2 4-6 4-6 6-1 9-7 as Switzerland's bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2004 got off to the worst possible start against the team that beat them in the 1992 final.

"The mission was to go out there and not allow an artist a canvas to work with," US captain Jim Courier said of Isner's victory.

The winners of the tie will play away in the last eight against Canada or France who were playing later on Friday.

Spain began the defence of their title with Nicolas Almagro, their number one in the absence of Rafa Nadal and David Ferrer, and Juan Carlos Ferrero winning in contrasting fashion.

Almagro, had a fairly comfortable 6-3 4-6 6-1 6-1 victory over stubborn Kazakh Andrey Golubev while Ferrero returned to the Davis Cup with a thrilling 6-1 4-6 7-6 4-6 6-4 win over Mikhail Kukushkin in a gruelling four hour 28 minute contest.

Packed Calendar

Last year's runners-up Argentina took a 2-0 lead against Germany after David Nalbandian and Juan Monaco saw off Florian Mayer and Philipp Petzschner respectively on Bamberg's indoor clay court.

Monaco dismissed Petzschner 6-3 6-3 6-3 as the U.S. Open doubles champion committed 47 unforced errors in a disappointing performance before Mayer lost 2-6 6-0 6-1 7-6 to Nalbandian.

In Hyogo, Japan's Go Soeda, the world number 90, came from two sets down to upset 55th-ranked Ivan Dodig 6-7 3-6 6-4 6-3 7-5 and open a 1-0 lead over Croatia.

Ivo Karlovic then levelled for the 2005 champions with a 6-4 6-4 6-3 success against Kei Nishikori.

Serbia, the 2010 winners who are without world number one Novak Djokovic, are 2-0 up at home to Sweden thanks to a 6-3 6-3 6-4 victory for Janko Tipsarevic over Filip Prpic and Viktor Troicki's 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-3 triumph over Michael Ryderstedt.

Austria hold a 2-0 advantage over Russia after Juergen Melzer fought off Igor Kunitsyn in five sets and Andreas Haider-Maurer beat Alex Bogomolov in four in Wiener Neustadt.

Czech Republic also have a 2-0 lead over Italy thanks to Radek Stepanek's battling 4-6 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-3 win over Andreas Seppi and Tomas Berdych's 6-3 4-6 7-5 6-2 victory against Simone Bolelli.

Packed Calendar

Spain captain Alex Corretja was unable to call on any of the four players who beat Argentina in last year's final as Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco all joined Nadal in stepping aside.

World number two Nadal, who has never lost on clay in 16 Davis Cup singles rubbers, blamed the packed calendar for his decision to opt out this year and Corretja drafted Ferrero back into the team after an absence of more than two years.

The former world number one, who turns 32 on Sunday and is now ranked 48th, did not disappoint the typically raucous Spanish fans but had to come back from a break down in the deciding set against the 61st-ranked Kukushkin.

"I tried to stay in the match by keeping my calm and attacking more," said Ferrero, who needed strapping on his right thigh after the third-set tiebreak.

"I did not expect such a long match but in the end I made the effort and I think it was worth it," the 2003 French Open champion said in a television interview. "Winning a point for Spain in the Davis Cup is always very emotional." 

Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts after losing his Davis Cup tennis match against John Isner of the U.S. in Fribourg February 10, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

MADRID - John Isner shocked Roger Federer in four sets to secure a 2-0 lead for the United States away to Switzerland in Davis Cup World Group action on Friday while holders Spain carved out the same advantage over Kazakhstan in their first-round tie.

Big-serving Isner beat Federer 4-6 6-3 7-6 6-2 to end his opponent's 15-match unbeaten run in Davis Cup singles rubbers and described it as the greatest win of his life.

He had lost his two previous meetings with the Swiss, both on hardcourts, but this time the 17th-ranked Isner spoiled a rare Davis Cup appearance by the 16-times grand slam singles champion with a clinical performance on clay in Fribourg.

John Isner of the U.S. reacts during his Davis Cup tennis match against Switzerland's Roger Federer in Fribourg, February 10, 2012.  [Photo/Agencies]

"It's one of the greatest wins of my life, no that's wrong, it's the greatest win of my life," said Isner at courtside after the two-hour 39-minute contest.

Mardy Fish had earlier edged Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2 4-6 4-6 6-1 9-7 as Switzerland's bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2004 got off to the worst possible start against the team that beat them in the 1992 final.

"The mission was to go out there and not allow an artist a canvas to work with," US captain Jim Courier said of Isner's victory.

The winners of the tie will play away in the last eight against Canada or France who were playing later on Friday.

Spain began the defence of their title with Nicolas Almagro, their number one in the absence of Rafa Nadal and David Ferrer, and Juan Carlos Ferrero winning in contrasting fashion.

Almagro, had a fairly comfortable 6-3 4-6 6-1 6-1 victory over stubborn Kazakh Andrey Golubev while Ferrero returned to the Davis Cup with a thrilling 6-1 4-6 7-6 4-6 6-4 win over Mikhail Kukushkin in a gruelling four hour 28 minute contest.

Packed Calendar

Last year's runners-up Argentina took a 2-0 lead against Germany after David Nalbandian and Juan Monaco saw off Florian Mayer and Philipp Petzschner respectively on Bamberg's indoor clay court.

Monaco dismissed Petzschner 6-3 6-3 6-3 as the U.S. Open doubles champion committed 47 unforced errors in a disappointing performance before Mayer lost 2-6 6-0 6-1 7-6 to Nalbandian.

In Hyogo, Japan's Go Soeda, the world number 90, came from two sets down to upset 55th-ranked Ivan Dodig 6-7 3-6 6-4 6-3 7-5 and open a 1-0 lead over Croatia.

Ivo Karlovic then levelled for the 2005 champions with a 6-4 6-4 6-3 success against Kei Nishikori.

Serbia, the 2010 winners who are without world number one Novak Djokovic, are 2-0 up at home to Sweden thanks to a 6-3 6-3 6-4 victory for Janko Tipsarevic over Filip Prpic and Viktor Troicki's 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-3 triumph over Michael Ryderstedt.

Austria hold a 2-0 advantage over Russia after Juergen Melzer fought off Igor Kunitsyn in five sets and Andreas Haider-Maurer beat Alex Bogomolov in four in Wiener Neustadt.

Czech Republic also have a 2-0 lead over Italy thanks to Radek Stepanek's battling 4-6 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-3 win over Andreas Seppi and Tomas Berdych's 6-3 4-6 7-5 6-2 victory against Simone Bolelli.

Packed Calendar

Spain captain Alex Corretja was unable to call on any of the four players who beat Argentina in last year's final as Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco all joined Nadal in stepping aside.

World number two Nadal, who has never lost on clay in 16 Davis Cup singles rubbers, blamed the packed calendar for his decision to opt out this year and Corretja drafted Ferrero back into the team after an absence of more than two years.

The former world number one, who turns 32 on Sunday and is now ranked 48th, did not disappoint the typically raucous Spanish fans but had to come back from a break down in the deciding set against the 61st-ranked Kukushkin.

"I tried to stay in the match by keeping my calm and attacking more," said Ferrero, who needed strapping on his right thigh after the third-set tiebreak.

"I did not expect such a long match but in the end I made the effort and I think it was worth it," the 2003 French Open champion said in a television interview. "Winning a point for Spain in the Davis Cup is always very emotional." 

Basketball player Jeremy Lin (L) shakes hands with Chinese basketball star and former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming during a charity basketball match for Yao Foundation Charity Tour in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, July 28, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - David Stern's league got a big gift out of nowhere.

The NBA commissioner is already hailing Jeremy Lin – the New York Knicks' Asian American point guard – as a sensation who might mean another boost to the league's appeal in Asia.

"He's really been a phenomenon," Stern told China Daily during a videophone conference on Thursday night. "Having a Chinese-American player who suddenly burst on the scene and did so well is very exciting for us. I think it's more exciting for Knicks fans as well.

"He's started for only three games. But his stats are very impressive, and he has been warmly embraced by the New York City fans. That can only help us in terms of lifting the game's ratings and popularity in China."

Lin, a Harvard graduate, averaged 25.3 points and 8.3 assists his past three games to lead the Knicks to three straight wins, rising quickly from obscurity to stardom.

Driving the team's offense smoothly during the absence of scorers Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, Lin has won over New York's notoriously picky fans, who have already nicknamed him "Linsanity".

New York had lost 11 of 13 before Lin's emergence.

Even the Phoenix Suns' former MVP guard Steve Nash tweeted about Lin – "if you love sports you have to love what Jeremy Lin is doing. Getting an opportunity and exploding!!" The 23-year-old has already become a star in China.

The highlights of his breakout game against the Nets last season had drawn 1.27 million views on Sina.com's NBA page even before his name became the 19th most-searched-for term on China's biggest web search engine, Baidu.com, three days later.

Lin's rocketing popularity has reminded fans of the impact of Yao Ming, whose July retirement left a big void.

Stern said Yao's popularity won't likely be matched, and stressed that Lin still has a long way to go.

"I don't think anybody in the NBA, from the Chinese perspective, will ever become a bigger star than Yao. Yao was the first, the biggest and the most successful. And he will always have a special place in the heart of NBA and Chinese fans," Stern said. "Jeremy has three good games. We have to see how he does in the next 300 before we make any judgments."

Stern says he doesn't want to count on Lin prematurely.

"It's true that fans at least come sometimes initially to the TV set to see someone who is special for them," he said. "And someone with Chinese-American heritage will bring more fans to the sets I think. This will be good for us.

"But how good will it be? He was cut by the Golden State Warriors, by the Houston Rockets and was sent by the Knicks to the (National Basketball Development League). And then he comes up and becomes a star. That was wonderful for our league, but we have to wait and see how he will do. I don't want to overburden him with expectations."

At 6'3", the New York Knicks point guard gave a big boost to the team's victory over the Nets 99-92 on Saturday, scoring a game-high 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting off the bench, along with 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals to put up the best stat line for either team. He did quite a good job containing Deron Williams, one of the league's elite point guards in the fourth quarter, as the home crowd began to chant for him.

The second-year pro played nearly 36 minutes in that game. In contrast, he piled up 52 minutes 26 seconds in nine of Knicks' 22 games coming into Saturday night.

No one, including Lin himself, ever expected such an accomplishment.

"This night, it just hasn't really sunk in yet to be honest," he said. "It's like I'm still kind of in shock about everything that happened, but I'm just trying to soak it all in right now."

Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni moved Lin into the starting list for Knicks' next game against the Jazz at home on Monday. In that game, he had a career-high 28 points (10-for-17) and 8 assists in return. Most important, he fought hard all night to pull off a second straight win for the short-handed Knicks, with the absence of Amare Stoudemire (who rushed home after the loss of his brother, who was killed in a car accident) and the early loss of Carmelo Anthony (groin strain).

Jeremy Lin became the first player in more than 30 years to have at least 28 points and eight assists in his first NBA start.

ESPN praised his work by creating a new nickname for him – Linsanity.

His name popped onto the Twitter trends, his photo appeared and quickly dominated the pages of sports sections. On Weibo, China's largest Twitter-like micro blog service, millions of fans talked about him and his highlights were shared and watched numerous times.

Coming into Wednesday's game against the Wizards, the Knicks were still devoid of their two All-Star players, but Lin's stellar performance secured another win for them, scoring 23 points while dishing out a career-high 10 assists. Knicks stormed past the Wizards 107-93 on the road.

Even Wizards fans – many of whom are believed to be from Asia – cheered for Lin. They were waving flags and chanting for him as he walked into the arena during the introduction.

"Thanks to them for coming out, and they came out strong for the Knicks tonight," he said. "We had a lot of energy that came from them."

He surely knew what it meant, after going through a 19-month rough patch.

The Harvard graduate went undrafted in June 2010. He then signed a two-year deal (partially guaranteed in the first year) with his hometown (Golden State) Warriors, his favorite team growing up. He made his NBA debut in the Warriors-Clippers game on Oct 29, officially becoming the first American of Chinese descent to play in the NBA. But the 2010-11 season, by and large, did not turn out to be a memorable one for him, as he only played in 29 games, averaging 2.6 points in 9.8 minutes. He was assigned to the Warriors' D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, three times during the season.

On Dec 9, 2011, the Warriors waived Lin on the first day of training camp after the 2011 NBA lockout. Houston Rockets claimed him off the waiver three days later but cut him on Dec 24, just before the start of the 2011-12 season. The Knicks took a flyer on him on Dec 27 after an injury to guard Iman Shumpert.

Lin was excited about the signing, as he wrote, "Thankful to God for the opportunity to be a New York Knick!" on his weibo.

But the situation was almost a parallel to his days with the Warriors. The Knicks did not expect much from Lin and thus he got a small share of time, and he was assigned to the D-League on Jan 18.

Lin has been sleeping in his brother Josh's living room, or crashing on teammates' couches for the past six months. And he was even thankful for that.

"God is good during our ups and our downs!" he said.

Lin was recalled by the Knicks on Jan 24, three days after he had an impressive triple-double in the D-League. He admitted that he did give serious thought to playing overseas.

"Of course, of course, that's definitely going to cross my mind," he said Monday night in the Knicks locker room. He had just had a career night with 28 points and 8 assists against the Utah Jazz.

His contract, potentially worth nearly $800,000, became guaranteed on Wednesday afternoon, with a big sigh of relief on his part.

"I guess I need to find a place then," Lin said.

My spin: Jeremy Lin is now a sensation in the league, hands down. Besides his Asian roots, what makes his Cinderella story touching and encouraging is that he keeps working his way toward success. He was waived twice, and was concerned about a third time as he stayed in his brother's apartment. He was the team's third-string point guard, desperate for playing minutes. He was even sent to the minor league. When life messed with the underdog, he stayed positive and was always prepared for the right time to come. All of those scenarios may exist only in Hollywood movies, but Jeremy Lin proved it can also be real life.

Asian-American has gone from bench to toast of New York in a week

WASHINGTON - In the course of a week, American Jeremy Lin, whose parients are from Taiwan, has gone from basketball obscurity to being the NBA's newest playmaking sensation.

The New York Knicks guard has earned more than 60,000 Twitter followers in just five days. Now, he also has his first NBA dunk. Lin had 23 points and a career-high 10 assists in New York's 107-93 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday.

Late in the third quarter with the Knicks up by four, Lin drove past three Wizards and suddenly was alone in front of the hoop. He slammed it through with his right hand.

"Just one of those in-a-moment things," Lin said. "They messed up on their coverage, so I was able to get free."

In his previous two games, Lin had 25 points against New Jersey and 28 more against Utah in his first start - both wins. Now, the Harvard graduate had to go on the road, but instead of facing a hostile crowd, Lin found an adoring one.

The fans cheered louder for Lin than for any other player in introductions, waving signs -including one that read: "Linning and Grinning."

By the time the game ended, the crowd was chanting for him as he walked off the floor.

"Like I said after the last game, I wouldn't have imagined this," said Lin, who was undrafted in 2010 and played his rookie season in Golden State.

"Thanks to them for coming out and they came out strong for the Knicks tonight," he added. "We had a lot of energy that came from them."

When the Knicks last played here on Jan 6, Lin didn't play at all. With their two leading scorers missing - Carmelo Anthony gone for a week or two with a strained right groin and Amare Stoudemire mourning the loss of his brother - New York desperately needed Lin's scoring this time around.

He didn't single-handedly make up for the 40 points Anthony and Stoudemire provide, but he sure energized the decidedly pro-New York crowd.

"He just does everything easy and the rest of the guys around him are playing the way we want to play," New York coach Mike D'Antoni said.

Wizards coach Randy Wittman knew about Lin from a close relative. His son played against Lin in college. Ryan Wittman, who played for Cornell, sent his father a sarcastic message during the game.

"He told me that they did a much better job guarding him than we did tonight," Wittman said. "I already had that text message before the game was over. Makes Dad feel good."

The Knicks shot just 25 percent in the first quarter and trailed 23-17. Lin missed all three shots he attempted, and moments after the third, he was called for his second foul and sustained a gash and left the game with 4:06 to play.

Lin returned about two minutes into the second quarter and scored eight points - on three layups and a pretty 17-foot bank shot just before halftime.

Lin scored on a bank shot to start the third quarter, and after Washington scored the next 10 points for a 56-54 lead, he hit four free throws, another layup and a right-handed dunk with 2:59 left to give the Knicks a 72-66 lead. He made another layup to end the quarter with 12 points - and a 77-68 New York advantage.

The Wizards narrowed the deficit to 79-72, but Lin helped give New York a 103-85 lead with 3:22 to play.

Associated Press

(China Daily 02/10/2012 page22)

BEIJING - One of the greatest players in snooker history, Stephen Hendry now has a new role - that of global ambassador for Chinese pool and billiards.

The seven-time snooker world champion signed an agreement on Wednesday with the Joy Chinese Pool Sports Development Co Ltd to promote Chinese pool, an 8-ball game, which combines the precision of snooker and the flexibility of nine-ball billiards.

"My mission is to promote the development of Chinese pool across the whole world. This is not only a great honor for me but also a brand new start for my career," Hendry said at the signing ceremony in Beijing.

Snooker and nine-ball have been developing rapidly at home and abroad in recent years thanks to rising Chinese stars like Ding Junhui and women's world champions Liu Shasha, Fu Xiaofang and Pan Xiaoting.

But Chinese 8-ball (usually called Black-8), which is traditionally played by most pool fans here, is still struggling to gain a higher status on the international stage.

Hendry's endorsement is expected to give the game a much-needed boost.

Hendry, nicknamed the "Emperor of Snooker" by fans for his record haul of titles and brilliant talent, said he has known about Chinese 8-ball for some time, but his real understanding of the game came only after talks with Qiao Bing, director of the Joy Chinese Pool Sports Development Co Ltd.

"I have come to know that this game with strong Chinese characteristics has become the most popular one among the Chinese people," said the 43-year-old Scot.

Hendry was snooker's world No 1 for eight consecutive years between 1990 and 1998, but his current world ranking has fallen out of the top 20.

"My professional snooker career has almost come to an end. But I am more of a lover of billiards than only a snooker player. Over 30 years of professional playing, I have already formed a special love for billiards, which goes beyond the categories of billiards and national borders. Chinese pool is one of the most important ones for me from now on," said Hendry.

"I am convinced that Chinese (8-ball) pool will have a promising future and the thought of working together with Joy to create another miracle in the billiard field makes me thrilled."

Without giving details about the deal, Hendry promised he will attend major events and activities to promote Chinese pool.

"I would also like to introduce this charming billiards game to my friends because from today on, I am the Goodwill Ambassador of Chinese pool. I am proud of that!" he said.

Hendry started his new role earlier this week when he played in two Chinese pool exhibition games in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, and Beijing.

Xinhua / China Daily

(China Daily 02/10/2012 page22)

Star Chinese hurdler ready to launch European indoor campaign in Birmingham next week

BEIJING - Champion Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang will head for the Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham next Wednesday to start his Olympic Games build-up after two months of intensive training in Shanghai.

Coach Sun Haiping said Liu made obvious improvements during the winter camp, but that he now needs to be tested on the track.

"Compared with his performance at last year's World Championships in Daegu, Liu feels much better at the start of the run, and the stability of his first two strides has been especially enhanced," Sun said. "The power of his upper limbs has also been considerably strengthened."

The 28-year-old hurdler, who adopted a new technique of approaching the first hurdle with seven steps instead of eight, has also adjusted the spacing of his starting blocks, Sun said.

"Liu has increased the angle of the starting blocks, and he feels good with the change, but our experience tells us it is still not the best position for him.

"We are now in the indoor season and the human body will feel a lot different when the outdoor season comes. The strength and stretch of muscles will also get better when the weather turns warmer. Therefore, we might continue to make some minor adjustments until we find a perfect match."

Liu burst onto the world stage by winning the gold medal and equaling the world record of 12.91 seconds at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens in the men's 110m hurdles. However, Liu was forced to withdraw from the first round of the event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics due to a chronic Achilles tendon injury.

The London Olympics is likely to be the third and last for Liu, who finally overcame the injury last year after lengthy rehabilitation. He returned to the World Championships and claimed a silver medal after a controversial final in which Dayron Robles of Cuba was disqualified for bumping him.

After the Birmingham event and a three-day training camp in London, Liu will head to Stockholm for a meet on Feb 23, and then the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul on March 7. Liu will meet rival Robles at all three meets, but is unlikely to expose his full potential until the Olympics.

"We haven't thought about avoiding clashes with any of the top athletes it is just a coincidence that they have chosen the same meets," Sun said. "We chose the events we need, and Robles chose his.

"The target of the Europe tour is (to get good results at) the indoor worlds, a less important goal is to surpass last year's 7.55 seconds and, of course, we hope to break Liu's best result of 7.42 seconds set in 2008."

Liu's return to form saw him win the Grand Jury Prize at the 2011 CCTV Sports Personality of the Year awards in January, but he fell short in his bid to win the World Comeback of the Year at the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards this month.

"Prizes, like Laureus, are all secondary to the athletic competitions, and the best award for athletes and coaches is the achievement they make on the track," Sun said.

China Daily

(China Daily 02/10/2012 page23)

Djokovic arrived in Jagodina to reveal his life-like statue at the wax museum in the town. The event was attended by the town's mayor, Dragan Markovic-Palma, and the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic.

According to Markovic-Palma, the timing of the unveiling of Djokovic's wax figure was fortuitous, given the fact that Djokovic had received the award as top sportsman for 2011 at the Laureus Sports Award in London only days earlier.

"We believe that Nole is the most successful Serbian athlete and that his figure should be in a museum," said Markovic-Palma, adding that other Serbian athletes would not be ignored in the future, naming basketball players Vlade Divac and Sasha Djordjevic as possible entries.

The wax figure was made by Belgrade sculptor Svetomir Radovic after reviewing extensive video recordings and photographs of Djokovic in action. The life-size figure is dressed in attire worn by Djokovic and holds a racket used by him in an actual tennis match.

Tiger Woods talks with his playing partner, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, at the eighth hole at Spyglass Hill Golf Course during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-AM golf tournament in Pebble Beach, California February 9, 2012.  [Photo/Agencies]

Tiger Woods made a confident start to his 2012 PGA Tour campaign, mixing three birdies with a lone bogey in his first nine holes at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Thursday.

Watched by huge galleries after teeing off at the par-four 10th on the heavily tree-lined Spyglass Hill Golf Course, the former world number one reached the turn at two-under 34, five strokes off the early pace in the opening round.

On a glorious sun-splashed morning, Woods made a sizzling start with consecutive birdies, hitting a superb approach to three feet at the par-four 10th and narrowly missing an eagle putt from 14 feet at the par-five 11th.

The 14-times major winner made his first mistake of the day at the par-four 13th where he pulled his tee shot into the left fairway bunker. From an awkward stance, Woods failed to reach the green in two and ended up with a bogey.

After comfortably parring the next three holes, he picked up another shot at the par-four 17th where his approach shot pitched beyond the cup and spun back to within 10 feet.

Another par followed at the 18th for Woods to enter his back nine at two under on the most difficult of the three venues hosting this week's event.

On a relatively benign day on the picturesque Monterey Peninsula, most of the low scoring was expected to be produced by players starting out on the par-72 Pebble Beach Golf Links where Woods won the 2000 U.S. Open by a record 15 shots.

Pebble Beach National Pro-Am champion in 2000, Woods is back at the event for the first time in a decade as he also marks his debut appearance on the 2012 PGA Tour.

Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany smiles in the paddock at the Jerez racetrack in southern Spain February 9, 2012.  [Photo/Agencies]

Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel drove his new Red Bull for the first time on Thursday with the team saying they were on course to tick all the right boxes in pre-season testing at Jerez.

Spain's Fernando Alonso finally got his hands on his new Ferrari as well but the Italian team were far less happy with the data coming from the F2012 on day three at the southern Spanish track.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton sounded cautiously optimistic after his first day of testing following team mate Jenson Button's stint in the car while Brazilian Bruno Senna marked his Williams debut by doing more laps than anyone else.

"It's been two months since we were in the car so it does take a couple of laps to get back in the rhythm, but the car feels fine and as we expected," said Vettel, who was second fastest of those in the new cars.

Germany's Nico Rosberg topped the timesheets in last year's Mercedes, with Frenchman Romain Grosjean second quickest in the new Lotus.

"So far we can be happy. We had a couple of issues but it's normal when the car is new," said Vettel.

Red Bull's head of race engineering, Ian Morgan, said the penultimate day had gone well.

"Sebastian's first day in the car went almost perfectly," he declared. "Tomorrow's programme will be more of the same. We're on course to tick off all the things we wanted to get done and we hope we can complete the list tomorrow."

Ferrari, with plenty of Spanish fans in evidence on double champion Alonso's first day in the car, were still wrestling with setup problems.

"I am not happy with where we are at the moment," said technical director Pat Fry after Alonso did 67 laps and was seventh fastest. "I think there is a lot of room for us to improve from where we are."

Hamilton covered 80 laps and 354km in the MP4-27 and said his initial feelings were "pretty positive".

"There were no nasty surprises, which is pleasing," added the 2008 champion, whose team were struggling at the same stage last year.

"This car's baseline is something we can really work with."

Senna, nephew of the late triple world champion Ayrton who died after crashing his Williams at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, had a productive first day in the car with 125 laps completed without any hiccups.

The same could not be said for Force India's French reserve Jules Bianchi, who brought his team's testing to a halt after crashing into the tyre barrier in the morning.

The team were unable to get the car back out on track as they needed fresh parts from Britain, a setback that meant German race driver Nico Hulkenberg was unable to start his testing programme.

Lucy Katherine Chaffer of Australia jumps on her sled in the first run during the women's skeleton race at FIBT Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup competition in Calgary, Alberta, February 9, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Elizabeth Yarnold of Britain jumps on her sled during the first run of the women's event at the FIBT Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup competition Alberta, February 9, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

John Fairbairn of Canada jumps on his sled in the first run during the men's skeleton race at the FIBT Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup competition in Calgary, Alberta, February 9, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Anja Huber of Germany jumps on her sled during the first run at the women's skeleton race at the FIBT Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup competition in Calgary, Alberta, February 9, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Matthew Antoine of the U.S. jumps on his sled in the first run during the men's skeleton race at the FIBT Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup competition in Calgary, Alberta, February 9, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Deloitte's annual report on European soccer revenues reveals that once again Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona top the game's money league.

The top seven places for the latest report – based on season 2010-11 – remain unchanged from last year's, with Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Chelsea and AC Milan maintaining the status quo.

Here is the world's top 20 richest soccer clubs:

Ranking	2009-10 Ranking	Soccer Clubs	2010-11 Revenues (euro)	2009-10 Revenues (euro)
1	1	Real Madrid (Spain)	479.5 million ($636.5 million)	438.6 million
2	2	Barcelona (Spain)	450.7 million ($598.3 million)	398.1 million
3	3	Manchester United (England)	367.0 million ($487.2 million)	349.8 million
4	4	Bayern Munich  (Germany)	321.4 million ($426.6 million)	323 million
5	5	Arsenal (England)	251.1 million ($333.3 million)	274.1 million
6	6	Chelsea (England)	249.8 million ($331.6 million)	255.9 million
7	7	AC Milan (Italy)	235.1 million ($312.1 million)	244 million
8	9	Inter Milan (Italy)	211.4 million ($280.6 million)	224.8 million
9	8	Liverpool (England)	203.3 million ($269.9 million)	225.3 million
10	16	Schalke 04  (Germany)	202.4 million ($268.7 million)	139.8 million
11	12	Tottenham Hotspur (England)	181.0 million ($240.3 million)	146.3 million
12	11	Manchester City  (England)	169.6 million ($225.1 million)	152.8 million
13	10	Juventus (Italy)	153.9 million ($204.3 million)	205 million
14	15	Olympique Marseille (France)	150.4 million ($199.6 million)	141.1 million
15	18	AS Roma (Italy)	143.5 million ($190.5 million)	122.7 million
16	n/a	Borussia Dortmund  (Germany)	138.5 million ($183.8 million)	105.2 million
17	14	Olympique Lyon  (France)	132.8 million ($176.3 million)	146.1 million
18	13	Hamburg SV  (Germany)	128.8 million ($171.0 million)	146.2 million
19	n/a	Valencia (Spain)	116.8 million ($155.0 million)	99.3 million
20	n/a	Napoli (Italy)	114.9 million ($152.5 million)	91.6 million

Note: The Deloitte Soccer Money League is a ranking of soccer clubs by revenue generated from soccer operations. It is produced annually by the accountancy firm Deloitte and released in early February of each year, describing the season most recently finished.

It will be the pair's first meeting since the world championships in Daegu last summer, where Liu took silver after Robles was dramatically disqualified for disrupting Liu despite finishing the race in first place.

The pair, who between them have amassed a staggering 11 major event titles and are considered the all-time greats of sprint hurdles, will join an all-star cast including Asafa Powell, Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah in what is expected to be a colossal afternoon at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena.

It will also be Liu's first competition in the NIA since he won bronze in the world indoor championships in 2003 at age of 19.

Robles, who set the world record of 12.87 seconds in Ostrava in 2008, won five times in his 12 previous races against Liu. But the 25-year-old Cuban is determined to level the record by the end of March as he will race alongside Liu first in Birmingham and then in Istanbul, where he hopes to usurp the latter as the world indoor champion.

"I feel in really good shape. I haven't competed this year yet so I'm looking forward to getting back on the track," said Robles.

"I will have probably had one race before the Aviva Grand Prix which will give me more of an idea on my form but Birmingham is due to have a good field so it'll be good for me."

The possible candidate to take over the England national soccer team (from L to R) Harry Redknapp, David Beckham and Stuart Pearce in this combination of file photos. [Photo/Agencies]

Capello's exit in the wake of a row over the deposed England skipper John Terry, means the English FA have to act swiftly in appointing his successor with four months to go before the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine in June.

In reality, the FA need to have his replacement in place before their next match, a warm-up friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley Stadium on Feb 29.

Stuart Pearce, the current coach of the England Under-21 and British Olympic team, and an assistant with the national squad under Capello, has been touted as the probable short-term stand-in, but Redknapp's name is the one widely being put forward as a long-term replacement for the 65-year-old Italian.

Redknapp started the day awaiting a jury's verdict following a 13-day trial at Southwark Crown Court into allegations of tax evasion while he was manager at Portsmouth which could have led to him spending most of the next two years in jail.

The jury agreed unanimously that he was not guilty on both the charges he faced and, after he left the court a free man with an unblemished record, his name was back in the spotlight hours later as the future England boss.

The 64-year-old Londoner though, is contracted to Spurs until 2013. While he has made no secret of wanting to lead England one day, he has repeatedly said he is totally committed to his club side and would not talk about England unless and until he was offered the job by the English FA.

Redknapp would be a popular choice, not least because he is an Englishman. While every football manager and player has his detractors, Redknapp has relatively few.

A new captain, a new team

He is widely respected, not only by his own club's fans but by neutrals as well who recognise that his teams play with attacking flair, that he manages players well and that he is an astute tactician.

He comes across as a man of the people, with a positive and good-humoured approach to life, the game and the media, traits that would be a breath of fresh air after the taciturn disciplinarianism and halting English of Capello.

Pearce is another possible contender for the job, as is Jose Mourinho, who appears set on leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season, while Dutchman Guus Hiddink, Arsene Wenger of Arsenal and Roy Hodgson of West Bromwich Albion have all been linked to the job by London bookmakers William Hill.

Whoever takes the job has one serious problem to deal with before choosing a squad and a team that could stand any chance of reaching the later stages of Euro 2012.

Capello resigned as manager on Wednesday because he felt the FA undermined his authority by stripping Terry of the captaincy last week after the player's criminal trial for allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers was put back until after the European Championship.

Capello maintained that Terry was innocent until proven guilty and should have kept the armband. Once the FA made their decision, his position was untenable.

The new manager must now select a new captain and decide whether to take Terry as a member of the squad at all.

He also has to decide whoelse to take to the finals which is why it is probably important the job goes to an Englishman familiar with the Premier League.

FA chairman David Bernstein, who accepted Capello's resignation on Wednesday, has repeatedly said he wants an Englishman to assume control of England while he is chairman.

Redknapp, arguably, could do the job part-time because England have only three warm-up matches, against the Dutch, Belgium and Norway, before the finals.

Pearce though, has worked as one of Capello's assistants as well as managing the under-21s and is free to concentrate all his time on the national team, while Redknapp's Spurs still have an outside chance of the Premier League title and a realistic shot at the Champions League.

Russia's Maria Sharapova hits a return to Spain's Silvia Soler-Espinosa during their Fed Cup World Group first round tennis match in Moscow, Feb 4, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

PARIS - Top seed Maria Sharapova eased into the third round of the Paris Open with a 6-3 6-1 dismissal of South African Chenelle Scheepers on Wednesday.

The former world number one from Russia dropped serve twice early in the opening set but an upset was never on the cards at the Pierre de Coubertin hall.

After being held 3-3 in the first set, she won nine of the 10 remaining games, taking victory after 68 minutes when Scheepers netted a routine shot.

"I struggled a little bit at the beginning because the surface is quicker than at the Australian Open or the Fed Cup," Australian Open finalist Sharapova, who will next face either Romanian Monica Niculescu or German ninth seed Angelique Kerber, told reporters.

Juventus' Jose Silva Caceres celebrates after scoring against AC Milan during their Italian Cup semi final soccer match at Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, Feb 8, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Stephan El Shaarawy equalized for the hosts just after the hour mark in the first leg only for Uruguayan Caceres to net a superb late winner for the Serie A leaders.

Juventus head coach Antonio Conte hailed his side's win despite the rotation he introduced to the team

"It's not just the result that counts, but the introduction of the newcomers who had a great game. I think this victory shows what hard work is behind the team, which allows us to rotate the squad without damaging the performance.

"This team has players who want to dream and know in order to achieve that dream they need to work, work, work," he said.

His Milan counterpart Massimiliano Allegri asked his side to stay calm after the tie.

"We have lost a few too many times recently, but must stay calm and confident of our own abilities, especially as we have an injury crisis on our hands and many players cannot rest the way they ought to.

"There is no pressure on us, because I know the strength of my squad. We've got to continue working to emerge from this situation," he said.

Milan, Juve's closest challengers in the league, were second best for much of the contest, although Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a second-half strike disallowed.

AC Milan's Stephan El Shaarawy (R) celebrates with his teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic after scoring against Juventus in their Italian Cup semi final soccer match at Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, Feb 8, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Factbox on England soccer manager Fabio Capello who resigned on Wednesday:

* Born 18 June, 1946, in Pieris (San Canzian d'Isonzo), Italy

Playing career

* Started his career with SPAL in 1964 before moving to AS Roma in 1967 and clinching the 1969 Italian Cup. He soon joined Juventus where he won league titles in 1972, 1973 and 1975.

* Capello signed for AC Milan in 1976, picking up the 1979 scudetto before retiring.

* Won 32 caps for Italy between 1972 and 1976, scoring eight goals including the only one in Italy's first win against England at Wembley in 1973.

Coaching success

* After Arrigo Sacchi left AC Milan in 1991, Capello took charge and won the 1992 title with Milan, who remained unbeaten throughout the campaign.

* Milan won four league titles and the 1994 European Cup under Capello. He left in 1996 and moved to Real Madrid for the 1996-97 season where he won the Spanish title before returning to Milan for a short, unsuccessful stint.

* He joined AS Roma in 1999 and, with a team built around Francesco Totti, led them to their first championship in 18 years in 2000-01.

* In 2004 he signed a three-year contract with Juventus and won the 2004-05 league title in his first season in charge, retaining it the following season before the match-fixing scandal which eventually led to the club being stripped of the honours.

* He resigned as coach of Juventus in July 2006 and was named Real Madrid coach the following day.

* He spent millions on players but his Real team failed to live up to expectations in the first half of the season.

* In the second half of the campaign he brought David Beckham back into the team after sidelining him over his move to LA Galaxy. A strong run-in then allowed Real to overhaul arch-rivals Barcelona and take the league title.

* Capello was sacked in June 2007 with Real bosses saying his team had failed to play exciting football. He became an Italian television pundit.

England

* After England failed to qualify for the 2008 European championship, Capello was approached to coach the team, an offer he accepted in December 2007.

* He initially transformed England's fortunes with the team winning 18 of 24 games and securing a place at the 2010 World Cup in their qualifying campaign.

World cup failure

* England's preparations for the World Cup were hit when John Terry was stripped of the captaincy following a tabloid newspaper scandal.

* The World Cup began badly for England who drew their opening two games against United States and Algeria before limping into the knockout stages with a narrow win over Slovenia.

* Capello's reputation suffered as England were dumped out of the tournament in the last 16 in a humiliating 4-1 defeat to old rivals Germany.

* Capello survived in his job to lead England into the qualifying campaign for the 2012 European championship.

* England comfortably booked their place in the tournament, winning their qualification group with five wins and three draws from their eight matches.

* On Feb. 3 2012, the FA decided to strip the captaincy from Terry for the second time. The defender is due to stand trial in July for allegedly racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.

* Capello criticized the FA's decision in an Italian television interview and resigned as England manager on Wednesday.

Report says eastern Europe has 'terrifying lack of respect for players'

BRUSSELS - Professional football in eastern Europe is struggling with a "terrifying lack of respect" for the rights of players who are being exposed to increasing violence, racism and match-fixing, according to a report issued on Tuesday.

FIFPro, the global union for professional players, revealed their findings in what they have called The Black Book Eastern Europe, after a survey of nearly 3,400 players in mainly eastern Europe with others from southern Europe adding their voices to a survey that makes astonishingly somber reading.

FIFPro, which published the report in Brussels, says there is "an urgent need" to improve the legal position of professional players in eastern Europe.

The report concludes that almost a quarter of players (23.6 percent) are aware of match-fixing in their league and that in Russia, host of the 2018 World Cup finals, the figure is as high as 43.5 percent.

Turkey is currently engulfed in a serious match-fixing scandal, while many other cases have come to light in other eastern European countries.

Director Anthony Higgins said the results were worrying.

"They are a massive wake-up call for football, including in Western Europe," he said. "In the east, players regularly discover they are not paid by their clubs and then find themselves being targeted by corrupt influences. They are vulnerable."

The report indicates a link between non-payment of player salaries and match-fixing. Of the 41 percent of players whose salaries have not been paid on time, more than half were approached to consider cheating.

One in nine of the players polled have been the victim of a violent act, with some attacked by coaches and other by fans.

Over nine percent of players reported examples of racism or other forms of discrimination - mainly from supporters. Of those who said they had been the victims of racism, 65.3 percent said it was caused by fans.

In a statement, FIFPro said the findings of the report indicated a "terrifying lack of respect for players".

"The professional footballer, in eastern Europe, must fight for his rights, because a large number of the employers are not so particular about their obligations, FIFPro said.

"The most essential condition for professional football is that a football player is paid by his club. But of the 3,357 professional footballers who cooperated in this study, 41.4 percent do not have their salaries paid on time.

"5.5 percent of all players have to wait more than six months to receive their salary. 2.2 percent have even had to wait more than a year for their salary arrears to be paid or are still waiting for that to happen.

"According to a vast majority of the players (92.9 per cent), the clubs claim they cannot pay because they lack the finances.

"For the sake of clarity: not all professional players are millionaires or earn hundreds of thousands of Euros.

"The vast majority of the players who participated in this study earn (at most) an average income and are not financially independent."

The report concluded with a blunt message:

"On average, it means that in each team that comes onto the field, there is at least one player who has been a victim of the aforementioned forms of mental or physical violence. That is more than shocking.

"The current situation in Eastern Europe is unacceptable. That should also be the case for every stakeholder in football. If they are still not convinced, then FIFPro's Black Book Eastern Europe should set off the alarm bells."

Reuters

(China Daily 02/09/2012 page22)

BEIJING - Shanghai Shenhua wants a big defender. It's turned to one of the biggest teams in the world in its quest to find one.

The Chinese Super League club is expected to launch negotiations with La Liga giant Barcelona as it looks to shore up its defense in advance of the season, Chinese media reported.

According to Sina.com, Shenhua investor Zhu Jun was scheduled to meet Barcelona president Sandro Rosell on Wednesday. The meeting was on the acquisition of a defender, though the club refused to disclose the player's name.

Shenhua changed its plans after losing to Slovakia first league champion Bratislava 3-0 in a warm-up game on Friday during preseason training in Valencia, Spain.

The club, which signed French coach Jean Tigana and stepped into the international spotlight by signing French striker Nicolas Anelka in December, had originally been looking for attackers.

Shenhua official Ma Yue told Reuters on Tuesday the team was in talks with Stoke City defender Matthew Upson, but declined to give a timeline for negotiations with the 32-year-old centerhalf.

However, Chinese media reported on Wednesday that Shenhua might give up Upson due to his undesirable form.

"In concern of some objective factors, like the surgery Upson had earlier, we had a meeting with our team's senior consultants last night, and we got the feedback that Upson's current condition is not as good as we had expected," a Shenhua source told Sina.com.

"We are learning more about Upson's form and we will probably stop our contact with Upson if his condition can't live up to our requirements. Though we have a lot of work to do and limited time to run the transfer, we will never cut down our standard in choosing a centerback. Our final choice won't disappoint fans of Shanghai."

Shenhua has also been in protracted negotiations with Cote d'lvoire's Didier Drogba, whose contract with Chelsea will expire this summer.

Zhu said on Feb 1 on his weibo account that the talks were deadlocked because the striker's agent asked for too much.

However, French television network Canal + this week said the 33-year-old will join Shenhua this summer. The report said he will receive 400,000 euros ($531,012) a week, meaning his annual salary will reach 20 million euros. He would surpass Samuel Eto'o, Anelka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to become the highest-paid player in the world.

"It's just a beginning to bring in Tigana and Anelka," Zhu told the network in an interview in Spain. "It won't take long for China to become leader of Asia. I believe, within 10 to 20 years, the eastern miracle will take place in Chinese soccer."

China Daily

Claiming traditionalism, Woods says he has a problem with new trend of players who use long putters

Tiger Woods has a solution to long putters - make them no longer than the shortest club in the bag. Woods said on Tuesday at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am he has "never been a fan" of long putters that players either anchor into their belly or the broom-style putters that are pressed against the chest.

"I believe it's the art of controlling the body and club and swinging the pendulum motion," Woods said. "I believe that's how it should be played. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to that."

Woods said he has spoken to Royal & Ancient chief executive Peter Dawson the past several years about how the language could be written in the Rules of Golf that effectively would ban such putters.

"My idea was to have it so that the putter would be equal to or less than the shortest club in your bag," Woods said. "And I think with that, we'd be able to get away from any type of belly anchoring."

He said the putter still could be anchored to the forearm, as two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer once did.

Keegan Bradley became the first major champion to use a belly putter when he won the PGA Championship. Bill Haas used the same style when he won the Tour Championship to capture the FedEx Cup.

The belly putters gained momentum late last year with Bradley and Webb Simpson, who won twice late in 2011 and who nearly captured the PGA Tour money title. Both considered themselves good putters who felt as though anchoring the club to their stomach made them even better.

For years, most players believed only players who were desperate to improve used such putters.

Ernie Els once criticized the use of belly putters, but switched to one late last year and said: "As long as it's legal, I'll keep cheating like the rest of them."

Phil Mickelson also experimented with a belly putter during the FedEx Cup playoffs last year. He since has gone back to a more conventional putter.

The R&A and USGA, while making no formal announcement, have said they would review such putters. While it would seem simple to ban long putters, it can help recreational players stay interested in the game, and any ban might also affect equipment companies.

"If you look back at the interest in it, it really never changed for over 20 years," USGA executive director Mike Davis said on Saturday at its annual meeting. "Then all of a sudden in 2011 ... this has become a much bigger topic. So the R&A and USGA have been talking about this at length, and we're looking at it from the perspective as ... what is good for the game for all golfers long term?"

Davis said it would be premature to speculate on a direction the governing bodies are going, except to say they are not ignoring the issue.

"It is something that we have taken a fresh look at, because there are more players in the game, both on the elite level and on the recreational level, using it," Davis said. "I think we just want to be sure that we're looking at all the angles and thinking about what is in the best interest, both the traditions of the game, the history of the game and what we think would be good for the game long term."

Associated Press

(China Daily 02/09/2012 page23)

LOS ANGELES - Even after her dominant 2011 season, world No 1 Tseng Yani found room for improvement in her golf game that she hopes will pay dividends during the 2012 LPGA season.

The star from Taiwan won 12 titles worldwide last year and seven US LPGA Tour victories.

She is the defending champion at the Australian Women's Open this week at Royal Melbourne where the US LPGA Tour 2012 season officially begins.

"Hopefully it will be a good start for the year," Tseng said in Melbourne.

"Last year is over. This is a new year for me. I have been working real hard in the offseason to change my swing a bit, to make it more consistent. I think I am ready for this year."

Tseng said the goal of the swing change was to maintain her distance but cut down on the effort needed in each swing.

"I feel I am swinging easier and striking the ball better," she said. "Now I feel that if I swing 70-80 percent, the ball is still flying better than before.

"I always tried to swing really hard. Now I don't swing so hard but the ball still goes that far. I am very happy about that ... I can still rip it."

The prospect of a new and improved Tseng is daunting news for her would-be rivals on an LPGA Tour that this season features 27 events worth $47 million in prize money.

Four new North American tournaments are on the slate, along with the addition of this week's Australian Open to the tour's lineup.

Twelve of the tournaments are outside the United States - a reflection of the globalization of the women's game.

Norway's Suzann Pettersen, second in the rankings, won twice last year and had nine more top-10 finishes.

South Korea maintains a strong presence at the top of the rankings, with Na Yeon-choi ranked third, and Sun Ju-ahn, Jiyai Shin and I.K. Kim at sixth, seventh and eighth. Japan's Ai Miyazato continues to be a consistent contender.

At No 4, Cristie Kerr is the top-ranked US woman as the season gets underway.

Kerr finished second on the LPGA Tour money list last year despite not winning a tournament - posting nine top-five finishes.

Not only would Kerr like to return to the winner's circle, she'd like to challenge Tseng for the No 1 ranking she held in 2010.

"I think any time you are No 1 it is a tremendous accomplishment," Kerr said as she prepared to tee it up in Melbourne.

"That's where I want to be. That's why I play. I've come out this year ready to play. I've got my goals. I want to win again, win multiple events, and hopefully another major. I feel like I am ready to go this year."

While Michelle Wie will no doubt continue to be a big draw for US fans, another young American poised to make a splash is Lexi Thompson, the 16-year-old sensation who will be playing her rookie season after receiving an exemption from the minimum-age requirement.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/09/2012 page23)

BEIJING - Mission Hills China has announced it will host a new women's professional golf tournament - the World Ladies Championships (WLC) - in Haikou, Hainan island.

The inaugural World Ladies Championship, which will be played on Mission Hills Hainan's Vintage Course from March 2-4, will complete a "Grand Slam" of major events in all competition formats for the Mission Hills Group.

The World Ladies Championship, co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the China LPGA Tour (CLPGA), will adopt a unique three-in-one format, featuring 54-hole individual play, professional team play and individual amateur play. In accordance with the women's world golf rankings, two players from each of 18 countries and regions will be invited to participate in the team portion.

Invitations for the individual category in the 108-player field will be dictated by world rankings and the 2011 LET Order of Merit.

Participants will include top-ranked players from the LET, CLPGA, Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), Korean Professional Ladies Golf Association (KLPGA), Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan (JLPGA) and Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG).

The 2010 LET order-of-merit winner, Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa, has confirmed she will take part, while local duo Feng Shansha, the world No 13, and JLPGA winner Ye Liying will represent China's challenge among the world's top women golfers.

China's golf chief hailed the event as a milestone in the development of women's golf here.

"For a long period of time, Mission Hills has made significant contributions to organizing world-class tournaments and creating international, competitive platforms for Chinese golfers," said Zhang Xiaoning, vice chairman and secretary general of the China Golf Association (CGA). "We are delighted to see the first World Ladies Championship and Mission Hills host another international event for our players. This time the stage will be larger, involving more local challengers. I believe it will definitely usher in a new era for the women's golf industry in our motherland.

"The developmental strategy of the CGA is to set our sights on the Olympics, to further develop the professional game in China and to attain a breakthrough in women's golf development."

This international tournament will also serve as the opening stage of the CLPGA Tour.

"Being the first China LPGA Tour stop in 2012, the World Ladies Championship is sure to take a leading role on the tour. Strict entry requirements have been imposed to ensure a high quality of play," said Li Hong, general manager of the CLPGA. "Since the sport itself is highly marketed, professional tournaments can foster the growth of developing players. The World Ladies Championship boosts the confidence of players in our nation and encourages more female golfers to strengthen their determination in pursuing their careers."

China Daily

(China Daily 02/09/2012 page23)

Emotional cyclist vows to continue his career when doping ban ends

PINTO, Spain - An indignant two-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador said on Tuesday he "totally disagreed" with his two-year doping ban and vowed to pursue his career at the highest level.

"I am going to continue cycling. I am going to continue practicing it cleanly, the way I have my entire life," he told a news conference at a hotel in his hometown of Pinto just south of Madrid.

"My mood right now is not the best, but I know this will make me stronger in the future," he added in his first public comments since the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport handed down its sanction on Monday.

"I cannot understand the sanction that has been imposed on me. As for the decision, I totally disagree."

Contador, 29, said his lawyers were looking into a possible appeal, which must be lodged within 30 days.

"My lawyers are looking into all the possibilities. We will continue to fight until the end," he said, wearing a dark jacket and a white shirt unbuttoned at the collar.

Considered the most gifted racer of his generation, Contador was handed the ban following a positive test for the banned substance clenbuterol.

Backdated to August 2010, when he announced the news of his positive test weeks after his third yellow jersey triumph, the ban means Contador can return to competition on August 6, 2012.

As well as ruling him out of this year's Tour de France and the Olympic Games in London, he will be stripped of several wins, including his 2010 yellow jersey, which will now be handed to runner-up Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.

Contador's determination to carry on means he may compete at the Tour of Spain, which starts on August 18, a race he won in 2008.

Contador said he has not yet decided if he will take part in this year's race and his priority is to stay with his current team, Saxo Bank.

"I still don't know what my program will be after my suspension. I have to organize my future, but that does not depend only on me. What I know for sure is that I want to continue to win the biggest races," he said.

Contador is one of only five men to have won all three major cycling races.

Two months after his positive test, the Spaniard, claiming he was the victim of a contaminated steak eaten during the Tour de France, said he would consider quitting if banned.

If he is to find any kind of succour from the CAS decision, it is that doping experts believe he did not ingest clenbuterol intentionally. They deemed the Spaniard was likely a victim of a contaminated food supplement.

Contador said he had committed no crime and yet had been hit with the heaviest penalty of a two-year ban.

The Spaniard said he even gave evidence with a polygraph, or lie detector.

"That is five hours sitting in a chair answering questions like a real criminal," he said.

"There have been speculations, leaks, it has been a real torment. But the hardest thing has been to see my family, the suffering they have had, my wife, for what they have accused me of."

Contador was repeatedly applauded by supporters who chanted his name at the end of the press conference.

He thanked his fans and his sponsor for their support, after Saxo Bank chief Bjarne Riis told the news conference he backed the cyclist "100 percent" because he clearly did not deliberately take drugs.

"We as a team, supported by all our sponsors, continue to support Alberto. Our trust in Alberto is still 100 percent intact," said Riis.

The loss of Contador could have huge ramifications for his team.

Run by Riis, a former Tour de France winner who owned up to cheating with drugs to win the race in 1996, Contador is the team's marquee rider in stage races.

But more importantly, his WorldTour ranking points are crucial.

Affiliation to the WorldTour series - via a system governed by ranking points, financial viability and sound ethical principles - guarantees entry to cycling's biggest races.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/09/2012 page24)

The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency added that politicians should steer clear of doping cases and said he was worried as to whether national sports federations, which have the responsibility to discipline offenders, might be sympathetic to their own athletes.

"I think that governments and politicians ought to stand back and stay above the administration of these issues when it comes to doping in sport," Fahey told Reuters in an interview.

"Contador is a doping cheat, full stop."

In January last year, the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) initially proposed a one-year ban for Contador after he tested positive for the banned steroid clenbuterol during the 2010 Tour de France, which he won.

The then-Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said there was no legal reason to sanction Contador and shortly afterward, the RFEC overturned the ban, clearing the way for Contador to return to competition.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) and WADA then appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which announced a two-year ban for Contador.

"I can say with regard to the Contador decision, it was regrettable that, when the Spanish federation proposed a 12-month penalty, a senior politician made a statement to say that Contador was innocent," said Fahey, who did not mention Zapatero by name.

Reuters

(China Daily 02/09/2012 page24)

The discussions followed the FA decision to remove the England team captaincy from John Terry after the Chelsea defender's trial for allegedly racially abusing Queens Park Rangers' defender Anton Ferdinand was adjourned until July.

England manager Fabio Capello (R) and player John Terry are seen observing two minutes silence on Remembrance Day, before a training session at Wembley Stadium in London in this Nov 11, 2011 file photo. [Photo/Agencies] Factbox of Fabio Capello

Terry, who would have led England at this year's European Championship, denies the charge.

Capello, 65, expressed his unhappiness with the decision in an Italian television interview on Sunday. "I thought it was right that Terry should keep the captain's armband," he said.

An FA statement said Capello's resignation had been accepted and he would leave his post immediately after just over four years in charge.

"I would like to stress that during today's meeting and throughout his time as England manager, Fabio has conducted himself in an extremely professional manner," Bernstein said in a statement.

"We have accepted Fabio's resignation, agreeing this is the right decision. We would like to thank Fabio for his work with the England team and wish him every success in the future."

A news conference with Bernstein has been scheduled for Wembley stadium on Thursday.

Cup humilation

Capello took over as England manager in January 2008 after England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 under Steve McClaren.

His first match, a friendly against Switzerland exactly four years ago this week, ended in a 2-1 victory and in what he was in charge for 42 matches, winning 28, drawing eight and losing only six.

Among those six, though, was a crushing 4-1 loss to Germany in the World Cup finals in South Africa 18 months ago. That was England's worst defeat in the finals and led to a chorus of calls for his dismissal.

He kept his job and guided England unbeaten through the qualifiers for the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine.

Capello's tenure as England boss was a roller-coaster ride with several highs and lows. Apart from the World Cup, the lowest points both concerned Terry.

Terry was relieved of the England captain's armband after allegations that he had an extra-marital affair with the former girlfriend of his former Chelsea team mate Wayne Bridge.

Capello, who was on a salary of 6 million pounds ($9.5 million) a year, re-instated Terry last March. However, the latest incident proved one too many for the Italian and led directly to his resignation.

After winning 32 caps for his country, Capello enjoyed a glittering club management career. He won four Serie A titles with Milan and one with AS Roma plus two La Liga titles with Real Madrid. He also took Juventus to two consecutive titles which were later stripped because of a match-fixing scandal.

The discussions followed the FA decision to remove the England team captaincy from John Terry after the Chelsea defender's trial for allegedly racially abusing Queens Park Rangers' defender Anton Ferdinand was adjourned until July.

England manager Fabio Capello (R) and player John Terry are seen observing two minutes silence on Remembrance Day, before a training session at Wembley Stadium in London in this Nov 11, 2011 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

Terry, who would have led England at this year's European Championship, denies the charge.

Capello, 65, expressed his unhappiness with the decision in an Italian television interview on Sunday. "I thought it was right that Terry should keep the captain's armband," he said.

An FA statement said Capello's resignation had been accepted and he would leave his post immediately after just over four years in charge.

"I would like to stress that during today's meeting and throughout his time as England manager, Fabio has conducted himself in an extremely professional manner," Bernstein said in a statement.

"We have accepted Fabio's resignation, agreeing this is the right decision. We would like to thank Fabio for his work with the England team and wish him every success in the future."

A news conference with Bernstein has been scheduled for Wembley stadium on Thursday.

Cup humilation

Capello took over as England manager in January 2008 after England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 under Steve McClaren.

His first match, a friendly against Switzerland exactly four years ago this week, ended in a 2-1 victory and in what he was in charge for 42 matches, winning 28, drawing eight and losing only six.

Among those six, though, was a crushing 4-1 loss to Germany in the World Cup finals in South Africa 18 months ago. That was England's worst defeat in the finals and led to a chorus of calls for his dismissal.

He kept his job and guided England unbeaten through the qualifiers for the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine.

Capello's tenure as England boss was a roller-coaster ride with several highs and lows. Apart from the World Cup, the lowest points both concerned Terry.

Terry was relieved of the England captain's armband after allegations that he had an extra-marital affair with the former girlfriend of his former Chelsea team mate Wayne Bridge.

Capello, who was on a salary of 6 million pounds ($9.5 million) a year, re-instated Terry last March. However, the latest incident proved one too many for the Italian and led directly to his resignation.

After winning 32 caps for his country, Capello enjoyed a glittering club management career. He won four Serie A titles with Milan and one with AS Roma plus two La Liga titles with Real Madrid. He also took Juventus to two consecutive titles which were later stripped because of a match-fixing scandal.

Sutil, 29, received the sentence and a 200,000 euro ($262,300) fine for causing grievous bodily harm in a Shanghai night club brawl last year where Eric Lux, chief executive of Renault F1 team owners Genii Capital, was injured.

"We have taken this step because we believe that the decision taken is not appropriate," the agent Manfred Zimmermann told reporters. "There were several witnesses who were not examined."  

The prosecutor's office confirmed it had also appealed against the verdict after it had initially asked for a tougher sentence of 21 months and 300,000 euros.

Sutil, who has not found a racing spot this season, had also wanted former world champion Lewis Hamilton to appear in court but the Briton cited previous commitments with his racing team and did not take the stand in the Munich court. Sutil then branded Hamilton a "coward" for not backing him in court.

Lux had needed several stitches for a neck wound after Sutil injured him with a champagne glass.  

The Renault team has since been renamed Lotus while Force India have already announced Germany's Nico Hulkenberg as Sutil's replacement.

The game will be played Feb. 17 and marks the third time the Texas city has hosted the event. The 1989 and 2006 All-Star games were also in Houston, home to the NBA's Rockets.

"Houston is a spectacular sports city, and for one week it will be the basketball capital of the world," NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement.

This year's All-Star game will be played Feb. 26 in Orlando. 

Mercedes Formula One driver Michael Schumacher of Germany is seen in the paddock during a training session at the Jerez racetrack in southern Spain February 8, 2012.  [Photo/Agencies]

JEREZ, Spain - Michael Schumacher was hoping the late arrival of his new Mercedes would pay off after doing nearly two race distances in last year's car on the second afternoon of Formula One testing on Wednesday.

Despite that, and despite setting a quickest lap that was meaningless on a day when rivals were trying out their new cars, the German still played down his title chances.

The seven-times world champion pounded out 132 laps, with a best time of one minute 18.561 seconds, to gather tyre data on the new Pirelli rubber.

Australian Mark Webber was quickest of those in the new machines, putting in 97 laps for champions Red Bull with a best time of 1:19.184 ahead of compatriot Daniel Ricciardo in the Toro Rosso.

World champion Sebastian Vettel takes over in the Red Bull on Thursday, a day that should see more locals at the Jerez circuit with Spain's Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari after Brazilian Felipe Massa did the first two days.

Lewis Hamilton will take over from Jenson Button in the McLaren, the only one of the new crop of cars not to have a stepped nose.

Mercedes have decided not to run their 2012 car until the second pre-season test in Barcelona later this month to give them as much development time as possible.

"It (bringing the car out late) maybe is an important factor because we have worked longer on our car," the 43-year-old Schumacher told reporters afterwards in a huddle at the back of the Mercedes garage.

"As I said before, I don't think we can realistically achieve a championship car from where we started last year.

"We have to build our way there. I'm confident we can do that, in future, but let's take it step by step," added the German, who has not been on the podium since he began his comeback in 2010.

Schumacher said reliability was the main focus and Mercedes hoped to have learnt from the past.

"Our programme is done in a way that we believe in it," he added.

"I'm around to fight for the championship. Whether we can or cannot do it, that is something that will be proven this year, or whenever."

NEW YORK - Mike D'Antoni shook his fists in the air as Jeremy Lin's clutch shot fell through the net.

It wasn't just the basket that had D'Antoni giddy. It's the feeling that he's found the point guard who can get his offense running.

"It's fun, you can actually draw a play up and (say), this might work," D'Antoni said. "So it was good."

Lin scored a career-high 28 points in his first career start, Steve Novak added a season-best 19, and the New York Knicks overcame the absence of Amare Stoudemire and early loss of Carmelo Anthony to beat the Utah Jazz 99-88 on Monday night.

Stoudemire left the team to join his family in Florida after older brother Hazell was killed there earlier on Monday in a car crash, then Anthony left after just six minutes with a strained right groin.

Despite missing two All-Stars and using a lineup of second-teamers, the Knicks won their second straight thanks to another remarkable performance from Lin, the former Harvard point guard.

"Basketball's so fun when you play on a team where people want to work together and work through tough times and overcome them and have victories like this," Lin said. "This one was ugly and we lost a couple of players, but this team has a lot of will."

Al Jefferson scored 22 points in a disappointing effort for the Jazz, which may have lost its edge when it saw who the Knicks were missing.

"As you seen out there tonight, you come in here with that attitude, you're in trouble," coach Tyrone Corbin said. "These guys can play, man, and they got pride. They get an opportunity to play and they make the most of their minutes.

"They stuck it to us, really."

Going nowhere all season without a real point guard, the Knicks turned to Lin on Saturday against New Jersey, and he delivered 25 points. He was even better in this one in front of a crowd that again chanted his name much of the night, adding a career-best eight assists.

He made the biggest basket of the game, a desperation 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down and 1:58 remaining, that gave the Knicks a 95-86 lead. He previously converted two three-point plays in the period, the latter pushing the lead to 10 with 4:29 left.

He did have eight turnovers, surely influenced by fatigue while playing 45 minutes, but D'Antoni was going to keep riding him.

"I'm riding him like freakin' Secretariat," D'Antoni said.

Lin and Novak, whose photocopied bios are included in the game notes package because they were signed too late to make the media guide, helped the Knicks overcome the absence of about 42 points per game from their two stars. So did Jared Jeffries, who added 13 points and eight rebounds while battling the much bigger Utah front line.

"It wasn't the starters out there but it was definitely guys that are aware that this is the NBA, where on any given night any five can beat any five," Novak said. "That's kind of an understood thing in the NBA. I don't think it will typically happen, that a team that has their starters against a team that doesn't will win. But I think tonight we just really pushed together, played well and were able to get the win."

D'Antoni decided to start Lin, the first American-born NBA player of Chinese descent, earlier Monday, and the position could be his for a while. Baron Davis, the expected starter when he becomes available, revealed that an infected right elbow had recently caused him to stop his workouts and it is unknown when he will resume practicing. D'Antoni said it would probably be a week to 10 days from the time he returns to practice to when he's ready to play in games.

Jefferson grabbed only four rebounds in 35 minutes. Power forward Paul Millsap was limited to nine points on 3-of-10 shooting before fouling out.

"We dug ourselves in a deep hole. You can't do that no matter who's on the floor," Jefferson said. "We're all professionals. Everybody is a pro. So no matter they didn't have their star player, they're still a team that you just can't go out there and take for granted. We dug ourselves in a deep hole and they got the momentum, got their confidence up and made shots."

Associated Press

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has demanded that London 2012 terminates its deal with the US firm Dow Chemical because of its links to India's 1984 Bhopal gas disaster.

Last month Meredith Alexander, a member of the body that overseas the sustainability of the London Olympics, quit in protest, saying people should be able to enjoy the Games without "a toxic legacy on their conscience".

"It would be great to be controversy free, but as I talk to other sponsors and other parts of the Olympic organization you realize that over the years the Olympics has been a free platform for organizations and individuals to make their points," said George Hamilton, vice-president for Dow Olympic Operations, on Tuesday.

"It's a free country and people are allowed to state their case and then take actions, they are allowed to do that."

"I can't speak for what people's motivations are but it is what it is....this is not going to deter us, we are committed to our Olympic partnership, both in London and future Games and we are committed to delivering technology that makes it the most successful Games in the history of the Olympics."

Dow denies any responsibility for the accident that activists say killed up to 25,000 people in the aftermath of the leak at a pesticides factory then owned by Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL), a subsidiary of Union Carbide.

Dow only completed a deal to buy Union Carbide in 2001 but campaigners have demanded that it boosts a 1989 compensation package for those affected by the disaster.

Hamilton said the compensation paid by Union Carbide and UCIL in 1989, a sum of $470 million, was twice upheld by the Supreme Court and that Union Carbide sold its Indian subsidiary in 1994 and "exited India".

He said that Dow, one of the International Olympic Committee's most recent partners, was looking forward to strengthening its partnership in the 2014 Sochi Winter Games and at Rio in 2016 and was undeterred by recent bad publicity.

"We had no association with Bhopal, we bought a company that was an investor so why would we take action that would imply that we were connected or doing something out of guilt," he said. "We recognized when we became a sponsor that organizations and individuals would try and associate Dow with legacy issues.

"We were prepared for that. It's gone on longer than I would have anticipated but it doesn't change our resolve."

Dow's plastics divison is providing the material for 336 panels that will adorn the outside of the Olympic Stadium during Games time before they are dismantled and reused elsewhere.

Hamilton said the decorative wrap, initially scrapped by the British government to save around seven million pounds, was effectively a gift to British public.

"What we are trying to do is to throw in a little more light and colour," he said of the 25 meter high vertical panels which, under IOC rules, will have no Dow company branding.

"The London organizing committee, the designers, the engineers, artists and architects said that the wrap was neccesaary, let's not just pull it and leave this stark structure that would not have been a good image.

"Dow stepped in and addressed this not just on an aesthetic point but also on a costing point, we relieved a financial burden to the tax payer by contributing this wrap."

Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany waves after a show run event in Milton Keynes, central England, Dec 10, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA, Spain - World champion Sebastian Vettel said on Monday his back-to-back title triumphs the past two years would count for little when the 2012 Grand Prix season gets underway in Australia on March 18.

On the day when Red Bull used the Internet to unveil its new "fourth generation" RB8 car, the 24-year-old German took time to dwell on his hopes of making it a hat-trick of world titles.

"It's difficult to say (what will happen). Every season we start from zero again," Vettel said.

"Unlike other sports, in tennis for instance, you're the number one in the world and there is a certain gap between you and the number two.

"You have this cushion and it doesn't matter if it's one year or another year, you still have it.

"Whereas for us it all starts from zero again, zero points, where everyone has the same chance and we are all building our new cars.

"Until we put them on track to race each other we don't really know. So we'll see, but I'm as confident as I can be at this point.

"Hopefully we will have a good couple of days testing with the car to prepare well for the season."

Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany looks at his FIA trophy during the 2011 Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) gala night in Gurgaon on the outskirts of New Delhi, Dec 9, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

Vettel had his second world title last year sown up by early October with three races still to go. Team-mate Marc Webber went on to take third place.

Together, their all-conquering Red Bulls dominated the constructors championship, finishing well ahead of McLaren and Ferrari.

Their performances prompted Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone to declare that he would prefer if there were more competition in the sport and Vettel agrees that he has set himself near impossibly high standards.

"Obviously we had a great year (last year). We'll always look back to 2011 and think how special it was," he said.

"To be honest, you don't start the season with expectations to have the same or a similar season again.

"We know how hard it is to be that consistent, always there and finishing nearly every race on the podium.

"The target is obviously to try to do it again, to get everything out of ourselves, so we'll see how we get on with the new car.

"Obviously we hope our car is better than all the others, but it will be difficult because the cars will be fairly similar, with the gaps closer than they have been."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said the aim with the new car was to improve.

"Of course, when you've achieved what we have, particularly in 2011, we've set a very high standard for ourselves," he said.

"But we're always looking to improve, we're always looking, in all areas, to try and do better.

"For Sebastian, he's still evolving, still getting stronger. We saw that in 2011 and I think we're only going to see that again in 2012.

"As he gains experience, knowledge and he matures, he's getting stronger and stronger."

The new RB8 car, designed by Adrian Newey and unveiled on the Internet, showed it to have the same "platypus" snubbed nose as all the other cars this season with the exception of McLaren.

Webber will have the first opportunity to take to the track in the new car when the first tests take place on Tuesday and Wednesday with Vettel taking over on Thursday and Friday.

Agence France-Presse

LONDON - The great and good of world sport believe the 2012 London Olympics is primed to go down as one of the best Games in history.

The ringing endorsements at Monday's Laureus World Sports Awards in the British capital came on the day it was revealed that soccer is the only sport among the 26 events at the Games that has not sold out its ticket allocation.

It's a record that has seen a host of former Olympians back London to rival recent hosts Sydney, Athens and Beijing.

"The atmosphere will be unique," said former 400m hurdles world and Olympic champion Edwin Moses

"I have seen London's Olympic venues and they are fantastic," the American track great added. "It will help sport, and British sport in general, progress in years to come

Britain's double Olympic decathlon gold medalist Daley Thompson echoed those sentiments, saying: "There will be unbelievable legacy afterwards. It will be the best ever Olympic Games.

"People talk about Beijing and Sydney, but I think everyone will be blown away with how successful these Olympics will be. You only have to look at the ticket sales to see how it has caught the imagination."

At the annual Laureus ceremony, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic was named Sportsman of the Year and Kenyan distance runner Vivian Cheruiyot Sportswoman of the Year.

Djokovic enjoyed one of the best years of any player in the history of professional tennis in 2011, winning three of the sport's four Grand Slams as he took the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles.

"This is up there with the prizes you can win," said Djokovic, who saw off competition for the Laureus Award from sprint star Usain Bolt, Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel and Barcelona soccer's Lionel Messi.

"But this wasn't an individual effort," said Djokovic.

"To compete with the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the top players the game has ever seen, takes a lot of self-belief and dedication - as well as a great team behind you.

"This means so much to me, my family, my team and country. I feel very proud of my achievements."

The Laureus Awards, chosen by a panel of 47 sports stars, saw Cheruiyot - one of the outstanding distance runners of her generation - win out over the likes of golfer Yani Tseng and tennis player Petra Kvitova.

Spanish and European football champion Barcelona won the Team of the Year award, while Northern Ireland golf celebrated two gongs.

Rory Mcllroy clinched the World Breakthrough of the Year title after winning the US Open and Darren Clarke collected the Comeback of the Year following a maiden British Open Championship triumph at his 20th attempt.

In other awards, South Africa's "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius collected the World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability and American surfer Kelly Slater was named Action Sportsperson of the Year.

Manchester United and England football great Sir Bobby Charlton was given a Lifetime Achievement Award but couldn't collect it in person due to a recent illness, with United manager Sir Alex Ferguson accepting it on his behalf.

Charlton was honored on the 54th anniversary of the Munich air disaster that killed several of his United teammates. He was among those who survived the crash, along with legendary United manager Sir Matt Busby.

Agence France-Presse

Joey Barton will not face legal action regarding his Twitter remarks about the John Terry racism case, a statement released by the British government's chief law officer said on Monday.

After Terry was stripped of the England captaincy by the Football Association on Friday, Barton made a series of pointed observations on the case.

Terry is facing charges of racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand - charges the Chelsea defender has always denied.

Although Barton defended his actions on the grounds of free speech, some observers felt he was close to being in contempt of court and possibly prejudicing a trial.

However, the attorney general's office, in a statement, said on Monday that QPR midfielder Barton wouldn't face any action but warned of the dangers of contempt ahead of Terry's case at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on July 9.

"Between February 3-5, Twitter exchanges on Joey Barton's page which related to the forthcoming trial of John Terry were brought to the attention of the attorney general's office," the statement said.

"They have been considered in relation to any possible contempt of court they could create. In this instance the Attorney has decided no action is necessary."

A spokesman for the Attorney general's office said: "Although in this instance no action will be taken, we would like to remind those who publish material that proceedings for the John Terry trial are active.

"Any discussion of a live court case has the potential to interfere with its proper course."

Agence France-Presse

AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic controls the ball as Napoli's Salvatore Aronica watches during their Italian Serie A soccer match at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

ROME - Italian giants AC Milan will see their striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic sidelined in the clash against league leaders Juventus on Feb 25, as the Swedish international was banned Monday for three Serie A matches.

The Swede, who has scored 15 goals this season and ranked second after Antonio Di Natale of Udinese in the Serie A scorers table, was sent off during Sunday's 0-0 draw with Napoli for slapping defender Salvatore Aronica's face in an off-the-ball incident.

The Rossoneri, who will appeal the ruling by the Italian League's Disciplinary Commission, will face Udinese, Cesena and Juventus in the next three Serie A games.

AC Milan are now one point behind Juventus and have played one more match than the leaders.

AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic leaves the pitch after receiving a red card during their Italian Serie A soccer match against Napoli at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Ibrahimovic was banned twice for disciplinary incidents last season. He was forced to sit out two games for punching a defender in the stomach in his first ban and was banned for three matches for insulting a linesman.

Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri was also expelled Sunday, for excessive protesting in the 89th minute. He was given a warning and a  €3,000 ($3,977) fine.

Liverpool boss Dalglish welcomes back Uruguayan striker after 8-match ban

LIVERPOOL, England - Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish hailed the return of Luis Suarez after an eight-game ban and once again insisted that he should not have been suspended in the first place.

Suarez, hit with the punishment after a Football Association board found him guilty of making a racist comment to Manchester United's Patrice Evra, was given a rapturous reception from Liverpool fans when he came on as a 66th-minute substitute against Tottenham at Anfield on Monday.

But the controversial Uruguay striker's first taste of action since Dec 26 ended in frustration as Liverpool was held to a goalless draw - and the former Ajax player was booked for accidentally kicking Tottenham's Scott Parker in the stomach.

Suarez can expect a hostile reception when Liverpool visits Manchester United on Saturday in the Premier League - particularly after Dalglish's latest comments.

"I'm delighted that the wee man is back. He should never have been away, but we've taken the punishment and we've moved on," said the Liverpool manager after his side's eighth home draw this season.

"It would have been unfair to start him, he's not played since Boxing Day," said the Scot, who along with the club was heavily criticized for its defense of Suarez even after he was found guilty.

With England manager Fabio Capello watching from the stands, Suarez caught the midfielder while trying to volley the ball in the penalty area.

Former West Ham player Parker was doubled-over in agony and the incident brought Suarez a yellow card - but one high-profile observer felt he was lucky to stay on the pitch.

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney used his Twitter account to say: "If ref sees that kick from Suarez and books him for it it should be red."

Dalglish said: "He has not played since Boxing Day. Every time he gets on the ball we think he is going to do something."

Liverpool remains seventh in the table - four points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea with 14 games remaining.

As for Tottenham, it is in third spot, five points behind second-placed Manchester United.

Spurs were without manager Harry Redknapp, who was forced to abandon his flight to Anfield due to technical problems after having earlier appeared at Southwark Crown Court in the closing stage of his trial on tax-evasion charges.

Instead, assistant manager Kevin Bond took charge for the night.

"It was a hard but fair contest," said Bond, after Gareth Bale spurned Tottenham's best chance in the closing stages.

"Harry couldn't quite be here. We knew what the side was going to be and how we were going to play. It was just a different voice.

"He (Harry) is our leader. We wanted him here.

"The last time I spoke to him he was on a plane but he obviously didn't make it.

"We had to work really hard and defend for our lives at the end. We didn't create many chances, but we had the best chance of the match five minutes before the end, and it just was not meant to be.

"For Gareth Bale's chance, the goalkeeper stood up well and it was a big moment for us, but a point was a good result for us."

Agence France-Presse

London's police will close a handful of boating routes near the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, East of the capital, and put in place a controlled zone covering some canals.

British Waterways, which manages the canals, will introduce mooring charges during the July 27-Aug 12 Olympics and the Paralympics that follow.

"A lot of people on the boats are definitely feeling as if we are being excluded," said Steve Hatch, 59, a retired fireman who lives on a narrow boat while moving around London's canals.

"Whenever you look at any publicity about the Olympics, they show nice pictures of the canals and the stadium itself with boats in the background.

"So they want to use us as a backdrop for the Olympics and what they are projecting for London, the East End and Stratford, but they don't want us to be there as it happens."

London's meandering canals pierce through much of the East End of the city, with some passing less than 100 metres from the Olympic Stadium.

Some 3,500 vessels are estimated to operate as 'continuous boaters', run by individuals who do not have a permanent mooring and can generally stay along the canals for free as long as they move on every 14 days.

However, for 10 weeks this year, they will need to buy a mooring licence if they want to be near Olympic sites, with prices starting from around 50 pounds ($79.10) per week.

British Waterways said those with permanent moorings would not be affected.

"We have 35,000 boats on our canals and people from all over the country have shown an interest in coming to London for the Olympics. We have to ensure the moorings and wider security are managed effectively," a spokesman said.

"We are not looking to make any money out of this. We are just looking to cover our operational costs."

The World Ladies Championship, co-sanctioned by Ladies European Tour and China LPGA Tour, will adopt a unique three-in-one format, featuring 54-hole individual play, professional team play and individual amateur play. In accordance with the women's world golf rankings, two players from each of 18 countries or regions will be invited to participate in the team portion. Results will be calculated by aggregating the total points scored by each golfer. In competing against the best players in the world, the host nation China will field two teams.

Invitations for the individual category of the 108-player field are dictated by the women's world golf rankings and 2011 European Tour Order of Merit. Participants will include top-ranked players from the Ladies European Tour (LET), China LPGA Tour, Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), Korean Professional Ladies Golf Association (KLPGA), Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan (JLPGA) and Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG).

With the inaugural World Ladies Championship, Mission Hills will have staged a 'grand slam' of major events in all competition formats.

"We are delighted to see the first World Ladies Championship and Mission Hills host another international event for our players. This time the stage will be larger, involving more local challengers. I believe it will definitely bring in a new era for the women's golf industry in our motherland," said Zhang Xiaoning, vice chairman and secretary general of the China Golf Association.

World No 1 tennis player says he wants to win the French Open title and Olympic gold this year

The French Open title and an Olympic gold medal are the only major prizes in tennis to have eluded Novak Djokovic, and for the Serb, there is no point discussing which he would rather win this year. "Why not both?" the confident Serb shot back when asked to choose, looking dapper in a suit and bow tie after collecting his Laureus sportsman of the year award in London on Monday.

As with most of the five-time Grand Slam winner's public appearances, the 24-year-old's swagger is tempered with a smile, suggesting he is not getting too carried away with his success over the past 14 months.

In 2010, Djokovic spearheaded Serbia to its first Davis Cup triumph. He then went on to win three of the four major titles in 2011, before outlasting Rafa Nadal in the longest Grand Slam final ever to defend his Australian Open crown last month.

Jokes and smiles aside, when Djokovic addressed the question seriously, his response was ominous.

"I've learned how to handle my schedule, how to handle myself on and off the court and to prepare for the biggest events. That is going to be the case this year," he said.

"I will try to set up my form for Roland Garros first of all, where I want to get the title and go all the way through, and then I'll start thinking about Wimbledon and the Olympics."

Djokovic has honed his craft alongside two of the game's most successful male players in 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer and Nadal, a 10-time major winner.

The Serb's dominance in 2011 was briefly interrupted at Roland Garros by Federer, who snapped his 41-match winning streak in the semifinal.

Djokovic has never made it past the last four in the year's second Grand Slam and would likely have to beat Nadal to claim the title in Paris, where the Spaniard has reigned supreme in six of the last seven tournaments.

Should he come out on top on the red dust in June, Djokovic would join an elite crew of players to have won all four grand slams, comprising Federer, Nadal, Americans Andre Agassi and Don Budge, Briton Fred Perry and Australians Rod Laver and Roy Emerson.

Out of his contemporaries, though, Federer's record haul of 16 Grand Slam titles remains the benchmark, while Nadal holds the coveted Olympic gold medal from Beijing four years ago.

Djokovic has beaten Nadal in seven consecutive finals, including the title match at Melbourne Park, and is also set on taking the Spaniard's gold in London, despite some worries the Wimbledon surface may not be in great shape after the year's third Grand Slam in June and July.

"It's going to be interesting to see how the grass will recover, but I'm informed already that they have everything prepared," said Djokovic, who chewed on a piece of the turf after winning last year's final against Nadal.

If Djokovic's demeanor and play carry on in this vein, he will be taking a bite out of a gold medal come August.

Reuters

Doping investigation that lasted over a year finally comes to end

MADRID - The decision to strip Alberto Contador of his Tour de France title and ban him for two years for doping is another blow to the sport, cycling greats Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain said on Monday.

Contador was stripped of his 2010 Tour title on Monday when the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected his claim that his positive doping test was caused by eating contaminated meat. The Spaniard, who also won cycling's premier race in 2007 and 2009, joined Floyd Landis as the only riders to lose a Tour title.

"It's very bad for cycling. It's bad for everybody. It's like someone wants to kill cycling," Merckx said at the Tour of Qatar. "I'm very surprised, very surprised. It's bad for the sponsors. It's bad for the Tour (de France). It's bad for cycling."

Contador tested positive for clenbuterol from what he claimed was contaminated beef eaten on a Tour rest day in July 2010. CAS called the claim "unlikely," saying the positive result "was more likely caused by the ingestion of a contaminated food supplement."

"Cycling always receives a bad name. It's always cycling that's attacked and other sports are never attacked. In other sports they don't go so far," Merckx said. "If you go zero-zero-zero-zero-zero (tolerance) you can always find something in everyone."

Contador has been banned from racing until Aug 6 with all of his results since Jan 25, 2011, erased, including his Giro d'Italia victory last May. He is ineligible for this year's Tour, Giro and the London Olympics.

Indurain, who dominated the Tour from 1991-95, was surprised by the verdict.

"I was convinced that he would be cleared," Indurain was quoted as telling Marca TV by Spanish news agency Europa Press. "The (case) dragged on not just a little bit but a long time since the Tour.

"The longer he waited, the more time passed, and at the end the penalty was the maximum that he could receive. Now he has to keep working and stay in shape. He has known how to fight through the tough moments and he will continue doing so."

Andy Schleck, who finished 39 seconds behind Contador in the 2010 Tour, is now in line to become that year's champion. But the rider from Luxembourg said that "will not make me happy".

"I feel sad for Alberto. I always believed in his innocence. This is just a very sad day for cycling," Schleck said. "The only positive news is that there is a verdict after 566 days of uncertainty. We can finally move on."

Tour director Christian Prudhomme said he was relieved a resolution was reached, although the case had revealed many of the sport's problems in dealing with doping cases.

"(The decision) is obviously very late, too late," Prudhomme said. "It is absolutely necessary that, even though sports' justice like any type of justice needs serenity and even though the case was extremely complex, the outcome of that type of case come sooner."

Spanish cyclist Oscar Pereiro, who was elevated to 2006 champion after Landis was stripped, called the verdict "disgraceful." But Spain's Sports Ministry (CSD) was more careful in its reaction, backing the CAS decision without offering a word of support for Contador.

"We, once again, completely reject all forms of doping," the CSD said in a statement.

The Spanish cycling federation was surprised CAS decided to overrule its decision to allow Contador to escape without a ban after the Saxo Bank-SunGuard rider had successfully appealed the federation's initial one-year suspension. The Spanish Association of Professional Cyclists also denounced the ruling.

"We feel a lot of sympathy for the athlete," Spanish cycling federation president Juan Carlos Castano said. "It's a sad day for Spanish sport and cycling."

Associated Press

"Alberto Contador presented an explanation for the presence of clenbuterol in his system - the fact that he has ingested contaminated meat, that he had eaten during the Tour de France 2010. This scenario has been declared possible but unlikely in the present case, because after examination of all the evidence, CAS has found that it was very unlikely this contaminated food could be originated from Spain." - CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb

"This is an appropriate decision from CAS which represents the effective nature of the World Anti-Doping Code." - World Anti-Doping Agency president John Fahey

"This is a sad day for our sport. Some may think of it as a victory, but that is not at all the case. There are no winners when it comes to the issue of doping: Every case, irrespective of its characteristics, is always a case too many." - UCI president Pat McQuaid

"At last an answer after a process that never ended. It is here now, that's a good thing, but it is obviously very late, too late. It is fundamental that there be less time between sports' justice and sports and media events. Alberto Contador kept cycling for 18 months. He was cycling everywhere. ... As for the winner of the Tour de France 2010, it needs to be confirmed by the UCI. But logically, it will be Andy Schleck as soon as the UCI tells us." - Tour de France chief Christian Prudhomme

"The result was obviously not what we had hoped for, but for now our management team is still in the process of reviewing the ruling and the documentation so we can better understand the decision." - Bjarne Riis, owner of Contador's Team Saxo Bank

"He's innocent. I know him. Alberto has put his life on the line in descents and sprints over the past two years, so what if something would have happened to him? (I'm) at a loss for words." - Spanish cyclist Oscar Pereiro, the 2006 Tour de France champion

"There are lots of sports that don't put in the effort to stop doping. If you don't do tests and don't try to stop it, you don't have any scandals. If you're trying to stop it, then you are going to have negative press. I would rather us have negative press and clean the sport up than do what American baseball does and not even try. Like I say, no one wants these things to happen, but it happens." - American cyclist Tyler Farrar

"Regardless of the outcome for Contador, I just wish, for the sake of our sport and everyone in it, that a decision had been made sooner." - British cyclist Mark Cavendish, 2011 winner of the Tour de France's green jersey awarded to the best sprinter

"If he didn't follow the rules, it's normal that there is a suspension. We work hard against doping because we don't want cheaters and that's probably why he got such a heavy suspension." - Norwegian cyclist Thor Hushovd

"I'm one of those who said that as clenbuterol is not produced by our body, then as soon as it's found in someone's urine it demonstrates that clenbuterol has been taken. Either accidentally, as Contador claimed, or on purpose. What I see is that the UCI and WADA were right to appeal the decision of the Spanish federation and it is also a very strong sign of the fight against doping. Even if the clenbuterol got into his body accidentally, the rules were applied completely and I am satisfied with this decision." - French cycling federation president David Lapartient

"There are still riders bent on cheating who haven't understood the rules. It's sad that Contador didn't understand. He's got natural talent, but he used performance-enhancing drugs and he's paying the price. This spreads more discredit on our sport. A rider who wins by cheating is not a champion so let's stop calling Contador a champion. He's got some good qualities but it wasn't enough. Now, I don't know if he would have won the Tour with his own qualities." - Eric Boyer, head of French team Cofidis and president of the association of pro cycling teams

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS - Tom Coughlin is looking forward to the parade and a couple weeks off to reflect on the Giants' second championship in five seasons. Then he will begin preparations for defending the title.

The 65-year-old coach sees no reason to retire now.

"I mean, it's what I do," Coughlin said Monday morning, hours after New York beat the New England Patriots 21-17 in the Super Bowl. "So the alternative I've never really given it a whole lot of consideration. (Just coach) as long as I can."

Coughlin could be around for a while following his second title as a head coach. He signed a contract extension in July that runs through next season, but it looks as the Giants could revisit that deal following the franchise's fourth Super Bowl win.

It's obvious he still wants to coach.

"I don't fish, I don't golf," he said. "My wife keeps telling me, 'You better have something to do, buddy boy. If you think you're going to hang around here, you're crazy.'"

Giants chief executive John Mara said it's safe to say the team wants Coughlin to return.

"He might be 65, but he's got the energy of somebody quite younger than that," he said.

The Giants packed up early Monday morning and boarded busses around 11 am for a trip to the airport and the flight back to New Jersey. Several players saluted the crowd as they departed the aircraft at Newark Liberty International Airport, and some used video recorders to capture the scene. Coughlin also had a big smile as he waved to the crowd.

The big parade up the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan was scheduled for Tuesday.

"If you're any kind of historian, and you do have any recollection of this parade, the 'Parade of Champions' if you will, the 'Canyon of Heroes' - I remember John Mara looking at me and saying, 'You don't want to miss this now," Coughlin said of a conversation with Mara in 2008 after their first title win over the Patriots.

"It's the same thing I would convey to all of our players, you don't want to miss this," Coughlin added. "Heartwarming doesn't quite cover this, what you go through and what your feelings are. When you are looking down the side streets, and there's people forever down those side streets, and they're all there because they are taking ownership of their team."

Before he skipped town with the rest of the team, quarterback Eli Manning got the keys to the car he won for his second Super Bowl MVP award.

Manning, who led a game-winning 88-yard drive that culminated in Ahmad Bradshaw's uncontested touchdown run with 57 seconds to play, spent the evening with family and friends. Like most Giants, he had little sleep.

Coughlin quipped he had 15 minutes of rest.

Manning said his brother, Peyton, congratulated him on his performance and the title. They also talked football, with Peyton asking Eli if he saw the middle linebacker on his touchdown pass to Victor Cruz.

Eli said no.

Peyton, whose future with the Colts was a hot topic in Indianapolis during Super Bowl week, also defended his little brother, Eli said, referring to the 38-yard pass to Mario Manningham on the final Giants drive.

Associated Press

The government is trying to encourage businesses to vary their working patterns during the July 27-August 12 Games to ease the strain on an already crowded public transport system.

However, government advice to business also warns of the risk of disruption to Internet services during the Games because of increased demand, potentially compromising home working.

"The Government wants to deliver a great 2012 Olympic Games and keep London and the UK moving at the same time - that's why we are currently encouraging businesses and commuters to plan ahead and consider their travel options," a Department for Transport spokesman said.

"This is about encouraging staff to reduce the impact of their travel by either walking or cycling, changing their route of travel to and from work, re-timing their working day to avoid the busiest periods or working from home," he added.

Working from home could prove an attractive option this week, with transport likely to be disrupted after the first major snowstorm of the winter hit London over the weekend.

However, home workers could find themselves battling for bandwith with sports fans trying to follow the Games online in the coing summer.

As a consequence, businesses are being told to consult Internet Service Providers to check on the impact on services.

Government advice warns that some ISPs may introduce caps on data during peak times to spread the load and allow access for as many people as possible.

MWB Business Exchange, a company which specializes in supplying ready-made office space, has highlighted the issue as it seeks to tempt businesses to relocate temporarily from the busiest parts of central London.

"Traffic hotspots have received a lot of media coverage but we've heard very little about potential internet traffic problems," said Kathryn Hunt, who is head of Olympic operations for MWB Business Exchange,

"There's a major risk that home workers are unable to work effectively due to internet over-capacity and being out of the office environment for over a month," she added.

Londoners have been warned they face queues of up to 30 minutes on the "Tube" underground rail network at peak times during the Games.

Commuters have been advised to delay their journeys home by lingering in a pub for a beer or enjoying a meal out to soak up the atmosphere of what city officials are promoting as "A Summer Like No Other".

Li Na of China serves to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria during their Paris Open tennis tournament at Coubertin stadium in Paris, Feb 7, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

PARIS - French Open champion Li Na retired injured from her first-round match against Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova at the WTA Paris Indoor Open on Tuesday.

Third-seeded Li threw in the towel when she was 7-6 3-2 down as she was visibly suffering with a back problem and finally abandoned the match after receiving treatment courtside.

Li Na, the world number nine, has been struggling from a low competition form since her Paris Grand Slam victory last year, and the injury did no good to her preparation for a second French Open title and the upcoming Olympic Games.

Li Na of China retires from her match against Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria during their Paris Open tennis tournament at Coubertin stadium in Paris, Feb 7, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Also on Tuesday, former world number one and the tournament's fourth seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia pulled out with a thigh strain after failing to recover from a left thigh injury she picked up in a Fed Cup tie against Belgium last weekend.

"I am really disappointed not to play here," she told a news conference. "I don't know when I will be able to resume playing but I don't regret having played in the Fed Cup.

Li Na of China retires from her match against Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria during their Paris Open tennis tournament at Coubertin stadium in Paris, Feb 7, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria serves to Li Na of China during their Paris Open tennis tournament at Coubertin stadium in Paris, Feb 7, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Astana team rider and leader's yellow jersey Alberto Contador of Spain (R) is congratulated by Saxo Bank team rider Andy Schleck of Luxembourg on the podium in Paris after the final 20th stage of the 97th Tour de France cycling race between Longjumeau and Paris in this July 25, 2010 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

Following is a chronology of the Contador case:

2010

July 21: Contador undergoes a doping test on the Tour de France's second rest day in Pau

July 25: The Spaniard wins the Tour for the third time with a 39-second advantage over Luxembourg's Andy Schleck

Aug 3: Contador signs a two-year contract with Saxo Bank team

Aug 23: The Cologne laboratory hands over to the International Cycling Union (UCI) a positive result for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol in Contador's A sample

Aug 24: Contador is provisionally suspended by the UCI

Aug. 26: Contador asks for his B sample to be tested

Sept 8: B sample is also positive for clenbuterol. The UCI later said a 'very small concentration' of clenbuterol was found in Contador's urine sample

Sept 30: Contador reveals that he has failed a dope test, with the UCI confirming it a few hours later. The Spaniard blames the failed test on contaminated meat

2011

Jan 26: The Spanish federation (RFEC) proposes a one-year ban for Contador

Tour de France champion Alberto Contador speaks during a news conference in his hometown of Pinto, near Madrid, in this file picture taken Sept 30, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

Feb 15: The RFEC clears Contador of any wrongdoing

Feb 16: Contador starts his season at the Tour of Algarve in Portugal

March 24: The UCI appeal to the CAS against the RFEC's decision to clear Contador

March 29: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) also appeals to the CAS

May 20: The CAS say the case will be heard from June 6-8

May 26: The hearing is postponed after a request by Contador's defence team

May 29: Contador wins the Giro d'Italia for the second time

May 31: The CAS say its hearing will be held from Aug 1-3, meaning that Contador is free to ride in the Tour de France

June 30: Contador is booed by the French crowd at the team's presentation before the start of the Tour

July 24: Contador finishes fifth overall in the Tour after apparently using up too much energy in his Giro triumph

July 26: The hearing is again postponed at WADA's request

Nov 21-24: Contador case is heard by the CAS arbitration panel in Lausanne. CAS say they will need six to eight weeks to reach a verdict.

2012

Jan 16: CAS say they will not give a verdict before the week of Jan 30 following allegations of bias in the arbitration panel.

Feb 6: Contador is given a two-year ban, backdated to Jan 25 2011. It also covers the five months 19 days he spent under provisional suspension, meaning he is excluded from cycling until Aug 5 2012.

Spanish tennis world number two Rafa Nadal said on his official Twitter feed: "The Contador news is incredible, there is no definitive evidence and they give him the maximum punishment...LAMENTABLE...keep your spirits up champion! A``ll my support!"

Luxembourg's Andy Schleck, who will be handed the 2010 Tour de France title: "There is no reason to be happy now. First of all I feel sad for Alberto. I always believed in his innocence. This is just a very sad day for cycling. The only positive news is that there is a verdict after 566 days of uncertainty. We can finally move on.

"I trust that the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) judges took all things into consideration after reading a 4,000-page file. If now I am declared overall winner of the 2010 Tour de France it will not make me happy. I battled with Contador in that race and I lost.

"My goal is to win the Tour de France in a sporting way, being the best of all competitors, not in court. If I succeed this year, I will consider it as my first Tour victory."

Juan Carlos Castano, Spanish federation president: "It's very bad news for Spanish sport. For us this journey has ended."

Pat McQuaid, International Cycling Union (UCI) president: "This is a sad day for our sport. Some may think of it as a victory, but that is not at all the case. There are no winners when it comes to the issue of doping: every case, irrespective of its characteristics, is always a case too many."

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme: "It shows that whatever the cost, whoever is involved, the ruling bodies are ready to go all the way. It would be logical that Andy Schleck be handed the title but it has to be the UCI's decision."

Bjarne Riis, Contador's Saxo Bank team manager: "The result was obviously not what we had hoped for, but for now our management team is still in the process of reviewing the ruling and the documentation so we can better understand the decision."

2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans: "I really just followed it as any fan. I don't know about the process, it went on for too long that's for sure. That case ran on for so long I don't know what the truth is, or what's right or wrong in that whole situation," the Australian told Reuters in London.

Russian Denis Menchov, who will move up to second place in the 2010 Tour: "Third overall was the place that I achieved in the 2010 Tour and I was happy with that. But I don't want to look back, I'm focusing on the future, in particular on how to prepare myself for this year's Tour."

Italian Michele Scarponi, set to be awarded the 2011 Giro title which Contador will lose: "Together with my team, Lampre-ISD, I acknowledge the decision by the CAS in the Contador case. I'm very sorry for Alberto... This decision doesn't change the value of the results I obtained and my upcoming goals."

Spain's Oscar Pereiro, 2006 Tour de France winner: "Two years of sanctions to Alberto Contador and the judgement says that the doping is not proven. Then? Sons of a ..."

Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara: "It's a bizarre day for cycling and a sad day for sport. It's pity it took them so long to reach a verdict."

Former cycling great Eddy Merckx: "I am disgusted. I would like other sports to go and try to find minute traces of clenbuterol. It's another huge blow to cycling."

Marc Madiot, FDJ-Bigmat manager: "The verdict is coming too late. All races have been distorted for a year and a half. Andy Schleck will get the Tour title but he will be reminded all his life of how he got it. The system has to change."

Saxo Bank-Sungard rider Alberto Contador of Spain enters the anti-doping medical testing facility after the19th stage of the Tour de France 2011 cycling race from Modane to Alpe d' Huez in this July 22, 2011 file photograph. [Photo/Agencies]

* CAS rejects contaminated meat defence

PARIS - Alberto Contador lost one of his three Tour de France titles after being banned for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday for failing a dope test during the 2010 race.

Contador, the Tour winner in 2007, 2009 and 2010 who tested positive for the banned anabolic agent clenbuterol, also faces losing his 2011 Giro d'Italia title and all the other victories he claimed last season.

Astana team rider and leader's yellow jersey Alberto Contador of Spain (C) celebrates his overall victory surrounded by Saxo Bank team rider Andy Schleck of Luxembourg (L) and Rabobank team rider Denis Menchov of Russia (R) on the podium after the final 20th stage of the 97th Tour de France cycling race between Longjumeau and Paris in this July 25, 2010 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

"Mr Contador is disqualified from the Tour de France 2010 with all the resulting consequences including forfeiture of any medals, points and prize," CAS said in their reasons explaining their verdict.

Contador, who has 30 days to appeal to the Swiss federal court, is to hold a news conference on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Spaniard's Tour title will be handed to Luxembourg's Andy Schleck, with Russia's Denis Menchov and Samuel Sanchez of Spain promoted to second and third respectively.

"There is no reason to be happy now", Schleck said in a statement. "First of all I feel sad for Alberto. I always believed in his innocence. This is just a very sad day for cycling. The only positive news is that there is a verdict after 566 days of uncertainty. We can finally move on.

"I battled with Contador in that race and I lost. My goal is to win the Tour de France in a sporting way, being the best of all competitors, not in court. If I succeed this year, I will consider it as my first Tour victory."

Italy's Michele Scarponi is set to take the Giro 2011 title.

"Alberto Contador is sanctioned with a two-year period of ineligibility starting retroactively on 25 January 2011, minus the period of provisional suspension served in 2010-2011 (5 months and 19 days)," CAS said in a statement.

"The suspension should therefore come to an end on 5 August 2012."

The ban means that the 29-year-old Contador, who had threatened to end his career if found guilty, will miss this year's Tour de France and the London Olympic Games.

"In rejecting the defence argument, in particular that the presence of clenbuterol in Alberto Contador's urine sample came from the consumption of contaminated meat, today's ruling confirms the UCI's position," the International Cycling Union (UCI), who had appealed with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the Spanish federation's decision to clear Contador, said in a statement.

Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) president Juan Carlos Castano said of the CAS decision: "We are obliged to comply with it but we don't agree with it.

"It's very bad news for Spanish sport," he said on national radio. "For us this journey has ended."

CAS said they did not believe Contador's argument that he had eaten contaminated meat during a Tour de France rest day.

"Unlike certain other countries, notably outside Europe, Spain is not known to have a contamination problem with clenbuterol in meat," it said, adding that the burden of proof was on Contador and that the ingestion of a contaminated food supplement was more likely than the contaminated meat argument.

Astana's Alberto Contador of Spain cycles during the 16th stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Bagneres-de-Luchon and Pau, in this file picture taken July 20, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

UCI President Pat McQuaid said: "This is a sad day for our sport. Some may think of it as a victory, but that is not at all the case. There are no winners when it comes to the issue of doping: every case, irrespective of its characteristics, is always a case too many."

Contador, who had awaited his fate at his home in Pinto with his family and lawyers, is now expected back to competition on Aug 6, meaning he should be able to take part in the Vuelta, which starts on Aug 18.

Didier Drogba of Cote d'lvoire reacts during their quarter-final match of the African Nations Cup soccer tournament against Equatorial Guinea in Malabo, Feb 4, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Didier Drogba could be reunited with former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka after reports said the Cote d'lvoire international may sign for Shanghai Shenhua earning €400,000 ($523,972) a week.

A video clip early this morning made by French television Canal+ revealed Drogba might have agreed a transfer deal with the big spending Shanghai-based soccer club on an annual salary worth €20 million ($26,202,018).

If the deal was confirmed, the 34-year-old African striker will outclass his Cameroon counterpart Eto'o and his future teammate Anelka to become the highest paid player in the world.

If Drogba signed for Shenhua, this is how the ranking of the world's highest-paid players would look. [Source: Canal +]

The French TV's video clip reports the possible transfer in a four-minute film featuring Shenhua's winter training in Valencia showing Anelka's training, as well as an exclusive interview with Shenhua's owner Zhu Jun, who spoke of his ambition to make Shenhua the best soccer club in China and even in Asia.

A Shenhua news portal on Sina Weibo posted the French media's video clip on sports.sina.com, but gave no further information on the deal.

However the club spokesman Ma Yue did not confirm such a report. Before official news released, all reports are not true, Ma told China Daily.

Shenhua is reportedly also close to signing a deal with former English national team defender Matthew James Upson in the wake of the team's demand for excellent midfielders and defenders, said the Shenhua news.

The Shanghai Shenhua club has been pursuing the Cote d'lvoire international, trying to reproduce the Chelsea forward duo in the Chinese super league with Drogba and Anelka, but no official confirmation has been released.

An undated handout photo shows Zhou Jun (L), Director of Shanghai Shenhua Football Club and Chelsea soccer player Nicolas Anelka holding up a souvenir jersey of Shanghai Shenhua FC during a meeting in Europe. Shanghai Shenhua have reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign French striker Anelka on a two-year deal, the Chinese Super League soccer side said on Dec 12, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

Previous news revealed that Shenhua has already reserved the No 11 shirt for Drogba when he officially joins the club, but reports also suggested talks between the two sides were still in deadlock.

Shenhua's owner Zhu Jun said on his Sina weibo: "It's like flirting with a girl. Perhaps she will resist you at first, but if you continue to ask her out, it always ends well. Never give up."

The entrance of Shanghai Shenhua Football Club is pictured in Shanghai in this Dec 12, 2011 file photo. [Photo/Agencies]

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant chews on his jersey while playing against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter of their NBA basketball game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania February 6, 2012.  [Photo/Agencies]

Kobe Bryant moved past Shaquille O'Neal to become the NBA's fifth highest scorer on Monday but it was a bitter-sweet moment for the Los Angeles guard as the Lakers lost 95-90 to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bryant finished with 28 points to reach a career total of 28,601, moving past O'Neal's 28,596. The all-time leader in points scored is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,387.

Philadelphia trailed 86-79 with four and a half minutes to go when Lou Williams sparked a 14-2 run to send the Wells Fargo Center crowd into a frenzy.

"He's our closer," team mate Spencer Hawes told reporters. "When he comes in at the end, he has the ability to make plays."

Williams scored 10 of his team-high 24 points during the spurt, including seven straight, to give the Atlantic Division-leading 76ers (18-7) their sixth win in seven games.

Los Angeles (14-11) lost their second in a row as they reached the halfway point of a six-game road trip. The Lakers are just 3-9 away from home this season.

Lakers' Andrew Bynum had 20 points and 20 rebounds.

Bryant roared out to a fast start by netting 24 first-half points, but Philadelphia quickly began double-teaming the All Star to derail his night. Bryant would make just 2 of his final 14 shots and was unable to stop the Los Angeles slide in the fourth.

"They came after him. To Kobe's credit, what he tried to do was get everybody involved," said Lakers assistant coach John Kuester, who filled in as head coach in the absence of the suspended Mike Brown.

Brown was serving a one-game ban for making contact with an official while arguing a call in the Lakers' loss to Utah on Saturday.

Philadelphia were without forward Elton Brand who missed a second straight game with a sprained thumb but they managed to stay close to Los Angeles.

The 76ers trailed by four at halftime before pulling ahead 70-69 after three quarters.

Jrue Holiday added 13 points and Andre Iguodala had 12 for the home team.

Veteran Wang, Marbury and Smith to start in All-Star Game in Guangzhou

BEIJING - Veterans and a star NBA duo led fan voting to start in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) All-Star Game, which will be staged on Feb 19 at the Guangzhou Sports Arena.

After the seven-week online fan vote concluded on Monday, the CBA released the starting lineups for the 2012 North vs South event.

Bayi Rockets' veteran Wang Zhizhi headed the nominees with 814,670 votes. He will start for the South team alongside national teammates Zhu Fangyu and Wang Shipeng, both from the Guangdong Southern Tigers. They will be out for revenge against the North, which stunned the South, 115-114, last year.

The league's current top scorer, J.R. Smith, formerly with the Denver Nuggets, will join Wang on the South side with his Zhejiang Golden Bulls' blue-collar teammate, Ding Jinhui, who is also a national representative.

For the North, the Beijing Ducks' former NBA All-Star guard Stephon Marbury, who topped all foreign imports with 592,629 votes, will spearhead a competitive squad.

Alongside Marbury will be last season's MVP Mengke Bateer, from the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, Liaoning Jiebao guard Yang Ming and rebounder Li Xiaoxu and Tianjin Gold Lions' sharp shooter Zhang Nan.

The All-Star bench players will be picked by the sides' coaches after the regular season ends next Wednesday.

Former New York Knicks forward Wilson Chandler, who plays for the Zhejiang Lions, and ex-Houston Rocket Aaron Brooks, who represents the Southern Tigers, are strong candidates to appear at the basketball gala.

Ahead of the main battle, 3-point, slam dunk and skill challenge contests will be held on Feb 18 to entertain fans; along with a series of carnival-like activities.

This is the first time the All-Star Weekend will be held in Guangzhou and follows league promoter Infront China's announcement two years ago that it would stage the event in stadiums up to NBA standard in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou for six consecutive years.

The first two editions were held at the Beijing MasterCard Center (formerly the Wukesong Arena) in 2010 and 2011.

China Daily

(China Daily 02/07/2012 page22)

MIAMI - LeBron James took a hard foul and clearly was not happy. So the next time he saw the ball, he made sure no Toronto player could reach him.

James' steal and dunk with just more than two minutes left gave Miami some breathing room, and the Heat held on to defeat the Toronto Raptors 95-89 on Sunday. James finished with 30 points and Dwyane Wade added 25 for the Heat (18-6), who won for the 10th time in its last 12 games and moved within one game of Chicago (20-6) for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

"We stuck with our principles," James said. "And that's to defend."

Chris Bosh scored 12 points against his former team, which saw a 15-point edge trimmed to three in the final minutes but never surrendered the lead. Mario Chalmers added 11 for Miami.

DeMar DeRozan scored 25 for the Raptors, who got 17 apiece from Jerryd Bayless and Linas Kleiza.

"I liked our disposition," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "I liked the way we approached it. I liked the way we competed."

Kleiza's 3-pointer with just under five minutes left got Toronto within eight, and another 3 from Bayless as the shot clock expired on the next Raptors' possession cut the Miami lead to 85-80 - the closest the game had been since early in the third quarter.

Bayless scored again to get the Raptors within three and cap a 12-0 Toronto run. And after Bosh missed a fadeaway from the right baseline, Bayless tried a 3-pointer to tie. It bounced off, and with the game in the balance, James went to work.

He was fouled by James Johnson and made two free throws with 2:20 left, not before letting anyone around him know he wasn't pleased with the physicality of the play. The next time James touched the ball, he didn't give the Raptors a chance to foul him - his steal and two-handed slam with 2:07 left gave Miami an 89-82 edge and all but ensured the win.

"Good back-to-back plays for our team and I was happy I was able to make them," James said.

James - who leads the NBA in first-quarter scoring this season (9.1 points a game) - got off to another big start, making his first five shots and scoring 12 points in the opening quarter. He's now shooting just under 60 percent in first quarters this season.

While scoring wasn't an issue, the Heat were far from in the clear.

Casey told the Raptors that establishing pace and limiting turnovers - especially early - would be big keys. Seemed like his team got the message: The Raptors matched a season-high with 27 points in the first quarter, and turned the ball over only five times in the first half. That, combined with DeRozan tying his season best with 16 points in the opening two quarters, kept the Raptors close.

Associated Press

(China Daily 02/07/2012 page22)

BOSTON - Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers could see Kevin Garnett was looking and feeling spry.

Running the floor and looking strong on the glass, the 35-year-old Garnett matched his season-high with 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Celtics to their fourth straight win, a 98-80 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

"He was feeling good. It's a still a kids' game. He was having fun," Rivers said of Garnett, a 14-time All-Star. "He was having a ball playing today and you don't want to tell him you have to come in because the lights are on, so we let him play in the dark a little bit."

Garnett was 9 of 12 from the field, including his third 3-pointer of the season on three tries. He hit one in Friday's win over New York.

"He's shooting it well," Rivers said, before joking about Garnett's recent 3-point success. "Gives us another option at the end of the game - don't tell him that."

Paul Pierce scored 21 points, moving nine behind Hall of Famer Larry Bird for second place on the club's all-time list, and Ray Allen added 12. Rajon Rondo had 14 assists and reserve Chris Wilcox chipped in with 12 points.

Boston took charge with a 21-7 run early in the fourth quarter that turned a six-point lead to 90-70 on Garnett's jumper.

Relying on a combination of reserves and two of their usual stars - Garnett and Pierce - the Celtics controlled the glass and outran the Grizzlies for transition baskets.

"I thought we put together some really good runs and got the ball moving," Pierce said.

Rudy Gay paced the Grizzlies with 21 points and seven rebounds, and O.J. Mayo scored 15 points for Memphis, which has lost six of eight.

The Celtics led by six points at halftime and pushed it to double digits (53-43) on Pierce's two free throws midway into the third. Boston relied on some hot long-range shooting in the third quarter, hitting 5 of its first 6 from behind the 3-point line to keep Memphis from coming back until Gay scored three consecutive baskets late in the period.

"The key to the game was that we didn't get back on defense. They had 26 fast break points on us and that was huge, and they controlled the glass," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said.

Associated Press

(China Daily 02/07/2012 page22)

Happy Chinese New Year! I hope the spirit of the Dragon brings you greatness, goodness and a wealth of blessings.

It is always good to go home. Recently, I got that chance and went to New York City for about a week.

There, I was able to recharge, get some much-needed rest, plus I managed to spend some quality time with my family.

"You have to rest your mind as well as your body, Stephon," my mother, Mabel, would always tell me.

Anyway, soon after I got home, my older sister, Stephanie, cooked me some of my favorite soul food dishes. She is a professional chef so I enjoyed eating her fried chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese plus stuffing and candied yams. And that was just for starters. My mother made me some rice pudding, which I love too.

It was also nice being home to celebrate the birthday of my son, Stephon II. He turned seven on Jan 22. I just couldn't imagine missing another one of his birthday parties, especially, after he said, "Daddy, you are never home for my birthday".

But, the icing on my son's cake was not as sweet as what happened to my teammates and me before us leaving Beijing for our short break. We won a tough game against CBA leading scorer J.R. Smith and Zhejiang, and it felt like we had rebounded from our recent struggles.

Remember, in late December and early January, when we hit a few bumps in the road and lost five or so straight games after going through our first 13 games undefeated?

Fortunately, we have returned to our winning ways. We won five out of our past six games, which is a clear indication we are playing better as a team.

Honestly, I think it was good that we experienced our slump when we did. We learned from our mistakes, especially the younger guys whose confidence was tested after playing a few bad games in a row.

As one of the team leaders, I just kept stressing to the younger guys to play hard and we would get through the funk. Fortunately, they did, and that helped us turn things around.

Now, our goal is to create an identity. We want to establish ourselves as a united and defensive force. Yes, offense wins games, but defense wins championships. This is hard to do for any pro sports team, including in basketball. That's because winning a title requires playing your best at both ends of the court, night in and night out.

I have been blessed to play pro basketball at the highest level for about 15 years in the NBA plus the Chinese Basketball League. But I must tell you that I too have had my ups and downs, and still do.

My teammates respect the fact that I share my basketball challenges, and how I deal with them. You cannot play well or win every game. I know because I have had my share of both during my career. I started playing basketball at the age of two and, on Feb 20, I will turn 35.

At that age, most pro basketball players have retired or are planning to, but not me. I think I have a few more good years left. But when I do retire, it will most likely be from the CBA. I want the fans here to be the last ones to see me unlace my Starbury sneakers then walk away for good from the game of basketball that I love so, so much. Stay tuned. Love is love.

Yours truly,

Starbury

Stephon Marbury can be reached at sports@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 02/07/2012 page22)

Who's in charge of the chinese basketball association

Standings (after 30 rounds)

W L

Guangdong Southern Tigers 24 4

Beijing Ducks 19 9

Dongguan Leopards 18 11

Shanxi Brave Dragons 17 11

Fujian SBS 17 12

Xinjiang Flying Tigers 16 12

Shanghai Sharks 15 13

Zhejiang Golden Bulls 15 13

Zhejiang Lions 15 13

Liaoning Jiebao 14 14

Qingdao Eagles 14 15

Shandong Golden Lions 12 17

Jilin Northeast Tigers 11 17

Tianjin Gold Lions 10 18

Bayi Rockets 9 19

Foshan Longlions 7 21

Jiangsu Dragons 7 21

Top scorers

1. J.R. Smith

guard, Zhejiang Golden Bulls

35.4 ppg

2. Lester Hudson

guard, Qingdao Eagles

33.3 ppg

3. Marcus Williams

guard, Shanxi Brave Dragons

31.2 ppg

Top rebounders

1. Zaid Abbaas

forward, Fujian SBS

15.1 rpg

2. Donnell Harvey

forward, Tianjin Gold Lions

14 rpg

3. P.J. Ramos

center, Zhejiang Lions

13.9 rpg

Top in assists

1. Osama Daghles

guard, Jilin Northeast Tigers

7 apg

2. Stephon Marbury

guard, Beijing Ducks

6.6 apg

3. Lester Hudson

guard, Qingdao Eagles

6.4 apg

Notes

Reporters assaulted at Beijing road game

Fans of the Qingdao Eagles hold posters saying: "Eagles eat roast ducks to take the victory back home" in the stands during their CBA match against the Beijing Ducks on Sunday. [Provided to China Daily]

Two reporters with BTV were punched by security staff at the Qingdao University Stadium while following the Beijing Ducks to the guest locker room on Sunday night, the Beijing News reported on Monday.

After the Ducks lost their road game to the Qingdao Eagles, 114-102, BTV reporter Liu Ru and cameraman Li Du went to the locker room for interviews, accompanied by the gym's security officials.

While filming boisterous fans, who insulted the Ducks' players and threw empty bottles at the referees, Liu and Li were stopped by officials, who allegedly assaulted them.

"We just wanted to record the chaotic situation triggered by the complaining fans. They (the security guys) didn't want us to shoot it and forced us to evacuate the stadium in such a wild way," Liu was quoted by Beijing News as saying.

"I couldn't tell exactly who hit us during the disorder, but I was kicked twice and Li was punched fiercely on his tummy. But none of the security guys, who are supposed to protect us, gave a helping hand," Liu said.

However, it was Liu and Li's overreaction to some controversial calls during the game that caused the stadium's staff to act in such a manner, local media reports said.

Visitor strikes thrice at Chelsea to snare valuable point in the Premier League

LONDON - Wayne Rooney believes Manchester United's three-goal comeback against Chelsea could prove decisive in the Premier League title race, even though the champion lost ground on leader Manchester City after a dramatic 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side now sits two points adrift of City, who beat Fulham 24 hours before the six-goal thriller in west London on Sunday.

A Jonny Evans own goal and strikes from Juan Mata and David Luiz left United three goals down by the 50th minute.

But it showed true grit to fight its way back onto level terms through two controversial penalties, both converted by Rooney, and a Javier Hernandez equalizer in the 84th minute.

And United striker Rooney is confident his team's sensational second-half recovery will not have gone unnoticed by Roberto Mancini's City squad.

"Of course it's two points lost, we understand that, but after being 3-0 down all the City players at home won't enjoy watching us, the way we fought back and the spirit of the team," Rooney said.

"They know it will be a long fight to the end and we'll be there to the end.

"From the start we controlled the game and we were unfortunate to go in 1-0 down, then in the second half they hit us with two goals in five minutes and we knew we had to dig in.

"We knew if we got one goal there was time to get something out of the game. We fought well and fought hard and that point could win us the league.

"A lot of teams would find it easy to put their heads down and accept defeat but we carried on, worked hard and thankfully got something out of the game."

Referee Howard Webb found himself at the center of attention because of the two penalties he awarded United, and the two he denied Ferguson's side in the first half.

Ferguson inevitably felt aggrieved by the two his side didn't get and said: "We had two penalties in the second half which I think were justified, I think that we could have had four penalties and a winning game.

"But it was a massive effort from our players and a great game for the neutral watching the game, from 3-0 to 3-3 was fantastic.

"Chelsea played a great part in it too although I thought we were the better team."

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas admitted he was disappointed by the failure to wrap up the win from such a commanding position.

The defensive meltdown leaves the Blues just one point clear of fifth-placed Newcastle in the race for a top-four finish.

But Villas-Boas believes Webb got at least one of the major decisions wrong, just as he claimed Phil Dowd had when Chelsea lost 3-1 at Old Trafford earlier in the season.

"The first one is an obvious penalty, nothing to say. The second is very, very dubious," Villas-Boas said.

"I don't know if Howard Webb had the correct angle to make the decision, but it was unlucky from him to give it.

"I'm not sure if he's compensating from anything in the first half, but it was the wrong decision. From 3-1 to 3-2 is immense, and 3-3 is almost normal service.

"It's a big disappointment on the way it happened. At Old Trafford there were two goals offside, and maybe today a dubious decision that, in the end, shifted the running of the game.

"In both games against United ... you expect it to be perfect in terms of refereeing. On these two games, they have had a direct influence on the result."

Sadly, one of the matches of the season was slightly marred by the constant booing of United defender Rio Ferdinand by Chelsea supporters.

The jeers came because Chelsea skipper John Terry, who missed this game with a knee injury, is facing charges of racially abusing Ferdinand's brother, Anton.

"This is a normal situation in this game," Villas-Boas said. "You don't expect opposing fans to cheer your players."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/07/2012 page23)

ROME - England manager Fabio Capello has hit out at his employer the Football Association after it stripped John Terry of the England captaincy due to racism allegations.

Terry, 31, was relieved of his duties on Thursday due to an ongoing court case in which he is accused of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers centerback Anton Ferdinand during a match last year.

But that is a decision Capello says he is not comfortable with.

"I don't agree with the decision, I spoke with the chairman (David Bernstein) telling him that in my opinion Terry cannot be punished until the court's decided - that's the civil justice, not the sporting one - that Terry has done that which he is accused of," Capello told a soccer program on Italian Rai public television.

"For that I felt it was right that Terry should keep the captain's armband.

"However, the fact that the board has taken this decision is their right when it comes to England."

Terry's court case is not due to take place until July 9, after the European Championship finals in Poland and Ukraine and the FA felt it would be inappropriate to keep him as captain with suspicion hanging over his head.

"Following the decision to adjourn the court case against John Terry to July, the Football Association confirm he will not captain the England team until the allegations against him are resolved," said the FA's statement on Thursday.

"This decision has been taken due to the higher profile nature of the England captaincy, on and off the pitch, and the additional demands and requirements expected of the captain leading into and during a tournament."

The case has attracted huge media attention in England, due in no small part to the fact that the England dressingroom is a multi-racial environment and is likely to include Ferdinand's brother, Rio.

Capello's outburst is unlikely to come as a surprise to England's decision-makers, though, who were well aware of the Italian's stance.

"Fabio Capello has not been involved in the FA Board discussions which reached this conclusion, but understands the FA Board has authority to make this decision," Thursday's statement said.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/07/2012 page23)

ROME - Inter Milan coach Claudio Ranieri was left searching for his side's true identity following a humiliating 4-0 humbling at his former employer Roma on Sunday.

Ranieri's team has now picked up just a single point from its past three league matches having won seven in a row before that.

And it has left the former Chelsea and Juventus boss wondering what's happened to the team that seemed to be building up to a title challenge when beating neighbor AC Milan in the derby last month.

Now, though, it trails leader Juventus by nine points while having played a game more.

"We have to give credit to Roma, they played a really great match," said Ranieri.

"We weren't valid opponents, they were more determined and faster, we were too morbid, it was a non-match on our part.

"We're no longer ourselves, we concede goals ... from Tuesday we have to start reacting because we can't continue like this."

However, Ranieri vowed to drag Inter back up by the scruff of its neck.

"We've fallen down many times and many times we're got back up and that's the reaction I expect again this time," he said.

It was the second game in a row that Inter has leaked four goals following an enthralling 4-4 draw with Palermo in midweek.

But for Ranieri this was a disappointing return to a side he had guided to second place in the league two seasons ago.

"It was a bitter return for me to Rome, we didn't even turn up," he said.

"After the splendid win over Milan we haven't been ourselves, we've dropped anchor and we're not determined or concentrated any more.

"They surprised us from a corner which is something we worked on after Palermo.

"There will be time to reflect, but this time we've got to sort it out and start being ourselves again."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/07/2012 page23)

Alpine skiing

World Cup men's super-combined

CHAMONIX, France - Results from World Cup super-combined race at Chamonix on Sunday:

1. Romed Baumann (AUT) 2:56.10 (2:01.58 + 54.52)

2. Alexis Pinturault (FRA) 2:57.20 (2:04.85 + 52.35)

3. Beat Feuz (SUI) 2:57.29 (2:03.11 + 54.18)

4. Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR) 2:57.42 (2:03.57 + 53.85) and Adrien Thaux (FRA) 2:57.42 (2:02.28 + 55.14)

6. Didier Dfago (SUI) 2:57.52 (2:03.43 + 54.09)

World Cup super-combined standings (after three of four events)

1. Ivica Kostelic (CRO) 236 points, 2. Beat Feuz (SUI) 220, 3. Romed Baumann (AUT) 145, 4. Alexis Pinturault (FRA) 130, 5. Adrien Theaux (FRA) 115

Overall World Cup standings (after 27 of 44 races)

1. Ivica Kostelic (CRO) 941 points, 2. Marcel Hirscher (AUT) 825, 3. Beat Feuz (SUI) 793, 4. Didier Cuche (SUI) 639, 5. Aksel Lund Svindal (NOR) 631, 6. Romed Baumann (AUT) 588

World Cup women's super-G

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany - Results from the World Cup women's super-G on Sunday:

1. Julia Mancuso (USA) 1:20.50

2. Anna Fenninger (AUT) 1:20.63

3. Tina Weirather (LIE) 1:20.95

4. Maria Hoefl-Riesch (GER) 1:21.05

5. Elena Curtoni (ITA) 1:21.29

6. Marie Marchand-Arvier (FRA) 1:21.30

World Cup super-G standings (after four of eight races)

1. Lindsey Vonn (USA) 313 points, 2. Anna Fenninger (AUT) 293. 3. Julia Mancuso (USA) 269, 4. Fabienne Suter (SUI) 226, 5. Maria Hoefl-Riesch (GER) 185

Overall World Cup standings (after 23 of 41 races)

1. Lindsey Vonn (USA) 1,350 points, 2. Tina Maze (SLO) 868, 3. Maria Hoefl-Riesch (GER) 796, 4. Elisabeth Goergl (AUT) 674, 5. Anna Fenninger (AUT) 667, 6. Julia Mancuso (USA) 607

Basketball

NBA results on Sunday (home team in CAPS)

BOSTON 98 Memphis 80

MIAMI 95 Toronto 89

Cricket

Pakistan vs England final Test

Scoreboard at the close of the third day of the third and final test between Pakistan and England at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Pakistan first innings: 99 all out

England first innings: 141 all out

Pakistan second innings: (Overnight 222-2)

Mohammad Hafeez lbw b Panesar 21

Taufeeq Umar c Strauss b Anderson 6

Azhar Ali c Cook b Swann 157

Younus Khan lbw b Broad 127

Misbah-ul-Haq lbw b Panesar 31

Asad Shafiq lbw b Panesar 5

Adnan Akmal b Panesar 0

Abdur Rehman c Anderson b Swann 1

Saeed Ajmal c Anderson b Swann 1

Umar Gul lbw b Panesar 4

Aizaz Cheema not out 0

Extras (b-10, lb-1, nb-1) 12

Total (all out; 152.4 overs) 365

Fall of wickets: 1-16 2-28 3-244 4-331 5-339 6-345 7-346 8-350 9-363.

Bowling: Anderson 28-7-51-1(nb-1), Broad 24-7-55-1, Panesar 56.4-13-124-5, Swann 39-6-101-3, Trott 2-0-14-0, Pietersen 3-0-9-0.

England second innings

A. Strauss not out 19

A. Cook not out 15

Extras (nb 2) 2

Total (0 wickets; 20 overs) 36

Still to bat: J. Trott, K. Pietersen, I. Bell, E. Morgan, M. Prior, S. Broad, G. Swann, J. Anderson, M. Panesar

Bowling: Umar Gul 4-1-11-0 (1nb), Aizaz Cheema 2-0-5-0, Mohammad Hafeez 5-2-6-0, Abdur Rehman 7-0-12-0, Saeed Ajmal 2-1-2-0

Golf

US PGA Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona - Leading final-round scores on Sunday in the US PGA Tour $6.1 million Phoenix Open (USA unless noted, par-71):

269 - Kyle Stanley 69-66-69-65

270 - Ben Crane 69-67-68-66

271 - Spencer Levin 65-63-68-75

272 - D.J. Trahan 72-70-64-66

273 - Kevin Na 66-73-69-65, Brendan Steele 71-69-69-64, Bubba Watson 66-70-67-70

274 - Jason Dufner 64-72-68-70, John Rollins 70-70-65-69, Webb Simpson 65-69-68-72, Bo Van Pelt 65-71-71-67

275 - John Huh 68-66-69-72, Trevor Immelman (RSA) 67-70-69-69, Chris Stroud 68-70-66-71

276 - Keegan Bradley 68-70-71-67, Harris English 70-69-68-69, Bryce Molder 70-69-71-66, Rod Pampling (AUS) 67-71-71-67

277 - Greg Chalmers (AUS) 68-69-67-73, Chris Couch 70-68-72-67, Martin Flores 71-68-68-70, Bill Haas 69-68-69-71, Marc Leishman (AUS) 70-68-68-71, Pat Perez 69-73-66-69, Mark Wilson 70-69-74-64

Qatar Masters

DOHA - Leading scores after the weather-hit Qatar Masters golf tournament which was played over 54 holes at Doha Golf Club.

201 - Paul Lawrie (SCO) 69-67-65

205 - Jason Day (AUS) 68-72-65, Peter Hanson (SWE) 69-69-67

207 - John Daly (USA) 67-73-67

208 - Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (FRA) 71-72-65, Soren Hansen (DEN) 71-71-66, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 72-68-68, Ricardo Gonzalez (ARG) 71-67-70

209 - Martin Kaymer (GER) 71-70-68, Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 72-68-69, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 69-68-72

210 - Anders Hansen (DEN) 70-73- 67, Keith Horne (RSA) 73-69-68, Scott Jamieson (SCO) 73-69-68, Michael Hoey (NIR), 71-71-68, Jose Maria Olazabal (ESP) 71-70-69, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP) 66-75-69, Lee Westwood (ENG) 71-70-69, Marcel Siem (GER) 71-69-70

Ice hockey

NHL results on Sunday (home team in CAPS):

Boston 4 WASHINGTON 1

NEW JERSEY 5 Pittsburgh 2

NY RANGERS 5 Philadelphia 2

MONTREAL 3 Winnipeg 0

RUGBY UNION

Six Nations championship

Result and standings on Sunday:

Ireland 21 Wales 23

Played on Saturday

France 30 Italy 12

Scotland 6 England 13

Fixtures:

Feb. 11

Italy vs England

France vs Ireland

Soccer

Belgium league

Sunday's results:

Anderlecht 4 RC Genk 2

Club Brugge 5 Germ. Beerschot 1

Dutch league

Sunday's results:

Ajax 0 FC Utrecht 2

Heracles 1 PSV Eindhoven 1

NEC Nijmegen 0 Feyenoord 2

FC Groningen 0 RKC Waalwijk 3

De Graafschap v FC Twente - ppd

English Premier League

Sunday's results:

Chelsea 3 (Evans 36-og, Mata 46, Luiz 50) Manchester United 3 (Rooney 58-pen, 69-pen, Hernandez 84)

Newcastle 2 (Ba 30, Cisse 71) Aston Villa 1 (Keane 45)

W D L Gf Ga Pts

Man City 18 3 3 63 19 57

Man Utd 17 4 3 59 24 55

Tottenham 15 4 4 44 25 49

Chelsea 12 7 5 44 29 43

Newcastle 12 6 6 36 31 42

Arsenal 12 4 8 46 34 40

Liverpool 10 8 5 28 21 38

Sunderland 9 6 9 33 24 33

Norwich 8 8 8 34 39 32

Swansea 7 9 8 26 29 30

Everton 8 6 10 24 27 30

Stoke 8 6 10 23 36 30

Aston Villa 6 10 8 29 33 28

Fulham 6 9 9 29 35 27

West Brom 7 5 12 24 34 26

QPR 5 6 13 25 41 21

Wolves 5 6 13 27 44 21

Bolton 6 2 16 28 49 20

Blackburn 4 6 14 34 54 18

Wigan 3 7 14 21 49 16

French league

Sunday's results:

Marseille 2 (Be. Cheyrou 16, Brandao 34) Lyon 2 (B. Gomis 36, S. Diawara 45-og)

Caen v Auxerre - postponed

Sochaux v Lille - postponed

German league

Sunday's results:

Freiburg 2 (Makiadi 32, Schmid 70) Werder Bremen 2 (Pizarro 29, 47)

Kaiserslautern 0 Cologne 1 (Roshi 72)

Italian Serie A

Results on Sunday:

Cesena v Catania -- postponed

Chievo 1 (Thereau 50) Parma 2 (Giovinco 46, Luciano 69-og)

Fiorentina 3 (Jovetic 39-pen, 84-pen, Cassani 56) Udinese 2 (Di Natale 14, Torje 90)

Genoa 3 (Palacio 9, Jankovic 24, 46) Lazio 2 (Ledesma 54-pen, Gonzalez 90)

Juventus 0 Siena 0

Lecce 0 Bologna 0

AC Milan 0 Napoli 0

Novara 0 Cagliari 0

Palermo 2 (Miccoli 29-pen, Budan 49) Atalanta 1 (Moralez 56)

Roma 4 (Juan 13, Borini 41, 49, Bojan 89) Inter Milan 0

W D L Gf Ga Pts

Juventus 12 9 0 33 13 45

AC Milan 13 5 4 43 19 44

Udinese 12 5 5 33 20 41

Lazio 11 6 5 33 23 39

Inter Milan 11 3 8 34 29 36

Roma 10 4 7 35 25 34

Napoli 7 10 5 36 24 31

Palermo 9 4 9 32 32 31

Genoa 9 3 9 31 38 30

Fiorentina 7 7 7 23 19 28

Cagliari 6 9 7 20 23 27

Parma 7 6 8 27 34 27

Chievo 6 6 9 17 27 24

Atalanta 7 8 6 25 27 23

Catania 5 8 6 22 28 23

Bologna 5 7 9 18 26 22

Siena 4 8 9 21 22 20

Lecce 4 5 13 22 38 17

Cesena 4 4 13 13 31 16

Novara 2 7 12 18 40 13

Note: Atalanta deducted six points at start of season for match-fixing

Spanish league

Results on Sunday:

Sporting Gijon 1 (Carmelo 32) Osasuna 1 (Lekic 77)

Sevilla 1 (Bruno 34-og) Villarreal 2 (Borja Valero 22, Camunas 81)

Real Zaragoza 1 (Helder Postiga 33) Rayo Vallecano 2 (Diego Costa 75, Michu 82)

Atletico Madrid 0 Valencia 0

W D L Gf Ga Pts

Real Madrid 18 1 2 71 19 55

Barcelona 14 6 1 61 13 48

Valencia 10 7 4 31 22 37

Levante 9 5 7 27 25 32

Espanyol 9 5 7 25 24 32

Athletic Bilbao 7 9 5 33 28 30

Atletico Madrid 8 6 7 31 27 30

Malaga 8 4 8 24 29 28

Osasuna 6 10 5 23 33 28

Getafe 7 6 8 22 27 27

Sevilla 6 8 7 22 24 26

Rayo Vallecano 7 4 10 25 32 25

Real Mallorca 6 7 8 18 25 25

Real Sociedad 6 6 9 23 30 24

Real Betis 7 2 12 23 30 23

Villarreal 5 8 8 20 29 23

Racing Santander 4 10 7 18 26 22

Grenade 6 4 10 14 27 22

Sporting Gijon 5 4 12 20 39 19

Real Zaragoza 2 6 13 16 38 12

Asian zone Olympic qualifiers

Qualifying results played on Sunday:

Group A

At Doha: Qatar 2 (Al-Bulshi 26, Al-Haydos 86) Oman 2 (Al-Maqbali 34, Farah 76)

At Dammam: Saudi Arabia 1 (Kudari 60) South Korea 1 (Kim Bo-Kyung 90)

Group B

At Doha: Iraq 0 UAE 1 (Al-Abri 3)

At Tashkent: Uzbekistan 2 (Kenja 27, Oleg 65) Australia 0

Group C

At Amman: Syria 2 (Yuka o.g. 19, Al-Salih 90) Japan 1 (Kensuke 45)

At Manama: Bahrain 2 (Alawi 25, Al-Fahran 88) Malaysia 1 (Bin Bakri 85)

Tennis

ATP Zagreb

Result on Sunday (x denotes seeding):

Singles final: Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x3) bt Lukas Lacko (SVK) 6-2, 6-3

ATP Montpellier

Sunday's result:

Final: Tomas Berdych (CZE x1) bt Gael Monfils (FRA x3) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

ATP Vina del Mar

Sunday's results:

Final: Juan Monaco (ARG x1) Carlos Berlocq (ARG x7) 6-3, 6-7, 6-1.

Fed Cup

Results from the Fed Cup World Group first round ties on Sunday:

At Moscow: Russia 3 Spain 2

Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) bt Nadia Petrova (RUS) 6-0, 6-3; Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) bt Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Arantxa Parra-Santonja/Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) bt Nadia Petrova/Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 6-3 - retired

Saturday

Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-3, 6-1; Maria Sharapova (RUS) bt Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP) 6-2, 6-1

At Biella, Italy: Italy 3 Ukraine 2

Francesca Schiavone (ITA) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-4; Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) bt Sara Errani (ITA) 6-1, 3-0 - retired; Flavia Pennetta/Roberta Vinci (ITA) bt Olga Savchuk/Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 7-5, 0-6, 6-1

Saturday

Sara Errani (ITA) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 6-2, 6-3; Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-1, 6-2

At Stuttgart, Germany: Germany 1 Czech Republic 4

Petra Kvitova (CZE) bt Sabine Lisicki (GER) 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-1; Angelique Kerber (GER) bt Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 6-4, 6-4; Lucie Hradecka/Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) bt Anna-Lena Groenefeld/Angelique Kerber (GER) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)

Saturday

Iveta Benesova (CZE) bt Sabine Lisicki (GER) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2; Petra Kvitova (CZE) bt Julia Georges (GER) 3-6, 6-3, 10-8

At Charleroi, Belgium: Belgium 2 Serbia 3

Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) bt Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 6-1, 6-0; Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-2, 6-4; Bojana Jovanovski/Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) bt Yanina Wickmayer/Alyson Van Uytvanck (BEL) 7-6, 4-6, 6-1

Saturday

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 7-5, 7-5; Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) bt Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 6-4, 6-4.

(China Daily 02/07/2012 page23)

Top: New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI. Lucy Nicholson / Reuters Bottom: Madonna performs during the halftime show with Redfoo, aka Stefan Kendal Gordy of LMFAO, at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mike Segar / Reuters

New York hangs tough to outlast New England in classic encounter in Indianapolis, 21-17

The New York Giants reclaimed the greatest prize in North American sports with a nail-biting 21-17 Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Inspired by their dynamic quarterback, Eli Manning, the Giants erased an 8-point third-quarter deficit to steal the victory with a last-minute touchdown from Ahmad Bradshaw in a stunning repeat of their last Super Bowl win, also against the Patriots, four years ago.

"The greatest feeling in professional sports is to win the Super Bowl," said New York's Tom Coughlin, who at 65 became the oldest National Football League coach to win a Super Bowl. "What a wonderful experience it was to see the team come together like they did."

The Giants had looked to have no hope of even competing for the NFL title after enduring a four-game skid late in the regular season that put them in danger of missing the playoffs.

They needed to win their last two games to make the playoffs but their fairytale captivated New York City and Mayor Michael Bloomberg immediately announced the team would be honored with a ticker-tape parade on Tuesday.

For the Patriots, a second loss to their fierce New York rivals was unpalatable.

"You don't feel good after you lose this game," said New England head coach Bill Belichick. "It was wild out there. Hey, it's the Super Bowl.

"I can't fault the effort of any of our players. They played as hard as they could ... We could have played a tiny bit better. It was obviously a very competitive football game."

With the memories of their last Super Bowl still fresh, Sunday's game was the Patriots' chance to avenge their shock loss from four years ago but once again they were denied in the cruelest fashion.

It was a game that lived up to all the hype and expectation as the two teams slugged it out in front of a crowd of about 70,000 people and an expected record television audience.

Jangled nerves

Both teams scored two touchdowns in a game characterized by bruising defense and unrelenting tension. Each team made mistakes and there were jangled nerves all around, but in the end it was the Giants who kept their cool when it mattered most.

Manning, who has emerged from the shadows of his older brother Peyton, the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, to win a second Super Bowl ring, was named Most Valuable Player after completing 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards.

"It was a great game with two great teams," Manning said. "We played to the very end. There were some big plays being made."

The Giants jumped to a 9-0 lead in the first quarter after Tom Brady gave up a two-point safety on his first possession after being called for intentional grounding while throwing from the end zone and Victor Cruz caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Manning on the ensuing Giants possession.

The Patriots answered with a field goal by Stephen Gostkowski in the second quarter then grabbed a 10-9 halftime lead when Danny Woodhead scored a touchdown to cap a 96-yard drive from New England quarterback Tom Brady.

Spectacular catch

Brady threw a Super Bowl record 16 consecutive completions and, when he connected with Aaron Hernandez for a touchdown in the third quarter, the Patriots looked headed for sure victory.

But the Giants once again found way to come back.

Lawrence Tynes kicked two field goals then Manning mounted an 88-yard drive, that included a spectacular catch from Mario Manningham, before Bradshaw scored the winning touchdown with just 57 seconds left on the clock.

"You have to give the Giants credit, they are a very good football team," said Brady. "They put a lot of pressure on us, we just came up a little bit short.

"Every guy in the locker room wishes he could have done a little bit more and maybe the outcome would have been a little bit different."

Reuters

(China Daily 02/07/2012 page24)

The comparisons have been mostly unfair on Eli because Peyton is a giant of the game and a future Hall of Famer.

But Eli can now boast of doing something his brother has not after leading the New York Giants to a 21-17 win over the New England Patriots in Sunday's Super Bowl.

The victory provided Eli with a second Super Bowl title, one more than his older sibling. And, he was also named as the Most Valuable Player for a second time, just as he was four years ago when the Giants also beat the Patriots.

He joined Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and Tom Brady as the only players to win the award more than once. Peyton has won it once.

"I'm excited to win a championship. I'm excited for my teammates," Eli said.

"There are a number of guys, this is their first one. There are some other ones who are getting their second and more, but I'm just excited for them.

"This isn't about one person. This is about a team coming together, getting this win."

With Peyton watching from the stands, Eli turned in a masterful performance, completing 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards, and engineering a late drive that led to the game-winning touchdown from Ahmad Bradshaw in the last minute.

"We moved the ball down the field, and Eli made some great plays," New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said.

"His performance, coming down the stretch, was outstanding. He is the guy who has done it for us all year. He is the guy who put us in position."

Eli was born into a world of football. His father, Archie Manning, was the second player drafted in 1971 and played quarterback for 13 NFL seasons, mostly with the New Orleans Saints.

Reuters

(China Daily 02/07/2012 page24)

Tom Brady was one of the last ones out of the shower, perhaps hoping some extra hot water would help take the sting out of a crushing Super Bowl loss. In a nearly deserted New England Patriots locker room, he sat, wearily pulling on his boots, the pained look on his face never changing.

A few moments earlier, Joe Montana had walked down the hallway just outside, but there would be no meeting of Super Bowl greats. Nor would Brady join Montana in another way, as a four-time NFL champion - something he seemed destined to be at one point in the fourth quarter.

This was not a night when legacies would be debated. That will have to wait for another time, another place, another Super Bowl. For the second time in the past five Super Bowls, Brady had come up oh-so-short, beaten late once again by the New York Giants and another quarterback starting to make a pretty good name for himself, too.

Brady wasn't going to come out and say it, but he was blaming himself. Had to, because he had the ball in his hand to win the game with 57 seconds left and couldn't deliver the long touchdown drive that Patriots fans and even his teammates thought would be forthcoming.

"It's Tom Brady," said Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington. "A lot of people were thinking whoever had the ball last was going to win."

Not on this night.

The two-point safety on the Brady's first play of the night turned out to be costly. Without it, the Patriots would have needed just a field goal to win, not a touchdown.

Then there was the catch Wes Welker always makes that he failed to make. It came on a Brady pass with 4 minutes left when it appeared the Patriots were ready to drive for a score that might have put the game away.

It's a team game, Brady kept repeating afterward. It was the team, he kept saying, that came up short.

"We all wish we could have done a bit more," he said. "That's what it comes to in football. It always comes down to one or two plays. If you make them you're celebrating. If you don't, you don't sleep for a week."

Brady looked like he surely would be having some sleepless nights. The celebrity quarterback with the celebrity wife sat at a podium afterwards, a few days growth of beard on his face and his hair nowhere near perfect. He tried to be philosophical, tried to say all the right things, but there was a certain hollowness to the words and he looked like he would like to be somewhere, anywhere, else.

"We fought to the end and I'm proud of that," he said. "Then we got to the 50 or so and we just ran out of time."

Not before trying one final desperation pass that was batted down in the end zone, just barely out of the reach of Rob Gronkowski. So close - again.

No one even brought up the 16 straight passes Brady completed, breaking the record of 13 straight set by Montana in the 1990 Super Bowl. It was a nice run in the second and third quarters, but nice runs don't always win games and on this night it was a record Brady would probably just as soon forget.

The one he wanted was four Super Bowl wins by a quarterback, something that would have put him in the elite company of Montana and Terry Bradshaw. Not just for himself, but for a team he has now led to a remarkable five Super Bowl appearances in 11 years.

The author Tim Dahlberg is an AP sports columnist

(China Daily 02/07/2012 page24)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant chews on his jersey while playing against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter of their NBA basketball game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania February 6, 2012.  [Photo/Agencies]

Kobe Bryant moved past Shaquille O'Neal to become the NBA's fifth highest scorer on Monday but it was a bitter-sweet moment for the Los Angeles guard as the Lakers lost 95-90 to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bryant finished with 28 points to reach a career total of 28,601, moving past O'Neal's 28,596. The all-time leader in points scored is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 38,387.

Philadelphia trailed 86-79 with four and a half minutes to go when Lou Williams sparked a 14-2 run to send the Wells Fargo Center crowd into a frenzy.

"He's our closer," team mate Spencer Hawes told reporters. "When he comes in at the end, he has the ability to make plays."

Williams scored 10 of his team-high 24 points during the spurt, including seven straight, to give the Atlantic Division-leading 76ers (18-7) their sixth win in seven games.

Los Angeles (14-11) lost their second in a row as they reached the halfway point of a six-game road trip. The Lakers are just 3-9 away from home this season.

Lakers' Andrew Bynum had 20 points and 20 rebounds.

Bryant roared out to a fast start by netting 24 first-half points, but Philadelphia quickly began double-teaming the All Star to derail his night. Bryant would make just 2 of his final 14 shots and was unable to stop the Los Angeles slide in the fourth.

"They came after him. To Kobe's credit, what he tried to do was get everybody involved," said Lakers assistant coach John Kuester, who filled in as head coach in the absence of the suspended Mike Brown.

Brown was serving a one-game ban for making contact with an official while arguing a call in the Lakers' loss to Utah on Saturday.

Philadelphia were without forward Elton Brand who missed a second straight game with a sprained thumb but they managed to stay close to Los Angeles.

The 76ers trailed by four at halftime before pulling ahead 70-69 after three quarters.

Jrue Holiday added 13 points and Andre Iguodala had 12 for the home team.

Tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses for photographs with his award at the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards, central London, February 6, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - "I dared to dream of becoming the best player. Now I have this special award and I think everything is possible," said Serbian tennis giant Novak Djokovic, who was just acclaimed the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year on Monday.

"Serbia is a small and beautiful country, but also very poor," he said emotionally. "It has a lot of troubles and wars in the last 20 years." However, the man said he never lost his dream. "I hope each and every one in the world could dream."

The Serbian tennis player who seemed always overshadowed by the glory of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, rose up last season to win Australian, Wimbledon and U.S. Open Grand Slams in his remarkable 2011. He also took away the tennis world No. 1 ranking from Nadal.

As the first player representing Serbia to win a Grand Slam singles title, Djokovic is also the youngest player to reach the semifinals of all the four Grand Slams in the open era at the age of 24.

Although his dominant performance dropped a little bit at the end of last season, Djokovic still proved his dominance with a 70-6 record.

Legendary tennis player Pete Sampras described his season as "the best I have seen in my lifetime".

When asked to choose between titles of French Open, the only Grand Slam title he lacked, and the Olympics, Djokovic didn't hide his ambition. "Why not both," he said. "If I have a choice, then why not both."

In fact, he was eying the other three Grand Slams as well. "Everything is possible," he announced. "I am learning how to make the right schedule and how to prepare for big events. I will try to set up my form."

The normally jocose "Djoker" would become serious at the mentioning of adversity, agreeing that his career was hard sometimes and took a lot of efforts. But "the pain is temporary, and success is permanent," he said.

Looking into the upcoming Olympics, Djokovic said he hoped to watch many other sports, especially athletics and swimming which he liked.

"Unfortunately four years ago in Beijing, I wasn't able to see other sports, because tennis event only went on for a week and I had to move on to the other part of the world," he said.

So this year, he wanted to enjoy the Olympics more. "I am looking forward to it," he beamed.

Tennis Player Novak Djokovic (R) and his girlfriend Jelena Ristic pose for photographs as they arrive for the the Laureus World Sports Awards 2012 in central London February 6, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron talks to tennis player Novak Djokovic during a reception for the 2012 Laureus Awards in 10 Downing Street in central London February 6, 2012.  [Photo/Agencies]

Tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses for photographs with his award at the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards, central London, February 6, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - "I dared to dream of becoming the best player. Now I have this special award and I think everything is possible," said Serbian tennis giant Novak Djokovic, who was just acclaimed the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year on Monday.

"Serbia is a small and beautiful country, but also very poor," he said emotionally. "It has a lot of troubles and wars in the last 20 years." However, the man said he never lost his dream. "I hope each and every one in the world could dream."

The Serbian tennis player who seemed always overshadowed by the glory of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, rose up last season to win Australian, Wimbledon and U.S. Open Grand Slams in his remarkable 2011. He also took away the tennis world No. 1 ranking from Nadal.

As the first player representing Serbia to win a Grand Slam singles title, Djokovic is also the youngest player to reach the semifinals of all the four Grand Slams in the open era at the age of 24.

Although his dominant performance dropped a little bit at the end of last season, Djokovic still proved his dominance with a 70-6 record.

Legendary tennis player Pete Sampras described his season as "the best I have seen in my lifetime".

When asked to choose between titles of French Open, the only Grand Slam title he lacked, and the Olympics, Djokovic didn't hide his ambition. "Why not both," he said. "If I have a choice, then why not both."

In fact, he was eying the other three Grand Slams as well. "Everything is possible," he announced. "I am learning how to make the right schedule and how to prepare for big events. I will try to set up my form."

The normally jocose "Djoker" would become serious at the mentioning of adversity, agreeing that his career was hard sometimes and took a lot of efforts. But "the pain is temporary, and success is permanent," he said.

Looking into the upcoming Olympics, Djokovic said he hoped to watch many other sports, especially athletics and swimming which he liked.

"Unfortunately four years ago in Beijing, I wasn't able to see other sports, because tennis event only went on for a week and I had to move on to the other part of the world," he said.

So this year, he wanted to enjoy the Olympics more. "I am looking forward to it," he beamed.

Tennis Player Novak Djokovic (R) and his girlfriend Jelena Ristic pose for photographs as they arrive for the the Laureus World Sports Awards 2012 in central London February 6, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron talks to tennis player Novak Djokovic during a reception for the 2012 Laureus Awards in 10 Downing Street in central London February 6, 2012.  [Photo/Agencies]

Tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses for photographs with his award at the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards, central London, February 6, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - "I dared to dream of becoming the best player. Now I have this special award and I think everything is possible," said Serbian tennis giant Novak Djokovic, who was just acclaimed the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year on Monday.

"Serbia is a small and beautiful country, but also very poor," he said emotionally. "It has a lot of troubles and wars in the last 20 years." However, the man said he never lost his dream. "I hope each and every one in the world could dream."

The Serbian tennis player who seemed always overshadowed by the glory of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, rose up last season to win Australian, Wimbledon and U.S. Open Grand Slams in his remarkable 2011. He also took away the tennis world No. 1 ranking from Nadal.

As the first player representing Serbia to win a Grand Slam singles title, Djokovic is also the youngest player to reach the semifinals of all the four Grand Slams in the open era at the age of 24.

Although his dominant performance dropped a little bit at the end of last season, Djokovic still proved his dominance with a 70-6 record.

Legendary tennis player Pete Sampras described his season as "the best I have seen in my lifetime".

When asked to choose between titles of French Open, the only Grand Slam title he lacked, and the Olympics, Djokovic didn't hide his ambition. "Why not both," he said. "If I have a choice, then why not both."

In fact, he was eying the other three Grand Slams as well. "Everything is possible," he announced. "I am learning how to make the right schedule and how to prepare for big events. I will try to set up my form."

The normally jocose "Djoker" would become serious at the mentioning of adversity, agreeing that his career was hard sometimes and took a lot of efforts. But "the pain is temporary, and success is permanent," he said.

Looking into the upcoming Olympics, Djokovic said he hoped to watch many other sports, especially athletics and swimming which he liked.

"Unfortunately four years ago in Beijing, I wasn't able to see other sports, because tennis event only went on for a week and I had to move on to the other part of the world," he said.

So this year, he wanted to enjoy the Olympics more. "I am looking forward to it," he beamed.

Tennis Player Novak Djokovic (R) and his girlfriend Jelena Ristic pose for photographs as they arrive for the the Laureus World Sports Awards 2012 in central London February 6, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron talks to tennis player Novak Djokovic during a reception for the 2012 Laureus Awards in 10 Downing Street in central London February 6, 2012.  [Photo/Agencies]

Edwin Moses, Laureus Academy Chairman and one of the most dominant athletes of his generation, hosted a special star-studded press conference one day ahead of the Awards, which is to be held amid the majestic splendor of Westminster's Central Hall on Monday night.

"The atmosphere will be unique. I have seen London's Olympic venues and they are fantastic," said the hurdler.

"Some of the most impressive and beautiful features are going to be the trees and parks there. When I visited the site there was one particular area where there were wild flowers growing on a hillside. It is going to be very spectacular," he added.

Sergey Bubka, the greatest pole-vaulter in history, said: "It is a great honor to be in London for the Laureus World Sports Awards prior to the 2012 Olympic Games. It will be a unique Olympiad, the first time one city has hosted three Olympic Games."

Bubka, a Laureus Academy Member who is also President of the National Olympic Committee of the Ukraine, believed the ethos behind the Laureus Awards is a perfect fit with the Olympics.

"The Games are all about medals, of course, but I believe their main value is to celebrate humanity. It is about the importance of sport, to give passion to the younger generation, to engage them," said Bubka.

Swimming great Mark Spitz, also a Laureus Academy Member who in 1972 became the first athlete to win seven gold medals at one Olympiad, said: "It is always fun to watch what the results are in all the sports. I'm just jealous I never had the chance to compete in an Olympic Games in London."

Laureus Academy Member Nadia Comaneci, the most celebrated gymnast of our time, said: "I'm very happy that we can stage the Laureus World Sports Awards in London because it is a great pre-Olympic start for what is going to happen in the summer."

Double Olympic decathlon gold medalist Daley Thompson, completing the panel of Laureus Academy Members, revealed he cannot wait for the world to come to Britain.

"I'm looking forward to the opportunity to show people how well we can do things, it will be a fantastic Games," he said.

"I'm just glad that we have the chance to show our country off. We put on big events really well, and no event is bigger than the Olympic Games."

The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognize sporting achievement during the year, are the premier honors on the international sporting calendar.

The winners are chosen by the Laureus Academy Members and proceeds from the Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Foundation, which supports 91 community sports projects in 34 countries and regions.

The Serbian tennis player won Australian, Wimbledon and US Open Grand Slams in his remarkable 2011. He also took away the tennis world No.1 ranking from Rafael Nadal.

Tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia kisses his award at the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards, central London, February 6, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron talks to tennis player Novak Djokovic during a reception for the 2012 Laureus Awards in 10 Downing Street in central London Feb 6, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The first player representing Serbia to win a Grand Slam singles title, Djokovic is also the youngest player to edge into the semifinals of all four Grand Slams in the open era at the age of 24.

Although his level of performance dropped a little bit at the end of this season, Djokovic still proved his dominance with a 70-6 record.

Legendary tennis player Pete Sampras described his season as "the best I have seen in my lifetime".

Tennis Player Novak Djokovic (R) and his girlfriend Jelena Ristic pose for photographs as they arrive for the the Laureus World Sports Awards 2012 in central London Feb 6, 2012.[Photo/Agencies]

Kenyan runner Vivian Cheruiyot won the Laureus Award on Monday as the best Sportswoman of the Year.

She snatched gold medals of both 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the World Championships in Daegu.

Kenyan athlete Vivian Cheruiyot poses for photographs with her award at the 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards, central London, February 6, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

One of the great distance runners of this generation, Cheruiyot, 29, ran a final kilometer in the 5,000 meters competition of 2 minutes and 41.76 seconds, the fastest ever in World Championship history.

In the 10,000 meters, she finished as her personal best with 30 minutes 48.98 seconds. Earlier this year Cheruiyot won the World Cross-Country Championship in Punta Umbria in Spain.

Following is the full list of the 2012 Laureus World Sports Award winners:

1. Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

Winner: Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

Tennis -- won Australian, Wimbledon and US Open Grand Slams

2. Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

Winner: Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya)

Athletics -- won World Championship 5k and 10k and cross-country title

3. Laureus World Team of the Year

Winner: FC Barcelona (Spain)  

Football -- won Champions League and Spanish League in 2010/11

4. Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year

Winner: Rory Mcllroy (Britain)

Golf -- at 22, won US Open, his first Major Championship

5. Laureus World Comeback of the Year

Winner: Darren Clarke (Britain)

Golf -- at 42, recovered from slump in form to win Open Championship

6. Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability

Winner: Oscar Pistorius (South Africa)

Athletics -- first amputee to win track medal in non-disabled World Championships

7. Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year

Winner: Kelly Slater (United States)

Surfing -- won 11th World Surfing Championship at 39  

There were two additional awards: The Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award went to England football legend Bobby Charlton, while the Laureus Sport for Good Award was given to Rai Souza Vieira de Oliveira, a former Brazilian footballer who is a social justice campaigner now.

"China is one of the countries with most world champions, but it is a pity that the categories in which Chinese are competitive are not globally influential," Lin said during an interview with Xinhua.

Since 2000 Chinese have won three Laureus Awards, including Yao Ming and Liu Xiang as Best Newcomers of the Year, and Chinese Olympic team as the Best Team of the Year.

However, none of the Chinese have been awarded as the best sportsman or sportswoman in the "Oscar in sports". Most of such classic awards were given to players in golf, tennis as well as track and field.

"China is good in diving, table tennis and badminton, and for so many times our national flag was hoisted across the world. But globally these sports are not popular enough," he said.

This year Li Na, the first Asian player ever to win a singles Grand Slam title, was nominated for Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year. Along with her was hurdles star Liu Xiang, China's first male Olympic gold medalist in track and field.

Talking about his compatriots, Lin Dan said it was "really not easy for Liu Xiang to gain the nomination".

"Since 2004 he had gone through so many twists and turns but persisted nevertheless," said Li Dan, arguably the greatest shuttler of all time.

He believed that Li Na set up a good example for other Chinese players. "Few Chinese people are good at tennis, but Li succeeded. She proved that in many unfamiliar fields Chinese can win so long as they try."

"I want to promote badminton to make it one of the most influential sports in the world," Lin said, adding that it was exactly the reason why he came to the Laureus award ceremony in London.

"After my retirement, if one day when I switch on the television, I can see a badminton player, not necessarily a Chinese, win the Laureus award, I will be very happy," he said.

Talking about the upcoming London Olympics, Lin is not sure whether he will come.

"I am working hard for the preparation and I hope that the coaches could, when drafting the final list for Olympic participants, write down my name without hesitation," he said.

Lin carved out his professional career in 2001. He admitted that the London Games might be his last Olympics. "If I can still be standing in the Olympic arena, I would be satisfied because it means for nearly 12 years, I am still in good shape," he said.

When asked about his arch-rival in the forthcoming competition, Lin said: "I will fight each and every competitor with might and main, whether he is Lee Chong-wei or Taufik Hidayat, or some one else."

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks hold the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis, Indiana, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

INDIANAPOLIS - The New York Giants reclaimed the greatest prize in North American sports with a nail-biting 21-17 Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Inspired by their dynamic quarterback Eli Manning, the Giants erased an eight-point third-quarter deficit to steal the victory with a last-minute touchdown from Ahmad Bradshaw in a stunning repeat of their last Super Bowl win, also against the Patriots, four years ago.

"The greatest feeling in professional sports is to win the Super Bowl," said New York's Tom Coughlin, who at 65 became the oldest National Football League coach to win a Super Bowl. "What a wonderful experience it was to see the team come together like they did."

The Giants had looked to have no hope of even competing for the National Football League title after enduring a four-game skid late in the regular season that put them in danger of missing the playoffs.

They needed to win their last two games to make the playoffs but their fairytale captivated New York City and Mayor Michael Bloomberg immediately announced the team would be honored with a ticker-tape parade on Tuesday.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrates his second quarter touchdown pass against the New York Giants in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis, Indiana, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

For the Patriots, a second loss to their fierce New York rivals was unpalatable. "You don't feel good after you lose this game," said New England head coach Bill Belichick. "It was wild out there. Hey, it's the Super Bowl.

"I can't fault the effort of any of our players. They played as hard as they could ... We could have played a tiny bit better. It was obviously a very competitive football game."

With the memories of their last Super Bowl still fresh, Sunday's game was the Patriots' chance to avenge their shock loss from four years ago but once again they were denied in the cruelest fashion.

It was a game that lived up to all the hype and expectation as the two teams slugged it out in front of a crowd of nearly 70,000 people and an expected record television audience.

Dylan Snee, 8, son of New York Giants player Chris Snee, plays in the confetti after the Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis, Indiana, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

New York Giants defensive back Brian Witherspoon (R) tackles New England Patriots running back Danny Woodhead in second quarter action in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis, Indiana, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrates his second quarter touchdown pass against the New York Giants in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis, Indiana, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

New York Giants middle linebacker Chase Blackburn (L) intercepts a pass intended for New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski during the third quarter in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis, Indiana, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Madonna performs during the halftime show with Redfoo, aka Stefan Kendal Gordy of LMFAO, at the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis, Indiana, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Egyptian Football Association president Samir Zaher also was reportedly banned from leaving Egypt pending an investigation into the country's worst outburst of soccer violence.

Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri announced the decision during Thursday's emergency parliamentary session, a day after a match between Cairo giants Al-Ahly and host city's Al-Masry soccer teams in the Mediterranean city of Port Said turned deadly.

El-Ganzouri also says the governor of Port Said province and the area's police chief have resigned.

Witnesses had said that riot police stood by as supporters of home team Al-Masry rushed the field after their 3-1 win over Al-Ahly.

The incident, the highest number of victims in Egypt since last year, was the worst soccer disaster in the country and most of the deaths were among people trampled in the crush of the panicking crowd.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, FIFA, soccer's world governing body, has demanded a full report into the violence amid claims that security forces and police did not do enough to intervene.

FIFA to reinstate EFA officials

FIFA chief Sepp Blatter said on Sunday they will take steps to reinstate Egypt's Football Association (EFA).

Blatter, attending an extraordinary congress of the South American Football Confederation at its Paraguay headquarters, said the EFA's suspension after Wednesday's violence was a direct intervention into soccer affairs which FIFA could not accept.

"The information we have received at FIFA confirms the number of dead as 74. It was also confirmed that the (Egyptian) government intervened directly by suspending the (country's) soccer association," Blatter told a news conference.

"We are going to take up the case from tomorrow (Monday) so that this association is reinstated because it is the (body) that has the responsibility to organize the competitions and it must carry on (its work)," the president of world soccer's governing body said.

In the third-place match earlier on Sunday, the Netherlands defeated Germany 5-4. Japan defeated New Zealand 3-2 for fifth place.

AS Roma's captain Francesco Totti (L) applauds his teammates as Inter Milan's captain Javier Zanetti reacts during their Serie A soccer match at the Olympic stadium in Rome, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The Roma game was scheduled for Saturday but the snow which has crippled Italy forced a one-day postponement. Roma showed how impatient they were with a commanding victory which moved Luis Enrique's side to within two points of fifth-placed Inter.

Juan gave the hosts a 13th-minute lead and Italy under-21 striker Borini, forging a name for himself in Serie A having gone under the radar while playing in England, scored his brace either side of the break.

Ranieri's return to Roma, from whom he resigned last term, became even more humiliating when Bojan Krkic made it 4-0 late on.

Flying Juve were surprisingly held to a home 0-0 draw with lowly Siena while uninspired champions Milan could not get past Napoli at a freezing San Siro where Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off on 64 minutes for slapping Salvatore Aronica.

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri was sent to the stands for complaining.

Juve and Milan, separated by a point at the top, will at least have been pleased that third-placed Udinese went down 3-2 at Fiorentina and Lazio, who are fourth, lost 3-2 at Genoa in another cracking game where Bosko Jankovic netted twice for the hosts.

"Lazio are a really great side but we deserved our win," Genoa coach Pasquale Marino told reporters after his side stayed ninth.

Parma won 2-1 at Chievo, Palermo beat Atalanta 2-1, Lecce and Bologna drew 0-0 and bottom side Novara played out another goalless stalemate at home to Cagliari.

All the matches were played in the afternoon to avoid dipping temperatures in the evening. Cesena against Catania on Saturday was postponed to a date to be fixed.

AS Roma's Fabio Borini (L) shoots and scores past Inter Milan's goalkeeper Julio Cesar and teammate Walter Adrian Samuel during their Serie A soccer match at the Olympic stadium in Rome, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand (R) is marked by Chelsea's John Terry before a corner kick during their FA Cup soccer match at Loftus Road in London, Jan 28, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

England manager Fabio Capello disagrees with the Football Association's decision to strip John Terry of the national team captaincy, the Italian said on Sunday.

The FA took the step after the Chelsea defender was sent to trial in July charged with racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand in a Premier League game in October.

"I do not agree with the decision to take the armband off Terry. He can't be punished until he is judged by the relevant authorities (the court)," Italian Capello told a Rai broadcast in his home country.

The FA had made it clear that the decision to strip Terry of the captaincy ahead of Euro 2012 in June had been made by chairman David Bernstein and the board, not Capello.

Any public disagreement between Capello and the FA would be highly embarrassing for England. The FA has not commented.

In making the decision last week, the English governing body said: "The board has discussed the matter in detail and has collectively decided it is in the interests of all parties that John has the responsibilities of captaincy removed at this time.

"This decision has been taken due to the higher profile nature of the England captaincy, on and off the pitch, and the additional demands and requirements expected of the captain leading into and during a tournament."

Terry previously had the armband taken away from him by Capello after allegations about his private life but he was restored to the captaincy a year later.

No replacement skipper has been named. Rio Ferdinand, Anton's brother who stepped in last time and is Terry's long-term England central defensive partner, has said he does not want to be captain again.

Capello, who steps down after Euro 2012, has always said the England job would be his last before retirement but told Rai that there had been contact with Inter Milan in recent years but none from previous club AS Roma.

Miami Heats' Chris Bosh moves around Toronto Raptors' Ed Davis (R) during their NBA basketball game in Miami, Florida, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

LeBron James put his fourth-quarter uncertainties behind him with critical late plays that helped the Miami Heat survive a late scare from Toronto in a nervous 95-89 home win over the Raptors on Sunday.

James, who has endured struggles in the deciding moments of games dating back to the NBA Finals, scored a game-high 30 points including four straight in the final two minutes when his team needed him most.

Toronto launched a 12-0 run in the fourth to trim a 15-point deficit to just 85-82 with three and a half minutes remaining, but James responded with two free throws and a dunk to put the Heat in a comfortable position.

Miami Heat's Dwayne Wade shoots against the Toronto Raptors during their NBA basketball game in Miami, Florida, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Dwyane Wade added 25 points in the win, Miami's (18-6) seventh in eight games.

"We came into this game knowing we wouldn't be able to take any shortcuts and it would be a work game," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. "We would have to work the game for 48 minutes. We knew we would face a lot of zone (defence).

"We will take this win and move on."

DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 25 points while Jerryd Bayless and Linas Kleiza each added 17 for the visitors.

Toronto (8-17) appeared buried for good when they fell behind by 16 in the third but they made it interesting before slipping to their third loss in four games.

Bayless and Kleiza each hit three-pointers during the team's fourth quarter run and the Raptors tried to stymie the Heat with a zone defense.

Chris Bosh, who spent his first seven NBA seasons with the Raptors, had a quiet night with 12 points on 3-of-13 shooting.

The Miami Heats' LeBron James (L) moves against Toronto Raptors' Ed Davis during their NBA basketball game in Miami, Florida, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Arsenal goes on 7-1 rampage to record its biggest Emirates victory

LONDON - Arsene Wenger believes Thierry Henry's stoppage-time goal in the win over Blackburn will be remembered as a "special" moment if it turns out to be his last strike at the Emirates Stadium.

Henry, who returned to Arsenal on loan, is scheduled to head back to New York after away matches against Sunderland and AC Milan, so wrapping up the scoring against Rovers could have come in the last minute of his final home game.

Robin van Persie had scored a hat-trick, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain netted twice and Mikel Arteta also found the back of the net before Henry struck to complete a 7-1 win, the team's biggest Premier League win at the Emirates.

"With Thierry going back to the States he played, normally, his last game at the Emirates and in the last minute he scored his goal. That is really something special," Wenger said.

"It has been very positive, everyone listens to his advice as he's delivered here and they all want to deliver. He's respected.

"He is still not away yet, normally until after the Milan game. Sunderland and Milan are two massive games."

Wenger insisted he has not looked at extending Henry's loan yet for him to be involved in the clash against Tottenham.

His return to the club has coincided with emergence of Oxlade-Chamberlain and has also seen Theo Walcott return to his best form.

Wenger suggested both may be included in the England squad to face Holland at the end of the month, although he has not spoken to Fabio Capello.

"Would you be surprised?" he replied, when asked about the possibility of the pair being included.

"Alex was not ready earlier in the season but he has made a big step in the last months, he produces team play and is not only going forward but contributes to the build up and defending.

"He has improved very quickly and he is a fighter as well in his personality. He plays like a guy who had talent in September but is much more mature now."

Walcott set up van Persie's first two goals, which came either side of Morten Gamst Pedersen's equalizer.

Oxlade-Chamberlain netted either side of halftime, while Arteta's volley came just after the interval. Henry's goal came off Scott Dann in the final moments.

Rovers were not helped by Gael Givet getting a straight red card for a reckless challenge on van Persie.

"You never know how bad it is and it's something we cannot afford at the moment, to lose a player like Robin," Wenger said.

Blackburn manager Steve Kean was disappointed with Givet's tackle.

"It was a tough afternoon," he said. "When you try to compete with 11 men it's hard enough.

"The biggest bearing was the early goal and the sending off and the referee did not have a tough decision to make.

"We knew two feet off the ground is not accepted. He was cut up afterwards, he's a genuine guy, committed and he's down at the moment. It was a long afternoon after that."

Kean's problems got worse as Jason Lowe suffered an ankle injury following a challenge from Tomas Rosicky.

"I've not seen the tackle," Kean said. "I think he's damaged his ankle ligaments."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/06/2012 page24)

SAN ANTONIO - Tony Parker wasn't playing for an All-Star invitation. He made a strong case just the same.

Putting together his most dazzling game in three years - and doing it against the NBA's hottest team, no less - Parker scored 42 points and became the all-time franchise assists leader for the San Antonio Spurs in a 107-96 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.

His nine assists moved him past Avery Johnson in Spurs history, but this night wasn't about his passing. Parker joined Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Anthony Morrow and LeBron James as the only NBA players to eclipse 40 points in a game this season.

Bryant, Howard and James were chosen All-Star starters this week. Reserves are announced on Thursday.

If Parker's name wasn't in the mix before, it almost certainly is now.

"I would like to go again eventually," said Parker, a three-time All-Star who hasn't been since 2009. "We'll see what happens."

All-Star Kevin Durant had 22 points and 11 rebounds for Oklahoma City (18-5), which was headed for its first blowout loss of the season before closing a 24-point deficit in the fourth. The convincing win over the NBA's winningest team was just the springboard San Antonio needed before spending the next three weeks on the road - where the Spurs have hardly been as dominant.

The Thunder have jumped ahead of the rest of the NBA, in part, by being the best road team. But this time they ran straight into the NBA's best home team, which was never clearer than in the third quarter when the Spurs tripled an 8-point lead in a span of 8 minutes.

Parker's most electrifying game since scoring 43 in a playoff win over Dallas in 2009 saw to that.

"Coming off pick and rolls, (Parker) was getting to the rim," Durant said. "He is so quick and he was beating our bigs to the lane sometimes. It's tough for our bigs to guard someone as fast as Tony."

Parker, who's spent all his 11 years in the NBA in San Antonio, now has 4,477 career assists. He scored 16 points in the third, going 6 for 9 from the floor and sinking all four of his foul shots. In a game worthy of a standing ovation, his came before it was even over - with 2:28 left in the third, when he surpassed the franchise assists record that Johnson had held since 2001.

The record dish fittingly came on a pick-and-roll with Tim Duncan, his longtime co-pilot in San Antonio's last three championships. And up against the NBA's top team, the duo looked as though they didn't even miss Manu Ginobili, who's missed the past month with a broken hand.

Parker was 16 of 29 from the floor, made 10 of 12 free throws and upped his scoring average to 18 points.

"(Parker) knew he had to have a big game tonight, and we knew we had to score points against these guys," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

Duncan had 13 points and 15 rebounds. Rookie Kawhi Leonard, getting his starting job back so he could guard Durant, added 15 points and hit all three of his 3-pointers. San Antonio's four-game winning streak is its longest all season.

James Harden had 19 points off the bench for the Thunder. Russell Westbrook had 18 points and six assists.

"Tony Parker had his way with us," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "That's as aggressive as I've seen him in a long time."

At times, it was an intense start to the Thunder's five-game road trip. A scramble for a loose ball between Parker and Westbrook in the second quarter escalated into a quick scrape of swats and kicks, with Parker getting whistled for a personal foul and Westbrook shoving aside the Frenchman's leg so he could get up.

Parker, visibly annoyed, was pulled off the pile by De Juan Blair, and the players on the Thunder's bench sprung to their feet. Parker responded by darting full steam on a fast break and drawing a foul at the rim. One possession later, Parker hit a tough 17-footer falling away, adding to an entire game's worth of highlights.

The Spurs improved to 13-1 at home, best in the NBA. But they'll now play their next nine away from the AT&T Center as part of their annual Rodeo Road Trip. San Antonio is 3-8 on the road.

Associated Press

(China Daily 02/06/2012 page23)

BERLIN - Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes refused to point the finger of blame at his defense as the Bavarians had to come from behind to draw 1-1 at Hamburg and lost their place at the top of the German league.

Defending champion Borussia Dortmund finish the weekend back on top of the league, but only with a precarious two-point margin, with both Bayern and third-placed Schalke hard on its heels with 41 points each.

After Hamburg's Italian 20-year-old midfielder Jacopo Sala headed Hamburg into the lead on 23 minutes on Saturday, Bayern's blushes were spared when Croatia striker Ivica Olic equalized just minutes after coming off the bench.

Having seen his defense leave Sala unmarked for the opening goal, Bayern's Heynckes refused to point the finger of blame at his team which has taken just four points from a possible nine in its past three league games.

"I don't want to throw accusations at the troops," said Heynckes, whose team play FC Basel in the first leg of its round-of-16 Champions League clash on Feb 22.

"Despite everything, we played well in the first half.

"Because the demands of Bayern Munich are somewhat greater, we can't be happy, that is clear," Heynckes said.

"We needed to win here and we should have had the urgency to make that happen."

Dortmund deserved to go top after grinding out an impressive 2-0 win at Nuremberg as temperatures reached minus-11 Celsius on Friday night with captain Sebastian Kehl and striker Lucas Barrios providing the goals.

The win looks to have come at a cost as midfieler Sven Bender - who has only recently returned from breaking his jaw at Arsenal last November - damaged ankle ligaments, while Kehl has a foot injury.

"It wasn't easy conditions and that makes the victory so special at Nuremberg," said Jurgen Klopp, whose side faces Holstein Kiel on Tuesday in the German Cup.

"We showed patience, especially as Nuremberg only really threatened from dead-ball situations.

"My thoughts are with Sven Bender, he has had really bad luck," said the coach.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/06/2012 page24)

SALT LAKE CITY - Riding adrenaline and some modern treatment on his sprained ankle, Earl Watson took a close game and broke it open for Utah.

He keyed a clinching 14-0 fourth quarter run to help the Jazz beat the Los Angeles Lakers 96-87 on Saturday night.

"You don't really notice because you are lost in the game," Watson said. "The emotion takes over."

Al Jefferson scored 18 points and Paul Millsap had 16.

"Man, Earl Watson isn't even supposed to be playing right now, that's the crazy thing about it. He's out there on one leg, having an amazing game for us," Millsap said.

Watson scored eight points and had six assists in the fourth quarter as the Jazz beat the Lakers for the first time in three tries this season.

After he stole the ball from Pau Gasol at the top of the key and fed Derrick Favors for a dunk, Lakers coach Mike Brown went ballistic and charged after official Zach Zarba.

"Pau was just dribbling and I stole the ball. Pau just fell down but I didn't push him. Maybe they thought I did," Watson said.

Brown received two quick technicals and was ejected with 8:34 to play.

"I was trying to give our guys some juice. I got techs. I shouldn't have got two techs," Brown said. "I put our guys in a deeper hole than we were already in and that probably cost the game."

Watson threw an alley-oop to C.J. Miles that brought the crowd to its feet and then capped the 14-0 run with a 3-pointer with 6:18 to play that gave Utah its biggest lead of the game, 83-68.

"I saw it coming early when I started running because my man was behind the play. Earl just threw it up there," Miles said of the big dunk. "I knew it was a big part of the run we were making and that really got the crowd into it."

Kobe Bryant scored 26 points and Gasol had 24 points and 16 rebounds but the Lakers dropped to 3-8 on the road.

Just about every play went through Bryant after Brown's ejection. Bryant made two 3-pointers and added three free throws after getting fouled on another attempt in a span of 1:13.

Associated Press

(China Daily 02/06/2012 page23)

INDIANAPOLIS - Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers has won the 2011 Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award in a landslide.

Rodgers (pictured) earned 48 votes to two for New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. The Packers star is the first Green Bay player honored since Brett Favre concluded a run of three straight seasons as MVP in 1997.

"It means a lot to be recognized as a consistent player and contributing on my team," Rodgers said. "I think it's an award that relies on a player having the support of his teammates, obviously, guys blocking, guys running, guys catching, guys making plays. But I'm very honored to receive the award."

Rodgers received a standing ovation after his name was announced by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, the league's only four-time MVP. The award was presented on the "NFL Honors" primetime special on Saturday night on NBC.

"We're all really excited to see you back on the field next year," Rodgers told Manning.

Rodgers led the NFL in passing with a 122.5 rating built on 45 touchdown passes, six interceptions and a 68.3 completion percentage as the Packers went 15-1 and won the NFC North. The Packers were beaten by the New York Giants at Lambeau Field in the divisional round.

"People really count on me to be consistent each week, to play well. Knowing that my performance, the fact that I touch the ball every play, I have a direct impact on the game, the way I play," Rodgers said.

"And if I'm playing consistent and doing things I know I'm supposed to do, we've been able to have some success because of it."

He joins former Packers Favre Bart Starr, Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung as MVPs.

Rodgers is the third consecutive quarterback voted MVP, joining New England's Tom Brady (2007, 2010) and Indianapolis' Peyton Manning (2008, 2009).

Associated Press

(China Daily 02/06/2012 page23)

MANCHESTER, England - Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is hopeful that the start of February will provide his club with a change in fortune after a disappointing start to 2012 threatened to derail its quest for honors.

City's expensively-assembled side lost four of its eight matches in the first month of the year, exiting the FA and League Cups and seeing Manchester United draw level with it on points at the top of the Premier League.

However, the opening fixture of February saw City beat Fulham convincingly, a 3-0 victory maintaining its perfect start to this season of 12 wins from 12 home league games and restoring a three-point lead at the top over United, which faces a visit to Chelsea on Sunday.

"I think maybe after tonight something can change for us," Mancini said. "January was not a bad month but a difficult month for us. Now, maybe, we can go the other way.

"The clean sheet was important for the team and it was important to win quickly after the Everton defeat.

"I don't think this puts pressure on United, they are used to always being there on top. But they are like us, we know if we want to win this league we should just try and win all the games and not think about other teams.

"We know we shall have to fight against fantastic teams - like United, like Tottenham - to stay on top so it is important to stay focused on yourselves."

After losing in midweek to Everton, its third league defeat of the campaign, City responded with a dominant victory courtesy of a Sergio Aguero penalty, an Adam Johnson shot, which took a heavy deflection off Fulham defender Chris Baird, and an Edin Dzeko strike.

City's recent indifferent form has not been helped by the absence, at the African Cup of Nations, of influential midfield player Yaya Toure of the Cote d'Ivoire.

City has lost three of the six games for which he has been unavailable although Mancini was pleased with the individual displays of his goalscorers in Toure's absence.

"I was pleased with Adam," he said.

"It was a good performance. I always thought he was a fantastic player, it is just that he can always improve.

"And I was pleased with Edin and Sergio, not just because of their goals, but because they played for the team."

Mancini confirmed Samir Nasri was forced off during the game due to a hip injury although the midfielder has an extra day's recovery this week with City not in action until the visit to Aston Villa in Sunday's televised game.

Meanwhile, Fulham manager Martin Jol confirmed his team hopes to have the Russian forward Pavel Pogrebnyak available for next weekend's home game with Stoke after a delay to his work permit.

"He is in the country," said Jol of the player signed from Stuttgart before the deadline.

"Hopefully we will have the work permit late in the week, not too late to be involved next weekend. We hope Thursday, it could be Friday."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/06/2012 page24)

Port Said citizens allege police were complicit in violence that killed 74

PORT SAID, Egypt - Port Said residents horrified by the football violence that left 74 people dead in their city accused police of incompetence on Thursday, some alleging a plot to enflame nationwide unrest.

Troops were stationed around the sprawling northern hub to prevent more violence after Wednesday night's unrest, but the city was calm as people gathered outside hospitals treating the hundreds of wounded.

Witnesses spoke of fans being crushed by the panicked crowds, trampled, beaten, stabbed and trapped as the anti-riot police were not able, or did not want, to control the crowds.

"The lack of security was not normal," charged one resident Medhat Mokhtar Naim who had been at the match between home-side Al-Masry and their fierce rival and Cairo star team Al-Ahly and saw people trapped in the stands.

"The security forces did nothing," added a young man, who gave his name only as Mohammed. "They just let people enter freely, the searches were not done properly."

Others questioned why police dogs were not brought out or security reinforced, with tension already brewing at half-time.

"What happened was a plot!" interjected another man on the pavement.

Another said "they should have reinforced security. That was not done, and then the lights went off."

"That was done on purpose, and it was planned so that there would be chaos," added Abdelfattah Mohammed, among the many who allege a deliberate attempt to feed insecurity a year after the fall of long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak.

The dead were flown back to Cairo's Zeinhom morgue where shocked family members stood around corpses wrapped in plastic sheets.

Mothers and sisters of the deceased, dressed in black, screamed in mourning as some of the bodies were taken out ahead of their burial.

A favored theory is that the violence was staged in the interests of Mubarak's interior minister Habib el-Adly, who is on trial alongside the former dictator for the killing of demonstrators in last year's uprising.

Adly, widely hated among Egyptians, wants it to be known that while he is in prison, "there will chaos," claimed Port Said resident Ahmad Hassan Mostafa.

Al-Ahly's most ardent supporters, the Ultras, were active in the revolt that overthrew Mubarak.

They played a prominent role in defending anti-regime protesters when, one day during the uprising, Mubarak supporters on horse and camelback plunged into the crowds in Cairo's Tahrir Square before being pulled from their mounts or fleeing.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the most important political force to emerge in post-Mubarak Egypt, has also directly blamed the violence on supporters of the toppled dictator wanting to enflame unrest and destabilize the fragile country.

"Why did the police just stay sitting until the end of the match?" asked Mostafa. "Justice must be done."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/04/2012 page16)

LOS ANGELES - Blake Griffin got Mozgov'd attempting one of his high-flying dunks, hitting the floor and taking the Los Angeles Clippers down with him.

Timofey Mozgov's hard foul on the All-Star came in a dominant third quarter that helped Denver win 112-91 Thursday night and end the Clippers' season-high four-game winning streak, which included a victory over the Nuggets last weekend.

Danilo Gallinari scored 21 points, including all five of his 3-pointers, Ty Lawson added 18 points, Arron Afflalo 15 and Mozgov 11 for the Nuggets, who had lost two straight overall and three in a row to the Clippers, their longest active losing streak against any team.

Mozgov sent Griffin to the court and he struck his head.

"It rattled me a little bit," said Griffin, who missed both free throws. "It was a good foul, a hard foul."

Gallinari said, "'We know that once Blake takes off, it's almost impossible to block his shot. So you've got to find him before he takes off. Timo was able to be on the weak side at the right time. It was a tough foul, but sometimes you've got to do it."

Credit former Clipper Andre Miller with the suggestion.

"He had a lot of dunks on us in the first half, and Andre Miller said, 'The next time he tries to dunk the ball, let's try to put him on his behind,'" Al Harrington said. "He almost still made it, but it was a hard foul and he missed. It was a definitely a statement for us, defensively, and it set a precedent for how we were going to play the rest of the game. Teams try to bully us because we play so fast, so it was good to be on the other end of it for once."

Griffin led the Clippers with 18 points, Chris Paul added 15 points and nine assists, and Caron Butler had 11 after missing Wednesday night's win at Utah with a sore lower back. Earlier Thursday, Griffin and Paul were voted to the starting lineup for the All-Star game, giving the Clippers two players on the team for the first time since 1976.

"I'm humbled," Griffin said. "A lot of guys deserve that and I appreciate the fans voting me in."

The Nuggets pulled away in the third when they outscored the Clippers 32-16 while shooting 65 percent. Gallinari hit consecutive 3-pointers to open the quarter, and Harrington closed it with two straight 3-pointers.

"They got out in transition and we did a poor job of getting back," Griffin said. "We kind of went cold there in the third. We were definitely tired. Four games in five nights is tough, but it's no excuse. We got to protect our homecourt better than that."

In between, Mozgov had nine points while Los Angeles slumped to 7 of 19 from the floor. Playing their fourth game in five nights, the Clippers closed within 10 points midway through the period before getting outscored 14-5 going into the fourth.

"We knew we had to be more aggressive throughout the game, especially with them playing a back-to-back," Gallinari said. "We did it and we were able to come up with a good stretch and were able to win the game in the third quarter."

All five of the Clippers' starters began the fourth on the bench, although Paul checked in 2:10 into the period with his team trailing by 21. He was the only starter to return and he sat down for good a couple minutes later, leaving Mo Williams to run a second unit that never posed a threat. Williams finished with 13 and Randy Foye 17.

"It's gone," Paul said of the result. "Hopefully this doesn't happen again."

Associated Press

(China Daily 02/04/2012 page16)

The NBA concluded it first Chinese New Year celebration, reaching 96 million cumulative viewers through the league's television and digital platforms in China.

The inaugural celebration paid tribute to the league's Chinese fan base with a 21-game broadcast schedule, customized content, and a variety of Chinese New Year-themed events in China and the US from Jan. 21-28.

The games were broadcast on the NBA's television partners in China including CCTV 5, BTV, GDTV and GZTV, and earned 79 million viewers. NBA programming on Sina and Tencent reached 17 million viewers.

"It was great to celebrate the Year of the Dragon alongside all of our fans in China," said David Shoemaker, CEO of NBA China. "Thanks to the support of our partners, we were able to create comprehensive NBA television and digital programming that reflected the excitement among our fans for the Chinese New Year celebrations."

The Washington Wizards and Golden State Warriors each hosted in-arena Chinese New Year celebrations.

They each included themed fan activities paying tribute to Chinese culture and the players wore specially designed Chinese New Year shooting shirts from adidas, the league's official on court apparel outfitter.

In China, the festivities culminated with a standing-room only viewing party in the 798 Art District of Beijing. More than 300 fans gathered to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Golden State Warriors.

China Daily

(China Daily 02/04/2012 page16)

The Los Angeles Clippers signed Kenyon Martin on Friday, the free agent forward returning to the NBA after a stint with the Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers of the CBA.

Kenyon Martin was cleared by FIBA to play in the NBA despite his CBA deal.

After leaving the Tigers in December, he was required to wait until their CBA campaign was over before he could join any NBA team.

But the Los Angeles Times reported he had been cleared to return to the NBA by world governing body FIBA.

Hoping to avoid an exodus in the event of the NBA ending its lockout, the CBA implemented rules last summer requiring foreign players to stay for at least the full season.

It was left to FIBA to enforce the rule. Several other players have reportedly been interested in returning to the NBA. With the All-Star Game and playoffs looming, it's unclear if FIBA's ruling would open the door for them to do so.

The 34-year-old Martin averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds last season in Denver.

The deal reunites him with former Nuggets teammate Chauncey Billups, now a guard with the Clippers.

Martin also has a home in Los Angeles.

"Kenyon is the ultimate competitor and a key acquisition," Clippers Vice President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey said in a statement posted on the club's website.

"We expect that he will provide additional experience, passion and professionalism, as well as some important depth to our front court."

Martin is expected to join the Clippers on their current road trip in Orlando. The Clippers stuck with club policy and did not announce terms of the deal, but the Los Angeles Times reported that Martin inked a one-year contract for $2.5 million.

Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said the 34-year-old veteran, who has played 654 NBA games with New Jersey and Denver, will give the team more depth.

"Kenyon gives us another dimension," Del Negro told the Times as the team traveled to Washington, where they were to launch their road trip on Saturday.

"He gives us some more depth up front, which we needed."

AFP-AP-China Daily

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos celebrates after scoring against Getafe during their Spanish First Division soccer match at Colisseum Alfonso Perez stadium in Getafe February 4, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

MADRID - A 17th-minute header from Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos was enough to give his side a narrow, but vitally important 1-0 win away to Getafe.

The win maintains Madrid's lead at the top of the BBVA Primera Liga, but although deserved the final result was in doubt until the final minute.

Against a side that has been inform of late, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho chose with Mesut Ozil, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema all on the pitch.

Even so, it was Getafe who threatened first, with Juan Valera, who had scored against Barcelona earlier in the season, volleying wide after just two minutes.

At the other end, Ronaldo headed over after 10 minutes, seen minutes before Ramos made no mistake as he placed his header from a corner into the back of the Getafe net.

Madrid were not playing well, but Getafe were struggling to string two passes together and Kaka and Ronaldo had further chances for the league leaders before a timid reaction from Getafe saw Francisco Casquero and Miku saw efforts go wide of Iker Casillas' goal.

The second half was little different with Madrid looking comfortable, while Getafe failed to create any clear chances in what were difficult playing conditions.

Ronaldo saw a shot parried after the hour and a minute later Getafe keeper Miguel Angel Moya did well to save from Benzema, who was clean through on goal.

The French striker sent another shot over the bar moments afterwards as Madrid threatened to double their lead.

However, the second goal never arrived and with 17 minutes remaining Getafe's penalty appeal turned down after a Diego Castro shot hit Pepe's arm in the Madrid penalty area.

The defender went down clutching his stomach and the referee waved play on, a decision that could be vital when it comes to deciding the title at the end of the season.

Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos celebrates after scoring against Getafe during their Spanish First Division soccer match at Colisseum Alfonso Perez stadium in Getafe February 4, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

MADRID - A 17th-minute header from Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos was enough to give his side a narrow, but vitally important 1-0 win away to Getafe.

The win maintains Madrid's lead at the top of the BBVA Primera Liga, but although deserved the final result was in doubt until the final minute.

Against a side that has been inform of late, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho chose with Mesut Ozil, Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema all on the pitch.

Even so, it was Getafe who threatened first, with Juan Valera, who had scored against Barcelona earlier in the season, volleying wide after just two minutes.

At the other end, Ronaldo headed over after 10 minutes, seen minutes before Ramos made no mistake as he placed his header from a corner into the back of the Getafe net.

Madrid were not playing well, but Getafe were struggling to string two passes together and Kaka and Ronaldo had further chances for the league leaders before a timid reaction from Getafe saw Francisco Casquero and Miku saw efforts go wide of Iker Casillas' goal.

The second half was little different with Madrid looking comfortable, while Getafe failed to create any clear chances in what were difficult playing conditions.

Ronaldo saw a shot parried after the hour and a minute later Getafe keeper Miguel Angel Moya did well to save from Benzema, who was clean through on goal.

The French striker sent another shot over the bar moments afterwards as Madrid threatened to double their lead.

However, the second goal never arrived and with 17 minutes remaining Getafe's penalty appeal turned down after a Diego Castro shot hit Pepe's arm in the Madrid penalty area.

The defender went down clutching his stomach and the referee waved play on, a decision that could be vital when it comes to deciding the title at the end of the season.

Title chasers Schalke 04 and Monchengladbach both dropped points owing to draws.

From the start, Hamburg surprised with effective pressing against nervous Bayern. At the 23rd minute Hamburg youngster midfielder Jacopo Sala opened the scoring for his side to astonish the Bavarians.

With the lead behind the "Hanseaten" retracted and defended deep to lurk for counters.

After the break unimaginative Bayern took over to equalize the score through joker striker Ivica Olic at the 71st minute who tapped in from goal area after confusion inside Hamburg penalty area.

Bayern slipped from first position to second with 41 points whilst Hamburg stay on 11th position with 23 points.

"We have shown a good performance. We have staged a good defence and we have never given up," Hamburg coach Thorsten Fink said.

"We had played well only the claims are larger at FC Bayern. We can not be satisfied. We had to win today," Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes said.

Schalke 04 were held to a 1-1 draw against struggling Mainz after five wins in a row to lose two points at title race.

12th positioned Mainz started highly aggressive and offensively minded against third positioned Schalke. With 15 minutes into the match, Mainz striker Mohamed Zidan volleyed home a long cross from inside penalty area to shock the host with the opener at Schalke Arena.

As the match progressed Schalke took over but unable to score within the end of the first half.

After interval Schalke staged a dedicated performance to level the score at the 58th minute through striker Chinedu Obasi who slotted into bottom left from goal line.

Both sides stay on their positions, Schalke on third with 41 points and Mainz on 12th position with 22 points.

After contested 90 minutes Bundesliga stunning team Monchengladbach had to share points with ninth positioned Wolfsburg with a goalless result.

Monchengladbach dominated the first half whereas the "Wolves" took over with beginning of the second half.

Both sides remain on their positions, Wolfsburg on nineth with 24 points and Monchengladbach on fourth with 40 points.

Ten men Leverkusen were able to save one point against Stuttgart.

Sixth positioned Leverkusen started dominant against tenth positioned Stuttgart thus they were able to open the scoring at the 11th minute owing striker Stefan Kieling who tapped in a rebound from very close range. The "Werkself" were on top of the things but Stuttgart equalized the score out of the blue at the 23rd minute after striker Julian Schieber slotted home a diagonal pass to make it 1-1 and to shock the host.

With only 40 second into second half, Thorsten Kienhoefer awarded Leverkusen a penalty after a foul play inside penalty area. Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes converted to take the lead for his side.

At the 63rd minute, Leverkusen defender Michal Kadlec weakened his side when he booked his second yellow within short time to leave pitch ahead of time.

Stuttgart pressed frenetically to tie the game against ten men Leverkusen and their efforts were rewarded at the 89th minute as striker Martin Harnik netted the equalizer to save one point for his side.

Just before the end, Stuttgart defender Cristian Molinaro booked a straight red card for a rude foul against Leverkusen striker Andre Schuerrle.

Leverkusen climbed from sixth to fifth with 31 points while Stuttgart stay on 10th position with 23 points.

Berlin lost their third at the third match in 2012 owing to the winner from Hannover striker Mohammed Abdellaoue at the 68th minute.

Hannover stay on seventh position with 30 points whereas Berlin reside on 15th position with 20 points, two points away from relegation battle.

Augsburg wrapped a hard earned 2-2 draw against host Hoffenheim to ensure one point at relegation battle.

Augsburg striker Sascha Moelders surprisingly opened the scoring for his side at the 31st minute followed by two goals by Hoffenheim one by striker Peniel Mlapa and one converted penalty by midfielder Sejad Salihovic to turn the match to 2-1. Finally at the 72nd minute Sebastian Langkamp headed the 2-2 draw.

Augsburg stay on 17th position with 17 points and Hoffenheim sit on eighth position with 24 points.

The following fixtures are set for Sunday: bottom team Freiburg host Bremen, whilst Kaiserslautern meets Cologne.

Liu, who is from China's national team, once led the 1,000 meter race but only finished second in 1 minute 31.314 seconds. Britain's Elise Christie narrowly won the gold in 1:31.211, while Japan's Yui Sakai took the third place in 1:31.940.

In men's 1,000 meter final, China's Liang Wenhao kept the second place before he collided with Canadian skater Jean Olivier in the last lap. Olivier was later sentenced to foul while Liang had to settle with the third place in 1:48.434.

South Korea's Kwak Yoon-Gy led the competition in 1:28.996 and Noh Jinkyu finished second in 1:30.437.

South Korea has won three gold medals on Saturday while Britain had one.

According to the ISU, skaters will continue competing on Sunday in women and men's 500 meters, 1500 meters and 3000m relay.

Jan Hudec of Canada goes airborne in the men's Alpine Skiing World Cup downhill event in Les Houches near Chamonix, French Alps, Feb 4, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein reacts following her third fastest time in the women's Alpine Skiing World Cup Downhill on the Kandahar course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Feb 4, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Tina Maze of Slovenia speeds down the slope during the women's Alpine Skiing World Cup Downhill on the Kandahar course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Feb 4, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Elisabeth Goergl of Austria reacts following her 6th place in the women's Alpine Skiing World Cup Downhill on the Kandahar course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Feb 4, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Andrea Fischbacher of Austria speeds down the slope during the women's Alpine Skiing World Cup Downhill on the Kandahar course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Feb 4, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Lindsey Vonn speeds down on her way to take the fastest time in the women's Alpine Skiing World Cup Downhill on the Kandahar course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Feb 4, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The inaugural week-long NBA Chinese New Year Celebration paid tribute to the league's Chinese fan base with a 21-game broadcast schedule, customized content, and a variety of Chinese New Year-themed events in China and the US from January 21-28.

NBA legend Yao Ming was quoted as saying in the release: "I may have retired from the NBA in 2011, but it's clear to me that the NBA is as popular as ever, led by today's superstars like Kobe, LeBron, Kevin Durant, and Tim Duncan."

The games were broadcast on NBA's television partners in China including CCTV 5, BTV, GDTV and GZTV, and earned a total of 79 million cumulative viewers. NBA live games and special programming on Sina and Tencent were seen by 17 million cumulative viewers.

"It was great to celebrate the Year of the Dragon alongside all of our fans in China," said David Shoemaker, NBA China CEO.

"Thanks to the support of our partners, we were able to create comprehensive NBA television and digital programming that reflected the excitement among our fans for the Chinese New Year celebrations."

As a part of the NBA' s Chinese New Year Celebration, the Washington Wizards and Golden State Warriors each hosted in-arena Chinese New Year celebrations. They each included themed fan activities paying tribute to Chinese culture and the players wore specially designed Chinese New Year shooting shirts from adidas, the league's official on court apparel outfitter.

In China, the festivities culminated on a high note with a standing room only fan viewing party in the 798 Art District of Beijing. More than 300 fans gathered to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Golden State Warriors and enjoyed NBA and Chinese New Year-themed entertainment.

In addition to live game action delivered by CCTV 5, Sina and Tencent posted live tweets capturing the sights, sounds, color, and passion of NBA fans at the party.

Photo courtesy of Ray Morris-Hill

As her name suggests, Hou Yifan is extraordinary.

Rated 2605, the 17-year-old women's chess world champion staged a historical run at the 2012 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, finishing in first place at 8.0/10, the best achievement by a woman player in the event's 10-year history. She lost the title, however, after Nigel Short, who caught Hou in points (but not performance) defeated her in a blitz playoff.

Four grandmasters rated above 2700, including Judit Polgar (Hungary), 2710, the highest-ever rated woman player in the history of the game, were outplayed by Hou throughout the tournament.

My spin: Hou Yifan displayed superb talent and skill at the game, which has been deemed one for the kings, and proved it a ballet of the brain choreographed on a wooden slab. But what makes me more impressed is her humility off the courts. She has tremendous respect for every rival and always plays down her winning odds. The Chinese chess prodigy surely has a bright future.

Following in father's footstep

Hao Runze, son of former Chinese national football team captain Hao Haidong, was named to China's U16 football team on Tuesday. And he is still three months away from his 15th birthday. Hao Haidong said afterward that his son made the list through his own efforts. And he will not engage much in Runze's career planning. "I will be supportive if he loves and wants to go pro. The most important thing is he will learn how to deal with failures and to be a good person."

Smith brings scoring show, again

JR Smith exploded for 60 points (on 21/32 shooting, including 7 from deep) in a 122-110 victory for Zhejiang Golden Bulls over Qingdao Eagles on Wednesday night. Ridiculous? Wait, he did it in just three quarters, and 51 points are from the second half. Golden Bulls, 14-12 after 28 rounds, tied with three other teams at 7th place in the CBA, and Smith leads the league in scoring with 33.5 points per game. It's no secret that Smith isn't happy with his life in China in a number of ways. The forthright troublemaker has also hinted on many occasions that he can't wait to return to the US once the CBA regular season ends, in which case the Golden Bulls could lose their marquee player in the playoffs if they make it. Nevertheless, let's put the worries away for now, and take a look at Smith's career night here.

Li Na has something to say about her fans

Li Na thrashed her Taipei rivals 3-0 at their first match during the Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group I event in Shenzhen, Guangdong province Thursday. Li Na's easy win (6-2, 6-0) over Kelly Zhang provided some sparks, but as she said at the post-game press conference, she is "drowning amid spit from the fans." It all started with her complaints over fans who she thought distracted her during open practice. She also asked the sponsors to cordon them off away from watching on that occasion. Her seemingly self-centered comments soon drew critics from the public. But to be frank, that's Li Na being herself as always. And at least she held her tongue this time, not letting out, "Shut up" to the spectators directly.

Have more patience on Drogba signing

Nicolas Anelka joined Shanghai Shenhua's 15-day training camp for the first time in Valencia, Spain, on Saturday. As excited as the players are, Zhu Jun, the team's owner, is stuck in talks for signing Chelsea striker Didier Drogba. He admitted on Sina weibo on Wednesday that the talks have reached a deadlock as the Cote d'Ivoire star, whose current contract expires in June, is the target of too many international clubs.

English grandmaster Nigel Short (R) wins the 10th Tradewise Chess Festival in Gibraltar, Jan 2, 2012, after beating Chinese grandmaster Hou Yifan (L) in a blitz playoff. Both players had finished on 8/10. The 17-year-old Hou made history by beating the legendary and almost invincible Judit Polgar of Hungary, the strongest female player of all time, in round seven of the Gibraltar tournament. [Photo/titan24.com]

Chinese grandmaster Hou Yifan (R) and Latvian grandmaster Shirov Alexei (L) compete during the 10th Tradewise Chess Festival in Gibraltar, Jan 2, 2012. Hou makes history in women's chess to beat Nigel Short. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese grandmaster Hou Yifan (L) beats Vietnam's grandmaster Le Quang Liem (R) during the 10th Tradewise Chess Festival in Gibraltar, Jan 2, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

Tatiana Ivanova of Russia heads to a third place finish during women's World Cup Luge in Whistler, British Columbia, Dec 10, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

Shelley Rudman of Britain jumps onto her sled during the women's World Cup Skeleton in Whistler, British Columbia, Feb 2, 2012. Rudman placed third in the race. [Photo/Agencies]

Eliza Tiruma of Latvia heads down the track at dusk during women's World Cup Luge in Whistler, British Columbia, Dec 10, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

Canada's Mellisa Hollingsworth heads for a first place finish at sunset during the women's World Cup Skeleton in Whistler, British Columbia, Feb 2, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Austria's Christina Hengster and Anna Feichtner crash into the final corner upside down during their women's World Cup Bobsleigh in Whistler, British Columbia, Feb 2, 2012. Neither athlete was injured in the crash. [Photo/Agencies]

Elizabeth Yarnold of Britain passes through beams of light coming through the track covers during a training session for the World Cup Skeleton in Whistler, British Columbia, Feb 1, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

INDIANAPOLIS - While Super Bowl players prepared for Sunday's NFL title showdown, protesting workers marched on the host stadium after a vote on Wednesday by Indiana lawmakers to weaken union power in the state.

With thousands of protesters in and around the statehouse in the shadow of the NFL host hotel, the Indiana Senate voted 28-22 for a bill that forbids companies from making deals with unions that force non-members to pay dues.

"It's a union-busting tactic all the way," said protesting carpenter Mike Coomes. "You just create more poverty. They want us to go back to slavery. We've worked 150 years to get here and they wiped it out in one vote."

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels signed the bill into law even as thousands of protesters marched a few blocks down the street to Lucas Oil Stadium, where the New York Giants will face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 46.

"We're the ones who built these skyscrapers - union laborers, we built that stadium," said John Davis, who works in several trades in Southern Indiana. "Who's going to buy the tickets?"

Some Indiana NFL players have supported the workers but the Giants, whose hotel is a block from the statehouse, and Patriots were focused on pre-game plans, coaches taking pains to minimize distractions.

It's not like NFL players are not unionized. The NFL Players Association and owners had a 4 1/2-month standout before making a deal to divide $9.3 billion in revenues last July so there could even be a season and a Super Bowl in Indy.

"It wasn't an easy process," said Patriots guard and NFLPA executive Brian Waters. "The concern was for the game and making sure we didn't interrupt this great product that we have. Fans around the world really enjoy this game and we all knew if we were to interrupt that it would have been bad for everybody."

There is big money at stake.

About 110 million people in America are expected to watch Sunday's Super Bowl and television commercials that sold out at $3.5 million for 30 seconds. Last year's Super Bowl was the most-watched show in US TV history and 23 of the 25 highest-watched US shows in 2011 were NFL games.

Daniels joined organizers earlier in the week as they pitched a Super Bowl return. This year's game is expected to add $150 million to the Indianapolis economy and even more if it boosts tourism and convention business.

Agence France-Presse

Adrian Sutil has slammed Britain's Formula One star Lewis Hamilton for failing to appear in court as the German was given an 18-month suspended sentence after being found guilty of grievous bodily harm.

The 29-year-old Sutil was found guilty of stabbing Lotus Renault shareholder Eric Lux in the neck with a champagne glass in a nightclub brawl that broke out during celebrations after Hamilton's win at Shanghai's Chinese Grand Prix last April.

A Munich court gave Sutil an 18-month suspended sentence on Tuesday and fined him 200,000 euros ($263,000) for his part in the brawl.

Hamilton is alleged to have been with Sutil at the time of the incident, but the McLaren driver declined to appear in court as a witness and wrote to the court to say he had seen nothing.

"Lewis is a coward, I do not want to be friends with someone like that," Sutil told German daily Bild.

"As far as I am concerned, he isn't a man. Even his father sent me a text message and wished me luck for the trial.

"There was nothing from Lewis. He has changed his phone number and I cannot reach him anymore."

Sutil and Hamilton had been friends since starting their careers in Formula 3, when they drove for the same team, before they graduated to Formula One.

Hamilton appeared in public on Wednesday at the presentation of the new McLaren car in Woking, near London.

With the new Formula One season set to start on March 18 with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, Sutil faces an uncertain future, having lost his place in Force India's cockpit to compatriot Nico Hulkenberg.

His manager has said it is "almost impossible that Adrian will drive this season", but the German can keep his Formula One license despite his conviction.

Agence France-Presse

LONDON - Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir was freed from a British jail on Wednesday after serving half of a six-month sentence for taking part in a spot-fixing scandal that shook the world of cricket last year.

The 19-year-old was released early from a young offenders' institution in Dorset, southern England, said a source who declined to be identified.

Amir was jailed in November after pleading guilty to conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments.

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and paceman Mohammad Asif were found guilty of taking part in the same spot-fixing plot and were jailed for 30 months and one year respectively.

The trio was part of a conspiracy to bowl no-balls at pre-arranged times during a Test match against England at Lord's in August 2010.

The Pakistanis were charged after an undercover reporter with a British newspaper recorded sports agent Mazhar Majeed boasting of how he could arrange for players to rig games for money.

Majeed said he had been carrying out match-fixing for more than two years, had seven players from the Pakistan team working for him and had made "masses and masses of money".

The agent was secretly filmed accepting 150,000 pounds ($237,900) in cash from the journalist as part of an arrangement to fix games.

Amir agreed to bowl two no-balls on Aug 26, 2010, although he had only delivered one by the time rain stopped play.

He then bowled another no-ball the following day, a London court heard.

During sentencing, judge Jeremy Cooke said Amir was "unsophisticated, uneducated and impressionable" compared to the other defendants.

"You were only 18 at the time and readily led on by others," the judge told the court. "I am clear that you bear less responsibility than your captain."

The court also heard 1,500 pounds in marked banknotes, which came from the newspaper reporter, was found in Amir's possession.

Judge Cooke added there was evidence from telephone calls and text messages that Amir had discussed spot-fixing at another London venue, The Oval.

The International Cricket Council banned the three players for a minimum of five years.

Reuters

LONDON - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insisted his side could still finish in the top four of the Premier League after a goalless draw away to Bolton Wanderers left it five points shy of a Champions League spot.

Wednesday's result was made worse for Arsenal by Newcastle beating relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers 2-0 to leapfrog the Gunners and Liverpool into fifth place, two points in front of Wenger's men.

At the Reebok Stadium, Arsenal dominated possession but, with Robin van Persie off-target, dropped down into seventh - a huge 17 points behind leaders Manchester City and Manchester United.

"When you create six or seven clear-cut chances, it is difficult not to win and we do have regrets but the positives have to be that we didn't concede," said Wenger after Arsenal was left with one point from its past four league games, having lost all its three previous encounters.

And the Frenchman said there was still time for the Gunners to secure a place in the lucrative Champions League.

"The belief is there, the desire is there and the confidence is there," he said. "We have come through a difficult period and we have of course a fight in front of us but we are ready for it."

Newcastle was sent on the way to victory at Ewood Park when Blackburn's Scott Dann deflected a 25-yard shot from Ryan Taylor past stranded Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson in the 12th minute.

Blackburn, which remain in the bottom three, had a gilt-edged chance to equalize before the break, but David Dunn's penalty was saved by Tim Krul and the Newcastle keeper blocked Gael Givet's follow-up.

Rovers' failure to convert several second-half chances was compounded when Gabriel Obertan made it 2-0 to Newcastle in the closing seconds.

"You have got to have resilience, a good keeper and a good captain and we have got that," said Newcastle manager Alan Pardew.

Sunderland's revival under Martin O'Neill continued as it beat promoted Norwich 3-0 at the Stadium of Light to climb into eighth position.

Fraizer Campbell smashed home a 21st-minute opener, and seven minutes later he provided the cross for Stephane Sessegnon to head in the home side's second.

Sunderland's sixth win in nine league matches under O'Neill was completed when Norwich defender Daniel Ayala deflected in a Phil Bardsley cross in the 54th minute.

Elsewhere, Djibril Cisse marked his return to English soccer by scoring on his Queens Park Rangers debut in a 2-2 draw away to Aston Villa.

The 30-year-old French striker, thrust into the side a day after completing a transfer deadline day move from Italian side Lazio on Tuesday, took just 12 minutes to open his Rangers account.

Cisse, who had previous spells with Liverpool and Sunderland, struck a fierce shot past Shay Given before celebrating with a somersault.

"We're delighted that he had such an instant impact so early in his QPR career," said QPR manager Mark Hughes of Cisse.

"You saw his quality tonight in tight areas, where he was able to use his pace and power and that will be effective for us in the course of the season."

Rangers went 2-0 up when Villa defender Stephen Warnock headed a cross from Taye Taiwo into his own net in the 29th minute when under no pressure. But Villa pulled one back on half-time when striker Darren Bent turned in an Alan Hutton cross for his 100th Premier League goal.

And the resurgent host equalized 11 minutes from time when Charles N'Zogbia volleyed in a Stiliyan Petrov cross.

However, the draw saw QPR inch further away from the relegation zone, with Rangers now three points above the bottom three.

In London, West Brom manager Roy Hodgson saw his side come from behind to draw 1-1 with Fulham, one of his former clubs.

West Brom fell behind to a 69th-minute goal from Fulham's United States striker Clint Dempsey.

But the Baggies equalized eight minutes from time through substitute Somen Tchoyi.

Agence France-Presse

The Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador is also short-listed as a venue for the Confederations Cup, a World Cup dress rehearsal held a year before the finals, and needs to be ready in good time for the June 2013 tournament.

FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke praised Salvador on its preparations only two weeks ago on a tour of Brazil, but workers are unhappy with deals made between venue cities and the consortiums building or refurbishing World Cup stadiums.

The Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro venues were all hit by strikes earlier in their preparations.

In Recife, another World Cup host city in the state of Pernambuco, workers have been on strike for a week despite the building consortium's claims that wages are up to date as agreed by both parties and that annual pay negotiations are not due until August.

"The stoppage, considered illegal by the Arena Pernambuco Consortium, has been compromising the works schedule since last Wednesday," the consortium said in a statement.

Meetings between workers' leaders and consortium managers have failed to reach agreement.

The participation of Salvador and Recife in the Confederations Cup is subject to approval by world soccer governing body FIFA and Brazil's local organizing committee. The decision is scheduled to fall in June

Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza have already been confirmed for the eight-nation tournament in 2013, which involves the champions of FIFA's six confederations, plus host Brazil and reigning World Cup holder Spain.

Agence France-Presse

McLaren driver spent the offseason training and getting his personal life back in order

If Lewis Hamilton was his own worst enemy at times last year, the McLaren driver assured the world on Wednesday he would be starting the new Formula One season very much at ease with himself again.

Smiling and greeting reporters with a firm gaze and familiar iron handshake, the 2008 world champion explained he had spent his winter weeks sorting out his mind and finding his way to a happier place.

"I think it was just a fantastic winter where I got to spend time with friends and family and really was able to wind down," said the 27-year-old, who complained last year about feeling burned out.

"I let loose for the first week where I did a bit of skiing and then I ate pancakes and all that stuff that I said I wasn't going to do," he said after the launch of the new MP4-27 car at the Woking factory.

"I then got into quite an intense training regime and sat down in between times where I analyzed the year and certain things in my personal life which weren't as good as they could be and went about correcting those things.

"Today I just feel very fresh in my mind and very free of perhaps any of the burdens that I had on me last year."

Hamilton's 2011 season was punctuated by crashes and collisions, mostly with Ferrari's Felipe Massa, and his on-off-on again relationship with American pop singer Nicole Scherzinger.

He said he was now fully focused on the job of being a grand prix driver.

"What I have decided to do this year is just focus on the most important thing and that's racing," he said.

"Of course I accept that my personal life is in the domain but I'd rather just focus on racing. But things are good. So I'm happy."

Contract talks

Hamilton won three races last season but was beaten by Jenson Button, the first teammate who has ever finished a campaign ahead of him overall.

Despite that fact, bookmakers have already established Hamilton as 5-1 joint second favorite for the title along with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, behind Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel but ahead of Button on 7-1.

"I want to win every race. I think I can," he said of the season, which starts in Melbourne on March 18.

"I think I've got the ability to. I think if the car is where we hope the car is, there's no reason why we can't do that.

"The only thing that ever gets in your way is your own mind and your own insecurities or obstacles that you put in your way. But I think the most important thing is to put those things aside and to overcome them and I think I have.

"Standing right in front of you I feel stronger than I was a few months ago particularly, but even more so than I was last year at the start of the year," he said.

Hamilton's McLaren contract expires at the end of the season, but he said he would aim to clear that up as soon as possible to calm paddock speculation.

"That's going to be a big topic," he said.

"At the moment the focus is just on the preparation we have coming up for the season.

"I think probably after the first couple of races it's something we will probably want to get out of the way so we can focus on the rest of the year without the team being concerned and without it being something that's just hanging around for us so then you guys won't be having to ask questions about it."

Reuters

MILWAUKEE - There was no way Angelo Dundee was going to miss Muhammad Ali's 70th birthday party.

The genial trainer got to see his old friend, and reminisce about good times. It was almost as if they were together in their prime again, and what a time that was.

Dundee died in his apartment in Tampa, Fla on Wednesday night at the age of 90, and with him a part of boxing died, too.

He was surrounded by his family, said his son, Jimmy, who said the visit with Ali in Louisville, Ky., meant everything to his dad.

"It was the way he wanted to go," the son said. "He did everything he wanted to do."

Jimmy Dundee said his father was hospitalized for a blood clot last week and was briefly in a rehabilitation facility before returning to his apartment.

"He was coming along good yesterday and then he started to have breathing problems. My wife was with him at the time, thank God, and called and said he can't breathe. We all got over there. All the grandkids were there. He didn't want to go slowly," the son said.

Dundee was the brilliant motivator who worked the corner for Ali in his greatest fights, willed Sugar Ray Leonard to victory in his biggest bout, and coached hundreds of young men in the art of a left jab and an overhand right.

More than that, he was a figure of integrity in a sport that often lacked it.

"To me, he was the greatest ambassador for boxing, the greatest goodwill ambassador in a sport where there's so much animosity and enemies," said Bruce Trampler, the longtime matchmaker who first went to work for Dundee in 1971. "The guy didn't have an enemy in the world."

How could he, when his favorite line was, "It doesn't cost anything more to be nice".

Dundee was best known for being in Ali's corner for almost his entire career, urging him on in his first fight against Sonny Liston through the legendary fights with Joe Frazier and beyond. He was a cornerman, but he was much more, serving as a motivator for fighters not so great and for The Greatest.

Promoter Bob Arum said he had been planning to bring Dundee to Las Vegas for a Feb 18 charity gala headlined by Ali.

"He was wonderful. He was the whole package," Arum said. "Angelo was the greatest motivator of all time. No matter how bad things were, Angelo always put a positive spin on them. That's what Ali loved so much about him."

Associated Press

Riot police stand guard as soccer fans chant anti-ministry of interior slogans during a protest condemning the death that happened on Wednesday at Port Said stadium, near the Interior Ministry in Cairo, in front of the parliament in Cairo, Feb 2, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Attorney General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud and his two aides on Thursday inspected the Port Said Stadium, the scene of the clashes between fans of two rival teams on Wednesday night upon the end of a premier league match, the official MENA news agency reported.

The top prosecutor ordered TV satellite channels or individuals who shot the match hand over their video tapes, the report added.

The Interior Ministry said 47 people have been arrested after the riot.

Hussein Tantawi, head of the military council, has ordered the formation of a fact-finding committee to probe the clashes in the Port Said Stadium. He said police should be responsible for the security of games.

Meanwhile, new clashes between Egyptian riot police and protestors in Cairo have left 388 people injured on Thursday night, state TV reported.

Security forces fired tear gas at protestors to prevent them from reaching the Interior Ministry building near Tahrir Square. The protestors chanted slogans against police and held them accountable for allowing fans to enter the stadium with sticks and knives.

On Friday, a big rally is called for in Cairo, which makes the country face fresh protests due to the latest violent event.

The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) announced a three-day national mourning over the incident from Thursday to Saturday.

The military council held an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the handling of the most tragic event in the country's soccer history.

The military also condemned the criticism against them after the riot occurred.

Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri on Thursday sacked Port Said Governor Mohamed Abdel Hashem. Provincial security chief Essam Samak and the board of the Egyptian Football Association were also fired.

At an emergency session of the People's Assembly (lower house of parliament) over the riot, Ganzouri extended deep condolences to the Egyptian people over the incident. He said he shouldered the political responsibility for the violence and was ready to face any investigation.

Blood is seen on a chair one day after supporters clashed at the Port Said stadium, Feb 2, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

On Wednesday night, fans rushed to the Port Said Stadium field where el-Masry, a Port Said team, beat the most popular national team el-Ahly three to one.

Many fans entered the stadium with sticks in their hands and supporters of the two rival teams started fighting each other. Two Ahly players are reportedly slightly injured in the clash.

The riot was caused by some insulting posters carried by the Ahly fans, Nile TV reported.

SCAF chief Hussein Tantawi ordered two military helicopters to Port Said to transfer the players, fans and the injured to the capital Cairo.

The premier league has been postponed indefinitely due to the incident.

Mohammed AlBaradei, former chief of the UN nuclear watchdog, denounced the incident on his twitter account, saying all security bodies in Egypt should be restructured and any delay in this regard is "a betrayal to the nation".

Egypt's Stock Exchange suffered heavy losses on Thursday, due to the impact of the Port Said soccer riot. Benchmark EGX 30 index fell 4.6 percent.

People pray as others wait for the arrival of those wounded in clashes in Port Said stadium, at Ramses metro station in Cairo early, Feb 2, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Protesters chant anti-government slogans during a protest condemning the death of soccer fans at Port Said stadium, near the Interior Ministry in Cairo, Feb 2, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Egyptian coach, 3 players give up soccer after riot

Three Egypt internationals and Al-Ahly players have retired from all soccer after witnessing the deadly clashes between fans at their league game against Al-Masry on Wednesday.

Mohamed Aboutrika and Mohamed Barakat, who both have at least 70 caps for Egypt, told Al-Ahly TV that they would quit immediately after the mass violence that left at least 74 people dead at a stadium in the host city of Port Said.

"I will not play soccer again," Aboutrika said late Wednesday. Barakat told the channel that there would be "no soccer after today" for him.

Al-Ahly goalkeeper Sharik Ikrami told reporters that bodies were moved into the team's locker room and that, "We've all made a decision that we won't play soccer anymore. We can't think about it."

Al-Ahly's Portuguese coach Manuel Jose has also reportedly asked the Cairo club - Egypt's most successful ever - to cancel his contract and allow him to return to Portugal.

Port Said's local team Al-Masry club president Kamel Abu Ali and coach Hossam Hassan, a prolific goalscorer, who has amassed well over 150 caps for Egypt, have also quitted together with his twin brother Ibrahim, also played professional football and the team's assistant coach.

The Egyptian Football Association (FA) said it was indefinitely postponing matches in the premier league before Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzoury dissolved the federation's board on Thursday.

The Al-Ahly club suspended all sports activities and declared three days of mourning.

FIFA requests report into Egypt violence

FIFA has requested a full report from Egyptian authorities into the violence at a soccer match in Port Said that left 74 people dead, world soccer's governing body said on Thursday.

At least 1,000 people were injured in the violence on Wednesday when fans invaded the pitch after Port Said's local team Al-Masry beat Cairo-based Al-Ahly, the most successful club in Africa.

Most of the deaths were among people trampled in the crush of the panicking crowd, while others fell or were thrown from terraces.

The incident was Egypt's worst soccer disaster and the country's football association (FA) board have been sacked by Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter wrote to the head of the Egyptian FA Samir Zaher offering his condolences and support.

"I would like to join your country and the football family in mourning the death of the dozens of Egyptian football fans and others at last night's match in Port Said," the letter said.

"Today is a black day for football and we must take steps to ensure that such a catastrophe never happens again. Football is a force for good and we must not allow it to be abused by those who mean evil.

"As discussed by telephone this morning, I await further news from you concerning the circumstances of this tragedy."

At least 74 are dead and hundreds injured after violence breaks out at an Egyptian match; police do little to break it up

Scores of Egyptian soccer fans were crushed to death while others were fatally stabbed or suffocated after being trapped in a long, narrow corridor trying to flee rival fans armed with knives, clubs and stones, in the country's worst ever soccer violence that killed at least 74 people, witnesses and health officials said on Thursday.

The tragedy on Wednesday evening - which followed an Egyptian league match between Al-Masry, the home team in the Mediterranean city of Port Said, and Al-Ahly, based in Cairo and one of Egypt's most popular sides - was a bloody reminder of deteriorating security in the Arab world's most populous country, as instability continues nearly a year after former President Hosni Mubarak was swept out of power in a popular uprising.

It was also the deadliest soccer violence worldwide since 1996. One player said it was "like a war".

Egyptian activists have accused the police and military of failing to intervene to stop the mayhem.

On Thursday morning, dozens of angry protesters sealed off Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the uprising that toppled Mubarak, while others blocked the street in front of the state TV building in downtown Cairo ahead of planned marches later in the day to the Interior Ministry to denounce the police force.

The melee at the stadium in Port Said erupted when Al-Masry fans stormed the field following a rare 3-1 win against Al-Ahly. Al-Masry supporters, armed with knives, sticks and stones, chased players and fans from the rival team, Al-Ahly, who ran toward the exits and up the stands to escape, according to witnesses.

Ahmed Ghaffar, one of the visiting Al Ahly fans at the stadium, said "layers of people" were stuck, "suffocating inside a narrow corridor" as they tried to get out of the stadium

"The people were stuck over each other because there was no other exits," Ghaffar tweeted on Thursday. "We were between two choices, either death coming from behind us, or the closed doors."

Ghaffar said that seconds after the match ended, Al-Masry fans rushed onto the pitch from all sides while the police stood by motionless. A power outage followed, he said, and "the soccer field fell into darkness".

"We were surprised the police let them in that easy. The numbers were huge," he said.

As many Al-Ahly fans crowded into the corridor leading out of the stadium, they were trapped, with the doors at the other end locked.

Ghaffar said Al-Masry fans beat those Al-Ahly fans who fell on the floor and also described several stampedes.

Al-Masry fan, Mohammed Mosleh, posted his account on Facebook, saying he saw "thugs with weapons" on his side in the stadium where police presence was meager.

"This was unbelievable," he said. "We were supposed to be celebrating, not killing people. We defeated Al-Ahly, something I saw twice only in my lifetime. All the people were happy. Nobody expected this."

Health ministry official Hisham Sheha said deaths were caused by stabs by sharp tools, brain hemorrhage and concussions. "All those carried to hospitals were already dead bodies," Sheha told state-TV.

One man told state TV he heard gunshots in the stadium, while a lawmaker from Egypt's powerful Muslim Brotherhood said the police didn't prevent fans carrying knives from entering the stadium.

TV footage showed Al-Ahly players rushing for their locker room as fistfights broke out among the hundreds of fans swarming onto the field. Some men had to rescue a manager from the losing team as he was being beaten. Black-clothed police officers stood by, appearing overwhelmed.

The Interior Ministry said 74 people died, including one police officer, and 248 were injured, 14 of them police. A local health official initially said 1,000 people were injured and it was not clear how severely. Security forces arrested 47 people for involvement in the violence, the statement said.

State TV appealed to Egyptians to donate blood for the injured in Port Said, and the military sent two aircraft to evacuate serious cases to the capital, Cairo.

A number of political parties called on the Egyptian parliament to pass no-confidence vote against the government of Kamal el-Ganzouri, a Mubarak-era politician appointed by the much-critized ruling military council. El-Ganzouri himself held an emergency cabinet meeting early on Thursday.

Essam el-Erian, a Brotherhood lawmaker, said the military and police were complicit in the violence, accusing them of trying to show that emergency regulations giving security forces wide-ranging powers must be maintained.

"This tragedy is a result of intentional reluctance by the military and the police," he said.

The trigger for the violence, however, remains a mystery since most of the attackers were from the winning team.

April 6 group, which was among youth groups that led the anti-Mubarak uprising, accused the ruling military of collaboration in the violence.

"Is it logical that the force that managed to secure parliamentary elections in nine provinces can't secure a soccer match where skirmishes among fans were expected?" the group said in a statement on Thursday.

Associated Press

Disasters at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Hillsborough in Sheffield and Furiani in Corsica are among the most widely remembered, but the highest death toll was in Lima in 1964.

Peru

May 23, 1964: 320 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries during a stampede at a Peru-Argentina match at Lima's National Stadium. Fans could not escape the crush and were trampled or asphyxiated.

Ghana

May 10, 2001: 126 deaths in Accra at the end of a match between Hearts of Oaks and Kumasi, when Kumasi supporters, angered by their team's defeat, threw projectiles and broke chairs. Police threw tear-gas grenades, triggering a stampede.

England

April 15, 1989: 96 Liverpool supporters died in a stampede in the stands at Sheffield's Hillsborough Stadium during an FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

May 11, 1985: 56 deaths in a fire in a wooden stand during a match between Bradford and Lincoln City.

Scotland

Jan 2, 1971: 66 people killed in a crush at the Ibrox Stadium during a Rangers-Celtic derby. It was the stadium's second disaster, the first being when a stand collapsed in 1902, killing 26.

Egypt

Feb 17, 1974: 48 deaths and 47 injuries when 80,000 people crammed into a stadium with a capacity of 40,000.

South Africa

April 11, 2001: 43 deaths during a stampede at Ellis Park in Johannesburg during a match between the Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.

Jan 13, 1991: 40 deaths during a melee in an Orlando Pirates-Kaizer Chiefs match.

Belgium

May 29, 1985: 39 killed at Heysel Stadium in Brussels when Juventus fans tried to flee aggressive Liverpool fans.

France

May 5, 1992: 18 killed and more than 2,300 injured when a terrace collapsed in Furiani stadium in Corsica.

Didier Drogba [File Photo]

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba will be given the No 11 shirt if he officially joins the Chinese soccer club Shanghai Shenhua, despite talks between the two sides still in deadlock, Guangzhou-based newspaper Soccer News reported Thursday.

Shanghai Shenhua's owner Zhu Jun arrived in Switzerland earlier this week to hold talks with Drogba's agent in an effort to persuade the 34-year-old striker to move to China after his contract with Chelsea ends this June.

When asked to comment on the progress of the current negotiation, the club's board member Zhou Jun told Soccer News the deadlock has not been broken despite owner Zhu Jun's greatest effort and patience.

"(In terms of chasing Drogba) I hope all we need to do is just reserving the No 11 shirt for him, but that is not reality," Zhou was quoted as saying.

In another report published by Shanghai-based Xinmin Evening News, Zhou Jun said the club's focus now is signing Drogba in the second half of the season (from June to November), but "it seems to be very difficult as he plays quite well now and many teams will have an interest in him, so he is in a better negotiating position."

"We will not give up chasing him before this July," Zhou added.

A number of reports in the British media also claim Drogba intends to stay at Chelsea at least until the end of the season, rejecting speculation of a move during the January transfer window.

Last December, striker Nicolas Anelka quit Stamford Bridge for Shanghai Shenhua when he signed a two-year deal, making him become the most expensive and famous foreign player in the Chinese Super League (CSL).

Left: Barcelona's Lionel Messi controls the ball during their Spanish King's Cup quarter-final second leg "El Clasico" soccer match against Real Madrid at Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Jan 25, 2012. [Photo/Agencies] Right: Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with his trophy after defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain in their men's singles final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Jan 30, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - Top tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Argentina's charismatic football star Lionel Messi set paces for the Laureus World Sports Awards, dubbed the Oscar of sports, which are to be unveiled next Monday with a glitzy collection of stars waiting for the results.

Among the six nominees for World Sportsman of the Year, Djokovic is tipped as one of the most hopefuls, who won the Australian, Wimbledon and US Open Grand Slams and had a winning record of 70-6 last season.

His most powerful contender was Barcelona's forward Messi, who has been nominated for three times. If Messi wins, he will be the first footballer to grasp the award.

In comparison, however, tennis players seemed to be favored by Laureus, as the former giant Roger Federer was crowned for four times. And don't forget sprint star Usain Bolt. The Jamaican runner who holds both world and Olympic records is likely to win his third Laureus award.

Chinese athletes had never won the classic awards of World Sportsman of the Year and World Sportswoman of the Year before, although Yao Ming and Liu Xiang had got the title of World Newcomers of the Year.

This year Li Na, the first Asian player ever to win a Grand Slam in singles, was nominated for Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year. Along with her was hurdles star Liu Xiang, China's first male Olympic gold medalist in track and field.

He seized silver medal in the world championships last year and was hence nominated as World Comeback of the Year. The seven awards were shortlisted last December, and shall be finally decided through vote of 47 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy.

Those judges were greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, including Chinese legendary table tennis player Deng Yaping. The 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony will be staged in the heart of London at Central Hall, Westminster. Many great names of sports are expected to attend the ceremony.

Ukrainian heavyweight boxers Vladimir (L) and his brother Vitali Klitschko pose with their world championship titles belts during a photo call at their training camp in the western Austrian village of Going, Feb 1, 2012. Vitali Klitschko will fight Dereck Chisora of Britain on Feb 18 in Munich, and his brother Vladimir will fight France's Jean-Marc Mormeck on March 3 in Duesseldorf. [Photo/Agencies]

Ukrainian heavyweight boxers Vladimir (L) and his brother Vitali Klitschko pose with their world championship titles belts during a photo call at their training camp in the western Austrian village of Going, Feb 1, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Valencia snatched a 27th-minute lead at their Mestalla stadium when Jeremy Mathieu found space down the left wing and Jonas clipped the Frenchman's low cross high into the net past goalkeeper Jose Manuel Pinto.

Pinto was lucky to be still on the pitch after television replays showed he handled the ball outside his area in the 18th minute but the referee waved play on.

Barcelona's players celebrate after Carles Puyol scored against Valencia during their Spanish King's Cup semi-final first leg soccer match at Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Feb 1, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Barca captain Carles Puyol equalised 10 minutes before the break when he met a deep Cesc Fabregas corner and nodded past Diego Alves, who had come out to collect the ball but watched it sail over his head.

Alves, who has an impressive record saving spot kicks, made amends 11 minutes into the second half when he flung himself to his left and parried away Messi's penalty, awarded after Miguel felled Thiago Alcantara in the area.

Barca substitute Daniel Alves smashed a shot against the post after a brilliant one-two with Messi around 15 minutes from time but neither side were able to find another goal ahead of next week's second leg at the Nou Camp.

"He (Messi) is a player who doesn't give you much of a clue about which way he is going to shoot," Valencia keeper Alves said in a television interview.

"You just have to hang in there and try to deceive him and today I was happy to be able to help the team," the Brazilian added.

It was Barca's third successive draw, coming after they were held to a 0-0 stalemate at Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday and last week's 2-2 Cup quarter-final draw at home to holders Real Madrid that sent Pep Guardiola's side through 4-3 on aggregate.

Guardiola, who was without the injured Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Pedro and opted to rest playmaker Xavi, told a news conference it was the best performance against Valencia he had seen from his players since he became coach in 2008.

"We created a lot of problems for them and they have always done the same to us, at home or away," the former Barca and Spain midfielder said. "It was a great result but the tie is not decided and now we need to win the return leg and see if we can make the final."

Barcelona's Lionel Messi (C) fights for the ball between Valencia's Jeremy Mathieu (R) and David Albelda (L) during their Spanish King's Cup semi-final first leg soccer match at Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Feb 1, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The eventual winners will play 23-times Cup winners Athletic Bilbao -- Barca hold the record with 25 - or third-tier Mirandes in the final.

Mirandes, only the second team from Spain's Segunda B to reach the last four of the Cup in its present format, gave themselves hope of pulling off another upset with a late goal in Tuesday's first leg at their tiny stadium in Miranda de Ebro as a Fernando Llorente double gave Bilbao a narrow 2-1 success.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus poses with her Australian Open tennis tournament women's singles trophy and the trophy for being WTA world number one next to the Yarra river in Melbourne, Jan 29, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

MINSK - Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko congratulated Victoria Azarenka for winning the Australian Open women's title on Saturday and awarded her the Order of the Motherland.

"Vika - you are the pride of the whole nation!" Lukashenko said in a statement, released by the government press service.

"The Motherland is captivated by your great achievement, which is already written in the history of the Belarussian and world sports.

"The whole country, holding its breath, was following your battles on the (Melbourne Park) courts and was rooting for you. In these cold January days you have lighted up Belarussian hearts with your will to win, skill and grace," he added. "Once again, I would like to congratulate you on your victory."

The US-based Azarenka became the first Belarusian to win a grand slam singles title when she crushed Russia's Maria Sharapova 6-3 6-0 in the Australian Open final on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Minsk native also became the first player from her country to top the world rankings.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus poses with her Australian Open tennis tournament women's singles trophy beside the Yarra River in Melbourne, Jan 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark rests during a break in play against Kim Clijsters of Belgium during their women's singles quarter-finals match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Jan 24, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Wozniacki, who was downgraded from first to fourth place in the WTA rankings Monday, fired trainer Ricardo Sanchez after just two months in the job.

"Caroline does not believe she got fresh impetus out of it," said Piotr Wozniacki, the tennis star's father and former coach, referring to Caroline Wozniacki's professional relation with Sanchez.

"At the same time, Ricardo found it difficult to be a part of the cooperation that Caroline and I have had for many years. He would rather have worked (with Caroline Wozniacki) by himself," Piotr Wozniacki was cited by Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet as saying.

It is unknown whether Caroline Wozniacki will now return to her father for coaching.

According to the report, Sanchez was told of his dismissal following Wozniacki's exit from the Australian Open earlier this month, where she lost in the quarterfinal round to Belgian Kim Clijsters.

"We had agreed to evaluate our partnership at this point, and we agreed to end it," said Piotr Wozniacki, who stopped as his daughter's coach in August last year.

When Sanchez took over the job of coaching Wozniacki in December, she was still ranked world number one, and Sanchez's goal was to help the 21-year-old star win a Grand Slam tournament, which has eluded her so far.

However, the partnership has ended without a Grand Slam win, and with Wozniacki pulled down the WTA rankings instead.

WTA rankings on Jan 30, 2012 (Jan 16's positions in brackets):

1. (3) Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 8585 points

2. (2) Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 7690

3. (4) Maria Sharapova (Russia) 7560

4. (1) Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 7085

5. (5) Samantha Stosur (Australia) 5430

6. (8) Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 5330

7. (9) Marion Bartoli (France) 4770

8. (7) Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 4695

9. (6) Li Na (China) 4450

10. (10) Andrea Petkovic (Germany) 4000

11. (11) Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 3640

12. (12) Serena Williams (United States) 3580

13. (13) Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 3295

14. (15) Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 3143

15. (16) Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 2735

16. (18) Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) 2635

17. (17) Peng Shuai (China) 2580

18. (22) Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) 2535

19. (19) Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 2526

20. (21) Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 2450

United old boy Gibson scores his first EPL goal in 11 months

LIVERPOOL, England - Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini admitted he was to blame for the costly defeat that provided Manchester United with renewed hope in the title race.

Mancini insisted he got it all wrong as Darron Gibson's first Premier League goal since March 2010 enabled United to move level on points with City as it crashed to a 1-0 loss at Everton.

Gibson's telling contribution for his new club ensures City has only won once in its past 21 visits to Goodison Park and completed an excellent evening for David Moyes, the Everton manager, who celebrated his 150th game in charge of the Merseysiders in style.

And the City manager was content to take on the chin a defeat that could have serious repercussions as United bids to beat its rival to the Premier League crown.

"We didn't prepare well and we had a problem. I can't make the same mistake next time," Mancini said.

"I'm very disappointed with my mistake and we didn't prepare well with the training. We are still at the top and there are 15 games to go and it's important that we win the game at home on Saturday (against Fulham).

"I thought it would be easier but it never is here. We didn't deserve to lose the game but it was because of my mistake that we did."

Moyes insisted this victory was one of the sweetest of his 10-year reign and he was also celebrating the 5.5 million($8.64 million) signing of Croatian international striker Nikica Jelavic from Rangers.

Jelavic has agreed a 4 1/2 year deal, with Everton striker Louis Saha set to join Spurs in a surprise move on deadline day.

"It typified everything Everton was about - and could be one of the best. It was a brilliant effort and it was certainly up there," he said.

"That's as good as it's been at Everton for a long time.

"We've got Jelavic and he's the centerforward we've been looking for for a while. It's great news for us and we just hope now he can help us score some goals.

"He's come from a great football club and is coming to another one. He really wants to play in the Premier League and Everton.

"Jelavic also wants to play for Croatia at the European Championships, so hopefully that will keep his form good."

Agence France-Presse

MANCHESTER, England - Sir Alex Ferguson has already pinpointed the Manchester derby in April as the cornerstone of his team's attempt to regain its Premier League title.

A 2-0 victory over Stoke, courtesy of penalties from Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov, coupled with leader Manchester City losing at Everton, helped United draw level on points, and within six goals of its rival, at the top of the table.

In a campaign that has already produced so many twists and turns, the latest development merely adds to the intriguing plot.

With Ferguson expecting to welcome back the injured trio of Wayne Rooney, Nani and Ashley Young for Sunday's visit to Chelsea, the veteran manager is clearly happy with the status quo.

"The win is obviously significant, but it's still the last day in January," said Ferguson. "I always see March as the important month and we've got City in April.

"We are hopeful Wayne and Nani and Ashley Young might be back for Sunday.

"It's been a good night. But I'm more pleased about our own performance.

"I thought it was terrific, we kept our composure and were very patient. Okay, we won with two penalties, but the manner in which we played our football was the main thing."

Fate appeared to be conspiring against United as injuries to Anders Lindegaard and David de Gea forced Ferguson into handing a league debut to 21-year-old deputy keeper Ben Amos, who was rarely troubled by a disappointing Stoke side.

"Anders got injured in training and David got injured at the end of training so we had a right nightmare," said Ferguson. "Ben didn't have a lot to do, but he was confident, composed, so we're pleased with that."

A productive evening for United also included Hernandez's return to form and, after a gap of two months, goalscoring as he claimed his seventh goal of the season with his first-half penalty.

With Rooney having missed four of his past eight attempts from the spot, United now seems to have an embarrassment of riches in that department, although the manager told Rooney he is permitted to keep taking kicks as long as he wants to.

"It was a very good penalty, but he takes them for Mexico so it wasn't a problem," said Ferguson of Hernandez.

"Dimitar thought he was going to take the first one so he took the second one and he scored too so we're pleased with that.

"Javier did very well tonight. His form has come back in the last few weeks and he's been training very well. It's just a case of getting him the opportunity because Danny Welbeck has been playing so well."

Ferguson also broke his silence over talented youngster Ravel Morrison, who joined West Ham on deadline day in a reported 1 million ($1.67 million) transfer following some high-profile off-field problems at United.

"In the case of Ravel it's been quite well documented, I think he's better out of Manchester," said Ferguson.

"He's got a great talent but how to deal with that is important."

Agence France-Presse

LONDON - Last-minute transfers were brokered across English soccer on Tuesday, but analysts reported a sharp fall in overall spending as a low-key January window drew to a close.

Struggling Queens Park Rangers provided two of the most eye-catching deals of the day after confirming the signing of French striker Djibril Cisse from Serie A side Lazio before swooping for Fulham forward Bobby Zamora.

Cisse signed a two-and-a-half year deal with QPR for an undisclosed fee while the club wrapped up what was believed to be a 5 million ($7.9 million) deal for Zamora shortly before the window closed at 11 pm local time.

Overall spending by Premier League clubs during the window was estimated at between 50 and 40 million, well down on last year's record spend of 225 million in January.

Alan Switzer, director of the sports business group at accountancy giant Deloitte, said the 2012 fall could partially be attributed to the onset of UEFA's financial fair play regulations, which dictate clubs wishing to take part in European competitions will only be allowed to spend what they earn.

"Financial fair play has definitely had an impact. The 2011-12 season does now count towards the UEFA rules and that will be part of the consideration which clubs will be giving to any transfer," he said.

"The likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have already been on record as saying they will take it into account in terms of their spending on transfers and wages."

In other transfer deals on Tuesday, Everton confirmed the signing of Croatian striker Nikica Jelavic from Scottish giants Rangers, with Toffees striker Louis Saha heading to Tottenham in a surprise move to White Hart Lane.

"Striker Louis Saha has left Everton to join Tottenham Hotspur," said a statement on evertonfc.com.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp later confirmed the club was trying to capture Blackburn's New Zealand international defender Ryan Nelsen.

Meanwhile, Manchester United parted company with Ravel Morrison, the highly rated 18-year-old player who failed to establish himself at Old Trafford and has now signed for Championship side West Ham.

Morrison is regarded as one of the most promising youngsters ever to pass through the Manchester United ranks, but the club reportedly lost patience amid ongoing problems in his private life.

"I'm really pleased to have signed. The move has happened very quickly and I'm looking forward to hopefully moving up to the Premier League with West Ham soon," Morrison said on West Ham's website.

Manchester City sealed the loan signing of Roma's Chile international midfielder David Pizarro until the end of the season.

The 32-year-old played under Roberto Mancini when he managed Inter Milan.

Chelsea signed Belgium international Kevin de Bruyne from Genk, although the midfielder will spend the rest of the season on loan with the Belgian club, the London club confirmed.

The 20-year-old's transfer deadline day capture means he becomes the latest Belgian player on Chelsea's books, joining compatriots Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois, currently on loan at Spanish side Atletico Madrid.

Agence France-Presse

Lawyer George Carter-Stephenson spoke on behalf of defender Terry, who did not attend the hearing at London's Westminster Magistrates Court.

In December, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ordered Terry to be prosecuted for a "racially aggravated public order offense" over comments allegedly made to Ferdinand in an on-field exchange during Chelsea's 1-0 defeat by Queens Park Rangers.

The CPS took action after video of the incident was posted on the internet and a member of the public complained that Terry had used allegedly racist language when speaking to Ferdinand.

Terry could be fined up to 2,500 pounds ($3,900) if convicted, only a fraction of his weekly wage. However, such a verdict could have an impact on his lucrative sponsorship deals and relationship with Chelsea teammates drawn from around the globe.

Allegations of racial abuse have cast a shadow over the Premier League this season. Liverpool's Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra during a match in October in a case dealt with by the football authorities.

Chelsea Football Club has stood by Terry, who as the long-serving club captain is adored by the Blues fans for his footballing commitment and passion on the pitch.

Terry missed Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Swansea on the eve of the court case with a knee injury

Reuters

LA buries Charlotte, 106-73, but now it must try to improve on its 2-7 away record

LOS ANGELES - Having polished off their second subpar opponent in a row, the Los Angeles Lakers are turning their attention to a sore spot - the road.

Kobe Bryant scored 24 points, Andrew Bynum added 20, and the Lakers beat slumping Charlotte 106-73 on Tuesday night in their final home game before beginning their annual Grammy trip on Friday at Denver.

The Lakers have been a dominant 11-2 at home, but are 2-7 away from Staples Center.

"We just got to do our job, that's all. Go out, play hard, play physical and rebound the ball," Bryant said. "These road losses that we've had, the consistent factor has been teams getting on the offensive boards against us and we have to do a much better job of that."

Bynum had 11 rebounds, while Pau Gasol had 10 points and Andrew Goudelock keyed a big night for the bench with 12 points as the Lakers' reserves outscored the Bobcats' bench 48-30. Bryant, Fisher and Metta World Peace sat out the entire fourth quarter, when Bynum and Gasol each played less than five minutes.

"They played extremely well," Bryant said of the bench. "It's on them to make the most of it and if they don't, I have to come back in there, Pau has to come back in there, Andrew has to come back in there, and we have to play the whole second half or whatever the case is."

It was the Lakers' biggest victory against the Bobcats, who had beaten Los Angeles in eight of their previous 11 meetings. The Lakers have now topped the 100-point mark in each of their past two wins after failing to do so in 13 consecutive games.

Gerald Henderson scored 14 points in his return after a two-game absence because of a lower back contusion for the Bobcats, who fell to 1-11 on the road and 3-19 overall with their ninth consecutive loss. Derrick Brown added 12 points and Kemba Walker 12 coming off his triple-double against Washington on Saturday. Boris Diaw had 11.

"We've got a horrible record and we're trying to make our way back up," Henderson said. "We're starting to get guys back healthy. In fact, it seems like every game we get a new guy back. So hopefully, as we get more acclimated to each other, things will start improving."

The Bobcats were well-rested, not having played since that three-point loss, but that didn't help the league's worst team.

"It's been hard, but we're a very young club and we're in a rebuilding mode, so there's basically nothing you can do," coach Paul Silas said. "When I took over last year in December, we had about five or six of the players we have on the team right now. So it's been tough. My thing is, I love winning. And it's been hard on me, very difficult."

The rout was well under way in the first quarter, when Bryant racked up 18 points in 10 minutes and the Lakers led 30-18. He had six more points in the second quarter and the Lakers went into halftime ahead 60-36.

Associated Press

NEW YORK - Carmelo Anthony came back and the New York Knicks' offensive woes went away.

Anthony scored 25 points in his return to the lineup, Landry Fields added 16 of his 18 in a flawless first half, and the Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 113-86 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.

Tyson Chandler had 17 points and Amare Stoudemire 15 for the Knicks, whose slumbering offense awoke in their second victory in 11 games. They shot 60 percent from the field - amazingly the first time they bettered 50 percent all season - and fell a point short of matching their highest scoring effort.

"A lot of that is Melo," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. "You could see he was well, he looked good and we play a lot off him and he draws a lot of attention, makes it easy for everybody else, kind of puts everybody else back in their roles that they do. And we struggled with him out or with him hurt."

Anthony had missed two straight games because of injuries to his ankle, wrist and thumb, finally shutting it down after shooting 31.7 percent in six games since he was hurt on Jan 12 at Memphis. But he drove easily and shot well after deciding shortly before the game he was ready to go, going 9 of 14 from the field and handing out six assists.

"My legs felt great out there tonight," Anthony said. "I felt refreshed. Just taking these five, six days off that I did really helped me out big time. I could feel me having my explosiveness back. A lot of the things that I was doing prior to the Memphis game, it came back tonight."

Jonas Jerebko scored 15 points and Greg Monroe had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Pistons (4-19), who lost their sixth straight and are struggling to even be competitive while playing without Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Will Bynum.

"We're not even putting ourselves in a position where these games are in doubt," Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said. "We're all embarrassed that we're not doing better. We all have to raise our hands and figure out ways we can improve."

Associated Press

(China Daily 02/02/2012 page24)

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana - Super Bowl hoopla reached a new money-making high on Tuesday when a sellout crowd of more than 6,000 people paid $25 each to watch reporters question NFL players in the annual Media Day circus.

Touts outside the site of Sunday's Super Bowl showdown between the New York Giants and New England Patriots were charging more for the historic first-ever public viewing of a weird, wacky event that has taken on a life of its own.

"It's great," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "It's part of the deal. It's nice once in a while to get a unique question. We all understand this is very much a part of the reason why the game is so popular worldwide. You just try and enjoy it."

What once had been simply an easy way to obtain notes in the days before Super Bowl workouts began has evolved into a session with working reporters mixed with odd questions and even odder questioners seeking their own fame.

One so-called reporter from children's television network Nickelodeon was dressed in black superhero tights with an orange cape.

"Nice outfit," chided New England quarterback Tom Brady. "Halloween?"

But New York quarterback Eli Manning said his brother Cooper, who did not reach the NFL like his famous quarterback siblings, would have loved the guy.

"Cooper would have been really excited and only answered questions from the Nickelodeon guy all day," Manning said.

In all, more than 5,000 reporters from around the world chased after players from both teams as spectators watched and listened on small radios that could be tuned to a particular player's channel.

In many cases, the public had a better hope of hearing players than the reporters crowded 20 deep around such stars as Brady and Manning, who drew cheers when he mentioned brother Peyton, the Indianapolis Colts star passer.

"It's a circus," Patriots guard Logan Mankins said.

"For me personally, I'd rather not be here. I'd rather be at the hotel watching film or even just taking a nap, but I know it's part of the job. We have to be here."

Brady, who will match John Elway's record with a fifth Super Bowl start, looked out over the spectators and reporters and his teammates and smiled.

"Look at this," he said. "How could you ever take this for granted? It's pretty cool."

Asked about NFL advice from his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, Brady said, "Throw the ball quickly - she doesn't like it when I get hit very often."

Asked about the sport the rest of the world calls football, Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora said he sees Manchester United's most intense rival as Chelsea rather than Manchester City, even though the Manchester clubs share the top of the English Premier League table.

"I think Man United versus Chelsea, in the past few years, is a bigger rivalry than Man City," Umenyiora said. "I know they are in the same city but I still think Man United-Chelsea is a more intense rivalry."

Fake players wore jerseys hoping to provide wacky answers for any reporter who might mistake them for NFL talent, while New England receiver Chad Ochocinco was followed around by his Ochocinco News Network.

A long-bearded man asked players how crucial hair would be in the Super Bowl while another quizzed players on their breakfast cereal choices.

"It's definitely surreal," Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington said.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/02/2012 page24)

A soccer fan flees from a fire at Cairo stadium Feb, 1, 2012. Crowds set parts of the stadium on fire in reaction to a soccer pitch invasion during another soccer match held at the Egyptian city of Port Said. [Photo/Agencies]

CAIRO - At least 74 people were killed and hundreds of others injured in a soccer match riot in Port Said of Egypt, state media reported on Wednesday night.

Nile TV reported 74 were killed and hundreds injured in the riot in Port Said.  

Port Said's team el-Masry beat the most popular el-Ahly three to one in an Egyptian Premier League match. The fans of the rival teams threw stones at each other amid a weak presence of security forces, state TV channel reported.

In the Port Said stadium which hosted the football game, el-Ahly supporters carried signs that insulted the other team, which triggered the clash, according to the Nile TV.  

A big fire erupted in Cairo International Stadium where another match between Zamalik and Ismaily teams was cancelled because of the riot.

President of the Egyptian Football Association Samir Zahar decided to postpone the Egyptian premier league.

Chief of Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces Hussein Tantawi ordered two military planes to fly to the riot scene and airlift the players, fans and the injured to Cairo.

Egyptian Prosecutor General Abdel Maguid Mahmoud ordered an investigation into the riot.

The parliament will hold an emergency session on Thursday over the clash.

In this still image taken from video, soccer fans invade the pitch during a soccer match between Al Ahli and al-Masry in Port Said Feb 1, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Video footage of the riot in Port Said between fans of the home side Al Masry and Egypt's most successful team Al Ahli was seen by millions around the world on the internet within minutes of it unfolding.

Moscow's disaster, which claimed 340 people's lives, took place on Oct 20, 1982 when Moscow Spartak played Harlem of the Netherlands in a UEFA Cup match at the Luzhniki Stadium.

Those fans died after Spartak scored a late goal and fans leaving the stadium were crushed on an open stairway and in a corridor when departing spectators surged back into the stadium only to be met by fans leaving the ground.

That was also found to be the main cause of the Ibrox Stadium disaster in Glasgow on Jan 2, 1971 when 66 people were trampled to death at the end of a match between Scottish rivals Rangers and Celtic.

Departing fans turned back to the stadium after hearing the roar of a late goal, causing dozens of people to tumble over those climbing up the stairs and sending them all to their deaths.

The world's second worst stadium disaster was recorded as taking place in Lima, Peru in 1964 when 318 fans died and hundreds more were injured after a goal was disallowed in an Olympic qualifier between Peru and Argentina.

Fans rioted, soldiers fired tear-gas, chaos reigned and hundreds died.

There have been other significant death tallies after riots in Nepal's national stadium in 1988 when over 100 died, in South Africa in 1991 when 43 people were killed at a Kaizer Chiefs-Orlando Pirates match and in February 1974 in Egypt when 49 fans were killed trying to gain access to see Zamalek play Dulkla Prague of the former Czechoslovakia.

Africa's worst tragedy before Wednesday's occurred in May 2001 when around 126 people were killed in a stampede in the Ghanaian capital of Accra.

Massive impact

Three serious tragedies had a massive impact on safety at European stadiums in the 1980s.

Saftey and security were generally tightened everywhere following the Bradford City fire in England in 1985 which claimed 56 lives, the Heysel Stadium disaster two weeks later in which 39 died and the Hillsborough disaster in England in 1989 when 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at an FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield when Liverpool played Nottingham Forest.

Ironically, Wednesday's incident in Egypt comes two days after the French FA said that no matches would be played on May 5 this year to mark the 20th anniversary of the disaster in Corsica in 1992 when 18 fans were killed at a French Cup semi-final between Bastia and Marseille when a temporary stand collapsed.

Those kind of stands would not be allowed at a major match today.

UEFA, European soccer's governing body, recently issued a guide to "quality stadiums" in which its general secretary Gianni Infantino expressed the need for the best design and construction to ensure that stadiums were safe.

"Stadium design in Europe is already of a very high standard and a number of excellent quality venues have been developed. Everything we can do at UEFA to help support, nurture and encourage good and conscientious stadium design and building will be of enormous benefit to football and local communities," he said.

The Stadium in Port Said, a multi-use 18,000 all-seater venue, was built in 1955 and more than met FIFA's standards after modern improvements and hosted matches in the 2006 African Cup of Nations and the World Under-20 Cup in 2009.

Unlike other disasters the stadium could not be faulted for the resulting loss of life which appears to be due entirely to human failings.

"These kind of events can happen anywhere in the world but we will not let those behind this get away," Tantawi said, speaking to the sports television channel owned by Al Ahli, one of the teams playing. He said victims would receive compensation after their cases were examined.

"We will get through this stage. Egypt will be stable. We have a roadmap to transfer power to elected civilians. If anyone is plotting instability in Egypt they will not succeed. Everyone will get what they deserve," he said, adding that securing the game was the responsibility of the police force.

Zambians in Lusaka's Kabwata township celebrate their national soccer team's victory along Chilimbulu Road, over Equatorial Guinea at the African Nations Cup, Jan 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The Zambian capital erupted in wild celebrations immediately after the final whistle in which Zambia beat co-hosts Equatorial Guinea to top Group A on seven points on Sunday night.

University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Public Relations Manager Pauline Mbangweta said that two girls died due to the victory celebrations while 14 others were treated for various due to rod traffic accidents and 19 suffered injuries due to fights that ensured after the game.

"We had two brought-in-dead cases last night involving two girls. One was hit by a car as people were celebrating while the other one fell from a moving vehicle. We also had 14 road traffic victims while 19 people were injured in fights they erupted as people were celebrating," she said.

Skipper Christopher Katongo scored the all-important goal after 67 minutes of play to silence the vocal local fans at the Malabo stadium to earn the Chipolopolo (the Bullets) a deserved victory.

The win pushed the team to seven points while Equatorial Guinea finished on six points. Libya beat Senegal 2-1 in the other Group A game to finish on four points while pre-tournament favorites Senegal finished without a point.

Zambia national soccer coach Herve Renard said after the game that it should not be a surprise that his charges achieved their second successive quarterfinal target at the AFCON tournament after doing the same during the 2010 competition.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning said on Monday that watching his older brother Peyton Manning win a Super Bowl and claim the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award lit a fire under him.

Eli wasted little time matching his big brother, steering the Giants to a surprise Super Bowl win the next season over the New England Patriots and taking home the 2008 game's MVP honors.

Now Eli has a chance to surpass his brother's number of titles in Sunday's Super Bowl rematch against the Patriots in the NFL title game in Indianapolis.

"Just seeing Peyton after that game, just seeing him down in the locker room, seeing that smile on his face, then being with him those next couple of months after he had won a Super Bowl, it definitely made you jealous," Manning said on Monday.

"You always want to win a championship, but when you see someone win it, just the relief, the smile that is painted on his face for months makes you want to win it even more.

"It truly gives you a burning desire to get one."

The brothers are very close and Eli, 31, credits Peyton, 35, with being supportive and helping him learn the fine art of quarterbacking.

But Eli had no trouble recalling the way Peyton would lord it over him as a big brother during their childhood.

"His most popular move was he'd pin me down and take his knuckles and knock on my chest and make me name the 12 schools in the SEC," Eli said about the Southeastern Conference in which Peyton ended up attending Tennessee, while Eli followed father Archie Manning's footsteps at Mississippi.

"I didn't know them all at the time when I was six or seven, but I quickly learned them. It was a great learning technique.

"Once I figured those out he moved on to all the 28 teams in the NFL at that point. So I had to get my studying on for that. The one I never got was 10 brands of cigarettes."

Reuters

LeBron James rides his bike to work all the time, usually without anyone noticing.

Looks like that's changing.

James' bike ride to work before the Miami Heat played the Chicago Bulls on Sunday was caught by some photographers, and suddenly became quite a talking point. James says he doesn't understand what all the fuss is about, especially since he chooses pedal-power over horsepower on a fairly regular basis.

Of course, his bike is not like any other - custom-made, even with his "King James" name emblazoned on the frame.

James has long been a fan of cycling, and has hosted several offseason bike rides to draw attention to charitable causes in his Akron, Ohio, hometown during his NBA career.

New England Patriots fans Nick Lowery (L) and Hanna Love watch from the stands during media day for the NFL Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, Jan 31, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Patriots' Belichick says being an assistant with Giants' Coughlin was 'the best relationship I have ever had'

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and New York Giants counterpart Tom Coughlin won a Super Bowl together 21 years ago, but on Sunday (Monday morning Beijing time) they will be doing all they can to outsmart each other in the championship game.

The relationship between the two experienced coaches with a combined four Super Bowl wins as (NFL) head coaches dates back to the days when they worked as assistants for the New York Giants

Between the 1988 and 1990 NFL seasons, Belichick was a defensive coordinator for the Giants and in charge of the secondary while Coughlin was a receivers coach.

It was a combination that Belichick described in warm and affectionate detail on Monday after his team's first Super Bowl practice at the Indianapolis Colts' training facility.

"We worked together every day in one-on-ones and seven-on-sevens ... I would run the coverages in the way he wanted them run, based on who we were playing, and he would run the patterns the way I asked him," said Belichick.

"I would say that as an assistant coach it was the best relationship that I have ever had with another counterpart in that way."

More than just running simulations of an upcoming offense, Coughlin offered Belichick's defensive backs insight into the thinking and the strategy that receivers would be armed with.

"We had a very good give-and-take on a daily basis, whether it was in training camp or whether it was on a weekly or daily game preparation basis ... we were able to help each other out and help each other coach their position better," he said.

"It was not only good between us but it transcended the units we were coaching and the players that we had. It was a great working relationship with Tom, it was outstanding, it really was."

The partnership reached fruition with the Giants' Super Bowl win over Buffalo to conclude the 1990 season, and then they went their separate ways.

Coughlin spent three years as head coach at Boston College before landing his first NFL head coaching position with the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Belichick stayed in the league and took charge of the Cleveland Browns.

But the lessons learned from their time with the Giants have clearly influenced Belichick as he has sought to instill the same exchange of information in his own staffs over the years.

An NFL microphone is seen before the arrival of New England Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick during media day for the NFL Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, Jan 31, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

"I wish that every position coach could have that with their counterpart on staff. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. But that was really exceptional, I learned a lot from Tom, relative to the offensive point of view, the passing game," he said.

Belichick, who has won three Super Bowls with the Patriots but lost four years ago to Coughlin's Giants, also knows he is up against a man who has honed his skills as a head coach.

"I respect a lot of things about Tom - his evaluation of talent, the way he attacks teams, his consistency, his discipline, his team's toughness and resilience."

Reuters

A mural is set up as part of Super Bowl XLVI festivities in Indianapolis, Indiana, Jan 30, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

AC Milan will wait until the end of the season to try to secure the services of Carlos Tevez, according to chief executive Adriano Galliani.

Last week the Italian champion signed Argentine forward Maxi Lopez, suggesting its month-long pursuit of unsettled Manchester City star Tevez had come to an end.

And Galliani says if anything does happen, it will likely be in the summer.

"Maxi represents the present and the important future for Milan, our coach is a big fan of his and so I wish him luck," said Galliani.

"From now until 7 pm tomorrow (Tuesday, when the transfer window closes) maybe no-one will join, but there could also be a surprise.

"We're not expecting (Tevez) to join, instead we have Maxi Lopez. We'll see what happens in the summer, the transfer window is almost shut.

"Of course, I considered the summer market closed (at the end of August) and then we bought (Antonio) Nocerino at the last minute.

"It's not that sometimes the truth isn't said but that sometimes things develop later, hence right now I would say that nothing will happen."

Although he was always aware of being very much a Tevez consolation prize, Lopez is still delighted to have joined Milan from Catania.

"I had to wait until the last moment before becoming a Milan player but I was always very confident," he said.

"It was a very strange week but everyone was very clear with me and I always wanted to stay (at Catania if the Milan opportunity fell through).

"Milan are the team of my dreams and I think that someone has to take risks to arrive at certain clubs."

Agence France-Presse

Crespo was picked up for an annual salary of $840,000 by the Barasat franchise to play alongside district-level players over seven weeks in the proposed Premier League Soccer (PLS).

Italy's World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro went for $830,000 to Siliguri, Robert Pires of France fetched $800,000 from Howrah, Nigerian Jay Jay Okocha got $550,000 from Durgapur and Robbie Fowler of England was sold to Kolkata for $530,000.

Former Argentina captain Juan Pablo Sorin, the sixth "icon" player, was not named in the list of auctioned players released by the promoters Celebrity Management Group (CMG).

The tournament, the brainchild of soccer officials in the eastern state of West Bengal, is a franchise-based event on the lines of cricket's popular Indian Premier League.

Organizers said the dates of the tournament will be announced early next month, although they had earlier pencilled in a possible Feb 25 start.

The five city franchises will play each other twice on a home-and-away basis, with the top four qualifying for the semifinals.

The tournament is an attempt to fuel growing interest in soccer in cricket-mad India, which is ranked a lowly 158th in the world.

Each of the franchises will be coached by well-known names, who were also auctioned on Monday.

Portugese coach Fernando Couto was sold to Howrah for $240,000, former Manchester City manager Peter Reid went for $200,000 to Kolkata, while Bolivian Marco Etcheverry was picked up by Siliguri for $200,000.

Nigerian coach Samson Siasia fetched $210,000 from Durgapur, the same amount Teitur Thordarson of Iceland got from Barasat.

Among the top buys outside the "icon' players" list were Robert Egbeta of Nigeria for $350,000, and Alonso Solis of Costa Rica and Christian Lara of Ecuador for $200,000 each.

"This is an exciting time for Indian football," Bhaswar Goswam, CMG's CEO, said. "These legends will make the sport even more popular in the country.

"Television coverage will ensure this tournament will attract viewers across India. Details are being worked out."

Soccer has a huge following in West Bengal, where the state capital, Kolkata, hosted a friendly between Argentina and Venezuela in September.

But doubts remain over the PLS, which has struggled to publicize the event properly and may fail to attract interest in games played at small provincial grounds.

The PLS has already been dented by the refusal of the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) to allow Indian players from the domestic I-League to join.

Agence France-Presse

With Miami playing third game in four days, Wade leads victory charge

MIAMI - Dwyane Wade's role as captain of the Miami Heat comes with certain privileges. For example, he can occasionally shake off calls from Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

And no one complained, either.

Wade and LeBron James each scored 22 points, Mike Miller added 14 off the bench and the Heat rode the strength of a brilliant 18-minute run midway through the game to beat the Hornets 109-95 on Monday night, Miami's eighth win in nine games.

The Hornets finished with 25 rebounds, the lowest total in the NBA this season. James had 11 rebounds - more than any two Hornets - and eight assists for Miami, which had six players in double figures and outscored New Orleans 54-23 from the midpoint of the second quarter through the end of the third.

"When a guy like D-Wade has a rhythm, you've got to keep feeding him," James said. "He brought us back."

Wade had 15 points in the second quarter, and perhaps his biggest contribution all night was when he got Spoelstra to change his mind. Looking to manufacture a jolt, Spoelstra wanted to go to a zone defense when Miami was struggling. Wade waved him off, thinking the Heat were on the verge of getting something going.

He was right.

"We started the game in a little bit of a fog and they came out and played very sharply," Spoelstra said. "They came out with a lot of energy ... then the game changed, I felt, in the second quarter. Dwyane really set the tone from that point on."

Miami Heat's LeBron James (R) walks off the court with teammate Joel Anthony (L) during the first half of their NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Hornets in Miami, Florida, Jan 30, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Chris Bosh and Norris Cole each scored 12 for the Heat, which trailed 45-33 midway through the second quarter before outscoring New Orleans 76-50 the rest of the way.

Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry each scored 14 for New Orleans, which lost for the 17th time in 19 games after a 2-0 start.

Emeka Okafor scored 13 points and Greivis Vasquez added 11 for the Hornets.

"It's hard to play the kind of basketball that you need to play when you're not getting what you feel is a fair call at times," Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "I thought our guys got beat up a little bit tonight going to the basket ... take nothing away from Miami. That is a championship-contending team. Their effort showed that tonight."

There were indicators suggesting Miami would get off to a less-than-ideal start.

It was Miami's third game in four nights, though all were at home. Monday's tip-off came about 24 hours after Sunday's down-to-the-wire epic against Chicago, where the Heat win wasn't secure until 0.1 seconds remained. And the second night of back-to-backs have been trouble all season for Miami, which had been 3-3 in those contests - including both of its home defeats, those coming against Atlanta and Milwaukee.

So sure enough, the Heat started slowly - and found itself in a 12-point hole against a team with the worst record in the Western Conference. New Orleans made 10 of its first 11 shots, then used a 16-6 run in the second quarter to briefly grab control. Spoelstra had an idea. Wade apparently had a better one.

"He called our zone and as the captain at that time, I kind of vetoed it," Wade said. "It ain't gonna happen much. But I felt at the time we needed to be a little more aggressive."

Associated Press

NADA said they were looking into each of the 30 cases where the doctor, once part of the Olympic base in Erfurt, is suspected of having used a blood infusion system after exposing the blood to UV rays.

The procedure is said to boost the oxygen content in the blood.

The doctor, named by the Erfurt prosecutor's office as Andreas Franke, has already been suspended. He has denied any wrongdoing, saying he used the procedure only to battle infections.

"Obviously we are looking into each case to see whether banned methods were used, no matter if it concerns Olympic champions or young athletes," NADA board director Andrea Gotzmann said in a statement. The list includes cyclists and speedskaters.

Gotzmann said NADA had received access to the prosecutor's documents on Monday which would help them to decide "which athletes we will go after".

German state television had said on Sunday that 28 athletes were on a list of patients the doctor had treated with the suspect procedure.

"The doctor is being accused of having taken blood out of athletes, treated it with UV rays and then re-injected it back into their bodies," said prosecutor's office spokesman Hannes Gruenseisen.

"So there is the initial suspicion that he used banned medical equipment for doping."

Under the World Anti-Doping Agency code, blood transfusions of any kind and size are banned unless there are specific medical reasons for them, approved under a special permit.

Ireland midfielder Gibson left United to move to Goodison Park earlier this month and his fierce strike on the hour, which took a slight deflection, proved decisive.

Manchester United's Javier Hernandez (C) celebrates after scoring during their English Premier League soccer match against Stoke City at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England, Jan 31, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

United, who trail their rivals on goal difference, eased past Stoke thanks to two penalties at Old Trafford from Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov.

City and United have 54 points from 23 matches, five ahead of Tottenham Hotspur who thumped Wigan Athletic 3-1 at White Hart Lane.

Dejected City manager Roberto Mancini said he had underestimated mid-table Everton.

"Probably, probably, probably," the Italian said in an interview with Sky Sports after he was asked if he had taken Everton too lightly.

"Maybe it's my fault because I prepared, maybe, bad for this game ... It is very important that we win our next game against Fulham."

Everton's John Heitinga (L) reacts with Manchester City's Edin Dzeko during their English Premier League soccer match in Liverpool, northern England, Jan 31, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The leaders enjoyed plenty of possession but created few openings to trouble a resolute home defence.

Everton, who paraded new signing Nikica Jelavic at halftime after the Croatia striker's move from Rangers, almost broke through early on but Joleon Lescott was well positioned on the goalline to clear Denis Stracqualursi's close-range header.

City went closest to an equalizer when midfielder Samir Nasri rattled the crossbar with a swerving 30-metre piledriver on 36 minutes.

United had no problems overcoming Stoke despite handing a first league start to goalkeeper Ben Amos, called up due to David de Gea being ill and Anders Lindegaard injured.

With Wayne Rooney still out with an ankle injury, Ferguson partnered Berbatov alongside Javier Hernandez up front and both made no mistake from the spot.

Mexico striker Hernandez fired home on 38 minutes after Jermaine Pennant had felled Park Ji-sung.

United were awarded a second penalty eight minutes after halftime and this time Berbatov scored after Antonio Valencia was brought down.

Manchester City's coach Roberto Mancini watches ahead of their English Premier League soccer match against Everton in Liverpool, northern England, Jan 31, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Manchester United's Park Ji-sung (L) challenges Stoke City's Andy Wilkinson (R) during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England, Jan 31, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Fans celebrate after team claims first Africa Cup victory in three decades

KHARTOUM - Flags waved and cars honked in celebration on Monday night after Sudan's first Africa Cup of Nations win in three decades was enough to see it qualify for the quarterfinals.

"Up, up! Sudan up!" revellers shouted in the district of North Khartoum after Mudather Eltaib's two goals sealed a 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso and provided the precious points to earn Sudan an unlikely berth in the next round.

Women stood in the middle of a busy road outside Khartoum's airport carrying national flags and shouting, "Sudan! Sudan!"

Elsewhere, revellers caused a traffic jam, an AFP photographer saw.

"I'm so happy because after 40 years I saw Sudan join the ranks of the biggest teams," said Ahmed Omer, 48, flying a large Sudanese flag from his car as he cruised the streets of North Khartoum with his family.

The last time Sudan reached the final eight, in 1970, it went on to win the title.

There was little to cheer about after that, as Sudan was knocked out in the first round in 1972 and 1976 and again in its next appearance in 2008.

But even before Monday night's win, coach Mohammed "Mazda" Abdullah said Sudan had regained respect through its showing at this Africa Cup of Nations.

After a spirited 1-0 opening loss to Cote d'Ivoire, Sudan on Thursday ended a 3 1/2 decade scoring drought with a 2-2 draw against Angola, its rival for the runner-up spot sealed by Sudan in Group B.

It is the only squad made up completely of local players in this competition, up against soccer highrollers, and was ranked second from the bottom.

"We have good news about Sudan. Because of this we are coming out into the streets to celebrate," said Omer's wife, Amal Mohammed.

Other than Sudan's constant sunshine, the soccer victory provides a rare bright spot for a country battling high inflation and other economic woes after the secession last year of South Sudan.

Sudan will meet Zambia in the last eight in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, on Saturday.

Agence France-Presse

A man handcuffs himself to the goal post during the English Premier League soccer match between Everton and Manchester City in Liverpool, northern England, Jan 31, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - The Premier League match between Everton and leaders Manchester City at Goodison Park was halted for around four minutes just before halftime on Tuesday when a male fan handcuffed himself to a goalpost.

Merseyside police eventually freed the man who had attached himself to the goal City were defending.

The police said a 46-year-old man from nearby Southport was arrested for pitch encroachment and was being questioned.

City lost the game 1-0 and are now on the same points as Manchester United who defeated Stoke City 2-0 at Old Trafford.

Both teams have 54 points from 23 games but City lead on goal difference.

Colombian wingback Pablo Armero (pictured) and Cape Verde-born Switzerland midfielder Gelson Fernandes were the victims of racist chanting during both halves.

Juve has been hit with a 10,000 euro ($13,172 ) fine, the same amount it was docked in October after racist chanting during its win at Inter Milan.

The Old Lady of Turin's fans have a sorry record when it comes to racist chants as they regularly abused Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli - an Italian of Ghanaian origin - during his Inter days.

During the 2008-09 season, Juve had to play a match behind closed doors after its fans racially abused Balotelli following a controversial incident during the team's clash with Inter.

That seemed to anger and galvanise certain sections of Juve supporters who proceeded to regularly target Balotelli, even when not playing against his team.

The next season, the club was punished four times, including a partial stand-closure once, for fans' anti-Balotelli chants.

That season it was hit with 25,000-euro and 20,000-euro fines as well as the closure of the stand holding its "Ultra" fans for one match, whereas this season the sanctions have been tame in comparison.

It's not just Juve involved in racist chanting, though, as Cagliari and Brescia have also been fined for the same offense over the past couple of years.

Last season's Cagliari-Inter clash was briefly suspended due to such chants - although the Sardinian club's then-coach Pierpaolo Bisoli suggested afterward that normal angry chants against an opponent's player, Samuel Eto'o, had been mistaken for having a racial nature.

Balotelli was even abused by Italy fans when on international duty against Romania in a friendly in Austria in November 2010.

He said he was hurt by the chants he suffered.

"I had to learn to live with racism in Italy, to pretend it was nothing, but it burned," he said back then.

"In England, that doesn't happen. But it shouldn't happen anywhere."

Back in 2007, before Manchester United played Roma in a Champions League match, Frenchman Louis Saha claimed he was expecting to be racially abused.

"We are traveling to Italy, and in those kind of places it seems like they are used to it. They don't fight it like we have done in England," said Saha, then of United but now at Everton.

"They are starting to recognize it and think about it, but not very strongly - whereas England is a good example of where it has been tackled."

The next year, former Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura, who had played in Italy for Reggina, said racism in the country discouraged foreigners from moving to Serie A.

"Sometimes you get racism ... not in Scotland but in Italy, which is not nice, and that probably explains why so few Japanese players have made it (in Italy)," he said when at Celtic.

Agence France-Presse

LOS ANGELES - Blake Griffin's jaw-dropping one-handed jam over Kendrick Perkins sent Los Angeles Clippers fans into a frenzy, fired up his teammates, lit up the Twitterverse and burned the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Griffin had 22 points to go with Chris Paul's 26 points and 14 assists in a 112-100 victory on Monday night that snapped the Thunder's four-game winning streak in a matchup of division leaders.

Griffin downplayed his monster move after the game, a sly smile only briefly breaking his serious expression.

"CP commands so much attention out there. He came off the pick-and-roll and he hit me in stride," Griffin said.

Paul said: "I told Blake after the game, 'Thanks for letting me be part of that'."

DeAndre Jordan grabbed Griffin from behind in a celebratory bear hug as the basket got replayed over and over in the third quarter.

Jordan, who had 11 points and 11 rebounds, couldn't help himself.

"I was shocked. I didn't know what to do, so I just grabbed him. I hit him kind of hard," he said. "I'm going to go home and watch it again. It's probably going to be the screensaver on my phone."

Griffin said he knew he'd made an impression judging by the crowd's raucous response.

Then he felt Jordan behind him.

"He armlocked me," Griffin said. "I couldn't breathe."

Paul had 26 points and 14 assists, Caron Butler also had 22 points, Chauncey Billups scored 13 and Mo Williams 12 as the Pacific-leading Clippers dunked with high-flying abandon against the team with the NBA's best record at 16-4.

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - The 76ers had one of their worst performances of the season to open a rugged stretch on the schedule.

It was still good enough to beat slumping Orlando.

However, the surprising Sixers know they'll have to play better if they want to prove they're for real during a 10-day stretch of games against some of the top teams in the NBA.

Andre Iguodala had 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead Philadelphia to its third straight win, 74-69 over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.

The Sixers raced to their best start in nearly a decade by taking advantage of a soft schedule for the first third of the season, but it gets tough from here. Orlando was the first opponent in a long run of games against winning teams that includes home games this week against Chicago and Miami.

Led by Iguodala's burst in the third quarter, the Sixers (15-6) outlasted the stumbling Magic and won despite posting their lowest point's total of the season. Dwight Howard's 17 points and 11 rebounds weren't enough in Orlando's fourth straight loss.

The Sixers shot 38 percent from the floor, 27 percent from 3-point range and 53 percent from the foul line, some of their worst numbers of the season.

"I would have not bet on us winning that game tonight," with those numbers, coach Doug Collins said.

After Chicago and Miami, the Sixers play Saturday at Atlanta. They return home next week for games against the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers.

"That was a much-needed win for us here with what we have ahead of us this week," Collins said.

Howard wants out of Orlando and criticized his teammates on Friday for not playing hard enough in a loss to New Orleans. He missed eight of 13 free throws overall against Philadelphia and the Magic missed 14 of 17 shots from the floor in the third. Ryan Anderson had 14 points and 20 rebounds.

After losing to the lowly Hornets, Howard said his teammates should just stay in the locker room if they didn't want to play.

Orlando's star center said it's OK to rip his team even though he'd like to be traded.

"It's not the first time I've called them out," Howard said. "As a leader, you've got to do things that people don't like. People hate what they don't understand. My teammates understand why I said what I said. They all agree. It's not like, 'Oh, Dwight's wrong with what he said.' But that's with anything. My job is to challenge my teammates and challenge myself to go out and play every night."

The Magic missed nine straight shots during a 6-minute stretch in the third that allowed the Sixers to build a double-digit lead. Jodie Meeks hit a 3-pointer for a 53-40 lead and the 76ers withstood three late 3s by Orlando that trimmed the final margin.

The Magic scored only nine points in the third quarter. Howard had all three baskets.

With 6 minutes left in the game, the Magic had yet to reach 50 points.

"We're still a great basketball team, we're just going through a tough stretch. That's it," Howard said.

Associated Press

Foreign media report that Jay Cohen, an American film producer, is setting up a film finance fund with Yao Ming, which has caught the attention of China's media and public.

"Yao Ming and our team has not joined or set up any such organizations as the film finance fund," Yao's agent Zhang Mingji told Xinhua, adding that they are open to such kind of business, and are looking for good investment opportunities.

Zhang said, Jay Cohen is a friend of Yao and Yao's team and they have made some discussions on investing in the film industry, but no action has been taken yet.

He went on saying that Yao is currently busy with his study and works in the Shanghai Sharks,  a Chinese basketball team, and he has no plan to go to the United States to negotiate investing in the film industry.

Yao, 31, announced his retirement on July 20 last year from the National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets, the US team who made him a global star, and from the Chinese national team five days later.

Since his retirement, Yao has been back to school studying for a university degree in business management and helping manage the Shanghai Sharks.

In November, he set up a company to sell his own brand of wine, and he sold the first bottle for 150,000 yuan ($23,766) at a charity auction.

Yao is China's first global sports superstar with a personal brand valued at more than $1 billion.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter (C) gestures as UEFA President Michel Platini (R) looks on during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to mark the centenary of the Russian Football Union in St. Petersburg, Jan 19, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Swiss Blatter, whose spell at the helm expires in 2015, believes Europe will fight to keep control of world soccer's governing body with UEFA president Platini of France a natural candidate.

"Michel Platini is ready, if he wants. He says 'I don't know yet...' but deep inside, he wants it," the 75-year-old Blatter told France Football magazine on Tuesday.

"Of course he will be a good president. He will not be the same president that I am, because everyone is different but he will be a good president."

Blatter reaffirmed that his current spell in charge would be his last.

"At some point, you have to stop. I'm trying to reach 2015. I'm coming towards the end of my presidency but I want to install the next governance," he said.

National broadcaster KBS reported that the South Korean football club Incheon United holds the 2012 Incheon Peace Cup International Youth Football Match in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province.

The event, the second of its kind since last year, will be participated in by four youth football teams from the ROK, the DPRK, China and Japan.

"We expect that young football talents from the four countries examine each other's skills through the matches and accumulate game experiences," an official at the Incheon United said in a press release posted on the team's website.

"It will be an opportunity to establish a bridgehead to expand cultural and economic exchanges via sports exchanges," the official said.

South Korean footballer Ahn Jung-hwan wipes tears during a press conference to announce his retirement from soccer in Seoul, Jan 31, 2012.[Photo/CFP]

The 36-year-old is best remembered for his dramatic golden goal that knocked Italy out of the 2002 World Cup, co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.

South Korea reached the semifinals that year in its best-ever placing at the quadrennial competition.

During a press conference in Seoul, a teary Ahn said he is looking forward to the challenge of a new life after football.

"I've experienced many different football cultures in different countries, and those were really lucky times of my life," Ahn said. "I reached the World Cup three times, and I enjoyed everything a football player could have enjoyed."

Ahn Jung-hwan celebrates after scoring the winning golden goal for South Korea against Italy in the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals, sending South Korea into the semifinals, at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium in South Korea, June 18, 2002 file photo. [Photo/CFP]

At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Ahn scored the winning goal to give South Korea a 2-1 win over Togo in the group stage and its first victory in the tournament on foreign soil.

Ahn said he wants to work with young players for the development of South Korean football. "I've been thinking a lot of working with young players," he said.

"With football, fundamentals are important. I want to help players from young age and give a lot of help for development."

Ahn signed a three-month contract with Chinese Super League side Dalian Shide in March 2009 and scored his first CSL goal on 18 April 2009. He then extended his contract with Dalian to Dec 2010, despite that J-League club Oita Trinita had an intention to sign him. He was promoted to team captain in Season 2010 and had been the key player in the club.

Fans of Dalian Shide demonstrate a huge banner in acknowledgement to Ahn Jung-hwan during his last CSL game for Dalian, Oct 29, 2011 file photo. [Photo/CFP]

Ahn Jung-hwan of Dalian Shide celebrates after scoring against Qingdao Zhongneng during their Chinese Super League game, July 5, 2009 file photo. [Photo/CFP]

LOCOG were handed the keys for the 2,800 apartments on Friday and now have six months to fit them out before 16,000 athletes descend on an area of East London that has been transformed from a weed-strewn industrial wilderness into what will become a new trendy suburb of the capital.

In the coming months, 16,000 beds will be delivered along with 9,000 wardrobes, 170,000 coat hangers, 11,000 sofas and 5,000 toilet brushes.

Each apartment will also be equipped with a television and have wi-fi internet facilities.

"The village of course is the heartbeat of the Olympic Games," LOCOG chief executive Paul Deighton told reporters.

"What is special about the Olympic Games and the Paralympics Games is that it's multi-sport and for the athletes the fact they can stay together with all the great athletes of the world is probably its most unique characteristic."

Work began on the Village in June 2008 and as well as the residential blocks that will provide home-from-homes for the world's top sportsmen and women, the site will include a cinema, an Olympic Village Plaza, shops, parks and 24-hour dining facilities serving up 60,000 meals each day of the Games.

To handle what LOCOG describes as "the largest peacetime catering operation in the world" it will source 25,000 loaves of bread, 232 tonnes of potatoes, 330 tonnes of fruit and vegetables and 75,000 litres of milk.

Organizers have tapped into the knowledge of former British Olympic gold medallists such as triple jump world record holder Jonathan Edwards in the planning of the Village.

But Olympic Delivery Authority Chairman John Armitt admitted the Village had caused most concern because of its funding problems.

"People have often said to me in the past 'what has kept you awake at night over the last three or four years' and probably the Village would be the honest answer to that," he said.

Originally, it was supposed to comprise just under 4,000 flats, and was to be a private venture by developer Lend Lease but the global credit crunch meant investment dried up and the government opted to fund it itself.

After the Games the Village, which cost 1.1 billion pounds ($1.73 billion) of public funds to build, will form a new community known as East Village with half the homes, already sold for 268 million pounds, used for social housing.

The other 1,439 dwellings have been sold off privately for 557 million pounds to a consortium of UK developer Delancy and the Qatari Diar real estate company, the property arm of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund.

There will also be a range of community facilities including the Chobham Academy - a new education campus with places for 1,800 students which will open in 2013.

After fans in Denver showed him their appreciation, Chauncey Billups gave them one more reason to miss their native son and rue the day he left.

Billups' homecoming couldn't have gone better. He scored a season-high 32 points and drew a crucial foul in the waning seconds to help seal the Los Angeles Clippers' 109-105 victory, which snapped the Denver Nuggets' six-game winning streak Sunday night.

It was Billups' first game at the Pepsi Center since the Nuggets included him in the Carmelo Anthony trade nearly a year ago.

The veteran guard received a rousing ovation during introductions.

"That was beautiful, man," Billups said. "That was beautiful."

The only visitor who got louder applause was Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, sitting courtside.

"That ovation was well-deserved," Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo said about Billups.

Nuggets coach George Karl said, "We didn't get a generous whistle. I thought the last play Chauncey was actually trying to foul Nene on purpose. That is a tough call in that situation."

Paul was fouled on the ensuing inbounds and sank two free throws to cap the win. He finished with 25 points, and Blake Griffin added 17.

"Chauncey's like me. It doesn't matter where you play, you want to win," Paul said. "You couldn't care less if you're at home or you're a thousand miles away from home, you just want to win."

Associated Press

LONDON - England should not change its team despite being "embarrassed" by Pakistan in the first two tests, according to former captain Michael Vaughan.

With a victory target of 145 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, the world's No 1 ranked Test side collapsed to 72 all out to hand Pakistan a 2-0 lead in its three-match series.

"Personally, I would not change the team," Vaughan told the Sunday Telegraph. "We have seen two embarrassing failures. Give them one more chance knowing a Sri Lanka tour, played on similar positions, is next on the calendar.

"Dubai is one chance for these players to show they are good enough to get on the plane to Sri Lanka."

England has one more Test against Pakistan and then travels to Sri Lanka in March.

Vaughan pointed the finger at England's batsmen, who failed miserably to cope with Pakistan's spin bowlers Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rahman and Mohammad Hafeez.

"England has been embarrassed on this tour with the bat and you can point the finger at this team and say it doesn't play cricket in the subcontinent at all well," Vaughan said.

"That is difficult to take as a team which believes it is the best, but even top sides lose when it only has two batsmen in the top six playing with authority.

"Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott are the only batsmen who look comfortable but they are not the kind of guys to dominate the game.

"They occupy the crease. The rest of the top six are struggling for technique, judgement, scoring options and, biggest of all, confidence."

Vaughan said the likes of Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen needed to show strength of character before the third Test starts in Dubai, but dismissed suggestions that captain Andrew Strauss was not justifying his place in the side.

"They can start by not hiding anymore and admitting they have a problem batting in the sub-continent on low, slow wickets," Vaughan said.

"Pietersen's technique against left-arm spinners is shot... Ian Bell is totally bamboozled by Saeed Ajmal.

"Andrew Strauss is in a horrible position and that is a worry. He is such a good leader and a very strong man but now the team have started losing people have begun to look at his form and his average over the last year and a half.

"He needs a score for his peace of mind. When you are still not scoring runs and the team are losing, your confidence goes. He needs runs for his own good.

"Forget about end of career predictions. That is rubbish. He needs runs for his own well being to give himself energy because you soon feel drained as a captain when you are not playing well and the team is losing.

"The job exhausts you. Strauss still has energy, he just needs runs to bring back the feel-good factor."

In Pakistan, former captain Shoaib Malik said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had done well to take advantage of treating the matches in the Gulf as a "home series".

"The pitches prepared for the first two tests were good test pitches but played to our strengths. England's rise in the last few years has mainly been dependent on its pace bowlers not its spinners," Malik said.

Reuters

AFC wide receiver Brandon Marshall of the Miami Dolphins celebrates with the trophy after being named MVP of the NFL Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, Jan 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The Miami Dolphins wide receiver caught six passes for 176 yards and a Pro Bowl-record four touchdowns, and the AFC used a second-half surge to beat the NFC 59-41 on Sunday.

"You never know when you're going to be back," Marshall said, "and I wanted to go all out today because it could be my last Pro Bowl."

Marshall (pictured) had a touchdown catch in each quarter, including an early 74-yarder and a 3-yarder in the fourth, in a game filled with highlight-reel grabs.

He was selected the game's MVP, and his name now will join the likes of Walter Payton and Jerry Rice on the MVP banners at Aloha Stadium.

"You know what? I wanted it," he said. "It's a Pro Bowl. Some guys are playing 100 (percent), some guys are playing 90, some guys aren't playing at all, but it means a lot to be up in the rafters with some of these guys."

The 59 points by the AFC set a Pro Bowl mark, and the 100 points scored by the teams combined was the second highest, a touchdown shy of the 107 scored in 2004.

But it was clear from the start it was Marshall's day. He hauled in a deflected, go-ahead 47-yard TD pass from Andy Dalton, while on his back, to give the AFC a 38-35 lead late in the third quarter. It was Marshall's third TD catch of the game, tying Jimmy Smith's Pro Bowl record set in 2004.

"It was the most unathletic highlight I ever had," he said. "Andy put it up there for me to make a play. I saw the ball, got nervous, fell, saw the ball, kicked it up and it just fell in my hands."

Marshall, making his third Pro Bowl appearance, then nabbed a 3-yard TD pass from Dalton that gave the AFC a 52-35 lead with 8:25 left and put the game away.

"People were saying throw to him. I saw the matchup I had and he's a great receiver, so I knew he could make the play," Dalton said.

Hawaii has been kind to Marshall, who also won MVP honors at Aloha Stadium in his final game at Central Florida in the 2005 Hawaii Bowl, where he caught 11 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns.

Marshall noted he had six TDs this season, but four this game.

"It says a lot when you're playing with these type of quarterbacks," Marshall said. "They just put it in the right place and I just made the play. Hats off to those guys throwing me the ball."

Reuters

MINNEAPOLIS - The Los Angeles Lakers were reeling and the Minnesota Timberwolves were rolling, turning an 18-point deficit into a one-point lead with three minutes to go.

Just when it looked as though the Lakers were going to let another road game slip away, Kobe Bryant showed these young pups just how it's done in closing time.

Bryant had 35 points and 14 rebounds and Pau Gasol scored 28 to give the Lakers a much-needed road victory, 106-101 over the Timberwolves on Sunday night.

Andrew Bynum added 21 points for the Lakers, who won for just the second time in nine road games this season. But it was Bryant who slammed the door, slithering through the holes in Minnesota's zone to hit two clutch jumpers to seal the win.

"I don't know if he's the best one or not, but in the last quarter, for sure," said Wolves rookie point guard Ricky Rubio, who had eight assists but just five points on 2-for-13 shooting. "Maybe during 48 minutes, there are players like LeBron and Derrick Rose who can be in that top position, but at the end of the game, he's the best."

Kevin Love had 33 points and 13 rebounds and Michael Beasley added 18 points and 12 boards for the Wolves, who lost to the Lakers for the 16th straight time.

The Wolves dominated many of the statistics, including offensive rebounds (24-7), turnovers (12-4), second-chance points (32-10) and fast-break points (16-0). But they shot just 38 percent and couldn't find an answer for Bryant, who made 14 of 29 shots and 5 of 9 3-pointers.

Minnesota led 94-93 with 3:19 to play, but the Lakers' size was too much down the stretch. Bynum threw down two dunks and Bryant attacked the middle for two pull-up jumpers.

"We couldn't stop him, no matter what we did," Rubio said. "He was a scoring machine in the fourth quarter."

The Lakers staggered into Target Center on Sunday night with four losses in five games and an ugly 1-7 mark on the road. Their struggling offense in new coach Mike Brown's first season had failed to top 100 points in 13 straight games, the club's longest streak since the shot clock was implemented in 1954.

But the Lakers shot 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range against the Wolves. On the second night of a back-to-back, Bryant and Gasol played the entire second half. Coach Mike Brown didn't want those minutes to soar, but he had no other choice.

"That's what needed to happen," Brown said. "I don't like doing that. Our second unit did a nice job in the first half, but once they went to zone, I thought we needed that experience back in the game."

What had been a sleeper of a game turned into a heart-pounder in the final 17 minutes.

The Lakers were in complete control midway through the third quarter, shooting 55 percent and suffocating the Wolves offense. Bryant was feeling it, yapping at Wes Johnson after drilling a 3-pointer right in his face and Gasol's layup gave the Lakers a 73-55 lead with 5 minutes to play in the period.

"That's been our Achilles heel," Love said. "We've been a second-half team the entire year. We just need to come out in the first 24 minutes and replicate what we do in the second half as well."

Rubio had just one point, two assists and two rebounds at that point, and the Wolves were unable to get anything going outside of Love's typically efficient night.

Then, Wolves coach Rick Adelman switched to a zone defense and Beasley and Anthony Randolph added some much-needed energy. Martell Webster hit a 3, Randolph threw down an alley-oop from Rubio and the Spanish rookie finished a 19-6 quarter-closing surge with a running bank shot to cut the Lakers' lead to 79-74 heading into the fourth.

But the Lakers finally started using their size to find holes in the zone and overpower the undersized Wolves. "We needed to get a win on the road," Bryant said flatly.

Associated Press

LONDON - Arsene Wenger hopes Arsenal's epic fightback against Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round will act as a spark for his team's bid to qualify for the Champions League.

Arsenal's Robin van Persie (L) celebrates with teammate Theo Walcott after their third goal against Aston Villa during their FA Cup soccer match at the Emirates Stadium in London, Jan 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Wenger's men were heading for a shock exit at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday after Villa surged into a 2-0 lead by half-time thanks to goals from Richard Dunne and Darren Bent.

But the often frail Gunners finally showed some backbone as three goals in seven second half minutes - two Robin van Persie penalties sandwiching a fortunate Theo Walcott effort - clinched a dramatic 3-2 win that booked a fifth round trip to Sunderland or Middlesbrough.

Wenger admits morale among his squad has been at a low ebb after three successive defeats, so this was exactly the kind of spirited effort he was looking for.

And the French coach is hopeful this result will make his players believe they are good enough to overhaul fourth placed Chelsea - which is currently four points clear of Arsenal - and finish in the Premier League's top four.

"I hope it will convince the team we have the qualities needed and we can transfer that to the Premier League," Wenger said.

"When you don't win, your belief goes. We lost our last three games in the Premier League so of course your belief is not there, regardless of your history.

"I was very impressed with the spirit. Coming from a bad period of results and being 2-0 down you can feel sorry for yourself, but the players were very positive at halftime.

"They didn't give up. I was very proud. They showed they weren't ready to lie down."

After being jeered by Arsenal's fans for replacing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with Andrey Arshavin during last weekend's defeat against Manchester United, Wenger coped with more flak from the fuming Emirates faithful at halftime on Sunday.

Arsenal's second half revival gave Wenger some respite from the abuse, but he rejected the chance to hit back at his critics.

"I felt the fans were quite positive compared to last time," he said. "I am sad we cannot always keep them happy. The only thing we can do is show this spirit.

"I just want to do well for this club that I love. I understand that people question my decisions. But I wouldn't understand if they question my commitment and dedication to the club."

Wenger also revealed he decided not to tear into his players at halftime because he didn't want to shatter their already fragile confidence levels.

"At halftime I said to them that it was a good test for us to show we have the mental qualities to come back," Wenger said.

"It was important we didn't panic because to concede just before halftime for 2-0 is a difficult blow.

"It was a classic English cup tie. We had to fight and we did it well.

"The second half was all us. It was important we pushed them back into their own half and we did that very well."

Meanwhile, Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish was left to rue his team's failure to press home its halftime advantage.

McLeish, who called on the FA to investigate an alleged elbow by van Persie on Carlos Cuellar, admitted Villa crumbled too easily in the face of Arsenal's second half pressure.

"It was a top-class performance from us in the first half, but maybe Arsenal scored too soon in the second half. It gave them a huge lift and we looked a bit leggy," McLeish said.

"It's never over. I said that to the boys at halftime. You know there are 45 minutes to go.

"To be fair, the players went right to the end and we could have had an equalizer. It wasn't to be and we have to learn from that.

"We have to learn that winning mentality. It was disappointing that we capitulated. It's a missed opportunity."

Agence France-Presse

Megan Rapinoe (L) of the US jumps for the ball against Robyn Gayle of Canada during the first half of their final CONCACAF Women's Olympic qualifying soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Jan 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - With a flick of the head, Abby Wambach sent Alex Morgan on a 30-yard run that gave the United States an early lead, the first of three goals resulting from impeccable teamwork between the veteran and the up-and-comer.

There's no question that Wambach, now the second leading goal-scorer in women's soccer, will be at the front of the attack for the US women's soccer team at the London Olympics. The emerging question is whether Morgan should be starting as well.

Wambach and Morgan scored two goals apiece Sunday night in the Americans' 4-0 victory over Canada in the championship game of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament, a match that was essentially for bragging rights between two teams that had already earned their berths for the Summer Games.

Christie Rampone of the US holds up the CONCACAF trophy after defeating Canada in the CONCACAF Women's Olympic qualifying soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia Jan 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

"I'm not going to lie. I think we play really well together," Wambach said. "Her skill set is completely opposite of mine, and that just makes for a nightmare for any defenses. She's so fast. Not only is she fast, she's so strong on the ball."

Wambach's head-flick provided the assist on Morgan's goal in the fourth minute, then Morgan assisted in the 24th and 28th as Wambach pushed her career total to 131 goals, one ahead of longtime US captain Kristine Lilly. The 31-year-old forward said last week that it's only a matter of time before she or Canada's Christine Sinclair topple Mia Hamm's record of 158, but that's still a few years off.

"Lill e-mailed me a couple of days ago," Wambach said. "And she says 'How about you go ahead and tie me already, and then why don't you go ahead and beat me already? But don't make it a toe-poke, make it a nice goal.' And I think those two goals were great goals for us."

Associated Press

Goalkeeper Karina Leblanc of Canada (2nd L) lets in a shot from Veronica Perez of Mexico during the second half of their semi-final CONCACAF Women's Olympic qualifying soccer match in Vancouver, British, Jan 27, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Still fighting to regain his standing, Woods grabs share of third in Abu Dhabi despite final-round struggle

Tiger Woods was heading home to Florida late Sunday with a mixed report card from his first foray into the 2012 golf season, at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. A share of third place in a tournament that boasted the top four players in the world and six out of the top 10 was, on the face of it, an encouraging performance.

But eyebrows were still raised by his inability to finish the job off when he was tied for a share of the lead going into the final round with 34-year-old Robert Rock, an Englishman ranked 117th in the world, whose sole tournament win in nine years came at last year's Italian Open.

Woods, bidding to rebound after a year mired in injuries and a personal scandal involving his married life, was upbeat.

"I'm pleased at the progress I've made so far," he said of his work with new coach Sean Foley, who has been helping him re-fashion his swing to accomodate the leg injuries that sidelined him for most of last year.

"Basically since Australia (in November), my stroke-play events have been pretty good.

"So I just need to keep building, keep getting more consistent and today was a day when I putted beautifully. Just didn't give myself enough looks."

The 36-year-old American has been characteristically circumspect during his season-opening week in the Gulf, with his private life strictly out of bounds and his targets for the year left deliberately vague.

But he has looked healthy and determined to continue his march back up the golfing ladder.

Having fallen outside the world top 50 due to his time on the injury sidelines, Woods had already moved up to 25th in the world rankings coming into Abu Dhabi and his performance here will nudge him back into the top 20.

Next up is his US season starter at Pebble Beach next month, followed by the WGC Matchplay Championship in Arizona and the WGC Championship tournament at Doral in March.

That will lead him into what is his main priority: The Masters at Augusta National in early April, where he will be aiming to win a 15th major title, which would put him three shy of matching Jack Nicklaus.

Most observers agreed that Woods' ball-striking is as sharp as it has been for some time, although his putting still seems less assured than it was in his glory days.

Both Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald said they had been impressed after playing with Woods in the first two rounds, and Rock, a former golf pro who prides himself on his knowledge of the golf swing, said he too had liked what he had seen.

"He's definitely playing better," he said.

"Maybe he didn't play as well as he would have liked to today, but his stats earlier in the week, his driving accracy was good, his greens in regulation was good and he was hitting the ball well. So there's no doubt about that I think."

Agence France-Presse

As countdown clocks showed 182 days to go, organizers LOCOG formally took charge of the Olympic Village site that will house up to 16,000 athletes and team officials when the Games start on July 27 and said everything was looking good.

Danny Boyle, the Oscar-winning director of 'Slumdog Millionaire' who is overseeing the opening ceremony, revealed that the 'Isles of Wonder' show would involve a big bell and also pay tribute to the country's National Health Service.

The ceremony's title is inspired by Caliban's speech in Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest', a tale of spirits, shipwreck and redemption.

While Boyle kept the details close to his chest, LOCOG chief executive Paul Deighton made up for that in an earlier briefing with reporters full of facts, figures and mind-boggling minutiae.

"All the things we needed to do to be in great shape over the past six and a half years are in place," he declared. "The venues are in great shape, the money's in good shape.

"But there's still an enormous amount to do. Like any business, you need to get the vision right and the resources right and plan right but you still need to execute superbly within that strategy.

"This last six months is all about that attention to detail."

More milestones

Friday's milestone was one of many that organizers have trumpeted on the countdown to the city's third Summer Games, with the 200 days to go mark passed on Jan 9.

April 18 will be 100 days to go, May 5 marks 2,012 hours remaining and June 7 crosses the final 50-day threshold but the date when a majority of Londoners become truly enthralled by the scale of the event seems yet to dawn.

If there is still considerable scepticism, amid fears of transport chaos and suffocating security, LOCOG expects enthusiasm to burn brightly once the torch arrives on British soil in May.

"The torch relay is when the nation is really going to come together," said LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe. "We are quite slow burning as a nation but it will happen...when that torch starts its journey, that's when the landscape does transform very quickly."

Jeremy Hunt, the UK minister for Culture, Media and Sport, was on hand to emphasise the government's commitment to the Games.

"We want to demonstrate at a time of great economic uncertainty the things that we believe we can do. I hope that it won't just be a boost to this country but to global confidence," he told reporters.

The status quo has been maintained at the top of the men's rankings after Novak Djokovic's dramatic win over Rafael Nadal. The same isn't true on the women's tour.

Official rankings to be released on Monday show Djokovic maintaining the No 1 spot on the ATP Tour.

Victoria Azarenka moved to No 1 on the women's tour with her first Grand Slam title, an emphatic win over Maria Sharapova on Saturday. Caroline Wozniacki dropped from No 1 to No 4, with Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova remaining in second and Sharapova moving up one place to third.

US Open champion Sam Stosur, who lost in the first round at Melbourne Park, moves into fifth from sixth despite the poor result at her home major, while Agnieszka Radwanska moves to a career-high No 6.

Marion Bartoli of France moves up to two places seventh, while Vera Zvonareva is No 8, China's Li Na ninth and Andre Petkovic, who withdrew from the Australian due to a stress fracture in her back, remains at 10.

Li dropped four places from fifth after she lost in the fourth round to defending champion Kim Clijsters in a rematch of the 2011 final.

Li had a large number of ranking points to defend as a losing finalist in 2011.

Clijsters, who lost in the semifinals to Azarenka this year at Melbourne Park, is projected to drop to 30th from 11th.

Serena Williams, who lost in the fourth round, will remain at No 12.

The only change in the men's top 10 is at No 10, where 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro replaces Nicolas Almagro.

Nadal remained at No 2 after losing his third straight Grand Slam final - all of them to Djokovic.

Roger Federer, who lost to Nadal in the Australian Open semifinals, remains in third place, followed by Andy Murray, who lost to Djokovic in the semifinals.

David Ferrer is fifth, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga sixth, Tomas Berdych seventh, Mardy Fish eighth and Janko Tipsarevic ninth.

Associated Press

MELBOURNE - Rafael Nadal said the Australian Open final was one of the best losses of his career.

"Physically it was the toughest match I ever played," Nadal said.

"I think we played a great tennis match. It was, I think, a very good show in my opinion," he added. "I enjoyed being part of this event and this match. That's the truth.

"I wanted to win, but I am happy about how I did. I had my chances against the best player in the world today."

Nadal said he was pleased he had been able to match Djokovic physically and mentally, something he had not been able to do in 2011 when the Serb beat him six times in succession.

"I didn't play at a lower level than him for a long time (tonight), so that's a very positive thing for me," Nadal said. "I am very happy about my mentality tonight."

The Spaniard was also upbeat about his performance throughout the entire tournament and said it bodes well for a successful 2012.

"(I'm) very happy with my level during both weeks. I realize the whole tournament I did well. I did a lot of very positive things, much more than in 2011 for most of the time," he said. "I played more aggressive. I played more winners than ever. My serve worked well. The mentality and the passion were there (better than ever)."

Agence France-Presse

After Djokovic's epic Australian Open win over Nadal, he's just a French Open away from Grand Slam

Rod Laver was the last man to complete the Grand Slam - back in 1969 - and after Novak Djokovic's astonishing win in the Australian Open final, it looks like the Serb could be next. Laver was watching at Melbourne Park as Djokovic claimed his fourth Grand Slam title in 12 months. And if his blistering run of form continues and he wins the French Open in June, he will hold all four major titles at once. [Factbox]

The true Grand Slam - winning all four trophies in a single calendar year - would also require him to retain his Wimbledon and US Open titles.

Many would bet on Djokovic succeeding where both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have failed, after the once delicate world No 1 survived a record 5 hr 53 min slugfest with the snarling Spaniard.

"You're in pain, you're suffering, you know that you're trying to activate your legs, you're trying to push yourself another point, just one more point, one more game," Djokovic said later.

"You're going through so much suffering your toes are bleeding. Everything is just outrageous, you know, but you're still enjoying that pain."

Important victories seem to spur Djokovic to greater heights. After winning the 2010 Davis Cup with Serbia, he compiled a 43-match winning streak that was only halted by Federer after six months in the French Open semifinals.

Last year he collected the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open trophies among 10 titles, and went 70-6 despite struggling with injury from September onwards.

Now Djokovic is targeting the French Open, the only major to elude him, which would make him a strong bet to complete the elusive Grand Slam.

"I'm prioritizing Grand Slams this year, as every year, and Olympic Games. I think that's one of my highest goals," he said.

"So I want to do well and I want to get to my first final at least in Paris. I have never been in the final there, and I have a feeling that I'm ready this year to achieve that."

Sunday's final, which stretched into the early hours of Monday in Melbourne, proved Djokovic has the capacity to tough it out, something that seemed in doubt earlier in his career when he was known for pulling out of big matches.

And after regular beatings at the hands of Federer and Nadal, the Serb is now the man handing out the punishment.

"I was in that position a couple years ago, you know, losing most of the semifinals and finals against him (Nadal) and Roger in Grand Slams so I know how it feels," he said.

"I really thought what I said sincerely on the court, is that unfortunately there had to only be one winner because we both gave it all. We both put 100 percent of our abilities on the court and played to the last moment.

"Unfortunately there couldn't be two winners, but he definitely deserved to be a winner as well tonight. You know, I would be saying same thing if I'm sitting here as a loser."

And for Djokovic, winning his third Australian Open title in front of Laver, who was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first of his two Grand Slams, gave the occasion added significance.

"I'm very proud just to be part of this history, part of the elite of the players that have won this tournament several times," he said.

"I was very flattered to be playing in front of Rod Laver, in front of the all-time greats, and in front of 15,000 people that stayed until 1:30 am.

"It's incredible, really."

Agence France-Presse

EARLY CAREER

* Born: Belgrade, May 22, 1987

* Began playing tennis at age of 4.

* His father was a professional skier and wanted his son to be a skier or professional soccer player but changed his mind when Djokovic excelled at tennis from an early age.

MAKING HIS MARK

* First full year on tour in 2005. Made Grand Slam debut as a qualifier at the Australian Open, losing to Marat Safin in the first round. Finished as the youngest player (18 years, five months) inside the top 100.

* Coached by Slovak former ATP professional Marian Vajda since 2006.

* In 2006, he won his first ATP tour title at Amersfoort, followed that with second title indoors at Metz.

SUPERB SEASON

* Began 2011 by winning the Australian Open, beating Andy Murray in the final, to end his three-year wait for a second Grand Slam.

* Won his next six tournaments in Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Belgrade, Madrid and Rome. He did not lose again until June 3, when Federer ended his 41-match winning streak in 2011 in the French Open semifinals.

* Secured the No 1 spot on July 4 by beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Wimbledon semifinals, then beat Nadal to clinch his first Wimbledon title, his first on grass.

* Won a record fifth Masters title in a season when he won in Toronto, one of the lead-up events for the US Open.

* Saved two match points to beat Federer in the semifinals of the US Open, then defeated Nadal in the final to become the seventh man to win three Grand Slams in a year since tennis turned professional in 1968.

DOMINANCE CONTINUED

* Chose not to play any warmup events before Australian Open title defense and has been troubled with allergies and problems with his breathing throughout the tournament, notably against David Ferrer and Andy Murray.

* Looked out on his feet in his semifinal against Murray but rallied with a blistering fourth-set performance that got him back into the match.

* Won his third Australian Open title, and fifth Grand Slam overall to continue his dominance of the men's game, when he beat Spain's Nadal in 5 hr 53 min.

The capital Bhopal of the state saw a huge tragedy in 1984 when a poisonous gas leak from the US Union Carbide killed tens of thousands.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Sunday that India is now an economic superpower and not a weak country anymore, so " either Dow should be removed from the sponsorship of Olympics or India should not participate".

Dow Chemicals bought over Union Carbide India Ltd and has become a sponsor of the 2012 London Olympics.

Years of match-fixing, gambling scandals, corruption scandals, and violence on and off the pitch have driven fans away, and for overseas companies that have tried to market products by sponsoring soccer clubs in China, the record has been checkered, said Mark Thomas, managing director of sports marketing company S2M Group.

"We tell our customers to take a very strong look at football and be very careful with it because there's a lot of dangers in actually investing in that brand and the negative connotation that it could potentially bring you," said Thomas.

What soccer really needs is a Yao Ming, the former NBA superstar who transformed Chinese basketball.

Short of local talent, Shanghai Shenhua is attempting to buy superstars. Late last year they turned heads globally by signing Nicolas Anelka, the 32-year-old French striker from English Premier League side Chelsea, reportedly on wages of $300,000 a week.

They also employed former Girondins Bordeaux coach Jean Tigana and have been courting Anelka's old Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba to help improve on last season's 11th place finish in the 16-team Chinese Super League.

Dong Hua, spokesman for the Chinese Football Association, said the CFA has no say over clubs hiring expensive foreign players but they were supportive of the move.

"We believe bringing in high-level famous soccer players, especially those from European leagues, will definitely help improve the popularity of the Chinese Super League and the level of Chinese football," Dong told Reuters by phone.

No silver bullet

But critics say foreign players, who may come and go, can't match the influence of local stars like Yao Ming, or French Open champion Li Na in tennis.

Also, if Shenhua are hoping Anelka will be the silver bullet to clean up Chinese soccer then their recent sponsorship deal with online gaming firm The9 Limited isn't the best solution, critics say.

Earlier this month, The9 said it would pay Anelka 2.7 million Euro ($3.50 million) to promote online shooter game Firefall developed by its subsidiary Red 5 Studios. The9 will also pay 32 million yuan ($5.05 million) to Shenhua to promote the game as well.

Shenhua's owner Zhu Jun is the founder and chief executive of The9.

The9, in its press release announcing the sponsorship deal, said that "Zhu recused himself from any discussion among the board of directors regarding this matter".

"I think there's a real mis-mash and even potential compliance issue between the ownership of a software company and the ownership of a football company, that seems to be a little bit too crossed over," said Thomas.

Thomas pointed to a 10-year, 400-million pounds ($623.48 million) stadium naming rights agreement between English Premier League leaders Manchester City and Etihad Airways. Etihad Airways is part owned by Abu Dhabi's government and founded by the half brother of Sheikh Mansour, owner of Manchester City.

The deal has created a lot of discussion about how money losing international soccer clubs should be funded.

The Anelka power

Still, despite the criticism, the signing of Anelka has brought more attention to Chinese soccer in the past month than many years combined, said Thomas.

All that is great for advertising dollars for now, said Seth Grossman, China managing director of ad agency Carat.

"It's a good thing for everyone around, if they get success on the field," said Grossman. "Ultimately, there's nothing that will turnaround a passionate fan base quicker than failure on the field. So let's see how they actually do on the pitch."

Soccer fans in China will be watching closely how much of a kick multi-million-dollar global soccer stars can give Chinese soccer, and whether they can outmanoeuvre the skeptics.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus poses with the trophy after defeating Maria Sharapova of Russia in the women's final at the Australian Open on Saturday. [Photo/Agencies]

Azarenka claims Australian Open crown and world No 1 ranking with 6-3, 6-0 romp over Sharapova

MELBOURNE - Belarus's Victoria Azarenka swept imperiously to her first Grand Slam title and the world No 1 ranking on Saturday when she demolished Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final.

The 22-year-old, playing her first major title match, made light of the occasion and her illustrious opponent as she hammered the Russian former champion 6-3, 6-0 in just 82 minutes.

Azarenka appeared on court in a yellow hoodie and listening to her MP3 player, and after being broken in the first game she was quickly into the rhythm of a match set to both players' notoriously loud shrieks.

After going 0-2 down in the first set, she stepped forward to claim 12 of the next 13 games against Sharapova, who was powerless to stop the onslaught despite her three major trophies, including the 2008 Melbourne title.

The third seed, who now succeeds Caroline Wozniacki as the new women's No 1, was equally cool afterwards as she lifted the Daphne Ackhurst Cup and dutifully thanked her grandmother in her acceptance speech without tears.

"I can't wait to be back next year, I've had an amazing month in Australia. It's a dream true," said Azarenka.

Her win highlights a shake-up in women's tennis after Wozniacki's departure from the No 1 ranking and a re-shuffling of the top 10, plus defeats for 2011 champion Kim Clijsters and five-time winner Serena Williams.

In the new rankings to be released on Monday, Czech player Petra Kvitova will be second behind Azarenka with Sharapova third and Wozniacki fourth, while China's Li Na falls to ninth.

"As in any sport you have your good days, you have your tough days and you have days where things just don't work out. Today, Victoria was just too good," Sharapova said.

"It all comes down to the last two athletes, winner takes it all after all the players in the draw. I've had great wins here and I've had tough losses but there's no doubt I'll be back."

Earlier there was controversy in the juniors' competitions as boys' winner Luke Saville swore in his acceptance speech and girls' runner-up Yulia Putintseva angrily smashed her racquet before shaking hands.

Australia's Saville, blamed "raw emotion" for his profane reaction after being presented with the trophy by Ken Rosewall on center court.

"I'll probably regret saying that word, but you know, it was just the heat of the moment. It was just raw emotion out there. I said what I thought," he said. "Lucky it wasn't the other word."

Putintseva also let her emotions get the better of her when she angrily bashed her racquet on the court before congratulating America's Taylor Townsend.

The 17-year-old is mentored by Patrick Mouratoglou, former tutor of Marcos Baghdatis who infamously mangled four racquets in quick succession during his second-round loss to Stanislas Wawrinka.

Agence France-Presse

Chicago's Derrick Rose, the league's Most Valuable Player, wound up with 34 points and produced some beautiful basketball but he will regret his failure at the foul line in the final minute.

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (L) knocks the ball away from Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose during their NBA basketball game in Miami, Florida, Jan 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

With the Heat ahead 94-93, Rose, whose elegant play had drawn applause from even the home crowd, missed two free throws only for James to do the same at the other end as the two key protagonists in the game somehow lost their aim when it mattered most.

Rose had gone into the game not having missed a fourth quarter free throw this season, with 26 of 26.

Adding to the theatre, James, the MVP in 2010, had taken on the role of defending Rose in the final minutes and did so effectively in what was a fascinating element of the contest.

James, who rode to the game on a bicycle to beat traffic disruption caused by the Miami Marathon, scored over 30 points for the third consecutive game and a league-best 11th time this season.

The Heat led through all quarters but the Bulls never let them break away and had the edge at one time in the second half by a point.

"I am sure everyone watching at home got their money's worth today," said Miami's Chris Bosh, who sealed the win with two free throws.

"Every time we play the Bulls it's going to be like that....we don't expect any blowouts and they are all probably going to come down to the last couple of possessions.

"They are a great team and we are going to see them many, many, time this year," added Bosh.

Miami Heat's LeBron James sits on the bench with his shoulder taped and iced during their NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Miami, Florida, Jan 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

The late drama was fitting for an encounter that had the edge of a playoff game and could well be the appetizer for a postseason series between the two teams.

There is clearly little love lost between the two teams and the aggression levels were well-above the regular season norm.

"You get into a game like this in the trenches, at the line of scrimmage and both sides going like this, you will get some skirmishes," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

Miami's route to victory was helped by James winning a jump-ball after a controversial call from the referees, who blew "an inadvertent whistle."

The cool head of Bosh, who made his two free throws, was key to what was a repeat of last season's Eastern Conference championship game.

Bosh finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds for Miami but Dwyane Wade, in his second game back after a six-game injury absence, was only four of 16 on shooting as he scored 15 points.

The win was the four consecutive and seventh in eight games for the Heat who are now just one game behind the Bulls in the East.

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (L) is defended by Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah during their NBA basketball game in Miami, Florida, Jan 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]