John Travolta Reaches Out To The Beckhams Hollywood actor

John Travolta has offered English soccer ace David Beckham flying lessons, in return for football tips.
The Wild Hogs star is hoping to befriend Beckham when he moves to Los Angeles later this year (07) after signing with local soccer team La Galaxy and hopes they can share tricks and tips for their respective hobbies and professions.

Travolta, 53, says, "I was so excited when I learned David Beckham was moving to La. He can teach me soccer - and I'll teach him to fly my plane." (c) WENN

Soccer Star Mia Hamm, Dodgers' Nomar Garciaparra Welcomes Twins

Soccer star Mia Hamm and her hubby, Los Angeles Dodgers babeball player and former Red Sox star Nomar Garciaparra, welcomed twin baby girls on Wednesday, her rep has confirmed.
People magazine initially broke the story.
"Both babies are healthy," announced Josh Rawitch, a spokesman for the Dodgers.
Mia Hamm, 33, played on the U.S. women's national soccer team for 18 years, retiring after the 2004 Olympics. She met Garciaparra at a 1998 charity event and wed in Santa Barbara in 2003. They currently reside in Los Angeles.
Nomar Garciaparra, 33, played nine seasons for the Boston Red Sox.

Argentine soccer thug leader turns himself in to police

Rafael Di Zeo, leader of La Doce (The 12) a barra brava (group of soccer hooligans) who follow Argentina soccer giant Boca Juniors, has handed himself into police along with two other Doce members, police said on Thursday.
Di Zeo had been ruled to four years and three months of jail time for a March 3, 1999 attack on Chacarita Jrs fans following a friendly match between Boca and Chacarita in Boca's La Bonbonera Stadium.
Di Zeo handed himself in alongside Fabian Kruger and Diego Rodriguez at mid-day on Thursday to the Federal Investigative Police headquarters which at the General Paz Avenue-Madariaga Avenue crossroads in central Buenos Aires. Thirty other La Doce members greeted him at police station.
Last week, two other Doce members -- Fernando Di Zeo and Gustavo Pereyra, known as El Oso (The Bear) -- turned themselves in to police.
Police already had two others in custody: Fabian Krueger and Diego Rodriguez. And the final convicted Doce member, Juan Castro, remains at large.
The La Doce attackers were first convicted on Sept. 26, 2005, by the city's Oral Tribunal number 6, and their sentences were ratified by an appeals court this month

Soccer fans celebrate at international game

OAKLAND - 151; You had to be brave to wear yellow — a color of Ecuador's national soccer team — to the Oakland Coliseum Wednesday night.
It was Mexican territory there as nearly 50,000 jubilant fans, most wearing Mexico's green, white and red, converged on the stadium to watch a sold-out exhibition game between Mexico and Ecuador.
"We know this is the largest attendance for a Mexican national team in Oakland," said Ben Ramirez Spencer, a spokesman for Soccer United Marketing, which co-sponsored Wednesday's game.
That meant there were about 50,000 happy fans there — Mexico won the game 4-2.
But the game was only half the fun, in the hours leading up to the 8:09 p.m. kick, people danced in the parking lot, drank beer and ate cevichi and carne asada to banda and mariachi music.
"You can hear the music a mile away," said Sonia Rodriguez of San Francisco during the Futbol Fiesta, a pre-game parking lot party. "People
were even celebrating on the freeway (driving here)," added Rodriguez, who had flags of Mexico painted on both cheeks.
If the fan's clothing was a clue, the crowd was about 95 percent in Mexico's corner.
But while team allegiance was unwavering, it was a friendly rivalry with fans for both teams mixing in the parking lot over carne asada and Coronas before the game.
"When we (Latinos) get together we have a good time," said Laura Arechiga, 20, of San Francisco. "It doesn't matter where you are from ... soccer brings us together."
Ximena Haro, 17, and Carla Jacome, 18, both of Concord, are from Ecuador and showed their spirit by wearing yellow soccer jerseys and painting their fingernails yellow. The team's colors are yellow, blue and red — the color of Ecuador's flag.
But their allegiance to Ecuador didn't stop them from hanging out with Mexico fans Jorge Vidauri of Sacramento and Daniel Marquez of Lodi.
"Girls from Ecuador like Mexicans," Vidauri said, smiling.
The soccer craze in Oakland is certainly not new. But fans have become increasingly crazed for Mexico since coach Hugo Sanchez took the reins recently, game organizers said. Wednesday was his fourth game as coach.
"For Mexicans, it's like having Michael Jordan coach their team,"said Ramirez Spencer. "The fact that they have (as coach) their biggest star and their greatest player in their nation's history just adds to the passion and the fanaticism they feel toward the national team."
Sanchez played 12 seasons in the Spanish Primera Division, and has the second highest number of goals in the history of that league. He played for the Mexico national team for 17 years and participated in the World Cups of 1978, 1986 and 1994.
After winning two championships as head coach of the club UNAM Pumas and briefly with Necaxa, Sanchez was named head coach of the Mexican national team, which is aiming to reach the World Cup 2010, according to an Internet biography. Organizers said the game had been sold out since March 15 and set two attendance records for Bay Area soccer. Wednesday's match set an attendance record for soccer at the Oakland Coliseum by beating the previous mark of 36,240 set on Feb. 7, 1998, when Mexico beat Honduras 2-0 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The match also broke a Mexican National Team match in the Bay Area, by surpassing the previous mark of 44,729 set Jan. 25, 2006, in a match between Mexico and Norway at Monster Park in San Francisco, organizers said.
It's not surprising that there was a good showing at the game — Latinos make up 22 percent of Bay Area residents, according to 2005 U.S. Census data.
As the sun set over the Coliseum and the stands filled to capacity, the sounds of trumpets — long plastic things that look like stretched oil funnels — filled the stands. Conversation was impossible. As the 8:09 p.m. kick neared, fans did the classic stadium "wave," blew their trumpets, stomped their feet and waved their Mexican flags.
It was as if nothing could match that excitement. That was until 8:11 p.m. when Mexico scored and the crowd went wild. But even those wearing yellow seemed to have a good time in the name of soccer.

Mascot is fowled by footie ace

A FOOTIE club’s duck mascot is out injured — after being “fowled” by a star player.
Preston North End’s Deepdale Duck was waddling to a fans’ forum when defender Sean St Ledger, 22, arrived in his new Land Rover.
The duck — real name Simon Nash — said: “I was outside the club in full costume, waving at him, and he drove up on the pavement and went straight over my foot.
“I don’t know how my leg didn’t snap — I had a tyre mark right up to my knee.”
Simon suffered severe bruising to his leg and a broken bone in his foot.
But he still made it to the forum with fans, and asked ace Sean, who has just passed his test: “Can you play football better than you drive?”
Simon said: “That got a laugh from everyone. Sean was really apologetic and we laughed about it later.”

Don't ewe want it, Stevie?

THE SUN offered a prize lamb to Steven Gerrard yesterday — for breaking the match deadlock against sheep-shearers Andorra.
But it was a double redcard for the woolly mascot, also called Stevie.
First an official at the England vice-skipper’s Liverpool club got in a stew and refused to let it in. We then took the animal to Liverpool’s Melwood training ground. But Gerrard, 26, drove straight past in his swish Bentley.
An onlooker said: “Ewe would have thought he’d be over the moon.”
Gerrard won after we pledged a sheep to the first muttonhead to score in the Euro 2008 clash.

Buddhist monks play soccer, not Kungfu, with foreigners in west China

Kungfu is well known among China's Buddhist monks. The Shaolin Temple, situated in central China's Henan province, has even long been regarded as birthplace of Chinese Kungfu for over 1,000 years.
But unlike Shaolin, monks in the Huayan Temple, one of the most famous Buddhist temples in west China's Chongqing city, like soccer more than Kungfu.
A Buddhist monk soccer team of the Huayuan Temple played an international match on Friday against a team made up of foreign teachers and students from nearby universities.
The monks, in red T-shirt and monks' pants, lost the match 5-1 in a soccer ground of Chongqing Foerign Languages School.
Monk Dehui, a team member of the monk team, said after the match that they like the game and they can play better if they have more time of training.
"Our team was formed on April 18, 2006, and we don't train much," he said. "But we like soccer. We are improving and I believe we can play better. In fact, this is the sixth match we have played with the foreigners."
Huayan Temple's chief monk Daojian said that soccer can help the monks get strong mentally and physically. "We need exercises to keep us strong and fit. The exercises can be either traditional or modern, like Kungfu or soccer. Soccer can enlarge our social scope and can also promote Buddhism."
Bruce Bremeise, a photographer of the international team, said: "It is very nice to play soccer games with Buddhist monks, who are very polite. Buddhistm is a peaceful religion."
Bremeise, who comes from the United States, said he would post pictures of the game on his Blog in order to let more people better understand those monks and their soccer team.

Victoria Beckham Feeds David Special Food To Conceive A Baby Girl

Star magazine reports that Victoria Beckham, 32, is so set on having a daughter that the former pop singer has put soccer star husband David, 32, on a special “baby girl” diet, according to British reports.
David, currently out of play because of an injury, is eating foods rich in alkaline and has been told to cut out dairy, coffee, tea and alcohol.
“Victoria hit upon this baby girl diet for David when she was talking to one of her friends,” says a friend. Posh already has plans to call the baby Luna!

Bon Jovi to perform at Tiger Woods charity event in Las Vegas

Bon Jovi has signed on to perform at golf superstar Tiger Woods's annual charity event in Las Vegas. The band will perform at Tiger Jam X (10) on May 26th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, and proceeds will go to the Tiger Woods Foundation, which funds Las Vegas-area children's organizations along with the Grammy In The Schools program and VH1's Save The Music Foundation. Tickets are now on sale for the event through Ticketmaster, and they range in price from $107 to $317.

This will be a return engagement for Bon Jovi, since the group also performed at Tiger Jam VI (6) back in 2003.

Along with the concert, there will also be a gourmet dinner and memorabilia auctions as part of Jam X.

Bon Jovi will release a new album on June 19th called Lost Highway.

Sharapova still haunted by Chernobyl

Chernobyl has been in Maria Sharapova's thoughts lately. Mostly that she considers herself extremely fortunate to have escaped the effects of the world's worst nuclear accident, dodging both possible radiation poisoning and death. Sharapova, a woman usually associated with sporting prowess and frothy, girly glamour, is a 'Chernobyl survivor'.

In her first interview about the impact the calamity at the nuclear power station has had on her family's history, she spoke of how she could very easily have been among the victims. "When I look back at what happened, I just think, 'Oh, my God, I just can't believe it. I feel so lucky that I got out of it, that I got out of there'. So many people didn't get out of it. There were so many people who were affected by it, so many who died, and it's just terrible to think about it, it's incredible really. I am lucky to be alive and well," she said.

Sharapova disclosed that the key to her coming through unharmed could have been the action taken by her parents, Yuri and Yelena. In the months after the reactor exploded in April 1986, which is said to have thrown out contamination equivalent to more than 100 medium-sized atomic bombs, Sharapova's parents were living in Gomel in Belarus, 80 miles north of Chernobyl. Sharapova's mother was pregnant with her at the time, and she was fretting about what the toxic fall-out could have been doing to the unborn daughter.

And so they fled Belarus and moved to Siberia, where temperatures in the winter can drop to below -40C, but which was one of only a few places the then-poor Sharapova family could afford to resettle to. Yuri went to work on the oilfields. It was there in Siberia, in the town of Nyagan, that Sharapova, a thankfully healthy child and a future Wimbledon champion and world No 1, was born in April 1987. "I still talk to my mother about that, it pops up in conversation from time to time," Sharapova, 19, said. "She has told me that she was really worried about the radiation possibly affecting me before I was born, and about all the possible illnesses and cancers."

Although Sharapova and her parents often still recall their Siberian dash, the subject has been particularly fresh in her mind as, because of her family history and the connection she feels with those affected, she has become a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations development programme. She called her one-dollar deal with the UN her "proudest contract ever". She has already donated more than £50,000 towards those affected by Chernobyl, with the money to be shared between eight projects to help children in rural communities.

It is not the first time that Sharapova has donated a large sum after a disaster in her homeland, as she auctioned off a Porsche she had won at a tournament and gave the proceeds to the victims of the Beslan school massacre when Chechen rebels killed more than 300. But her UN position provides her with a new role as a humanitarian. Sharapova acknowledged that, as well as adding to the funds, she can also use her celebrity to draw the public's attention to the Chernobyl accident. She was launched as a UN ambassador at a ceremony at their headquarters in New York City, and she admitted that she was more nervous before that than she had been before any grand slam tennis match.

"Tennis is only a little game, that's all. I hope people don't look at tennis players like me and think we aren't connected with life outside tennis. We do watch the news, we do see what's going on and we do care. I know that tennis isn't the most important thing," said Sharapova, who made the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open here in Miami after fending off Venus Williams at the weekend.

You could sense that the UN role sat well with her idea of the rest of her life. "The decision to work with the Chernobyl-affected areas was kind of a no-brainer, because it's a part of the world that I feel such a connection with. For some time, I had been intrigued by the idea of giving back. I wanted to make sure that I was committed and that I was ready to do it," Sharapova said, and it was while she was doing preparatory reading on Chernobyl that the horror of the disaster came back to her.

Sharapova would have learned that, although the initial death toll was around 50, the World Health Organisation have estimated that 9,000 people will die prematurely because they were exposed to radioactive dust.

No wonder Sharapova felt so emotional, so moved, by what she read. "Before it was announced I was working with the UN, I studied a lot of the facts about Chernobyl, and that brought it all back. There were things that went on that were so terrible that you couldn't even think about them."

Ambassador Sharapova wants to return to the Chernobyl fall-out zone. "I still have family who are affected by it. My grandmother, Galina, still lives in Gomel. She's my dad's mother. I'm still in contact with her, I still talk to her quite a lot. I haven't met that many of the children yet, but that's something we are working on, hopefully I'll get to go to Belarus as I haven't been there in a really long time. That's one of the worst affected areas. The money that I donated has gone to centres to help children, and I want to visit them and see how they are doing. I want to see for myself with my own eyes how the whole project develops," she said.

So, no longer can Sharapova be unfairly caricatured as the little rich girl who gets all her off-court thrills from shopping still she drops. True, Sharapova owns more than a hundred pairs of shoes. And she has just recently added a home on Manhattan Beach in California to the one she already had in Florida. But she has come to fully appreciate that acquiring more and more possessions is no guarantee of happiness. Sharapova now gets more pleasure from her charity work than she does from walking out of a boutique with another pair of kitten heels.

"The coolest thing about making money is that you are able to give back," Sharapova said. "You have the opportunity to help people. You can only buy so many cars, so many houses, so many dresses and so many pairs of shoes, but it's not going to make you happy. But helping to save lives is incredible. I can't even begin to explain how amazing that is."

Maria on Murray

Maria Sharapova will leave her teens next month, one month earlier than Andy Murray. The Russian has been impressed by the British No 1, both by his shots and his character. "Murray is a young guy and he's doing very well on the tour, so he is clearly very talented," she said. "He has his own opinions, which is great to see. He's also a different sort of personality to the rest of the guys on the men's tour, so I think Murray is great for the world of tennis."

How to ‘green’ the soccer World Cup

By Tom Mapham
Environmental issues will have to fight for attention from the 2010 World Soccer Cup organisers, a Finnish expert said on Friday.
During her address at the SciFest in Grahamstown, Finnish scientist Karoliina Luoto warned that whilst looming deadlines for stadium construction may be the highest priority for local organisers, forgetting about the environmental effects of the sporting event could be suicidal. “Major sporting events always impact on the local environment but the effects can be limited through careful planning, at the same time the events offer opportunities to educate people on sustainable development,” said Luoto, an environmental co-ordinator from the Finnish Sports Federation.
To make the most of the soccer World Cup would require long-term planning. “There’s no time to waste,” said Luoto, who worked with ECOmass, a first of its kind project that made the 2005 World Athletics Championships in Helsinki a more environmentally- friendly event.
Compared to the big stadium projects already under way in South Africa, ECOmass’ interventions will require more imagination and less concrete. But the projects could create jobs.
Luoto suggests setting up staffed recycling depots at stadiums and within the organisers’ operations. “Most 2010 tourists will be used to recycling in their home countries,” she said. Finnish homes are required by law to recycle their waste. 2010 World Cup organisers expect three million foreign visitors for the event.
An environmentally-friendly event requires co-operation between the organisers, local government and business. Recycling depots where consumers are able to separate their waste for more efficient recycling would need to be organised by municipalities so that the sorted waste can be used in some way afterwards, she said.
If local people are trained to educate consumers the impact on public awareness can be a secondary benefit of the initiative.
Sporting events also contribute to carbon emissions, one of the primary human causes of climate change. During events, the greatest contributors to carbon emissions are transport vehicles and power hungry stadiums. In Helsinki, the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind power, helped reduce carbon emissions at stadiums by 32 tons during the Athletics World Championships.
“Reducing traffic is difficult because we want spectators to come to the matches,” said Luoto. In Helsinki visitors were encouraged to use bikes or to walk along routes that were mapped out from different parts of the city.
South Africa would avoid traffic congestion and unnecessary carbon emissions by making its public transport system more efficient and user-friendly, Luoto said. At the Athletics World Championships in Helsinki, 92 percent of carbon emissions due to the event were from passenger traffic.
Unlike Finland, which includes more than 200000 lakes, water conservation needs to be high on South Africa’s World Cup agenda, Luoto added.
German stadiums, which hosted last year’s World Cup, required 42000m³ of water a day. Rain water collection systems helped to service the need to keep fields green and South Africa needed to implement similar measures.
Members of the South African Local Organising Committee have visited the University of Technology in Helsinki where the ECOmass team is based.

Soccer-Former China keeper Liu detained on drugs charges

BEIJING, March 27 (Reuters) - Former China goalkeeper Liu Yunfei has spent eight days in jail for "taking part in narcotics-related activities" in a Shanghai hotel room, state media reported on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old former international, currently without a club after walking out on Shanghai Shenhua last season, was released last Friday after paying an undisclosed fine, Shanghai police told the official Xinhua news agency.
Liu played for China when they reached the Asian Cup final on home soil in 2004.
His disparaging comments about his team's opponents before the final contributed to an air of hostility towards the Japanese, which manifested itself in riots in Beijing after China's defeat.
Liu moved from Tianjin to Shenhua last year but was suspended by the Shanghai club midway through last season before quitting the club.
"The contract between Liu and us ceased to be in effect automatically by the end of last season," said Wu Jinan, Shenhua general manager, told the Shanghai Daily.
"He is in de facto retirement now and we can't comment on a retired player who is no longer a member of the Shenhua team."

Chelsea clampdown on celery-throwers leads to bans

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea have banned three of their fans after they were caught throwing celery during the team's FA Cup win at Tottenham Hotspur, the Premier League champions said on Tuesday.
Two of them were arrested for throwing celery during the quarter-final replay on March 19, while a third was spotted throwing the vegetable and later identified to the club.
A fourth supporter was banned for a pitch incursion.
"All four people have been banned by the club and three will face court bans depending on the outcome of any criminal proceedings," the club said on its Web site www.chelseafc.com.
Chelsea had warned their fans three days before the replay against throwing celery during matches, saying it was a criminal offence and that anyone caught could be banned.
The unlikely warning had followed referee reports which mentioned celery-throwing at two previous Chelsea matches and which were being investigated by the Football Association.
Though celery has recently been landing on the pitch, Chelsea fans have been throwing it among themselves, and singing an unprintable song about the vegetable, for more than two decades.

Pele soccer film is Hollywood's goal

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hollywood is developing a movie about Brazilian soccer legend Pele, who has signed with the talent agency arranging the project.
The William Morris Agency will help create global marketing and business opportunities for the three-time World Cup winner.
"We look forward to helping him develop his already global brand throughout the entertainment and sports communities," said William Morris president Dave Wirtschafter.
Pele's life is ripe for cinematic treatment. He reportedly was responsible for a 48-hour ceasefire during a civil war in Nigeria so that people could watch him play. He was declared a national treasure by the government of Brazil.
William Morris will work with Sao Paulo-based Prime Licensing, which holds exclusive rights to license the Pele brand worldwide.
Pele joins a growing roster of William Morris sports clients, including teen golfer Michelle Wie, NBA star Kevin Garnett and tennis champ Serena Williams.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

2 cut, 1 shot over soccer

Two men were cut and one man was shot in the neck when a pickup soccer game behind a Huntsville elementary school got out of hand Monday afternoon, authorities said.

The injuries to the three men did not appear to be life-threatening, said Danny Loggins, district chief with Huntsville Fire & Rescue.

Police are looking for three suspects, police spokesman Wendell Johnson said.

They are Hilario Xancopinca, 41, who police believe shot one of the men; Galbino Xancopinca, 32, for stabbing one of the victims; and a third man, whom police have not positively identified, for stabbing the third man, Johnson said.

Police had a difficult time questioning the victims and witnesses because of language barriers, Johnson said. All three victims and their assailants are illegal immigrants, he said.

Two groups of men who apparently play soccer occasionally were in a game about 5:30 p.m. Monday when a fight broke out, Johnson said. They were on the playground behind University Place Elementary School.

The man who was shot in the neck was found by emergency workers on the edge of the playground and ball fields near the back of the school.

The two men who were cut ran across the fields toward the University of Alabama in Huntsville campus. One man got over a fence and was found behind Roberts Hall on the UAH campus. The other man came back across the field to the back of the elementary school.

All three men, whose names were not immediately available, were transported to Huntsville Hospital by HEMSI.

Macca's living on Planet Donut

BEWILDERED football fans up and down the country were asking last night: “What PLANET is Steve McClaren on?”

The hapless England boss — dubbed Steve McDonut in The Sun yesterday — is in denial about how useless his team are. Despite the fact they have gone five games without a win, scoring just once in the process.

The players were booed off by their own supporters in Tel Aviv after Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Israel which left the national team struggling to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals.

Fans chanted: “What a load of rubbish” before directing personal abuse at McClaren, while 300 walked out at half-time. Yet the former Middlesbrough boss yesterday dismissed the criticism of both the 5,000 travelling diehards and the media — insisting he dealt in “reality, not perception”.

Incredibly he also claimed that “nothing radical” needed to be done to his misfiring team to make it successful.

McClaren rambled: “When you are at the game you don’t see it properly, so you can’t just go on what you have seen. You have to look at it again.

“I have to deal in reality not perception. The reality is we had more possession, the reality is we had 17 chances, the reality is we had nine shots on target and that’s the reality. But we did not convert them.

“You can criticise the fact we didn’t score but you can’t criticise the attitude and performance. The players wanted to win that game.

“Lack of confidence hasn’t been our problem. We got in situations but the execution wasn’t there. Sometimes it doesn’t work out for you and you don’t score. I am not doubting we should do better.

“I know that, the players know that, and the fans do.

“I can understand the frustration and disappointment because, believe you me, I felt exactly the same.

“But the only thing missing against Israel was goals.

“We can be better, we are trying everything and we talked about it last week. But they did everything on Saturday that we wanted.”

That claim flies in the face of the fact McClaren tore into star striker Wayne Rooney in the changing room, telling him he had not done it for England since Euro 2004.

Manchester United hero Rooney’s last competitive goals for his country were more than 2½ years ago.

McClaren, whose team take on minnows Andorra in Barcelona tomorrow, claims there is no rift with Rooney — but did not deny he got stuck into him after the Israel match.

“I’m not going to single out any individual player for criticism,” he said. “It’s an overall thing that we all need to improve on. All the top players live on the edge. Wayne Rooney knows what to do.

“There’s not a fallout with Rooney, but what happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room. It’s private.

“At the end of the day we had 17 efforts on goal — 17!

“I can’t count how many situations we had that we failed to make the best of — and nine of them were on target.

“I believe that if you get that kind of performance and have 17 efforts on goal you’re going to win games.

“We will keep going and keep going because eventually we will produce. I believe that, I do. We will produce.

“You’ve got to have great faith and belief in your players and I do. When I look at that on Saturday, there is nothing radical needed, apart from sticking the ball in the net — and that’s not radical.”

But despite 45-year-old McClaren’s protests, an online petition urging Tony Blair to get him axed as England boss was gathering pace last night.

Angry fan Simon Chapman wrote: “We the undersigned petition the PM to use his remaining days and power to force the FA to sack Steve McClaren as England manager.”

He posted the call to arms on the 10 Downing Street website and hundreds rushed to add their virtual signature.

Three Lions fans have until May 15 to back the campaign.

The petition adds: “Steve McClaren was part of the previous regime that saw England’s football team become boring and passionless.

“He has continued this and even built on it so Sven Goran Eriksson looks great and charismatic in comparison.”

Is that Posh? Of corset is!

VICTORIA BECKHAM nips out for dinner, wearing a stylish belt so enormous it looks like a CORSET.

Posh, 32, was snapped at London’s swanky Nobu restaurant last night.

She’s been house-hunting in LA ahead of hubby David’s summer move.

But home’s still best for a belting night out.

CHILE’S FIRST GAY SOCCER TEAM PREPARES FOR WORLD CUP

(March 23, 2007) Chile’s first ever gay soccer team, the Chilean Condors, is currently in training for the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association (IGLF) World Cup, which is to take place in Buenos Aires this September. The Condors will be the first entirely gay team to represent Chile at an international level.

Ricardo León has been training every week at Santiago’s National Stadium since October last year, along with 25 other team members. While León has played professionally, he says that playing for a gay team is a different kind of experience.

“There are a lot of spaces for the development of sports for heterosexuals, but we gays don’t have that,” he said. “This is our space, and when we play, there’s nobody shouting abuse at us from the sidelines.”

In addition to the gay soccer team, León is involved in the Chile Gay Deportes organization, which arranges sporting events for the LGBT community. The sports covered by the organization range from rugby and football to cheerleading and capoeira.

“When we came up with the idea of getting a team together for the World Cup, we began to ask each other why nobody had made a serious organization to deal with all this,” said Roger Ortega, director of Chile Gay Deportes. “Now, we’re organizing the first volleyball championship, with five teams participating. And we’re getting ready for the world cup. There are more than 60 of us involved in the organization.”

The IGLF World Cup will take place in Buenos Aires between September 23 and 29. Teams from England, Iceland, Germany, Mexico, Brazil and the United States have already committed to taking part. Both men’s and women’s teams will take part in the tournament, which accepts both eleven-a-side and seven-a-side teams.

Chile Gay Deportes has not been recognized as having legal status by the government, but Ortega hopes that this will soon change.

SOURCES: LA NACIÓN, IGLF, www.chilegaydeportes.com
By Cate Setterfield (editor@santiagotimes.cl)

Soccer ambassadors chosen for 2010

By Vusumuzi Ka Nzapheza

Sport and Cultural Affairs MEC Whitey Jacobs has chosen 20 provincial soccer ambassadors for the 2010 World Cup.

They include former soccer players and officials such as Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates captain Thabo Mngomeni, former Banyana Banyana player Desiree Ellis and former Bafana Bafana and Santos striker Duncan Crowie.

Crowie said it was an honour and privilege being chosen.

Also included is Cape Times soccer writer Farouk Abrahams, who was a goalkeeper coach for Bafana Bafana at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea.

A former goalkeeper for Cape Town Spurs, Jomo Cosmos and Bush Bucks, Abrahams said being among the ambassadors was an honour and "milestone in my career".
Presenting the ambassadors at a function at Muldersvlei Estate in Stellenbosch, Jacobs told them: "We expect you to unite our province, inspire our people to support sports development, and show our youth that sport is one answer to crime.

"We are proud of what you have done and what you are about to do for your province and people."

BECKHAM'S HAPPY SNAP

DAVID Beckham made a little girl's day when he walked into her school yesterday and took photos of them together on her mobile.

Nine-year-old Casey Purnell could not hide her delight as she viewed the pictures.

The 1,200 pupils at the City Academy in Bristol got the surprise of their lives when he turned up. In one class he helped 30 youngsters with an online fitness quiz.

Casper Sewell, 12, said: "We scored five out of five. Without David we would have got one wrong."

After a coaching session with 30 boys and girls Becks told the Mirror he would "love" sons Brooklyn and Romeo to be soccer stars. He added: "If they want to, it would be great. They love football. Brooklyn is in a soccer school and plays for his school team."

His visit was to launch his own football academy's free online coaching guide for teachers and children. It can be found at www.thedavidbeckhamacademy.co.uk

Extra police for Russia's qualifier in Estonia

TALLINN, March 23 (Reuters) - Estonia will have extra police on duty for Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier with Russia following a recent rise in political tensions, officials said on Friday.

Estonia and Russia have been arguing over Estonia's plan to remove a Soviet-era World War Two monument from the centre of Tallinn which Moscow has said would insult the memory of soldiers who fought against Nazism.

"Because of new EU and UEFA rules on security for international football games, there will be more police, but we are just trying to do what is necessary for any international game held in Tallinn," said Harrys Puusepp, a spokesman for the North Tallinn Police prefecture.

Puusepp added that the authorities were not expecting trouble from the more than 900 Russian supporters expected to arrive in Estonia to watch the game in the 10,000-seat stadium.

Russia are second in the seven-team group with eight points from four matches, two behind leaders Croatia. Estonia are effectively out of the running after losing their opening three qualifiers.

However, the home team will be especially fired up for a match against the Russians both for wider historical reasons as well as trying to avenge a 2-0 defeat in St Petersburg earlier in the campaign.

Russia will also be missing six key players.

Goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeyev, midfielder Igor Semshov and defenders Alexei Berezutsky and Denis Kolodin have pulled out through injury and illness.

Veteran playmaker Yegor Titov has left the team citing family reasons while striker Pavel Pogrebnyak is suspended leaving Russia's Dutch manager Guus Hiddink with a seriously depleted party.

Madis Hallimae of an Estonian fans group said supporters planned to hold their traditional march to the stadium for the match but were not looking for trouble.

The Estonian soccer association said no extra security was planned for inside the stadium. All measures would be the same as for matches against England, Croatia or Israel.

The soccer federation has also advised that "symbols of states which no longer exist" are not allowed in the stadium, referring both to the flag of the former Soviet Union and to that of Nazi Germany, an association which angers some Russians.

Estonia regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 after what it sees as 50 years of occupation.

Post-Soviet tensions with Russia have emerged over the status of Estonia's large Russian-speaking minority, which Moscow says Estonia discriminates against. Estonia has denied this strongly.

(Additional reporting by Gennady Fyodorov in Moscow)

Beckham envy doomed England at World Cup: Eriksson's agent

LONDON (AFP) - Jealousy of David Beckham on the part of his team-mates doomed England's World Cup campaign in Germany last year according to the agent of ex-manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Agent Pini Zahavi said that the Swede had told him "the whole story" behind his side's disappointing campaign that ended in a penalty shoot-out defeat to Portugal.

Beckham subsequently resigned as captain and has been left out of England squads since by new boss Steve McClaren.

"There was a big problem with jealously at the World Cup - something no-one has ever talked about," Zahavi said.

"A lot of people didn't like Beckham's position within the team. It was one of the biggest things that hurt England.

"A lot of players didn't like the 'super player' Beckham. They didn't like his status in the team.

"If Sven told the whole story of what went on in Germany - and I know the whole story because I have talked to him a lot - people would understand what happened.

"One of the main problems was Sven had too much respect for several players. If you look at it professionally, Beckham shouldn't have played at certain times. But Sven put him in anyway.

"Now, at least, all the players are equal under McClaren.''

Arsenal shares hit record high amid takeover speculation

LONDON (AFP) - Arsenal shares have hit a record high amid rumours that the English Premiership club will be the subject of a takeover bid.

Arsenal were the only one of four English sides in the Champions League this season not to be under foreign ownership.

But as rumours of an imminent takeover abound, Arsenal Holdings PLC shares closed at a record high of 6,275 pounds (12,300 dollars) on Thursday evening.

It pushed the value of the club on the Ofex stock exchange up to 388.87 million pounds (763 million dollars).

Rumours suggest that foreign investors such as Dubai International Capital or Russian aluminium magnate and oligarch Oleg Deripaska are eyeing a bid for the Londoners, who this season moved to a new 60,000-seat stadium.

"It is only speculation, although in September of last year, when there was similar speculation, the board issued a statement to say they were not in talks with anyone. And at this stage, this time around, thay haven't said anything," a member of the Arsenal Supporters' Trust told AFP.

The largest single shareholder Daniel Fiszman, a non-executive director who holds a 24.11 percent stake, sold one percent of the club's capital on March 15, triggering suspicions that a sale could be in the offing.

"With no known reason as to why he's done this at this time and in the absence of any information over who the buyer is, naturally one tries to draw some conclusions," added the supporters' trust source.

Alongside Fiszman, the club's other major shareholders are non executive director Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith (15.90 percent), vice-president David Dein (14.6 percent) and non-executive director Richard Carr (4.38 percent).

Between the four of them they hold a 60 percent stake in the club while television channel ITV holds almost 10 percent.

"The ITV share is definitely for sale but they're holding it for the right price," added the source.

Of England's other big four clubs, Manchester United were bought in 2005 by American billionnaire Malcolm Glazer for 790 million pounds, Liverpool were bought by Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett in February for 174 million pounds and Chelsea were bought by Russian billionnaire Roman Abramovich in July 2003 for 60 million pounds.

WEMBLEY TOUTS FURY

GREEDY touts are charging a rip-off £175 to see the first game at the new Wembley stadium today.

Tickets to the under-21s England and Italy match are £10 at face value.

But after the FA sold all 60,000 in just hours, online agents are charging fans an extortionate £125 for a seat behind goal and £175 to watch it at pitch side.

The Football Supporters' Federation said: "It's illegal but when demand outstrips supply, touts take advantage."

The FA said: "We're doing everything we can to address the problem."

World Cup profit helps boost FIFA finances

GENEVA (AFP) - World football's governing body FIFA said Friday it had paid back 111 million euros (148 million dollars) to the German organisers of the World Cup in 2006 after racking up a big profit on the event.

FIFA said it retained 45 million of the 156 million euro profit on the 2006 World Cup, fuelling an "exceptional" year for its own finances.

"The World Cup in Germany was a wonderful, wonderful event, but it has also been economically a success," FIFA General Secretary Urs Linsi told journalists.

FIFA, a non-profit organisation under Swiss law, made a surplus of 303 million Swiss francs (250 million dollars, 187 million euros) on its overall business in 2006, raising its equity reserves to 752 million Swiss francs.

"FIFA is not rich, but we have now created a comfortable position for ourselves," said governing body chief Sepp Blatter.

FIFA has been turning its back in recent years on massive financial problems in 2001-2002, when its contracted marketing and television rights partners collapsed.

That financial trouble contributed a short-lived challenge to Blatter's presidency and internal tensions that almost ripped world football apart.

"Only a few years ago, FIFA was being criticised for its financial situation. Today, we have proved that the facts are somewhat different," Blatter said Friday.

Earlier this month, a Swiss prosecutor issued fraud charges against executives at sports marketing firm ISMM/ISL, FIFA's bankrupt former partner.

No FIFA officials were among those charged.

Football's governing body was one of the original plaintiffs against ISM/ISL but its headquarters, including Blatter's office, were searched and documents were seized in November 2005 by investigators probing the collapse.

FIFA protested at the search.

A financial boost for FIFA's reserves in a World Cup year is essential to keep football development projects and preparations for the next finals four years later on track.

Wayne's girl Coleen is so nacho

COLEEN McLOUGHLIN tops up her tan in preparation for her big 21st birthday bash.

WAYNE ROONEY’s fiancee is staying in the ultra-expensive, sail-like Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai so she can get shipshape for her big day next weekend.

She has whisked her mum, dad, brothers and sister away for the break. But they have branded the hotel’s choice of EIGHT restaurants “too posh”.

So, instead they are munching nachos and stuffing crisps by the pool when not in their £3,000-a-night suite.

Coleen has also spent time chatting on the phone to Wayne and the girls back home.

SKorean Air Force chief of staff resigns amid golf scandal

SEOUL, South Korea: South Korea's air force chief of staff resigned Wednesday after local media criticized him for playing golf while the nation mourned the death of a South Korean soldier in Afghanistan.

President Roh Moo-hyun accepted the resignation offer by Kim Sung-il, according to presidential spokesman Yoon Seong-yong.

Kim offered his resignation to the defense minister on Sunday to take responsibility for a recent spate of incidents, including the crash of a KF-16 fighter jet, the ministry said in a statement

"I sincerely apologize to the public for having caused trouble regarding the golf" incident, Kim was quoted as saying in the statement. He also expressed regret over the fighter jet crash last month that the ministry has blamed on poor maintenance. The pilot ejected and survived.

Local media reported earlier Wednesday that Kim had played a round of golf on March 1 — a national holiday that coincided with the mourning period for a soldier who was killed in a suicide bombing late last month in Afghanistan.

South Korea has deployed some 200 troops, mostly engineers and medics, to help rebuild the war-ravaged country.

Kim assumed the top Air Force job in October 2005.

Kim is not the first South Korean official forced to step down over an ill-timed round of golf.

Last year, Lee Hae-chan resigned as prime minister for golfing during a nationwide walkout by railway workers. He had been criticized the previous year for hitting the links during a wildfire and heavy rains.

Golf is popular among rich Koreans, who spend vast amounts on lessons, green fees and golf vacations.

Dream pairing: Woods, Federer

MIAMI - Tiger Woods and Roger Federer go about their business in different ways.

Federer carries his own bag but has someone pick up his tennis balls. Woods has someone carry his bag but picks up his own golf balls.

Unlike Federer, Woods rarely comes up with an ace, has no backhand and tries to be sub-par.

Federer's driver only drops him off at tournaments; Woods' driver helps him win tournaments. And Federer often hits more shots in a single round than Woods needs in a week.

Such disparities make comparing the two champions difficult. But lively debate is likely this week, when both will play in Miami.

Tiger and Roger are the best at what they do. But who's better?

"I'd whup him," Woods says.

In tennis?

"Oh, in tennis! No."

Woods will stick to golf this week in the CA Championship, which begins Thursday at Doral. Fifteen miles to the southeast on Key Biscayne, Federer plays his opening match Saturday night in the Sony Ericsson Open. Each player seeks to win in Miami for the third year in a row.

Both events will draw big crowds to the area that held the Super Bowl last month. Woods hopes to be among the spectators watching Federer.

"I would love to try and catch one of his matches, if not two," Woods says.

Federer may skip Doral. He was in the gallery when Woods played tournaments in Shanghai in November and Dubai last month, and found walking with golf's most popular player a challenge.

"I went to watch Tiger, and it's not the easiest thing," Federer says. "Luckily I walked inside the ropes, but to go see him playing golf is tough. You never really see him. You only see the backs of other people. I guess tennis is more fan friendly in that respect.

"I don't know if I'm going to go see him here, but I hope he's going to come to the tennis on the weekend."

The two became friends the past year. Woods and his wife, Elin, sat in the front row at the U.S. Open as Federer's guests when he won the final last September.

"We could relate very much to one another," Federer says. "We have a lot of expectations from everybody, so we have a lot of common ground. It's good that we kind of know each other and can talk to each other about it."

They stayed in touch over the holidays, and again while Federer played in the Australian Open early this year. When he won the tournament for his 10th Grand Slam title, he received a teasing text message from Woods: "12 to 10."

Woods, 31, has won 12 Grand Slam titles, six shy of Jack Nicklaus' record. Federer, 25, needs four more major titles to match Pete Sampras' record of 14.

They laugh about their friendly rivalry and are quick to compliment each other. When Woods was chosen AP Athlete of the Year in 2006, he said his achievements were exceeded by Federer's.

"He makes it look so effortless, and it's not," says Woods, who plays a little tennis. "The shots and the angles and the things he can create, no one in the history of the game has ever been able to do. I mean, it's pretty neat for all of us to be watching a living legend play. You know he's going to surpass Sampras' record. It's just a matter of when."

Federer says he enjoys the bond with Woods because they both know what it's like to feel invincible.

"I'm a big fan of Tiger," says Federer, who recently took up golf and played last week. "What he has achieved is incredible. He has been able to win all four majors and stay at the top for so long. The impact he has had on golf is incredible. He's so charismatic and everything."

When it comes to personalities, Woods has more magnetism, Federer the better giggle. Both are cool under pressure but capable of crying once they've won.

Most comparisons focus on their accomplishments. Woods has been ranked No. 1 for 435 weeks. Federer has been No. 1 the past 164 weeks, a record streak.

When the French Open begins in two months, Federer will bid for his fourth consecutive major title, which would match Woods' so-called Tiger Slam of four in a row in 2000-01.

Federer has yet to conquer clay by winning at Roland Garros, a glaring gap in his resume. Woods has won each major event at least twice. For some, that swings the debate regarding who's best in Woods' favor.

"He has it easier," Federer says with a smile. "He's playing on grass all the time, whereas I have to go to different surfaces."

Both arrive in Miami mired in slumps - by their standards, at least. Federer is coming off a defeat that ended his 41-match winning streak, a third-round loss to Guillermo Canas in Indian Wells on March 11. Woods tied for 22nd last week at Bay Hill, ending his streak of 13 consecutive top-10 finishes worldwide.

But such challengers as Rafael Nadal and Phil Mickelson have failed to mount much of a threat to the supremacy of Federer and Woods. Both could use a rivalry to inspire new achievements, and this weekend they have it: Roger vs. Tiger. Sit back, savor the matchup and prepare to say, "Great shot."

Uganda: English Premier League to Help Repackage Nigerian Soccer

Kampala

LAGOS - The English Premier League has agreed a deal to help Nigeria repackage its soccer league and make it more commercially viable.

Premier League board chairman David Richards said the deal was an opportunity for the Premier League to repay Nigerian football, which had contributed immensely to the English game, local media reported on Monday.

"We have benefited and we will continue to benefit from (the) Nigeria Football League," Richards told reporters in the Nigerian capital Abuja at the end of a two-day visit.

"We see our cooperation as a way of giving something back," he added, according to the Leadership newspaper.

Some of the Premier League's leading scorers are Nigerians, including Yakubu Aiyegbeni of Middlesbrough, Nwankwo Kanu of Portsmouth and Newcastle United's Obafemi Martins.

Under the agreement, the Premier League will train Nigerian officials to improve the technical standard and organisation of the domestic league. The Premier League has also sealed separate deals with sponsors to pay referees in the 20-team league, provide balls and broadcast matches in England.

The agreement is designed to make clubs in the cash-strapped league self-sufficient and free them from government management, Richards said.

"It is going to be a gradual thing, ultimately government will not be running the clubs," he said.

Reuters

Soccer tickets sold at check-outs

Wrexham Football Club is selling 1,000 tickets at a local supermarket in a bid to boost crowd numbers.

Staff at the town's Asda store have been given incentives to sell as many £5 tickets as possible for a crunch game at the Racecourse on Saturday.

The struggling League Two side face Mansfield in their fight to avoid relegation to the Conference League.

Wrexham's chief executive, Anthony Fairclough, said: "Things like this do have an impact on the pitch.

He added: "It's a great way to get tickets to the masses."

"More than 50,000 people come through Asda's doors every week and this will help expose the campaign to people who don't usually come to the club.

"These days you can buy pet insurance and all sorts of things at a supermarket - why not a ticket?

"There's a real buzz and excitement about selling these tickets."

Asda manager Nigel Roberts said: "It's vitally important for the community that the football club retains its Football League status.

"The tickets will be on sale at our checkouts and colleagues will be incentivised to sell the most.

"All the colleagues are really behind the idea and very excited by it."

Wrexham FC was bought by a consortium led by a local businessman last August at the end of a difficult period for the club.

It went into administration in 2004 with debts of more than £4m, and was docked 10 points by the Football League.

Five north Wales Assembly Members are campaigning to make Wrexham FC's Racecourse ground the "Millennium Stadium of the north".

Gates Loses Virtual Soccer Match to Pro

Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates met his technological match Tuesday, losing a video game simulation of a penalty shootout to star Mexican soccer player Rafael Marquez 2-1 as hundreds of Microsoft Mexico employees and other invited guests cheered on the two.

"I wouldn’t bet all of my money on it," the richest man in the world quipped when Marquez asked him if he really dared take on the challenge before they hunkered down in two opposing chairs and launched a live competition displayed on three giant screens hung above a large stage.

Gates was in Mexico to commemorate his company’s 20th anniversary here, sign accords with Mexico City and federal officials aimed at using technology to increase efficiency in business and government and improve health care and education.

"Certainly, there’s a lot of things going on in Mexico that are absolutely world-class" in information technology, Gates told reporters after a seminar to promote the new Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 software.

"The place where there is an opportunity to do more," he said, is in health care and public education, digitalizing services to make them more efficient and making Internet more available to schools throughout the country.

The personal computer "is so wonderful that we should want every child to have the same opportunity to use it and connect up to the world’s information over the Internet," Gates said during a morning appearance with Mexican President Felipe Calderon at the presidential residence, Los Pinos.

Gates also spoke in favor of a U.S. immigration reform, reiterating comments he had recently made in the the United States.

"I’m a big believer that as much as possible ...freedom of migration is a good thing," Gates said. "We’re hopeful that we’ll see some immigration reform...Hopefully it will be something that provides predictability and as much freedom as migration as possible."

Gates said he spoke with government officials about how to increase the currently low technology use in small Mexican businesses in order to make them more competitive.

Calderon presented Gates with Mexico’s highest medal of honor to a foreign citizen for his generosity to Mexico, in particular a recent $30 million hardware and $10 million software donation to a program that is connecting 2,700 public libraries to the Internet. Gates said he expected to see all of the libraries connected by the end of the year.

Microsoft also is involved in establishing a digitalized "school of the future" in the western state of Sonora and a hospital with totally digitalized records in the western state of Jalisco, Gates said.

On the purely business side, Gates said he met privately with fellow billionaire and Mexican telecom magnate Carlos Slim to discuss ways of increasing online advertising and broadband penetration in Mexico. The companies have a business partnership through Microsoft and Slim’s telecommunications company, Telmex.

Gates also met with the presidents of Mexico’s two dominant television networks, Televisa and Azteca, according to a news release from Microsoft Mexico.

Showing he was not a sore loser following his competition with Barcelona defender Marquez, Gates signed and gave the Xbox video game console to the soccer star, who presented him with a signed professional soccer T-shirt.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

It's ace David Beck-Eminem

KING of Bling David Beckham really scores with his latest look . . . an outfit inspired by his hero, rapper Eminem.

The ex-England ace has chosen a beanie hat, metallic-look top and long shorts for his latest Adidas street-wear collection.

The Real Madrid star, 31, has often talked of his admiration for Eminem.

Meanwhile, soccer pal Vinnie Jones, 42, was looking tough too — while modelling on the catwalk in Los Angeles. Guess they should team up!

Frank: Don't let it happen again

SHAKEN Chelsea ace Frank Lampard said last night after a fan swung a punch at him: It must NEVER happen again.

The midfielder ducked out of the way when drunken pitch invader Tim Smith aimed a blow at his head as he celebrated Monday’s FA Cup win at Tottenham.

Lampard said: “The authorities are treating it seriously. We have to make sure nothing like this happens again.”

The FA has asked Sky for a video of the incident which followed Chelsea’s 2-1 victory in their quarter-final replay.

Spurs fan Smith, 18, apologised to his family after his shame was captured on camera as he swung at Lampard.

He will not be prosecuted for assault after the player declined to press charges. However, he will be charged with invading the pitch.

The outrageous scenes came as Chelsea celebrated their win and after Lampard had thrown his shirt into the crowd. Lifelong fan Smith had gone to watch the match with close pal John Simpson and had been on an all-day bender.

A close friend said: “Tim has been a right muppet. They had been on the ale all day and it clearly got a hold of him. It is so out of character for him. He comes from a good family.”

Last night Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp, who is Lampard’s uncle, said he feared a fan would invade a pitch and one day stab a star.

Mr Redknapp said: “It was disgusting. How long is it going to be until you get some loony run on and stick a knife in someone?”

TOTTENHAM announced their season tickets will go up by an average of £1 a week — in defiance of The Sun’s Cut The Cost Of Footie campaign.

Roo's that fronting ad?

WAYNE ROONEY’s younger brother GRAEME is set to score as a TV star – in an advertising campaign for bargain department store TJ Hughes.

With those pug ears and shy cheeky grin, Graeme – who is a footballer like Wayne – could be Roo’s double.

Singer ROBBIE WILLIAMS’ dad PETE CONWAY, chat show king JONATHAN ROSS’s mum MARTHA and TV star CAROL VORDERMAN’s mum JEAN also star in the store’s TV and billboard commercials.

While the ladies proved to be the ultimate professionals when the ads were shot, the fellas weren’t as successful.

Graeme – who plays for Sunday league side Lobster FC – pocketed £15,000 to say the lines: “TJ Hughes don’t want to spend money on big-name celebs – they want to give you bargains instead. TJ Hughes – it’s a bargain.”

But he fluffed his words after getting a fit of the giggles.

And Pete turned the air blue after getting tongue-tied.

IAEA helps S.Africa on 2010 nuclear security plan

CAPE TOWN, March 20 (Reuters) - Global nuclear watchdog IAEA is cooperating with South Africa to develop a security plan ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup to avert any "dirty bomb" attack, a government official said on Tuesday.

Tselio Maqubela, South Africa's chief nuclear director, said security at existing nuclear facilities met international standards but there were concerns over radioactive sources used in hospitals and other industrial applications.

"We will be looking at that, particularly going towards the 2010 Soccer World Cup, because part of the requirements is to have a nuclear and radiological security plan, which would then make sure that we don't have incidents of dirty bombs and so on," Maqubela told a parliament briefing.

He said the International Atomic Energy Agency was assisting South Africa, the only country in Africa operating a nuclear power plant and in Africa's first host to the global soccer tournament, to formulate security plans to cover a wide range of possible nuclear sources.

"We just need to make sure that the sources don't fall within the cracks and you find that, come 2010, then we have a problem with a source that got lost and found its way into undesirable elements," Maqubela told Reuters after the meeting.

The issue of "dirty bombs" assembled from radioactive nuclear waste is a global concern, with security agencies and governments fearful that attackers could detonate such a bomb with devastating consequences.

South Africa's nuclear power plant at Koeberg was breached by Greenpeace activists in 2002, when six protestors managed to clamber up a wall in a pre-dawn raid and hoist a banner reading: "Nukes out of Africa".

Security at Koeberg came under a new spotlight in February 2006 when Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin suggested that "sabotage" was behind a misplaced bolt which caused extensive damage to the facility in the previous December, contributing to power shortages.

The government later said it had been unable to conclude if the placement of the bolt had been deliberate.

North Korea makes first training visit to South

SEOUL, March 20 (Reuters) - North Korea sent its first national sports team to the South for training on Tuesday as the two Koreas discuss how to compete together in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The North Korean under-17 soccer squad will start its month of training in the resort island of Cheju in preparation for the FIFA U-17 World Cup to be held in South Korea in August and September.

A South Korean Unification Ministry official said the training visit was unprecedented.

"It is very easy to speculate this will have an immensely positive influence on the two Koreas forming a joint (Olympic) team, but at this point it is too early to tell," said the official, who asked not to be named.

During their stay, organised by a private group that wants to promote inter-Korean sports cooperation, the North Koreans will also play friendlies, including a match against South Korea's under-17 side.

Talks on a joint Korean team for the Beijing Games have been in the works for more than a year but have hit delays due the political fallout from Pyongyang's defiant missile test in July 2006 followed by its first nuclear test in October.

Still technically at war because the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with only a truce, North and South Korea first considered competing together at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. But years of acrimony and military tension have prevented it from happening.

The South, with better-funded sports programmes and more world-class athletes, wants to field the most competitive team possible.

North Korea wants to field a joint team with equal representation of athletes from the North and South.

The two Koreas have marched together in opening ceremonies at previous Olympics before competing as separate teams.

North and South Korea competed as a single team in an aborted experiment in soccer and table tennis in the early 1990s.

David Beckham starts soccer academy website

Associated Press

BRISTOL, England – David Beckham has launched a "School Zone" website to improve students' soccer skills and educational achievements.

The Real Madrid midfielder unveiled his free coaching guide, http://www.thedavidbeckhamacademy.co.uk during a visit Monday to the City Academy School in Bristol, southwest England.

"I have seen firsthand how boys and girls respond to the coaches at the academy," the former England captain said. "I am extremely proud of the work we have achieved to date with schools and community groups who visit the academy for free and I am pleased that now every school will get the chance to sample what we provide."

The website is an extension of Beckham's soccer academy in London. The academy also has a branch in Los Angeles.

Beckham, who joins Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy in July, is sidelined from Real Madrid after hurting a knee ligament earlier this month during a Spanish league game.

Beckham takes his soccer academy back to school

Bristol, March 20: He may being sidelined with a knee injury, but David Beckham was back on the pitch as he launched his new drive to improve youngsters' fitness and achievements.

The former England captain went back to school to launch a School Zone' website which aims to provide a free online coaching guide for teachers and pupils.

Beckham visited the Bristol's City Academy School and it was all big surprise for the kids who didn't know who their mystery guest is. In the classroom, Beckham helped kids to get to grips with the website.

Later in the day, he joined the kids at the football pitch, watching them practice and giving them a few advises.

The new site at www.thedavidbeckhamacademy.co.uk is an extension of Beckham's football academy, which so far has hosted free educational days for more than 12,000 children in the UK.

Bureau Report

Africa: Possible Double Bill of African Soccer Events Before 2010

Thapelo Sakoana

Tshwane

The year 2009 could truly be a major showcase for African football, should Nigeria win its bid to host the 2009 Fifa Under-17 World Cup.

Ahead of its hosting of football's biggest event, the 2010 Fifa World Cup, South Africa will host the Fifa Confederations Cup in 2009 as a dry run of the World Cup set to take place in June, 2010.

This means that two major soccer events could take place on the continent in 2009, ahead of the major international showpiece in 2010.

The Nigerian government has already submitted the necessary guarantees to world football governing body Fifa, assuring that it can host a successful event.

The Fifa Executive Committee, which meets for the first time this year on Thrusday and Friday, is yet to choose a host nation for the U-17 sporting event.

At a meeting convened Monday under Fifa Vice-President Jack Austin Warner, the organising committee for the Fifa U-17 World Cup was pleased to learn that preparations for this year's tournament in Korea were at an advanced stage.

A FIFA delegation traveled to the host country early this month and delivered a glowing report on its inspection of the eights venues.

The venues are in Cheonan, Changwon, Goyang, Gwangyang, Seogwipo, Seoul, Suwon and Ulsan.

The tournament, which will feature 24 teams for the first time as opposed to 16 as it had done in the past, will be played between 18 August and 9 September, Fifa said on its offical website.

The local organising committee has set a number of objectives, which include breaking the current overall attendance record for the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

The attendance record stood at 735 000 since the inaugural event - an U-16 competition - in China in 1985.

The Korean organisers have also kept ticket prices low for all 52 matches, with a match ticket expected to cost the equivalent of between U$2.10 and a maximum of U$7.40.

The final draw for the Fifa U-17 World Cup 2007, which will be broadcast in at least 130 countries around the world, will be held in Seoul on 17 May.

To date, only Asian (Korea Republic as host nation, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Japan, Tajikistan and Syria) and African teams (Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Tunisia) have qualified to participate in the tournament.

Five more national squads are yet to qualify for the games.

They will be represenatives of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), four from CONMEBOL, one from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and five from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

CONMEBOL is the only continental confederation for South America, recognised and authorised by Fifa to direct and control football in the region.

Soccer-Chilean players given full labour rights

VALPARAISO, Chile, March 20 (Reuters) - Chile's footballers, who have often complained about poor working conditions and problems in getting paid, will get the same rights as other workers under a new law passed by Congress on Tuesday.

"The situation in professional football will change radically," Labour Minister Osvaldo Andrade said after the bill was approved.

"In labour terms, it was absolutely unregulated and absolutely devoid of the rights which are given to any worker."

The law guarantees minimum one-year contracts as opposed to the current six months, the right to be paid monthly and to have days off.

"We've taken a new step towards making the activity more professional and this will help us improve our football," said Harold Mayne-Nicholls, president of the Chilean federation.

Chile's players went on a three-week strike in 2002 at protest over unpaid wages and poor working conditions.

In a bitter dispute, the clubs attempted to break the strike by fielding youth teams and three sacked their entire squads, reinstating them afterwards as part of the agreement which ended the stoppage.

After the strike, new rules were introduced banning clubs who owed money to their players from the previous season.

Deportes Concepcion were kicked out of the first division under the ruling last year and readmitted this season.

A new law came into force last November allowing Chilean clubs to become public limited companies.

Universidad de Chile, one of the country's most popular and successful clubs, are currently in the hands of an administrator after being declared bankrupt last year.

Soccer-Romario says his 998 goals include unofficial games

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 20 (Reuters) - Former Brazil striker Romario, on the verge of scoring what he claims will be the 1,000th goal of his career, said on Tuesday that his total included goals scored in non-professional matches.

"I've never hidden this," said Romario, who took his tally to 998 with a hat-trick in Vasco da Gama's 6-2 win over Boavista on Saturday.

"I never said that all those goals were scored in competitive or professional games. I'm also aware that some of the goals were scored in festive games," the 41-year-old told reporters in Brasilia where his side play a Copa Brasil tie on Wednesday.

"But I've scored them and I can prove it," he added.

"These numbers are not mine, I never had the time to count them myself. The counting was done by professionals. If I'd counted them myself, there would be around 3,000."

The Brazilian media have long questioned Romario's total, which is published on Vasco's official Web site. The tally includes 77 goals scored at youth level and numerous others from testimonial games and club friendlies.

Romario has said his dream would be to score the 1,000th goal on Sunday, when Vasco face arch-rivals Flamengo at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, his favourite stage.

© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved

Maria Sharapova Loses No. 1 Ranking!

Last Tuesday, Maria Sharapova played against fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva in the Pacific Life Open ... that match cost Maria her Top 1 ranking!
Maria played her best, but lost to Zvonareva 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 after she served 13 double faults & made 44 unforced errors!
Maris will be supplanted by Justine Henin on Monday when the rankings are updated. Although Henin was not at this tournament, she won two recent events in the Middle East.
Sharapova took her loss with pride & refused to make excuses for her loss. She said: "I'm not really angry. You know, I'm pretty cool about it."

Golfer Is Not Michelle Wie’s Dad

“I am not Michelle Wie’s father.”

PGA golfer Wi Chang-su (35, TaylorMade), better known as Charlie Wi, was once mistaken for Michelle Wie’s (18) father.

This is how the story goes. It happened in the year 2005 when Wi was playing in the John Deere Classic. Michelle Wie had also participated as part of a battle of the sexes, and many people in the gallery saw Wi’s last name and thought that father and daughter were playing together. Wi was told that a spectator said, “That`s Michelle Wie`s dad. He must have received a sponsor invite to play with his daughter.” and had a good laugh over it.

Although widely unknown back then, Wi let the world know of his existence by ranking first in the first day’s events of the PGA Tour Honda Classic. Wi shot a 5-under 65 with seven birdies and two bogeys in the first round held on March 2 at the PGA National Resort Champion Course (par 70) of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He led second place leader Bernhard Langer (Germany) by one shot. Major news media outlets, including the AP, showed the different spellings of the last names of Wi Chang-soo and Michelle Wie by saying Wi, not Wie, was in the lead.

This course is notoriously difficult with 107 bunkers and 16 holes surrounded by water hazards, and strong winds at speeds of 36 kilometers per hour were blowing. Only 20 players produced under-par scores. However, Wi landed on the fairway at an impressive rate of 85.7 percent and hit the green 72.2 percent of the time. He also kept the number of his putts down to 26, scoring the most birdies of the 144 players participating in the event.

Wi had missed the cut in 16 competitions out of 30 since his PGA Tour debut two years ago and rejoined the PGA Tour this season after making it through Q-School.

John Daly (USA) dropped out after suffering a shoulder injury when he tried to stop his swing at the 12th hole after being surprised by the sound made by a spectator’s camera while attempting a drive.

SOCCER: Fan's offer for Gerrard glass refused by restaurant

A football fan offered £500 for a glass used by England and Liverpool FC star Steven Gerrard.
The Spanish fan was dining at trendy Liverpool restaurant Room when he spotted Gerrard and teammate Jamie Carragher having a meal.
When the players left, the fan begged for Gerrard`s glass and offered to buy it for £500, but staff refused.
Restaurant boss John Pallagi said: "The request came out of the blue, but we had to say no.

"We just wouldn`t do that sort of thing, we have a duty to respect the privacy of all our customers."

Soccer-Zidane and Ronaldo line-up against each other in UN match

PARIS, March 16 (Reuters) - Former Real Madrid team mates Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo will captain teams against each other on Monday in an exhibition match aimed at mobilising the public in the fight against poverty.

Zidane, the former France captain who was born in a Marseille district and retired after France's defeat by Italy in last year's World Cup final, and Brazil striker Ronaldo, who now plays for AC Milan, will lead their selections in the fourth "Match against Poverty", organisers said. Zidane and Ronaldo, who played alongside each other for Real Madrid for several seasons, are both goodwill ambassadors for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which organises the event at Marseille's Velodrome Stadium. Each have invited a number of players for the match, entitled Ronaldo and Friends versus Zidane and Friends.

Among Zidane's guests are compatriot William Gallas and Robert Pires while Ronaldo's team includes fellow Brazilians Rivaldo and Robinho.

The match is the second high profile friendly for good causes in a week following Manchester United's match against a European Select XI at Old Trafford last Tuesday which raised money for children's charities.

Hunt for soccer thugs who attacked couple on train

By fiona firth

A COUPLE were attacked on a train after asking rowdy Sheffield football fans not to swear.

A 59-year-old woman and her 69-year-old partner were left badly bruised after being punched by men, believed to be Sheffield Wednesday supporters.

Police have released CCTV pictures in the hope of tracing those involved in the “mindless attack”.

The incident happened on a London St Pancras to Sheffield train after last Saturday’s Sheffield Wednesday game at Queens Park Rangers.

About six men, believed to be Sheffield Wednesday supporters because they were singing Owls songs, were behaving rowdily on Coach F.

At about 8.25pm, when the train was between the St Pancras and Kettering stations, the woman asked the men not to swear and was then punched by one of them. Her partner tried to intervene and was then punched in the head.

The alarm was raised at Kettering station but the group of men quickly left the train before police arrived.

The woman was left with severe bruising to her arm and her partner was left with bruising to his arm and his head. Both are recovering from their injuries at home in Leicester.

Supt Martin Hemingway, from South Yorkshire Police, said: “We are working with both the British Transport Police and the club to identify those responsible.

“This type of incident is rare but here we have seen football hooligans sink to new depths.

“If anyone can give us any information or identify the people in the photographs, we urge them to come forward.”

Contact PC Tom Carr at South Yorkshire Police on 0114 252 3366, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Rush starts now for Euro 2008 tickets

By Mark Ledsom

SALZBURG, Austria, March 16 (Reuters) - Organisers of the 2008 European championship have reported a huge demand for tickets, with initial applications far outstripping the number of seats available.

About a third of the 1,050,000 tickets are up for grabs via the official website (www.euro2008.com), but tournament officials said on Friday they had already received around 2.5 million applications. Most of the tickets will be distributed using a lottery system once the window for applications closes on March 31.

A further 38% of tickets will be made available to competing countries via their national associations following the end of the qualifying competition.

Co-hosts Austria and Switzerland are the only countries so far guaranteed a place at the tournament, but applications have come in from a total of 128 countries including Australia, China, El Salvador and Uganda.

The tournament is set to take place from June 7-29, 2008, with matches being played in Geneva, Bern, Basel, Zurich, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Klagenfurt and Vienna.