OSAKA: Hot on the heels of the World Cup in South Africa, FIFA kicked off a whirlwind two-month tour Monday to inspect nine candidates vying to host the 2018 or 2022 tournaments, the first stop in Japan.A five-member team from the sport`s world governing body was to arrive in the western

GALLE: The second day`s play in the first Test between India and Sri Lanka on Monday was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to bad weather.The morning start had already been delayed by a wet outfield at the Galle International Stadium when a thunderstorm soon after ensured there

DHAKA: Bangladesh cricket team is expecting a clean victory against Scotland and Netherlands in their two different matches at Glasgow on Monday and Tuesday.“There is no chance to take them lightly, we are serious and in international cricket nobody takes their opponents lightly

HELSINKI : South African world champion Caster Semenya crowned her comeback week following an 11-month absence caused by a gender controversy with an easy victory in the 800m at a low-key meeting on Sunday.Semenya clocked 2min 02.42sec in her favoured event at the Lapinlahti meet,

ST. ANDREWS: Tiger Woods has gone 0-for-3 in what had been expected to be a pivotal run of majors in pursuit of the record 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus, a quest likely to be much tougher now. After a flop at the British Open, Woods has not won in the past nine majors, one shy of

BERLIN: Werder Bremen are ready to listen to offers for their German international playmaker, Mesut Ozil, the club`s sporting director Klaus Allofs admitted on Sunday.The German first division side had been hoping to extend the 21-year-old`s contract but with negotiations having hit a

BERLIN: Werder Bremen are ready to listen to offers for their German international playmaker, Mesut Ozil, the club`s sporting director Klaus Allofs admitted on Sunday.The German first division side had been hoping to extend the 21-year-old`s contract but with negotiations having hit a

LONDON: Fabio Capello is likely to drop John Terry from the England team next season, according to Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro.Cannavaro got an insight into Capello`s ruthless style of management when he worked with the Italian at Real Madrid and the Juventus star is convinced Terry is

NOTTINGHAM: Olympic champions Germany came back from two goals down to defeat Britain 3-2 in extra-time and clinch the Four Nations title on Saturday.Britain had taken a commanding 2-0 lead early in the first half when captain Barry Middleton chipped Germany goalkeeper Max Weinholt and

ATLANTA: Andy Roddick returns to Atlanta nearly a decade after winning the title as the event re-emerges onto the ATP calendar after a long hiatius to start the summer hardcourt run to the US Open.The American world number nine received a wild card for the hardcourt event nine years after

NAIROBI: Real Madrid`s new coach Jose Mourinho sought the assistance of Kenyan jujumen to help him succeed in his tough new job with the Spanish giants, one of the men told AFP on Sunday.Mourinho, who spent a three-week holiday in Kenya with his family this month, met with the four men

GALLE: Tharanga Paranavitana and skipper Kumar Sangakkara hit centuries as Sri Lanka dominated the rain-hit opening day of the first Test against India on Sunday.The left-handed duo put on 181 for the second wicket to lead Sri Lanka to 256 for two in their first innings before heavy rain

LONDON: Barcelona captain Carles Puyol is convinced Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas will move to the Nou Camp - even if the Spanish champions have to wait another 12 months to seal the deal.Puyol spent the last six weeks with Fabregas as the pair helped Spain win the World Cup in South

LONDON: Former Pakistan Test captain Shahid Afridi vowed to return to England on Sunday, saying the limited over series starting next month will be the launch pad for his ambitions to win the 2011 World Cup.The 30-year-old announced he would retire from Test cricket after the second and

DHAKA: Bangladeshi vice-captain Shakib Al Hasan clinched the third position as test all-rounder with South African Jacques Kallis still on the top.The International Cricket Council (ICC) published the Reliance Mobile Test Cricket ranking Sunday through a press release.Shakib scored 334,

GALLE: Tharanga Paranavitana and skipper Kumar Sangakkara hit centuries as Sri Lanka dominated the rain-hit opening day of the first Test against India on Sunday.The left-handed duo put on 181 for the second wicket to lead Sri Lanka to 256 for two in their first innings before heavy rain

UPPER MONTCLAIR: Thierry Henry trained Friday with the New York Red Bulls, his first workout with his new team since he signed to play in Major League Soccer earlier this week.France`s Henry and the Red Bulls performed a light training session at Montclair State University.While the

TOKYO: Just a week after the din of celebratory vuvuzela horns died down in South Africa, fresh World Cup fever is gripping nine candidates battling to host the showpiece in 2018 or 2022.The sport`s world governing body FIFA on Monday kicks off a two-month inspection tour of Japan, South

BRISBANE: New Zealand striker Shane Smeltz has walked out on Chinese club Shandong Luneng after only one week and is on his way back to the A League, an Australian newspaper reported on Saturday.The Gold Coast Bulletin reported that Smeltz had decided that it would be too difficult for

PARIS: The French Football Federation (FFF) has launched an investigation into the France players` training boycott at the World Cup, outgoing president Jean-Pierre Escalettes announced on Friday."I`ve taken the initiative to form a commission of inquiry charged with establishing the