Asia

Yotaro Kobayashi, Chairman and Co-CEO of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., has been elected to the Board of Directors of Callaway Golf.

Brazil has said it would bid to stage the 2006 World Cup, and immediately received the backing of the South American Football Confederation (CSF).

A delegation from soccer's governing body FIFA have given a thumbs up to South Korea's preparations for the 2002 World Cup, including the daunting task of building 10 new stadiums.

A scandal over Japan's successful bid for the 1998 Winter Olympics has flared up again when a major newspaper reported hard evidence had been found that Nagano spent millions of dollars on lavish entertainment as part of its bidding campaign.

French hopes of staging the 2003 world athletics championships have received a significant boost when it was claimed that the main rivals to Paris may not have its stadium ready in time.

The president of the Japanese Olympic Committee, Yushiro Yagi, has died aged 72.

South American Football Confederation (CSF) president Nicolas Leoz, whose organisation staged the Copa America at only six days' notice, says his dream is for every country in the Americas to take part in the future.

South Korea's national police said on Monday they would form special squads to quell possible disruptions by violent soccer fans during next year's World Cup.

VTV has been awarded the contract to produce the UK?s Channel 5?s live coverage of the MotoGP World Motorcycle Racing Championships for 2001.

The BBC has paid #6m ($10m) for the broadcasting rights to FIFA's World Team Championship in Brazil. That is half the price once suggested - probably because other broadcasters showed little interest.

London based licensing consultants Giraffe Entertainment have signed a deal with Italian soccer giants Juventus to license the club?s products in the Far East. The deal will be announced in Tokyo on Monday at a press conference, which will also be attended by Juve?s owner, and Fiat magnate Umberto Agnelli, and club vice president and former star Roberto Bettega.

Three Australian TV stations have promised to airing programmes for the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games soon in efforts to help Malaysia intensify promotion of the event.

Less than three weeks before tickets for the 2002 World Cup go on sale, Japan's organisers were locked in a dispute with co-host South Korea over whose name appears first.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has denied accusations that he chose October 3 as the date for a general election in order to cash in on a welter of sports events expected to divert the sports-mad nation's attention.

Sportsworld Media Group (SMG) and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) have agreed plans for a 5-year exclusive media and marketing partnership, intended to re-launch pro' surfing as a globally competitive sports and lifestyle property.

Sultan Ahmad Shah is expected to step down as president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) this month.