Asia

A top Asian sports official has said there was growing support within the region for a boycott of the 2002 World Cup in protest at Asia's representation in the finals.

The Sports Authority of Thailand has received Bt50 million ($1.1m) from the government to set up an IT network to disseminate information about sports activities around the nation.

The Hong Kong governing has announced it is to mount a bid to host the 2006 Asian Games.

DIRECTV, the leading US digital pay-TV entertainment service, has reached an affiliate agreement with FOX Sports World to offer the network on the DIRECTV programming line-up beginning September 1, 1999.

China urged International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegates arriving on Monday to assess Beijing's bid for the 2008 Games to focus on its credentials as a "sports superpower of 1.2 billion people", not its human rights record.

Quokka Sports in partnership with British Telecom has launched www.btchallenge.com to provide up to the minute coverage of The BT Global Challenge, dubbed the "World?s Toughest Yacht Race".

Hong Kong Internet unit, tom.com, has announced a partnership with four Chinese sport-based companies to establish a new sub-website that will provide sports information.

Macau Cable TV has concluded a deal to carry ESPN and STAR Sports.

International sports chiefs are to attend a world conference on drug abuse after recent controversies have shown that doping is still a huge problem nearly a decade after the Ben Johnson scandal.

A new organisation of athletes has demanded a more "inclusive, democratic and accountable" International Olympic Committee (IOC) - the tarnished governing body of the Summer and Winter Games.

Carol Anne Letheren, chief executive officer of the Canadian Olympic Association and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), remained in critical condition in intensive care in a Toronto hospital on Thursday.

Michael Weisman, the Emmy Award winning executive and sports producer, has joined the sports-based entertainment and e-commerce Internet company, SportsPrize Entertainment Inc?s, Board of Directors.

World cricket's governing body have acted to prevent a repeat of the pitch fiasco that caused international matches in India and West Indies to be abandoned during the 1997-98 season.

Australia will host three-test series against Pakistan and India over the summer but Melbourne could miss out as a venue because of a dispute involving the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The Asian Cricket Test championship will go ahead even if India decides to withdraw from the tournament, a top official has confirmed.

Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has signed a five-year contract worth an estimated 800m rupees ($17m) with sports management company WorldTel.