Asia

South Africa's Premier League kicks off its new season on Wednesday against a backdrop of legal wrangles, feuding club bosses and growing public apathy.

FIFA, soccer?s world governing body, has denied any of the eleven main sponsors of next year?s soccer World Cup will pull out of the event, following a special meeting on Tuesday.

The ISMM Group ? parent company of ISL ? has failed in its bid to postpone bankruptcy proceedings.

Old Trafford will host England's World Cup qualifier with Greece on October 6, the Football Association announced on Friday.

There is a rumour that will not go away - this year's Commonwealth Games will have to be shifted from Malaysia to Australia because of smog.

South Korean organisers for the 2002 World Cup finals are confident their 10 stadia will open in time but say they still have to resolve a dispute with co-hosts Japan over the name of the event. For the full story see the FEATURES section of sportbusiness.com.

Cricket authorities are likely to come under pressure to increase the jurisdiction of the third umpire following the planned use of slow motion replays in non-televised matches at next month's Commonwealth Games.

The Netherlands were named the team of the year by FIFA, soccer's ruling body, on Thursday.

Malysian Youth and Sports Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has welcomed theFootball Association of Malaysia (FAM) decision to stop foreign imports in the Malysian League and Cup tournaments from next season.

New Zealand pay-television operator, Sky Network Television Ltd., has won rights to broadcast six of New Zealand's national rugby team?s tour matches in Europe and Japan later this year.

Malaysia?s Selangor State Government is launching a major sports tourism thrust by highlighting the many golf courses in the state.

Univision Communications, the US-based Spanish-language media company, has acquired the exclusive U.S. Spanish-language television rights to broadcast the final tournaments of the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and 2006.

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has verbally agreed to fight Nigerian David Izon in Kuala Lumpur in June, according to fight promoters.

Japan has begun the official two-year countdown to the 2002 World Cup, unveiling a display indicating the number of days to go until the first match in the tournament it is co-hosting with South Korea.

Beijing is eyeing the 2008 Olympics as a cure for problems ranging from choking smog to taxi-clogged streets, and as an image boost for the Communist capital.

Multipole has been appointed exclusive Latin American distributor to soccer?s European South American Toyota Cup