Greece

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis has fired one of his most controversial politicians for the second time, dismissing Culture Minister Theodoros Pangalos - who has most responsibility for the troubled 2004 Athens Olympics - for criticising the government.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch has confirmed that Sydney Olympics minister Michael Knight has been appointed to the Athens 2004 Games co-ordination commission.

Senior officials behind the Sydney Olympics could be offered consultancy contracts for the Athens Games in 2004.

Greece's building sector may have to consolidate if profit margins shrink when the wealth of projects related to the Athens 2004 Olympics dries up.

Sports-loving mayor Yuri Luzhkov has said he wants Moscow to stage the 2012 Olympics.

Enic, the UK-based sports, media and leisure group with controlling interests in European club?s Slavia Prague and Vicenza as well as minority stakes in Glasgow Rangers, FC Basel and AEK Athens, has reported greatly increased half-year profits. The company made substantial gains on player trading, and the sale of part of its holdings in AEK and Autonomy, the new media company.

The European Commission has backed the idea of a world sports anti-doping agency but wants guarantees about how it would operate.

The Olympic torch will travel through some of Australia's most famous landmarks before igniting the cauldron to officially open the Sydney 2000 Games.

European athletics chiefs have agreed to stage a new indoor European Cup in 2001, an athletics source said recently.

Greece and Cyprus have agreed to send two satellites into space to advance telecommunications in the region and assist in transmission of the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Perry Crosswhite, general manager of Australia's team for next year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester, believes England will surpass them in the medal tally, citing the National Lottery for the host nation's sporting revolution.

ENIC, the London stock market-listed sports and leisure company, is looking to transfer its market listing from the main market to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) so that it can comply with UEFA rules on dual ownership of clubs.

Liverpool?s UEFA Cup success is winning the BBC some strong viewing figures but it is also seeing them depart with large sums of money.

Sports marketing firm Millsport has hired Bruce Angus as vice president, Millsport International.

Investment company ENIC is on the verge of securing a #22m ($35m) deal to take over English Premier League soccer team Tottenham Hotspur.

Greek Olympic chief Gianna Angelopoulos said on Monday that the sudden resignation of her number two would not upset the Athens 2004 Games preparations.