Middle East
Business

Bernie Ecclestone has dropped plans to seek new investors for his Formula One Administration until the European Commission gives a final ruling on grand prix broadcasting rights.
Events

European soccer has expanded its reach even further after the UEFA Champions League signed a joint TV rights deal with two Middle Eastern broadcasters to show simultaneous coverage of the competition in Arabic and English every Wednesday night.

The Dubai World Cup and online ticketing firm ts.com have teamed up to enable tickets for the 2001 race to be sold online via the World Cup?s official website.

Japan and Saudi Arabia will host the round-robin, quarter-final stages of the Asian Club Championship, the Asian Football Confederation announced.
Stadia

An investigation has been launched into a stadium disaster in Iran which left more than 250 people injured.
Stadia

The International Cricket Council has approved South Africa?s proposals for the format of the 2003 World Cup.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and global newspaper publishers Hollinger International have joined forces to launch Faceoff.com, a world-wide source for hockey-related news, information and e-commerce.

After 11 days of silence, the opposing sides in the NBA lockout agreed to resume formal bargaining talks later this week, in a bid to save their Christmas NBC TV schedule.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone wants a return to two days of grand prix qualifying.
Business

Sports.com, the website which claims to be Europe?s biggest sports news and data site, has bought the UK's Daily Star?s website Megastar.co.uk from Lord Hollick?s United Business News for about #100,000 ($144,000).

MVP.com, the sports e-tailer backed by athletic superstars Michael Jordan, John Elway and Wayne Gretzky, is to close its offices in Boulder, Colorado and Austin, Texas, and lay off 48 percent of its 166 employees.

Team boss Eddie Jordan says he was the voice behind a move to ban Formula One activity in August.
Business

Former Thai soccer coach Withaya Laohakul said he hoped a decision by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to ban the country from international competition would only be a temporary punishment.

Stadia

India's federal cabinet has approved the staging of the 2006 Asian Games in New Delhi if the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) bid is successful.

Turkey wants to build a Formula One circuit in Istanbul within three years, the head of the Turkish Automobile Federation said on Thursday.
Business

English football club Chelsea is on the verge securing an #18million ($26m), three-year deal with leading airline Emirates, which would be the second-biggest shirt sponsorship in football.
Stadia

US soccer officials have refused to bow to Moslem sensibilities and remove Budweiser beer advertisements from the stadium and programmes for a groundbreaking Iranian-U.S. game.
Events

Australia's Victorian Major Events is reported to have offered a $1.2 million (US$600,000) "sweetener" to ensure that if Australia's soccer team makes it to the final phase of the World Cup qualifying campaign, the decisive match will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.