Soccer

Barca's Edmilson free to play after card withdrawn

MADRID: Barcelona's Edmilson is free to play against Real Sociedad in the Primera Liga on Saturday after the Spanish Football Federation's appeals committee withdrew a yellow card he received.

The Brazilian collected a second yellow card and was sent off in last Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Osasuna, after he was booked for appearing to bring down Savo Milosevic in the area for a penalty.

The club appealed the decision.

The Primera Liga leaders will be without the suspended Thiago Motta and injured Argentine forward Lionel Messi for the trip to San Sebastian.

Doping

Selig to launch investigation of Bonds doping case

NEW YORK: Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, under pressure from US lawmakers, is expected to announce next week an investigation of Barry Bonds, the New York Daily News reported on Thursday.

The San Francisco Giants slugger, who has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing despite mounting accusations of steroid taking, would face potential sanctions in a formal probe.

Selig said last week he would review evidence contained in a new book to be published next Thursday in which the authors, citing interviews with specific sources, paint a detailed picture of a doping regimen by Bonds.

But at that time, Selig stopped short of saying he would investigate Bonds, who needs only six home runs to match Babe Ruth for second on the all-time major league list and 47 to equal Hank Aaron's record of 755.

WADA boss sceptical about doping tests at WBC

MONTREAL: World Baseball Classic departures from World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations could jeopardize baseball's bid to return to the Olympic sporting line-up, WADA president Dick Pound said on Thursday.

Pound chastised the first global tournament using Major League Baseball talent for not disclosing all details about tests, including those done on players from 60-man preliminary rosters who did not make final 30-man line-ups.

"Its very simple. We are asking baseball to come clean and set the record straight," Pound said. "Either baseball officials seriously want to rid their sport of doping, or they want to brush the issue under the carpet.

"So far we haven't seen much evidence of the former."

International Olympic Committee officials have voted to drop baseball after the 2008 Beijing Olympics and last month rejected a reinstatement bid, although global baseball officials plan to push for a return by the 2016 Games

German agency reports fewer cases

BERLIN: Germany's Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has reported a slight drop in the number of positive tests in Germany in 2005 and says it needs more money.

NADA, presenting its 2005 report on Thursday, said 67 of the 8,998 tests (0.75 per cent) performed in the country had been positive, compared with 72 positive tests from 8,885 controls (0.80 per cent) in 2004.

"The figures are not spectacular but nevertheless show that our work is starting to pay off," said NADA chairman Roland Augustin.

Michael Hoelz, the chairman of NADA's board of trustees, said the body needed more state money to fulfil its duty.

"We must guarantee the independence of NADA and in order to do that, we need more money," he said.

NADA had an annual budget of 1.3 million euros and would need at least an extra million euros, he added.

Diving

National diving c'ships to be held in Changshu

The 2006 Bosideng National Championships will be held in Changshu, Jiangsu Province from March 28 to April 2, according to Li Hua, director of China's Administrative Centre of Swimming.

The tournament is organized by China's Administrative Centre of Swimming and Changshu People's Government and sponsored by Bosideng Corp.

The event is the highest-level diving competition in the country with China Central Television (CCTV) offering hours of live coverage.

Led by Olympics gold medallists Guo Jingjing, Wu Minxia and Hu Jia, over 200 Olympic athletes will fight for a total of 14 winning trophies.

Changshu has successfully organized the 14th World Women's Basketball Championships, the 2004 Water Skiing World Cup and the women's basketball tournament of the 10th National Games.

TENNIS

Serena Williams withdraws from Miami tournament

MIAMI: Serena Williams pulled out of next week's Nasdaq Open in Miami on Friday, citing a knee injury and lack of training.

Williams, who has not played since losing in the Australian Open third round in January, has been fined heavily by the WTA Tour for pulling out of several tournaments this year.

She underwent knee surgery in 2003 and has not won a title since taking her seventh grand slam crown at the 2005 Australian Open.

She has only played in nine tournaments since and is currently ranked 58th in the world, her lowest mark in seven years.

"I am very disappointed to withdraw but I feel like I need more time before I am able to compete at the highest level," Williams said in a statement.

Miscellaneous

Sports goods show opens in China

China International Sporting Goods Show has become the largest one in the Asia-Pacific region, according to an official from China General Administration for Sports.

"The show has become the biggest sports-related goods exhibition in the Asia-Pacific area and also among the most prestigious ones in the world, " said Ma Jilong, director of the Administration Centre for Sports Equipment. "It is a platform for all the producers and dealers from around the world to exchange ideas and do business."

This year's show, to be held from April 20 to 23 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, has attracted about 700 companies from home and abroad to apply so far and international sports production giants like Nike, Adidas, The North Face and domestic producers including Li-Ning, Anta and Double Fish are all set to showcase their latest and fashionable sports goods.

Eight exhibition halls, covering 100,000 square metres, will be classified and show different kinds of goods.

To highlight the development of the show, which has been held for 17 times, a new logo was launched on Thursday.

(China Daily 03/18/2006 page12)