Africa

Former South African wicketkeeper Dave Richardson said on Saturday that he had found a sponsor for the West Indies cricket team, providing their stalled tour of South Africa went ahead.

The fate of West Indies' tour of South Africa due to start this week hung in the balance on Sunday after negotiations between officials and players over pay and conditions failed to produce an agreement.

The head of South Africa's 2006 World Cup bid has said they were confident of hosting the finals and shrugged off British claims to stage soccer's top event.

South African coach Nick Mallett has called for a shorter season as the world champions embarked on their seventh grand slam tour of Britain and Ireland.

Brian Lara was reinstated as West Indies captain for the delayed tour of South Africa on Monday after four days of talks ended a players' revolt over pay.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter repeated his belief that Africa should stage the soccer World Cup finals in 2006, in an interview published on Monday.

Ex-South African wicketkeeper Dave Richardson has suggested the row which had threatend the West Indies tour could prompt the formation of an international body aimed at looking after players' interests.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has reaffirmed his support for an Africa bid to host the 2006 World Cup finals when he met South African president Nelson.

South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) has party waded into a controversy over the racial make-up of the country's rugby and cricket national teams by labelling them "lily-white".

English county cricket will split into two divisions in 2000 after administrators voted for the most radical change in the 110-year history of the championship.

A crisis sparked by Graham Kelly's resignation as chief executive of the English Football Association will not ruin England's bid for the 2006 World Cup, the F.A.'s executive director has said.

England's chances of hosting the 2006 World Cup have not been damaged by the resignation of F.A. chief executive Graham Kelly, FIFA said on Wednesday.

Germany's bid chief Franz Beckenbauer believes the race to stage the 2006 World Cup finals is very close with Germany in with

The president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), India's Jagmohan Dalmiya, will not attend a key meeting of the ICC's executive board in New Zealand this weekend.

Former European champions Ajax Amsterdam is to form an affiliated squad in Cape Town, the Dutch club has announced.

Dutch soccer champions Ajax have taken a 51 percent in Ajax Cape Town, a new club which will start competing in South Africa's Premier Soccer League in the 1999-2000 season it has been confirmed.