Africa

UEFA has fired another broadside in the direction of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, denouncing his plans to hold the World Cup every two years.

The bidding process by cities hoping to host the Olympic games has been open to abuse for years and needs a radical revamp, the mayor of Cape Town, which failed to win the 2004 Games, has said.

The head of the Brazilian football federation has insisted that his country's economic crisis would not affect its bid for the 2006 World Cup.

The southern hemisphere's Super 12 competition will not be expanded for at least two years, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has announced.

South Africa?s path to staging soccer?s 2006 World Cup finals has got a little clearer after the country?s rugby bosses pledged their support to the bid by making its stadiums available.

British broadcaster Talk Radio has stolen a march on the BBC's renowned Test Match Special by buying the rights to England's cricket test series against South Africa.

South African media firm Primedia said it would pay 40 million rand ($6.6 million) for a major foothold in one of the country's top soccer clubs, continuing a global trend for media/sport tie-ups.

English soccer Premier League champions Manchester United have signed a deal with South African first division club FC Fortune to develop African youth players.

Power consumption surged to record levels in Sri Lanka last week when millions switched on their televisions to watch the World Cup cricket match between Sri Lanka and South Africa.

South Africa's cricketers, currently favourites to win the cricket World Cup, have backed the South African bid for the soccer World Cup in 2006.

South Africa has denied suggestions in the UK press that it plans to shelve its bid for the 2006 soccer World Cup.

South Africa's Sam Ramsamy will be a member of an International Olympic Committee (IOC) reform commission meeting next week, the National Olympic Committee of South Africa (Nocsa) has said.

Phil Hayes-Brown has been named the new managing director of the NBA in the UK.

Jean-Claude Ganga, one of six International Olympic Committee members expelled from the organisation in March for taking bribes, is to resign as president of the African Olympic body, a South African Olympic official has confirmed.

A disciplinary hearing into an alleged strike threat over pay by Stormers Super 12 players in South Africa has been postponed at the request of the players' legal team.

South Africa's chances of hosting the 2006 World Cup has received a giant boost when First National Bank (FNB) bankrolled the Bid Committee with a sponsorship and threw its financial weight behind their attempt to bring the showcase event to Africa for the first time.