Australia

A group of hard-up Australian Olympic hopefuls are thinking of donning their noseclips and waterproof smiles for men's magazine Playboy to keep alive their medal chances at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Malaysia has confirmed it will be bidding to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

The Victorian Government has put naming rights for two of Melbourne's premier sporting facilities on the market.

The decision by the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust to seek naming rights sponsors for two of Victoria's premier sporting facilities has caused a mixed reaction among tenants.

The Sydney Olympics won a A$200 million tax break from the national government's proposed goods and services tax (GST), a spokesman for state Olympics minister Michael Knight has said.

Olympic chief Juan Antonio Samaranch has gaven a clean bill of health to Chinese sport and said Beijing was now an example to the world of how to fight against drug cheats.

The French capital announced it was bidding for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Australia will host the third edition of the World Golf Championships Match Play in 2001, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchen has announced.

Asian soccer chiefs are to hold an emergency meeting in Bangkok to decide what to do about FIFA's effective allocation of just two Asian qualifying slots for the 2002 World Cup, officials have said.

Asian soccer chiefs will decide on Tuesday whether to heed a call to boycott the 2002 World Cup in emergency talks on the region's representation in the finals.

Leading Olympic official Marc Hodler said he had gone public with his allegations that agents tried to rig votes on the hosting of Games because he did not want Salt Lake City to be seen as "villains".

A top Asian sports official has said there was growing support within the region for a boycott of the 2002 World Cup in protest at Asia's representation in the finals.

Asian soccer chiefs have gaven FIFA until March to avert a regional boycott of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea by giving Asia the chance of an extra place in the finals.

Asia has turned world soccer's favourite slogan back at governing body FIFA and asked for "Fair Play, Please."

Chinese sports officials have waded into the Olympic bribery row, saying Beijing may have been a victim of IOC corruption when it lost to Sydney in the contest to host the 2000 Games.

Isolationist North Korea has never been officially approached about the possibility of hosting matches during the 2002 World Cup, a top Pyongyang sports official has said.