Australia

Australia?s new Colonial Stadium in Melbourne opens for the first time this week as its plays host to the opening round Australian Football League match between Essendon and Port Adelaide.

Sydney Olympic officials have been forced to defend another of the venues for this year's Games after complaints that the man-made rowing course was unfair.

Foster's Australia has signed a 10-year contract with Allsport Management SA, the promotional arm of Formula One racing, to make the brand the official beer supplier at almost every Grand Prix.

Cereal company Kellogg?s has put up a $160,000 prize fund for a special award organised by the British Olympic Association (BOA).

Construction workers at the swimming pool to be used at this year's Sydney Olympics have walked off the job because of fears the main grandstand could collapse.

IOC vice-president Kevan Gosper has resigned from the IOC ethics committee he helped to form ahead of a hearing into allegations he broke Olympic guidelines.

Australian sports production company Active Television has signaled its intention to increase its share of motor racing production with the creation of activeTV motorsport.

The IOC and FIFA have joined forces to ease the burden on clubs losing players to the Sydney Olympic soccer tournament.

Samsung Electronics Australia has announced an extension of its sponsorship for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Complaints from Olympic sponsors that they were not getting full value for their spend have been addressed after SOCOG announced it was to spend US$650,000 to increase the recognition of its corporate backers.

Sydney Olympic authorities plan to ban non-rights-holding international television broadcasters from the site of the 2000 Games, according to local newspaper reports.

Leading Australian Football League official Ian Collins is to leave his post to become chief executive at Melbourne's new multi-purpose Docklands Stadium.

Australian swimming sensation, Ian Thorpe, has been asked to choose between two swimsuit brands vying for sponsorship exposure during the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch has said he wants more experienced players to improve the standard of soccer at the Sydney Games, a move that could spark a new row with Europe's top clubs.

The future of several high-profile Olympic sports in Australia may be known this week when sporting chiefs decide on funding beyond the 2000 Sydney Games.

UK sport radio station talkSPORT has won the ball-by-ball rights to the next England/Australia Ashes series Down Under.