China

China Travel International Investment Hong Kong Ltd has said its subsidiary and a state-run sports unit in mainland China has obtained exclusive rights to sell tickets for China's first soccer World Cup finals appearance.

China - host to the 2008 Olympic Games - is setting up a watchdog committee to audit planning and construction in a bid to prevent corruption.

Boxing's biggest ever pay-day - the long-awaited showdown between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis is on the verge of total collapse after Nevada boxing officials refused to permit Tyson a licence to box.

China has stunned observers by entering the bidding to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Sports marketing agency IMG has signed an exclusive agreement with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to sell up to $200million (EUR228.39m) in corporate sponsorship to support the American Olympic team up until the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

China is set to become the world's largest football nation - but it will take years of investment before a commercial market emerges, a western investor in the Chinese game has said.

Soccer referees in China found guilty of being involved in a bribery scandal will face criminal charges, according to China Football Association top brass.

Bayern Munich vice-president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says the European socer champions plan to develop their marketing strategy in Asia.

Organisers of the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix are to aggressively promote the event to surrounding countries in a bid to boost the track-side attendance figures.

China's state-run broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) is the only bidder for the World Cup rights for the country following the withdrawal of a Hong Kong-based broadcasting distributor, according to reports.

The Canadian government has promised to help the Rocky Mountain ski resort of Whistler, British Columbia, in its joint bid with Vancouver to host the 2010 Winter Olympics.

KirchGruppe unit KirchMedia has continued its 'mopping up' operation in regard to the sale of World Cup broadcast rights with the conclusion of further deals in minor football markets.

The 2002 Pacific Rim rugby tournament has been scrapped to make way for regional qualifiers for the 2003 World Cup, Japanese officials of the game have confirmed.

Media reports claim Irish millionaires John Magnier and JP McManus are seeking to snap up the rights to broadcast the official Manchester United soccer club channel - MUTV - in the Caribbean.

The chairman of China Broadband has met with Beijing 2008 Olympic officials to discuss the company’s role in the local broadband cable distribution of Olympic broadcasts.

South Korean airline and retail shares were up in late morning trade today after international soccer's governing body FIFA said China's preliminary matches in next year's World Cup finals would be played in South Korea.