China
Business

Soccer's world governing body FIFA said on Sunday it was open to the idea of sponsors names on national team shirts but insisted they would not be allowed at the 2002 World Cup. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the association's executive had discussed the idea at an end-of-year meeting in Rome but wanted to examine it further before making a decision.
Business

Nigeria pledged on Thursday that the building of facilities will be completed in time to host the All-Africa Games in 2003.
Events

Paris will stage the best Olympics ever if it wins the right to hold them in 2008, the bid organisers said in an official statement.
Business

Many of snooker?s top stars look set to join a breakaway tour which threatens to split the sport and end the domination of the game by its governing body, the WSA, following plans announced by The Sportsmasters Network (TSN).
Business

Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon on Tuesday urged European officials not to drag their feet over new rules governing player transfers because uncertainty threatened to damage the game.
Events

Paris officials have abandoned plans to hold the gymnastics in the historic Grand Palais if they win their bid to host the 2008 Olympics.
Media

China's capital Beijing has spent billions of dollars this year widening and extending roads to pave the way for its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games, the Xinhua news agency has reported.

China will be too busy pursuing its bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games over the next few months and will likely leave Taiwan alone, Taiwan's Vice President Annette Lu said on Tuesday.
Media

Beijing has started radio English lessons to get its citizens up to speed in the race for the 2008 Olympic Games, according to local reports.
Stadia

Beijing has decided to bring its public toilets up to Olympic gold standards in its pursuit of the 2008 Games, the China Daily said on Monday.
Business

Fast Track, the sports consultancy founded by Alan Pascoe, has won its first major international consultancy contract.
Media

Chairman Mao Zedong will share the spotlight with beach volleyball if the 2008 Olympics come to Beijing.
Events

China is contemplating throwing Tiananmen Square - mostly known to the outside world for the 1989 massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators - into its 2008 Olympic bid as the venue for beach volleyball.
Business

China Mobile Communications, China's largest mobile communications operator, has announced that customers who use the company's WAP phones will be charged beginning December.

Telstra Corp Ltd, Australia's dominant telecommunications group, wants to capitalize on its success in wiring the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games by penetrating the world's biggest potential market, China.
Business

BMCMedia has been appointed by the Walt Disney Internet Group to represent football web site Soccernet, in all major markets in the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Peoples Republic of China, India, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia and New Zealand.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will visit Beijing in February next year ahead of the vote in July to decide the host city of the 2008 Games, a Chinese Olympic bid official said on Tuesday.
Business

Germany is considering bidding for the Olympic Games and will unveil details of its plans next week, the German Olympic Committee (NOK) has said.