Costa Rica

Costa Rica has set itself up as the offshore gambling capital of the world with large quantities of US cash entering the country in the lead up to the start of the American football season

The first person to be convicted on federal charges of running an illegal offshore Internet sports gambling operation has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison.

Les McDonald, president of the International Triathlon Union (ITU), the world governing body of the Olympic sport, has been forced into a court case in Vancouver, British Columbia, over allegations that recent elections to his organisation were fixed, with some national federations being denied their right to vote.

Kansas City?s Arrowhead Stadium will host the USA?s second home qualifying game for the 2002 Soccer World Cup on April 25, when the US will play either Costa Rica or Guatemala.

France stayed ahead of Brazil atop of the FIFA world soccer rankings for a third straight month, while Germany climbed three places to fifth.

Sports rights marketing company Traffic has expressed dismay at poor ticket sales for the first two quarter-finals of the controversial Copa America.

South American Football Confederation (CSF) president Nicolas Leoz, whose organisation staged the Copa America at only six days' notice, says his dream is for every country in the Americas to take part in the future.

FIFA president Joseph Blatter praised a successful Copa America on Friday even though chaotic organisation caused most countries to send reserve teams and favourites Argentina to pull out altogether.

Fox Sports World and Fox Sports World Espanol will televise delayed coverage of the Football Confederation Gold Cup 2000 tournament to viewers across the United States and Puerto Rico in February 2000.