France

All ten cities hoping to stage the 2008 summer Olympics met yesterday?s deadline for replying to an international Olympic Committee questionnaire.

English soccer chiefs were planning to hold an urgent meeting with European governing body UEFA today in a bid to stop a new generation of hooligans from destroying their Euro 2000 campaign and seriously undermining their 2006 World Cup bid.

Two major European broadcasters are using virtual graphics provided by Symah Vision to enhance their coverage of Euro 2000.

The French rugby union championship will be progressively reduced over the next two seasons to create a 16-team top flight - the sort of elite that national team coach Bernard Laporte has been calling for.

Asian Internet firm Chinadotcom Corp has formed an Internet sports content firm with news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Germany's top television channel, RTL has bought the coveted free-to-air rights to Champions League soccer from September for the next three seasons.

NBA fans in more than 750 million households around the world will be able to tune into the NBA Finals 2000 featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and the Indiana Pacers.

Sports.com has been chosen as the exclusively designated Official Sports Partner of Wimbledon.org for the All England Tennis Club.

Spain's 22-man squad will pick up 45 million pesetas ($254,900) each if they win Euro 2000, according to the Spanish football federation.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said a venue switch for the Euro 2000 match between England and Germany from the small Belgian stadium of Charleroi should be considered to minimise the risk of crowd trouble.

British fans are set to bet more than #100 million pounds ($149m) on Euro 2000, making it the world's biggest single sports betting event, bookmakers Ladbrokes said on Friday.

A British company will handle ticket sales for the 2002 Japan-South Korea World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

Online auction site QXL.com have taken immediate steps to ensure black-market tickets for this month?s Euro 2000 tournament are not sold on its site.

UK press reports suggest that European basketball faces the threat of a breakaway by leading clubs.

An Australian promoter plans to bring World Cup winners France, England, Italy and Argentina to Australia as part of a A$40 million (US$23.2 million) showcase of soccer next year.

The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions called on the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) on Friday to boycott the final round of the World Sevens Series in Paris because of concerns over the political crisis in Fiji.