Greece

UK Athletics has set up a sports science committee for #1m ($1.4m) to give top athletes the best possible back-up at the next Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

Spain has revealed how much it will pay its Olympic sportsmen in the lead-up to Athens 2004.

Perry Crosswhite, general manager of Australia's team for next year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester, believes England will surpass them in the medal tally, citing the National Lottery for the host nation's sporting revolution.

Greek football has been thrown into a state of confusion two matches before the end of the season, following an announcement from the league of professional clubs (EPAE) that the number of teams to be relegated could be halved from four to two.

Athens 2004 Olympic Games organisers (ATHOC) said on Monday Greek state broadcaster ERT had signed a sponsorship deal for the Games worth 5.7bn drachmas ($14.6m).

TalkSport, the UK radio station run by the former editor of The Sun newspaper Kelvin McKenzie, has filed a complaint against the BBC with the Office of Fair Trading over the radio rights to the England versus Greece World Cup qualifier next month.

Athletes, officials and visitors will eat about 11.5 million meals during the 2004 Olympic Games, dining on 300 tons of vegetables and fruits, 85 tons of seafood and 20 tons of eggs, Athens organizers said Friday.

Enic, the leisure and media company, which has stakes in a string of European soccer clubs, is planning to sell its retail and restaurant unit to concentrate on its sports interests.

Eurosport has launched its 18th language version specifically for Greek-speaking viewers.

Olympic leaders were keeping the heat on Athens organisers on Wednesday as the Greek capital bids to make up for lost time in its preparations for the 2004 Summer Games.

Four Greek construction consortia have been awarded contracts to build athlete's housing for the 2004 Games in Athens, after offering an average discount of nine per cent for the 100 billion drachma ($261 million) project.

Greece will continue to play in the World Cup and will not be suspended from international soccer, FIFA announced on Monday.

Greek officials were meeting with FIFA in Zurich on Monday, amid threats from soccer's ruling body to ban Greece over government interference in the game, a Greek spokesman said.

Greece?s soccer authorities braced themselves on Thursday for FIFA's decision on whether to ban Greek teams over government interference in the sport.

Athens 2004 Olympics organisers (ATHOC) say they have received seven bids for the corporate communication programme.

Government sports officials have asked Greece's soccer federation to try and avert an international ban on Greek teams.