Japan

The 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea may be three days shorter than this year's 33-day tournament in France, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said.

The 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea may be three days shorter than this year's 33-day tournament in France, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has said.

Olympic boss Juan Antonio Samaranch has lavished praise on Thailand's much-maligned organisers of the 13th Asian Games, describing Sunday's opening ceremony as one of the best he had ever seen.

Olympic chief Juan Antonio Samaranch has gaven a clean bill of health to Chinese sport and said Beijing was now an example to the world of how to fight against drug cheats.

The French capital announced it was bidding for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Asian soccer chiefs are to hold an emergency meeting in Bangkok to decide what to do about FIFA's effective allocation of just two Asian qualifying slots for the 2002 World Cup, officials have said.

Asian soccer chiefs will decide on Tuesday whether to heed a call to boycott the 2002 World Cup in emergency talks on the region's representation in the finals.

A top Asian sports official has said there was growing support within the region for a boycott of the 2002 World Cup in protest at Asia's representation in the finals.

Asian soccer chiefs have gaven FIFA until March to avert a regional boycott of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea by giving Asia the chance of an extra place in the finals.

Asia has turned world soccer's favourite slogan back at governing body FIFA and asked for "Fair Play, Please."

China rocked the Asian Games when their officials accused rival competitors of offering Chinese stars cash bribes to throw away guaranteed gold medals.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter put forward the biggest change in the history of world soccer Sunday, saying the World Cup should be held every two years instead of four.

The Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) today approved an application by Beijing to bid for the 2008 Olympic Games.

A report on the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics bribery scandal has recommended disciplinary action including expulsion for up to 16 International Olympic Committee (IOC) members, according to the Wall Street Journal.

FIFA will lay down strict rules to countries bidding to host the 2006 World Cup finals to avoid the sort of scandal over bribery that has rocked the Olympic movement, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has announced.

The mayor of the Japanese city which hosted the 1998 Winter Games has said there may have been "excess" in the campaign which won it the right to stage the Olympics.