Japan

Star-studded European Champions Real Madrid will hope to add another piece of silverware to their trophy cabinets as they face Argentina's Boca Juniors in the World Club Cup final in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Freeskiing and snowboard event the World Heli Challenge, is looking for title sponsor for next summer?s event at Mt Aspiring National Park in New Zealand.

Financial muscle has led to the recent European domination of soccer's annual Intercontinental Cup, according to Boca Juniors' head coach Carlos Bianchi.

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.

Chicago Cubs star Slammin? Sammy Sosa has been enlisted by Major League Baseball International to help raise baseball?s profile in Europe

Sportsworld Media Group (SMG) and the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) have agreed plans for a 5-year exclusive media and marketing partnership, intended to re-launch pro' surfing as a globally competitive sports and lifestyle property.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said he was confident the Japanese government and organisers of the 2002 World Cup will find a solution to tax problems that may have delayed the start of ticket sales.

Doubts have been cast over the suitability of the venue in Japan set to stage the 2002 World Cup Final after it was discovered the site was polluted.

Sportvision, Inc., the US-based sports media technology, has appointed Steven F. Roberts to executive vice president, Product Management, and promoted Russell Quy to executive producer and vice president, Media Production.

The Women's United Soccer Association, which plans to kick off next April, unveiled its nicknames, logos and venues.

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 NBA has reached a television agreement with Digiturk (Turkey) to launch a 24-hour basketball channel and has renewed its agreement with NHK (Japan) to include a 60-minute programme on NHK?s terrestrial channel.

Toyota Motor Corp has revved up its Formula One motor racing plans with the purchase of a majority stake in a Japanese racing circuit.

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.

IAAF president Lamine Diack has revealed the extent of athletics? growth as a television property - and announced the dates of the major events of the international athletics calendar 2001.

The NBA, constrained by the ?mature? domestic market are seeking new markets in Asia, according to a report in the Asian Wall Street Journal.