Japan

The Russian Football Union (RFU) has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with brewing company Staryi Melnik ahead of next year's World Cup.

Premier1 Racing - the motorsport / soccer hybrid - has put back its launch date by eight months, but denied suggestions all may not be well with the new sport.

KirchGruppe unit KirchMedia has continued its 'mopping up' operation in regard to the sale of World Cup broadcast rights with the conclusion of further deals in minor football markets.

The 2002 Pacific Rim rugby tournament has been scrapped to make way for regional qualifiers for the 2003 World Cup, Japanese officials of the game have confirmed.

Bookmakers are rubbing their hands at the prospect of a GBP150m (USD213.77m / EUR239.76) betting bonanza for the 2002 World Cup. The tournament is traditionally one of the biggest for the industry.

(Reuters)The food, drink and medication for all players and coaches at next year's World Cup finals will be tested for anthrax and other poisons, the head of FIFA's Security Committee said over the weekend.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has announced that the winner of the 2002 World Cup will have to qualify for the 2006 tournament in Germany.

Sports.com “will be the most visited World Cup site,” Tom Jessiman, chief executive of Sports.com, has told sportbusiness.com.

English Premier League champions Manchester United has signed a five-year merchandising deal with Japanese sports retailer Japan Sports Vision (JSV).

South Korean airline and retail shares were up in late morning trade today after international soccer's governing body FIFA said China's preliminary matches in next year's World Cup finals would be played in South Korea.

KirchMedia has completed the sale of the French television rights for next year's World Cup in Japan and Korea to TF1, the French commercial channel, in a deal worth B

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) general secretary Peter Velappan has said the regional body will not enforce an age limit on participants in next year's Asian Games football tournament.

World Sport Group, the Alternative Investment Market (AIM)-listed sports rights company, which emerged from the cash shell Orchard Furniture in August this year, expects its financial performance for the year to December 31 to meet market expectations.

Soccer's governing body FIFA plan to bring forward by two months a security workshop for the 2002 World Cup finals, staging it in December to tackle fears raised by September's attacks on the United States.

French fans will be able to watch the national team defend the World Cup on free-to-air television after commercial TV group TF1 said yesterday it had bought the rights to show the 2002 South Korea/Japan tournament in France.

Top sports bodies and athletes joined the World Health Organisation (WHO) in calling for a ban on tobacco advertising and smoking at sports events.

Formula One aims to ban tobacco advertising by 2007, the sport's ruling body has reiterated.

The Pan-American Sports Network (PSN) is to broadcast soccer’s Copa Toyota Intercontinental final live to Latin America on November 27.