Middle East

Shares in Manchester United opened up 1.5p at 171.5p this morning following weekend press reports that Formula One team boss Eddie Jordan was planning a substantial investment in the club.

Should basketball legend Michael Jordan decide to make a comeback with the Washington Wizards, his return would come on October 30 in New York against home side, the Knicks.

Cyclist Lance Armstrong is the third most recognised American athlete in the US after Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, the US Postal Service, sponsors of the Tour de France, said today.

Michael Jordan has been showing the youngsters how it is done in Washington Wizard workouts, but the 38-year-old team president is holding off on a decision about returning to the court for the NBA team.

English soccer club Crystal Palace is trying to establish a partnership with Walt Disney World to become the entertainment giant's official football club.

Italian Jarno Trulli has been elected to join world champion Michael Schumacher and David Coulthard as a director of Formula One's Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA).

e-comsport Group plc, the Alternative Investment Market (AIM)-listed sports marketing business, has announced a loss for the year ended 31 December 2000 of #4.5m ($6.41m).

Sports.com, the website which claims to be Europe?s biggest sports news and data site, has bought the UK's Daily Star?s website Megastar.co.uk from Lord Hollick?s United Business News for about #100,000 ($144,000).

The 38-year-old Washington Wizards part-owner and president Michael Jordan has opened the door a little wider to the possibility of returning to the NBA playing courts he once ruled. For the full story see the FEATURES section of sportbusiness.com.

Race on Sunday, sell on Monday. That is why car makers and sponsors are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on backing Formula One world championship racing cars.

The chief executive of AMF Bowling Inc., the world's largest bowling alley operator, said its AMF Bowling Worldwide Inc. unit will most likely file for bankruptcy protection while continuing to restructure its $1.3 billion debt load.

Marketers linked to Michael Jordan are reportedly preparing to refresh their ad campaigns as speculation increases the basketball great will make a playing comeback.

NBA legend Michael Jordan has denied claims he is on the verge of a comeback ? but stopped short of ruling it out entirely.

One of the world?s most valuable sport stars of all time, Michael Jordan is set to return to the NBA next season, according to press reports.

If a report in this week's Sports Illustrated is to be believed, the NBA will not have to worry about falling attendance or television ratings much longer. In its March 19 issue, the magazine cites an unidentified source close to Michael Jordan who says the NBA superstar turned owner of the Washington Wizards is "90 percent committed" to coming back next season to play for the Wizards. See the FEATURES section of sportbusiness.com.

The release of limited edition Jordan retro XI athletic shoe has created high demand for the $125 throwback.