South-East Asia

Nike is to increase its manufacturing capacity in Thailand to between 2.5 to 2.9 million pairs of sports footwear a month as a step to achieve "balanced production" in its global network.

ESPN's X Games is set to go international after it was announced it will stage an extension of the extreme sports event in Phuket, Thailand.

Players in Thailand's national soccer team will earn $44,000 (?50,000) between them for each away game they win during the second phase of Asia's World Cup qualifying tournament.

Thai soccer fans are concerned about the possible failure of talks over rights to broadcast the English Premier League's 2001-2002 season after free-to-air TV broadcasters and cable TV operator United Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) all rejected an expensive license fee.

Sportswear manufacturer adidas will be the official footwear and apparel sponsor for the European X Games Qualifier, the European debut of ESPN's X Games franchise.

Eleven doping control laboratories were shown the "yellow card" by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for failing to comply with guidelines.

Many of snooker?s top stars look set to join a breakaway tour which threatens to split the sport and end the domination of the game by its governing body, the WSA, following plans announced by The Sportsmasters Network (TSN).

Nick Faldo is taking part in this week's Johnnie Walker Classic without a sponsor following a row with his main backer.

A ceremony celebrating the award of an honorary degree to Tiger Woods was disrupted by demonstrations against sportswear giant Nike?s record on worker?s rights. The golfer who is in Thailand to play the Johnnie Walker Classic tournament in Bangkok walked past the peaceful protest but did not stop to talk to the demonstrators.

The Sports Authority of Thailand has received Bt50 million ($1.1m) from the government to set up an IT network to disseminate information about sports activities around the nation.

Tiger Beer and the Vietnam Football Federation have inked a three-year agreement under which the beer company will provide the national football team with US$450,000 over three years.

Australian-based design and planning firm Hassell has formed an alliance with HOK, the world's biggest sports facility architectural firm.

The Indian team for the Olympic Games 2000 will be sponsored by Samsung, the information technology and telecommunications company, which is spending about $200 million in 40 countries on its Sydney Games marketing programme.

Sportasia.com, the Asian internet sports content producer, syndicator and distributor, has appointed Ikuya Tanaka of Dentsu?s Sports Marketing Division as a board director.

Toyota is to continue its sponsorship of ESPN's Asia X Games Qualifier - following on from the inaugural event last year.

Facts about the FIFA vote to decide who stages the 2006 World Cup finals, which will take place on Thursday in Zurich.