Karin Mey the, 24-year-old South African Student's long jump champion, will remember Saturday, July 7 for the rest of her life as she provided one of the best performances of the year by any SA athlete when she set a new national record of 6.93m at an international meeting for long jumpers at Bad Langenzalza, Germany. She won the competition by 3cm from Bianca Kappler of Germany who also set a personal best. Mey, who recorded her record jump in the sixth and final round of the contest, broke the current record of 6.85m that was set by Karen Botha 17 years ago at the old RAU Stadium
Wellington - All Black Ma'a Nonu has escaped facing an alcohol-related charge after donating an undisclosed amount to a charity, the Dominion-Post reported yesterday. It is the second time Nonu has avoided court action under New Zealand's diversion scheme which allows people to avoid conviction if they atone for the alleged crime. In the latest incident Nonu was charged with breaching a law banning alcohol from public places, the newspaper said.
New Delhi - India will have a new captain for Twenty20 cricket World Cup in South Africa, with senior players Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly opting out of the series, a news report said yesterday. The three batsmen informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of their decision ahead of a meeting to select 30 probables for the tournament. The final squad will be announced by August 7.
London - Debt-ridden English club Leeds United were put up for sale by administrators on Friday because of a legal challenge by tax officals over an unpaid multi-million-pound bill. 'We are putting the club up for sale and offers must be in by 5pm on Monday and we are interested in talking to other parties,' said administrators KPMG in a statement late Friday.
Guatemala City - Sports can more easily be added or dropped from future Olympics after the International Olympic Committee on Friday introduced a more flexible system. The IOC Session agreed that only a simple majority is sufficient, and no longer a two-thirds majority, to bring in new sports or to scrap others from the Summer Olympics programme.
Guatemala City - Fifa is backing down from its ban on international soccer matches in Bolivia's capital of La Paz, the agency's leader said. Fifa president Sepp Blatter said he was responding to a request from Bolivian President Evo Morales, who led a campaign to overturn a ban announced in May on international soccer matches at altitudes of over 2500m.
Durban - Senegal had way too much firepower for Cote d'Ivoire and cruised to a 9-3 victory and booked their place in the final of the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup 2007 qualifier at New Beach yesterday. Victory gives Senegal a place at the finals in Rio later this year.
Casablanca - French coach Pierre Lechantre, who won the African Nations Cup title with Cameroon in 2000, has been appointed as the new coach of Morocco First Division club Maghreb Fes, club officials confirmed. Lechantre has signed a two-year contract and replaces veteran Argentine coach Luis Oscar Fullone.
Boston, Massachusetts - England football star David Beckham has split from sponsor Gillette just ahead of his American debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. Beckham has had a three-year endorsement agreement with Gillette but the Proctor and Gamble company brand of grooming products split with Beckham, company spokesman Michael Norton told the Boston Herald. Beckham's demands for control over his image reportedly doomed talks of extending the deal. - Sapa-AP/AFP/Reuters
