03 May

More than half of Asia’s 46-member football confederation in calling for “Fair Play” have beseeched FIFA to intervene and monitor the May 8 Asian Football Confederation Congress, which they believe could be tainted with unethical conduct. A total of 24 countries signed a joint memorandum to the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, addressed to president Joseph Blatter, expressing their “fear and concern” over Friday’s upcoming election for a FIFA Executive Committee seat. Their main grouse is their fear that closed circuit cameras could be placed strategically near or over the “voting booths”. The concerned delegates believe that their fears are not unfounded. Lashing out...

10:09 / International
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30 Apr

Against a backdrop of controversies and intense politicking, FIFA and Asian Football Confederation executive committee member Junji Ogura called on all Member Associations and the authorities concerned to convene the May 8th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur in accordance with the decisions of FIFA. In a faxed statement to members, AFC executive Committee, presidents and general secretaries of Member Associations, Ogura of Japan reiterated the stand of FIFA Legal Affairs Department on three issues that had become a major source of discontentment within certain quarters of the Asian body. The three are – the voting rights of five associations in relation to participation...

09:58 / International / Sports
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28 Apr

The man challenging Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Hammam believes his chances of winning a crucial vote next month have improved after weeks of mud-slinging. Sheikh Salman Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the chairman of the Bahrain football association, said he was confident of taking Mohamed's Fifa executive committee seat, which is up for grabs at the AFC Congress on May 8. If the Qatari loses that powerful position, he has said he will step down as AFC chief despite his term running until 2011."I am confident of my ability and my chances are better than my opponent in the battle for several reasons,"...

02:47 / International / Sports
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15 Apr

Playing for a 0-0 draw against Villarreal in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday won't be good enough for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Arsenal will advance to the semifinals if they can keep the match at Emirates Stadium scoreless because they earned a 1-1 draw last week in the first leg at Villarreal. "Our approach is to win the game, we have to be as simple as that," Wenger said Tuesday. "I don't feel that we are used to going into games trying to play 0-0. Of course we will be organized and disciplined but, when we have...

02:34 / International / Sports
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15 Apr

Chelsea denied Liverpool the glory of another sensational European comeback to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League with a 7-5 aggregate win. Liverpool, trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Anfield, stunned the Blues with two first-half goals from Fabio Aurelio and Xabi Alonso, who scored a penalty. Chelsea's defensive frailties, exposed so clinically by Bolton in the Premier League at the weekend, looked like costing them a place in the last four as Liverpool, without their talismanic midfielder Steven Gerrard, threatened to pull off another miracle. But the Blues looked home and dry after producing a sensational comeback of their own...

02:26 / International / Sports
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30 Mar

Back to playing golf, now Tiger Woods is back to winning tournaments. With those familiar back-nine runs, Woods made a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Sunday to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational for his first victory since returning from knee surgery. Woods closed with a 67 for a one-shot victory over Sean O'Hair, who led Woods by five shots going into the final round, and matched his largest comeback ever on the PGA Tour. It was Woods' third tournament since returning from an eight-month layoff. "It feels good to be back in contention, to feel the rush," Woods said. "It's been a...

10:58 / International / Sports
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03 Mar

Arsène Wenger believes that Arsenal's rock-solid defence can be their foundation for success. The Frenchman has watched his team rack up six consecutive clean sheets and concede just three times since Boxing Day. Arsenal's lack of goals at the other end continues to frustrate Wenger but, having watched Manchester United reel off a string of 'professional' one-goal victories this season, the manager knows his team can emulate the champions. "Defensive strength is the foundation for success and we want to keep the focus on that strength," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online. "We are in the final sprint of the season and you can...

09:58 / International / Sports
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03 Mar

HAVING grown up in the journalistic world with The Times (of London) long before online newspapers and blogs came on the scene, it was my first read of the morning as a student in England, thanks to a book by its sacked editor, Harold Evans, entitled Good Times, Bad Times, after Rupert Murdoch had taken over the paper. There was an added incentive too – on Mondays, the price wars prompted a 10p (40 sen at that time) cover price when I was there more than 10 years ago. After all these years, its online version and that of The...

09:16 / International / Sports
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15 Jan

ENGLISH Premier League and European champions Manchester United will be in Kuala Lumpur for their pre-season tour in July. The dates have yet to be finalised. Fans of the Red Devils, who were deprived of seeing their team in action two years ago because their visit clashed with the Asian Cup, will be able to catch their stars in action this time around. In 2007 the United tour was called off because the Asian Football Confederation was adamant that no foreign team should be playing when the Asian Cup was being held in Asia. Despite United's visit being supported by the...

02:56 / International / Local / Sports
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