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Singaporean quits job for finalsA Singaporean employee who was denied leave after winning a free trip to watch the World Cup finals has bold...

Singaporean quits job for finals

A Singaporean employee who was denied leave after winning a free trip to watch the World Cup finals has boldly quit his job to cheer the Brazilian side against France, a newspaper reported here today. Tour officer Larry Wee, 30, won two return tickets, three nights’ hotel accomodation and a pair of tickets to the finals, plus $580 in cash, in a quiz sponsored by a television station, the evening daily New Paper said.

But his employers refused to grant him leave since he was still on a three-month probation period, having started at his job only on June 1. "I can understand, but I have to go," said Wee, who is braving the sharp Asian economic downturn which has led to a surge in retrenchments in Singapore and put an end to virtually full employment in the wealthy city-state.

No FIFA loan for 2002 Cup

The 2002 World Cup hosts Japan and South Korea cannot expect a loan from the world governing football body FIFA in the wake of the troubled Asian economicsituation, FIFA President Joseph Blatter said on Friday. “A loan would be a novelty, but I don’t think the FIFA Congress will pass that,” Blatter told a news conference.

Blatter said that neither country had so far approached FIFA, that the television and marketing deals had all already been made. Inspection groups were due to leave for the host countries in September. “The most important thing for FIFA is that the two hosts put up disposal stadiums, technological infrastructure, transport and hotels,” Blatter said. The FIFA boss also ruled out that North Korea will host Games unless the two countries are reunified by then.

UN Chief to watch final in Brazil

Calling Brazil a permanent member’ of football, United Nations chief Kofi Annan says he’s looking forward to being in the South American nation when it takes on France in the final. "I think it’s going to be quite an experience," Annan said at a news conference.

He made it clear that he would join millions of Brazilian fans in watchingthe live broadcast of the game. And he pointed out that just like the UN Security Council, football too has its permanent members.

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"There are countries that are always permanent members…and I think Brazil is one of them."

Mission impossible for 2002

Organisers of the 2002 World Cup said they would overcome the "impossible" task of hosting the tournament in two different countries to make the next World Cup bigger and better than France ’98. "The logistics are not simple for 2002, it’s a mission impossible," said Sun-Ichiro Okano, vice President of the Japanese Football Association.