Global Sport

The Korea Gymnastics Association KGA also fired three coaches of South Korea8217;s gymnastics squad for Bangkok.

The four gymnasts were banned for two years. They were found to have used banned diuretics during fresh drug tests two weeks ago for all South Korean gymnasts and swimmers.

The tests were carried out after a swimmer and two gymnasts failed earlier tests. The swimmer was also banned.

Olympic discus champ, Danek, dead

PRAGUE: The 1972 Olympic discus champion and former world record holder Ludvik Danek died after a heart attack, the Czech Athletics Federation announced on Tuesday. The statement said that Danek died yesterday aged 61.

Danek won the Olympic gold medal in Munich 1972 to add to his 1964 silver from Tokyo and 1968 bronze from Mexico City. In 1964Danek had also become the first discus thrower to break the then magic 65-metres barrier.

Games organisers slash ticket prices

BANGKOK: Asian Games organisers halved ticket prices for the opening and closing ceremonies of next month8217;s event in Bangkok in a bid to spur sluggish sales.

8220;The current economic situation has affected ticket sales, so the decision to slash the price might help,8221; said Jurin Laksanawisit, chairman of Bangkok Asian Games Organising Committee BAGOC executive board, yesterday.

Jurin, a government minister, said it was difficult to say if all the tickets would be sold for the two ceremonies of the December 6-20 Games.

French soccer great Papin retires

PARIS: Jean-Pierre Papin, one of the greats of French football, announced his retirement from the game on Tuesday. The 35-year-old striker, known affectionately in France as 8220;JPP8221; won 54 caps for France, scoring 30 times. Often he partnered Eric Cantona up front.

His career goals tally in club andinternational games was 326, 181 of them for Marseille. A small but quick and athletic player who specialised in acrobatic overhead kicks, he was the top scorer in the French league for five seasons.

The son of a footballer from Boulogne-Sur-Mer in northern France, he was in the French side that finished third in the World Cup in Mexico. He also won the UEFA Cup in 1996 with Bayern Munich although by then injuries were beginning to slow him down.

Nando breaks 12-year goalless spell

MADRID: Espanyol defender Nando Munoz was as surprised as anyone when his snap shot midway through Sunday8217;s game against Real Zaragoza put his side 2-0 ahead.

The veteran centre-back had gone 12 years and 246 games in the Spanish first division without troubling the statisticians before his shock success.

Nando, who made his debut for Sevilla in the 1986-87 season before going on to star with Barcelona and Real Madrid, looked stunned as he was mobbed by his teammates.

Crawley assaulted en route tohotel

CAIRNS: England cricket officials have said they will not take police action after middle order batsman John Crawley was assaulted on Sunday night while returning to the team hotel.

England team manager Graham Gooch yesterday said Crawley was attacked by an unidentified man late Sunday night on a city street in the North Queensland city.

Crawley had spent the night socialising with team-mates and members of the Queensland team, who the tourists played in a four-day fixture which ended yesterday with a one-wicket win by England.

Crawley suffered general bruising to his face, cuts and bruises above both eyes and a cut above the top lip as a result of the assault. He was later cleared by the doctors for the first Ashes Test on Friday.

Jayasuriya to revise batting technique

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka8217;s best-known batsman says he has revised his batting technique because bowlers are familiar with his style.

From obscurity in a fishing village a few years ago, Jayasuriya has risen to fame andhas put Sri Lanka on the top in world cricket.

During the recently concluded three-nation tournament in the middle east, Jayasuriya failed to live up to his reputation. Jayasuriya says bowlers have have concentrated on his weak points, going round the wicket to tap him leg before or hit his stumps.

Malaysian Open joins European tour

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Open will next year be part of the European and Asian golf tour, organisers announced on Tuesday, hailing the move as a major step for the Asian PGA Tour.

Next year8217;s Open, starting February 4, will be the second joint European-Asian event after the annual Johnnie Walker Classic, which is switched around different Asian venues.

The 750,000 Open will be the fourth leg on the European tour 8212; after the Vines Classic in Australia and the Dubai Desert Classic 8212; and the second for the Asian PGA8217;s 1999 tour.