Global Sport

Ali sues to reclaim rightsNORFOLK (US): Lawyers for Muhammad Ali have filed a lawsuit claiming a one-time personal lawyer of Ali and an a...

Ali sues to reclaim rights

NORFOLK (US): Lawyers for Muhammad Ali have filed a lawsuit claiming a one-time personal lawyer of Ali and an associate duped the former heavyweight boxing champion into signing away the rights to his life story.The lawsuit, filed last Friday in US district court, accused Richard Hirschfeld, a longtime friend as well as lawyer of Ali, of taking advantage of Ali’s weak condition while he was being treated for Parkinson’s disease.

Mexico return to top 10

ZURICH: Mexico rode its Confederations Cup title run, including a 4-3 upset over Brazil in the final, back into the top 10 of Fifa’s monthly World Rankings.

Mexico climbed two places, over Romania and Norway, to ninth while the rest of the first 10 remained relatively unchanged.

Brazil remained atop the rankings of all 202 registered federations for the 62nd consecutive month and was followed by France, the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany and Argentina, all of which retained their places fromJuly.

Schmeichel Denmark’s Player of Year

COPENHAGEN: Goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was elected Danish Player of the Year for the third time.

Schmeichel, 35, the starting goalkeeper for Denmark’s 1999 European Championship winner, has been capped a National-record 112 times. He joined the Danish side in May 1987.

Man upstairs’ saves Warne’s career

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SYDNEY: Australian cricket star Shane Warne has revealed he told selectors he was quitting before his World Cup heroics changed his mind. Warne, speaking to Australian reporters on tour in Sri Lanka, said he wondered if divine intervention from “the man upstairs” had saved his career.

Warne was in a form slump last season and carried it into the World Cup before bowling Australia to its semifinal win over South Africa and then destroying Pakistan’s batting in the final.

This is not a warm-up event: Waugh

COLOMBO: Australian captain Steve Waugh has said his team was a bit rusty after a two-month break following the World Cupvictory and India and the revamped Sri Lankan side could get them.

He scoffed at reports that his team was here to warm-up for the coming Australian season and insisted he was here to keep the team’s winning streak going.

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Meanwhile, Australia beat a Sri Lankan Board President’s XI by six wickets in their One-day (50 overs) tour match on Thursday.

Brief Scores

Board President’s XI 208-5 in 50 overs (Sajit Fernando 67, Chamara Silva 45; Glenn McGrath 2-17, Jason Gillespie 2-43 lost to Australia 212-4 in 45.1 overs (Adam Gilchrist 45, Ricky Ponting 60 retd hurt, Darren Lehmann 37; Russel Arnold 2-43)

England Test sponsors may withdraw

LONDON: English cricket was dealt another blow when sponsors Cornhill Insurance hinted they may end backing of England because of the national team’s poor performances.

The company have sponsored English Test match cricket for 22 years but are concerned about “long-term poor performances”.

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The news came only hours before England met New Zealand inthe final Test at The Oval where Nasser Hussain’s men bid to restore pride after a disappointing summer.

Audina suffers after Netherlands move

JAKARTA: Indonesia has blocked Atlanta Olympics badminton finalist Mia Audina from taking part in international tournaments because of her move to the Netherlands and she now seems certain to miss the Sydney Games.

The teenager, who won a silver medal in 1996, will not be able to take part in next week’s Singapore Open or the Indonesian Open because the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) blocked her registration. Audina was thrown out of the Indonesian National team earlier this month because of her move to Holland to be with her husband.