Global sport — Special prize for Sasikiran

Hodgson drew with Canadian champion Kevin Spraggett in the final round to guarantee his victory and US $3,000 prize money. Spraggett was clear second with eight points taking US $1,500.

Indian challenge spearheaded by Sasikiran, ended on 6.5 points out of nine. In the eighth and ninth round games, he drew with Dale Haessel in 63 moves with white pieces and then beat Yevgeny Kurlandychik in 40 moves.

Plane facts: Mary Pierce robbed!

PARIS: French tennis champion Mary Pierce had 700 dollars in cash stolen from her handbag while returning by plane from a match in Southern France, officials said today.

Pierce, No 10 in the world rankings, noticed her bag missing after getting off an AOM plane in Paris. She had just flown from Nice where the French women’s team beat Belgium in the Fed Cup semifinal. She alerted airport security staff who allowed her to return on board, where a cleaning employee had found the bag minus 702 dollars in cash, said aom official Jean-Marc Cismiqiu.

Steffi leaves church to avoid taxes

MANNHEIM: Tennis star Steffi Graf, whose father evaded taxes on millions of dollars of her earnings, has left the Roman Catholic Church to avoid church taxes, a radio report said today.

German residents registered with a recognised church must pay a church tax equal to nine per cent of their income tax.

While Graf should have paid the church 300,000-500,000 marks ($167,000-280,000) annually since 1990, she only paid a third of that, according to the Sueddeutscher Rundfunk report.

After Peter Graf’s January conviction of evading 12 million marks ($7.3 million) in taxes from 1989-93, it emerged that Steffi Graf owed the church more than one million marks ($560,000), the report said.

Graf apparently tried to have her debt reduced under a church clause that allows for personal emergencies or business circumstances. When the church declined, she quit in anger, the report said.

Cork set to pop back into action

LONDON: England all-rounder Dominic Cork revealed today he could make a surprise return to action this weekend after making a rapid recovery from a hernia operation.

The 25-year-old strike bowler is aiming to play in Derbyshire’s Sunday League game against Glamorgan at Chesterfield.

Cork underwent surgery last month and was not expected to play again until August but he made a surprise return for the second team against Yorkshire yesterday.

Cork scored 55, took four for 16 in five overs and reported no reaction to his first game since he went under the knife five weeks ago.

Pitch-switch buoys the Australians

LONDON: Australia aim to turn to their advantage a move by England to switch the pitch for this week’s fourth Ashes Test.

The touring team have responded positively after England chairman of selectors David Graveney rejected the designated Headingley pitch in favour of a back-up strip.

The pitch originally chosen for the Test at Leeds from Thursday apparently had bare patches with little grass cover.

The Australian skipper Mark Taylor said: “It’s flattering for us if sides are worried about the wicket we are playing on. I’ve always said we have got to play in any condition we are put under. I am happy with the way we are going because I think we have the bowlers for all types of pitches.”

A goal dedicated to drug kingpins!

BOGOTA: Colombian soccer star Anthony de Avila’s crucial goal in a World Cup qualifying game was not dedicated to his mother or his coach, but to the jailed chiefs of the Cali drug Cartel.

The goal, which gave Colombia a 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Sunday, thrilled Colombians. The dedication, which honoured cartel founders Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, embarrassed them. Politicians denounced the dedication. Colombia’s most widely read newspaper, El Tiempo, called the dedication an “own goal,” comparing it to the embarrassment when a player accidentally scores against his own team.