Omitted Rivaldo relieved

8220;For me it would have been difficult to go the Olympics because people here would have criticised me.8221;

Barcelona have recently improved Rivaldo8217;s contract, making him the world8217;s highest paid player, reports said.

An agreement between the Catalan club and the Brazilian Football Federation means that the player will now be able to begin the new league season with his club.

In return, Rivaldo will be expected to attend Brazil8217;s training camp on August 28 prior to their next South American World Cup qualifier against Bolivia.

Flame in the dark
SYDNEY: Organisers on Saturday said they hope to keep four billion television viewers in the dark about the identity of the person who will light the Olympic flame until the last possible moment.

And they say they will pick a different person if their original choice is exposed before the September 15 opening ceremony.

To maintain the suspense, the two men making the decision on who will light the cauldron at the Olympic Stadium will not make a final choice until the day before the event.

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates and Olympics minister Michael Knight are those two men.

8220;The best way to keep the secret is not to make the decision until quite late. I wouldn8217;t expect us to make the decision until just a few days or even the day before the opening ceremony,8221; Knight said.

Organisers have said Olympians would occupy the five torch relay positions inside the 110,000-capacity stadium as the Olympic flame wends its way to the cauldron.

Margory Jackson and Shirley Strickland have been tipped as two of the flame holders with multiple sclerosis sufferer Betty Cuthbert, pushed in a wheelchair by swimming great Dawn Fraser, the top pick for actually lighting the cauldron.

Zamorano may replace Salas
SANTIAGO: Lazio striker and World Cup Marcelo Salas has resigned to be one of the overage players for Sydney8217;s Olympic soccer team and veteran Ivan Zamorano of Inter Milan may take his place.

National team head coach Nelson Acosta said Salas resigned for 8220;personal reasons,8221; and Zamorano became the instant candidate to take his place.

A final decision will depend Zamorano8217;s physical condition and the authorisation from his club.

Poll gives Sydney games organisers poor marks
SYDNEY: Organisers of the Sydney Olympic Games have received a poor report card for their running of the event, a major opinion poll said on Saturday.

The poll by Acnielsen for the respected Sydney Morning Herald said one month before the Games start on September 15, only 29 percent of those surveyed believed organisers were doing a 8220;good8221; job.

It said 43 percent of residents of New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital, believed organisers were doing an 8220;average8221; job, 24 percent believed it was a 8220;poor8221; job and the rest had no opinion.

8220;Organisers of the Olympics are still suffering the effects of last year8217;s ticketing debacle,8221; the newspaper said.

Pakistan wins warm up match
Sydney: Pakistan8217;s national hockey side on Saturday beat the New South Wales Institute of Sport 4-3 in the first of three warm-up matches ahead of next month8217;s Olympic Games in Sydney.