Sports Bar

UCI will not rush its investigation into whether Alberto Contador took performance enhancing drugs to win his third Tour de France

UCI won8217;t speed up Contador8217;s investigation

UCI will not rush its investigation into whether Alberto Contador took performance enhancing drugs to win his third Tour de France this year,president Pat McQuaid has said. 8220;It8217;s a very important case and we need to be completely sure before a decision is taken,8221; he said. 8220;It8217;s quite complicated. We are waiting for the results and I don8217;t know how long it8217;s going to take. In fairness to Contador,to the sport,to the Tour de France,we need to go into the details to make sure the decision that will be taken is the right one.8221;

Johnson sells Lakers stake

Magic Johnson has sold his ownership in the LA Lakers,possibly clearing the way for the Hall of Famer to own a bigger portion of another NBA team in the future. Johnson bought about 4.5 per cent shares in 1994 for a reported 10 million. Johnson said the sale was strictly a 8220;bittersweet business decision,8221; but the five-time NBA champion has long been interested in taking a larger ownership role in a team.

Ghosal makes first round exit

The Indian challenge in the inaugural El Gouna International Squash Open came to an end after Saurav Ghosal went down to Gregory Gaultier of France in the first round. World No 26 Ghosal lost 5-11,6-11,2-11 in 45 minutes in the 142,500 event at the Alexandria Sporting Club. This was the 24-year-old8217;s first tournament after the Commonwealth Games.

Merritt ineligible for 2012: IOC

The IOC says LaShawn Merritt is ineligible to defend his Olympic 400m title at the 2012 London Games,even though his doping ban ends a year earlier. The American runner received a 21-month suspension from US arbitrators for using a banned substance found in an over-the-counter male enhancement product. The ban expires in July 2011,but the IOC has said that its rules will keep Merritt out of the London Olympics.

England Hockey for 2014 WC

The England Hockey Board has launched its bid to host the men8217;s and women8217;s field hockey World Cups in London in 2014. If successful,they will be the first international events to be held at the legacy facility at the site of London8217;s Olympic Park after the 2012 Games. UK Sport and Events for London will inject close to 1.5 million,should the bid be successful. It will be only the second time the two tournaments are held simultaneously.

Force India look for points

Force India will look to improve their position in the championships with upgrades when they hit the new Korean Grand Prix. Both Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi failed to finish in the Japan GP but owner Vijay Mallya is hopeful. 8220;We were disappointed. We8217;ve got some work to do to maintain our advantage,8221; Mallya said.