Ronaldinho’s hair auctioned

Two locks of Brazil star Ronaldinho’s hair were put up for auction by a Swiss newspaper on Wednesday to raise funds for a cancer charity.

Two locks of Brazil star Ronaldinho’s hair were put up for auction by a Swiss newspaper on Wednesday to raise funds for a cancer charity. The hair was collected by a team of Swiss barbers who were called in to the Brazilian squad’s lakeside training base at Weggis in central Switzerland. “They’re very thick and strong with lots of natural curls. Not easy hair,” one of the hairdressers, Beat Fuchs remarked. “Ronaldinho wants a comfortable cut that doesn’t hamper him during the game.” Bidders were invited to send their bids for the slender curls of hair through SMS or post. The money will go to the central Swiss anti-cancer league.

Shoot at sight orders for Park

Singapore: South Korea coach Dick Advocaat has told striker Park Chu-Young to shoot on sight in Friday’s World Cup warm-up against Norway in Oslo. The slender FC Seoul forward has notched up some important strikes for South Korea at the youth and international stage, but Advocaat feels the 20-year-old is still shot shy. “Coach Advocaat has told me to shoot a lot more,” South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency quoted Park as saying on Wednesday. “He stressed that I should always be ready to take a shot no matter the situation.”

‘F-word’ ban in Cup-free hotel

London: A British hotel is offering football-free breaks for “soccer widows” desperate to escape coverage of the World Cup. Any guest who overhears a member of staff mentioning the ‘F’ word, i.e. ‘football’ will be given a free glass of champagne. ‘‘The bookings are starting to stream in,’’ said Mike Bevans, manager of the Linthwaite House Hotel in Lake District, one of Britain’s prime tourist destinations. Instead of blanket TV coverage of the big games, guests will be offered a string of chick flicks like Dirty Dancing and Pretty Woman.