2003 SEAG rescheduled to avoid Muslim fast

2003 SEAG rescheduled to avoid Muslim fast

HANOI: Regional sports chiefs have rescheduled next year's
Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi after complaints that the original
dates clashed with the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the
Vietnamese hosts said Monday.

Instead of being held in early November as planned, the Games
will now be held at the end of the month so as not to
disadvantage athletes who are observant Muslims, Southeast Asian
Games Federation Council general secretary Hoang Vinh Giang told
AFP.

The decision was taken at a meeting Sunday of representatives
of all 10 Southeast Asian states, including majority Muslim
members Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, Giang said.

The meeting also approved a preliminary list of 21 sports for
which medals will be contested at the bi-annual Games. --AFP

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ANPAs..r..
Briefs-Tennis-rankings
ATP Champions Race
JP/18/Brief

Johansson tops ATP Champions Race

MONACO: Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson of Sweden
retained his place at the summit when the new ATP Champions Race
rankings were released Monday as Marat Safin of Russia moved into
third spot behind Britain's Tim Henman.

Safin, with 196 points, is just one point behind Henman
following the Russian's quarter-final appearance in Estoril last
week, enough to push Swiss Roger Federer into fourth place.

Younes El Aynaoui, who won at Doha in January, moved up five
places to eighth on the back of another win Sunday on home ground
at Casablanca.

The Moroccan has 146 points, 14 adrift of Andre Agassi, who is
sitting out this week's ATP Masters Series event at Monaco. --AFP

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ANPAs..r..
Briefs-Badminton-Europe
Indonesian-born Audina nearly pulls it off for The Netherlands
JP/BADMINTON

Audina nearly pulls it off for Holland

MALMO, Sweden: Mia Audina, the former Uber Cup heroine from
Indonesia, came within four points of helping The Netherlands,
her adopted home country, to the final of the European
Championships for the first time.

Audina, making her debut in this tournament this week, was a
startling choice to play doubles as well as the singles, forming
a scratch partnership with Lotte Jonathans which nearly pulled
off a remarkable win.

They advanced to a 3-1 lead in the final game against
England's European women's doubles champion Jo Goode and ner new
partner Gail Emms before losing 7-2 4-7 7-1 2-7 7-3. It was a
dramatically fluctuating encounter which almost unseated the
second seeded English, who were already 2-1 down in the match,
and Netherlands manager Martijn van Dooremalen said: "I think we
surprised them with our selection and we have to be happy with
that, despite the disappointment of losing." --AFP

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ANPAs..r..
Briefs-Judo-Tamura
World judo queen Tamura beaten by teenager
JP/18/Brief

Teenager shocks world judo queen

TOKYO: Olympic and world judo champion Ryoko Tamura bowed out
in the first round of Japan's national championships to a
16-year-old high-school student in the 48-kilogram bantamweight
division.

It was her first loss in 66 bouts.

"Rather than feeling regretful, I honestly realise that I
haven't trained myself sufficiently," the 26-year-old said after
losing to Tomoko Fukumi in Yokohama on Sunday, according to media
reports.

Fukumi won the match by a marginal "koka" point she earned for
tripping the world champion with a left leg throw. She was,
however, defeated later in the semi-finals by Tomoe Makabe, who
went on to claim the 48-kilogram title. --AFP

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ANPAs..r..
Briefs-Tennis-ATP
Johansson wins battle of Sweden at Monte Carlo Masters Series
JP/18/Brief

Johansson wins battle of Sweden

MONACO: The Monte Carlo Masters served up a large helping of
Swedes on Monday as Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson
came off best against former world number one Magnus Norman.

Johansson took two hours 34 minutes to advance 2-6, 7-6 (7/4),
6-1 but made an atrocious start, losing the opening game on
service and falling 0-4 behind almost before he could draw
breath.

Dubbed the "unknown Swede" by French sports bible L'Equipe on
his way to lifting his first Grand Slam last January, Johansson
recovered his poise and moved out to 3-0 in the second set only
for his dogged rival to close to 3-4. --AFP