C. Java to build F1 circuit
SEMARANG (JP): After Bali, Central Java has become the second Indonesian province to bid to host a Formula One world championship race.
Head of the Central Java Tourism Office Henky Hermantoro told reporters on Monday that the construction of an international circuit which is eligible to host F-1 races was aimed at increasing the number of foreign tourists visiting the province.
He said the plan has long been mooted by former top driver turned businessman Tinton Suprapto, whose credits in automotive sports include his promotion of the Sentul Circuit in Bogor, West Java as the host of the World Motorcycling Grand Prix Championship in 1996.
"Tinton, who is also one of the project's investors, is planning to build an F-1 network linking Kuala Lumpur, Sentul, Central Java, Bali and Melbourne," Henky said.
There have been no details on the cost or when the project will commence, but Henky said an area of land situated between Salatiga mayoralty and Semarang regency would be provided for the new circuit.
Henky said the proposal would need approval from the provincial legislature. (har)
;JP;AMD; ANPAs..r.. Putbrief-chess-MerdekaCup Junior team holds seniors JP/6/BRIEF22
Junior team holds seniors
JAKARTA (JP): The national junior team tuned up for the Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur next week with a 2-2 draw with their seniors on Monday.
Taufik Halay, who will play the second board during the Malaysian outing, opened the scoring for his team when he beat FIDE Master Irwanto after 38 moves on Slavian defense.
FIDE Master Maksum Firdaus leveled the tie at 1-1 after forcing national junior No. 3 Tirta Chandra in the 53rd move. Tirta played aggressively but ran out of steam in the end-game.
The junior team regained the lead, thanks to top ranked Susanto Megaranto, who outwitted Kasmiran, the backbone of the South Sumatra team in the National Games last month. Susanto won in the 38th move after Kasmiran failed to beat the clock.
Sukirman Tedy forced a draw in the fourth board, taming Andrean Susilodinata in an energy-sapping match played over 58 moves.
The junior team will play two more warm-up matches on Tuesday, three days before the Merdeka Cup begins. (amd)
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Gibbs, Williams banned, fined
JOHANNESBURG (AFP): South Africa's cricketing authorities on Monday banned Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams from playing international matches for the rest of the year and fined them both for their role in the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal.
A United Cricket Board of South Africa disciplinary committee fined Gibbs 60,000 rand (8,500 dollars) and Williams 10,000 rand (US$1,400), commissioner Michael Kuper told a press conference in Johannesburg.
Pieter Strydom was acquitted on charges of contravening a local cricketing rule forbidding betting on the outcome of matches, he said.
The bans will end on Dec. 31.
Gibbs, 26, and Williams, 33, "were found guilty of conspiracy and not match-fixing," Kuper said, explaining why the panel had decided to impose light sentences.
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Langston wins 125cc world title
HEINOLA, Finland (AP): Grant Langston of South Africa took the 125 cc motocross world title in style as he won both starts at the Finnish championship event Sunday.
Langston, riding a KTM, put the title beyond the reach of James Dobb of Britain, by winning the first race. Dobb was second.
Langston took a step up from 10th last year. He has won 12 of 30 races this year, and placed second and third six times. Dobb, also on a KTM, will finish second in the championship after a fifth placing last year, and Honda rider Mike Brown of United States will repeat as the bronze medalist.
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Sydney hotel staff push for extra pay
SYDNEY (AFP): Employees of a luxury hotel that will house senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials during the games here next month protested Monday against its refusal to pay them an Olympic bonus.
About 50 Regent Hotel staff demanding a 550 Australian dollar (US$320) bonus for working during the Olympics waved placards and chanted outside the hotel's main entrance during talks to end the dispute on Monday.
Union officials refused to rule out the possibility of hotel workers walking off the job during the games.
As the dispute escalated, the officials accused the hotel of importing cheap labor from Indonesia for the games.