ISSI to host world MTB race

JAKARTA: Indonesia will host an International Mountain Bike (MTB) Championship race near Borobudur, the world's biggest temple, in Central Java, according to an official of the Indonesian Cycling Association (ISSI).

The championship will be staged on June 15 in coincidence with the Borobudur festival.

Sofyan Ruziyan, ISSI secretary-general, said here on Monday that all ten countries grouped in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) would send representatives along with Hong Kong, Japan, China, Chinese Taipei and Australia.

For the championship, the ISSI will begin monitoring local hopefuls during the first series of the four-round Kencana Cross Country and BMX championship at the BSD circuit in a western suburb of Jakarta on March 2. JP

;AFP; ANPAs..r.. Putbriefs-Golf-Singh Singh skips from World Match Play JP/9/Brief

Singh skips from World Match Play

LOS ANGELES, California: Vijay Singh, of Fiji, has withdrawn from the World Golf Championship Match Play because of a rib injury, the PGA Tour announced on Sunday.

Sweden's Carl Pettersson will replace Singh, the 2000 Masters winner.

Singh joins England's Nick Faldo and Japan's Toru Taniguchi who pulled out earlier from the event which begins February 26 in Carlsbad, California. --AFP

;REUTERS; ANPAs..u.. Putbriefs-Soccer-Argentina Argentine soccer turned upside down JP/

Argentine soccer turned upside down

BUENOS AIRES: Argentine football was turned on its head at the weekend as the big two, River Plate and Boca Juniors, plus champions Independiente all lost and failed to score between them.

Racing Club, coached by former Tottenham and Argentina midfielder Osvaldo Ardiles, and Velez Sarsfield took advantage to go top, the only teams with maximum points after two games of the Clausura championship.

Independiente were the biggest let down as they crashed 3-0 at home to Gimnasia-La Plata, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table as the only team without any points. --Reuters

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Iginla inspires Flames to victory

PHOENIX, Arizona: Jarome Iginla scored all of Calgary's goals -- the first four-goal game of his career -- as the Flames downed the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2 in NHL action on Sunday.

Iginla, the defending NHL scoring champion and subject of persistent trade rumors, notched his second hat trick of the season and third of his career as the slumping Flames ended a seven-game winless streak (0-4-2-1) with the win.

In Toronto, Vitali Yachmenev scored a pair of goals to give the Nashville Predators a 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs.

Tomas Vokoun made 21 saves in goal for Nashville to end Toronto's five-game winning streak. --Reuters

;AFP; ANPAs..r.. Putbriefs-Athletics-record Radcliffe opens season with record JP/9/Brief

Radcliffe opens season with record

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: Paula Radcliffe of Britain ran a world 10km road race record of 30min 21sec here Sunday slicing eight seconds off Ethiopian Asmae Leghzaoui's previous best set last year in New York.

Radcliffe was pushed hard by Moroccan Leghzaoui who finished second in 31min 35sec while Kenya's Esther Kiplagat came third in 32:53.

Fourth was Lyubov Kremleva of the United States in 33:13, followed by Kenya's Jane Kiptoo in 33:19. --AFP