ISSI to host world MTB race

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LOS ANGELES, California: Vijay Singh, of Fiji, has withdrawn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;
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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

;REUTERS;
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Putbriefs-Ihockey-NHL
Iginla inspires Flames to victory
JP/9/Brief

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;
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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