Local cricketers set to begin on Sunday
JAKARTA : The new season of the Jakarta Cricket Association (JCA) cricket league is due to commence on Sunday, with six of the ten cricket teams in action.
Defending champion ISCI cricket club will be seeking to make JCA history by becoming the first team to win the championship three years in succession.
According to the President of the JCA, Sachin Gopalan, JCA continues to be committed to providing cricket-playing expatriates in Jakarta with a format to play a decent standard of competitive cricket.
Gopalan said in a press release that he was very proud that several JCA players were included on the team to represent Indonesia at the recent ICC world cup qualifying tournament in Japan.
"The JCA had a good season last year and we will also organize an international sixes tournament in October and are very interested in putting on a tournament for expatriate schoolchildren," Gopalan said. -- JP
;AFP; ANPAs..r.. Putbrief-soccer-Rooney Schmeichel urges Rooney to choose Old Trafford JP/10/BRIEF
Rooney urged to choose Old Trafford
MANCHESTER, England: Former Manchester United keeper Peter Schmeichel has urged Wayne Rooney to choose Manchester United over Newcastle if its silverware and glory he seeks.
Both clubs have in recent days seen bids for the teenaged Everton striker rejected by the Merseyside club, although United is believed to be making an increased bid for the 18-year-old later Friday.
As Rooney makes up his mind, with the likelihood that he will opt for Old Trafford over St James' Park, Schmeichel feels Newcastle just doesn't have the pedigree to match a player of his talents.
United had an initial bid - reported to be 20 million pounds (US$36 million) - turned down by Everton. Newcastle's second, improved bid of 23.5 million pounds has also been rejected. --AFP
;AFP; ANPAs..r.. Putbrief-soccer-Deco Deco named best European player of last season JP/10/BRIEF
Deco named best European player
MONACO: Barcelona's Portugal international Deco was named Europe's top player of last season by UEFA here on Thursday.
Deco won the Champions League with FC Porto before joining Barcelona in the close season.
Porto beat Monaco 3-0 in the final and one of the players on the losing team, Fernando Morientes, picked up UEFA's best striker award.
Morientes was on loan to Monaco but has since returned to his parent club, Real Madrid.
Porto players were strongly represented in the honors' list announced by European soccer's governing body, with Ricardo Carvalho nominated as best defender and Vitor Baia taking the goalkeeping award. --AFP
;AP; ANPAs..r.. Putbrief-tennis-Tanner Former tennis star Roscoe Tanner arrested in California JP/10/BRIEF
Former tennis star arrested in California
SANTA ANA, California: Former tennis star Roscoe Tanner was arrested on Thursday for allegedly failing to pay child support, an Orange County sheriff's official said.
The 52-year-old Tanner, a Wimbledon finalist in 1979, was taken into custody at a doughnut shop in Laguna Niguel on a fugitive warrant from Somerset County, New Jersey, according to Jim Amormino of the Sheriff's Department. Tanner allegedly owes more than US$80,000 in back child support.
Tanner, once ranked as high as No. 4, was booked at the Men's Central Jail with bail set at $50,000, Amormino said.
Tanner was charged in Somerville, New Jersey, last August for allegedly failing to pay child support. He was jailed at the time in Florida on theft and bad check charges, having been extradited from Germany on Aug. 4, 2003. --AP