RI kids due at World Cup final

RI kids due at World Cup final

JAKARTA: Two Indonesian children will take part at the 2002
World Cup finals in Yokohama, Japan, on Sunday by escorting
players as part of the Player Escort Program.

The program was jointly organized by fastfood chain
McDonald's, soccer world governing body FIFA and UNICEF as part
of the Say Yes to Children program.

Adam Said Parwata from Pangkal Pinang, Bangka-Belitung, and
Dwitya Harits Waskito from Bogor, West Java will escort players
from Brazil and Germany when they enter the pitch.

"We are very glad that we could send another two Indonesian
children to escort the players at the final match," said
McDonald's Indonesia general manager, Koko Hadiaono, in a written
statement on Thursday.

Earlier on May 31, Azhim Firdaus and Muhammad Michael Killian,
both from Jakarta, escorted French players at the first match
against Senegal. -- JP

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Collina to referee World Cup final
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Collina to referee World Cup final

YOKOHAMA, Japan: Italy's Pierluigi Collina will referee
Sunday's World Cup final between Brazil and Germany.

The 42-year-old is widely regarded as the best referee in the
world. He was in charge for the 1999 European Cup final, the 1996
Olympic final and the England-Argentina first round game at this
tournament.

His linesmen will be Leif Lindberg of Sweden and Philip Sharp
of England, FIFA announced on Thursday. --Reuters

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Ex Beckham's hotel room rushed
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Ex Beckham's hotel room rushed

TOKYO: The English soccer team checked out of their hotel in
Japan almost a week ago after being knocked out of the World Cup
but their rooms aren't going begging.

The remote hotel where the squad stayed during the tournament
has been inundated with calls from Japanese fans, most of them
wanting to sleep in the bed vacated by captain David Beckham.

"We are getting around 80 calls a day along those lines," said
a spokeswoman for the Westin Awaji Island Resort on the small
island of Awaji, some 435 km (270 miles) southwest of Tokyo and
near the city of Kobe. --Reuters

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Marquez hit with four-match ban
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Marquez hit with four-match ban

YOKOHAMA, Japan: Mexico captain Rafael Marquez was given a
four-match ban and fined 8,000 Swiss francs (US$5,370) for his
sending-off against the United States in the teams' World Cup
second round match, FIFA said Thursday.

Marquez was dismissed towards the end of a niggly match, which
Mexico eventually lost 2-0, following a brutal aerial head butt
on the USA's Cobi Jones. Marquez will now miss his country's next
four competitive matches.

In a separate case, FIFA's disciplinary committee also
suspended Paraguay's Roberto Acuna for two matches and handed
down a fine of 5,000 Swiss francs for his sending-off in the last
16 game against Germany. --AFP