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
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
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
;AFP; ANPAs..u.. PutBrief-Sports-Extra-WC2002 Marquez hit with four-match ban JP/12/ExtrA
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