UK-Sport Summary
Beckham suffers from asthma, says spokesman
LONDON - David Beckham has suffered from a mild form of asthma since childhood, the England midfielder's spokesman was quoted as saying in British newspapers on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Beckham was photographed on Sunday using an inhaler during L.A. Galaxy's 5-4 defeat on penalties by Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer's championship game in Seattle.
Indian openers Gambhir, Sehwag claim centuries
KANPUR, India - India's openers Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag struck sparkling centuries as India amassed 417-2 to take a firm grip against Sri Lanka after the first day of the second test on Tuesday. Gambhir, 28, top-scored with 167 to notch a century for his fourth test in a row after Sehwag hit an aggressive 131, the pair adding a blistering 233 for the opening wicket.
Salary caps will affect developing game - Scudamore
KUALA LUMPUR - Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore warned Asian clubs on Tuesday that a salary cap would have a detrimental effect on their game. The popular method of controlling spending in clubs is used in American sports and in Australia's domestic A-League but Scudamore, a decade in his role with the Premier League, was against the idea.
Soderling haunts Nadal again
LONDON - Swede Robin Soderling returned to haunt Rafael Nadal on Monday with a 6-4 6-4 victory as battle commenced in Group B at the ATP World Tour finals. Nadal's already slim chances of knocking Federer off the top of the world rankings now hang by a thread and defeat against Russia's Nikolay Davydenko in the second of his three round-robin matches on Wednesday would almost certainly mean the Spaniard will not reach the semi-finals.
England bid back on track, economic benefits huge - Gill
KUALA LUMPUR - England's 2018 World Cup bid has addressed the concerns of FIFA vice-president Jack Warner and offers a low risk option, Manchester United chief executive David Gill said on Tuesday. CONCACAF head Warner criticised England organisers last month saying their bid lacked "stardust" and was falling off the pace. But Gill, who holds an advisory role to England's bid committee, said a boardroom reshuffle had quelled those fears.
Fisher, Poulter unite in England's World Cup cause
BEIJING - Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter are determined to finish November in the same way they started it by firing England to victory at the 55th World Cup of Golf in southern China this week. Fisher and Poulter, who won the World Matchplay and Singapore Open respectively to kick off the month, will take on 27 other nations in their bid to claim England's third world title, and a first since 2004, at the $5.5 million tournament in Shenzhen.
Force India to test Di Resta, Hildebrand
LONDON - Britain's Paul di Resta, the cousin of IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti, will test for Force India in Spain next week along with young American J.R. Hildebrand, the Formula One team said Tuesday. Team owner Vijay Mallya said both were being considered for a permanent role as test and reserve driver next season.
France make changes, wary of All Blacks threat
MARCOUSSIS, France - France coach Marc Lievremont has made seven changes to the team that defeated world champions South Africa for Saturday's game against New Zealand. Lievremont has brought in centres Yannick Jauzion and David Marty, Maxime Medard on the wing, as well as Fulgence Ouedraogo and Julien Bonnaire in the back row. Lock Sebastien Chabal and prop Sylvain Marconnet also come into the team.
Asian football signs billion-dollar rights deal
KUALA LUMPUR between 1992 and 2008, gives Singapore-based sports marketing, event management and media group WSG rights to AFC events up until 2020.
Eton game spreads to inner cities
LONDON - A casual reference to Eton Fives among members of the British public prompts general bemusement. At best, some sports enthusiasts recognise a form of handball with almost incomprehensible rules played in Britain's most exclusive fee-paying school, an institution associated in the popular imagination with snobbery and privilege.