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■Baseball
Bonds ball set for sale
The baseball Barry Bonds hit for his record 73rd home run in 2001 will be auctioned by Lelands.com on June 25, bringing to an end one of the most closely followed legal battles in sports history. The ball will be offered by the two men who fought over ownership: Patrick Hayashi and Alex Popov. After a two-week trial in December, they were ordered by Superior Court Judge Kevin McCarthy to sell it and divide the money. Popov, the man who gloved the ball before losing it in a skirmish, and Hayashi, who ended up with it, finally agreed in March to sell it. The ball is expected to attract bids between US$1 million and US$2 million. Mark McGwire's record-breaking 70th home run ball from the 1998 season sold for US$3 million.

■ Horse racing
Blaze blamed on arson
Arson caused a fire that killed 34 horses at Woodbine Racetrack last August, the Ontario Fire Marshal's office said on Thursday. The blaze was "set by design," said Bill Hiscott, the office's acting supervisor, in delivering a report on what happened. "We've done several tests and examined the site and with all of those details we've arrived at the fact that it was arson," Hiscott said. No one has been charged, and police were continuing their investigation. The fire tore through a barn that housed 120 horses at the racetrack in the early morning hours. Total damage was estimated at US$3.2 million. Earl Barnett, who lost five of his 16 horses in the fire, called the arson ruling "a complete shock."

■ Weightlifting
India bans 34 for doping
The Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has imposed bans up to two year on 34 weightlifters for taking banned drugs during recent national games, a news report said yesterday. The sport's national governing body also slapped monetary fines on the weightlifters accused in the scandal, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported. The decision was taken at the first meeting of the newly formed executive committee of the federation held on Thursday, the report said. The weightlifters included 11 from the senior category and 23 from the junior category.

■ Tennis
Olympics to award points
Female tennis players will receive ranking points for their results at the Olympics for the first time next year, a change designed to encourage participation. The men's tour began awarding ranking points for the Olympics in 2000. The change for women was announced on Thursday at the French Open by the International Tennis Federation.

Agencies
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