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Sports Quick Take

■ Athletics
Convict takes on marathon
Prison officials in Bangkok say they'll allow a British drug convict to participate in the city's annual marathon but -- unlike other competitors -- he'll have to run behind bars. While participants run through the streets of the Thai capital for Sunday's Bangkok Marathon, Trevor Lound will run for 124 laps, or about 42km, around his prison's running track. "The corrections department has permitted the convict Trevor to participate in the 2003 Bangkok Marathon as he wishes to raise funds [for charity]," the Department said in a statement. Lound, 38, has served more than seven years of a 25-year sentence at Klongprem prison on unspecified drug convictions. It was unclear how Lound, whose hometown was not immediately known, would raise the funds or who would receive them. Thousands of people participate each year in the Bangkok Marathon.

■ Basketball
Mavs beat Spurs
Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 points and Antoine Walker had 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 95-92 win over the San Antonio Spurs in one of just two games in the NBA on Thursday. Dallas stayed unbeaten at home (6-0) this season with the win. The Mavericks nearly blew a 16-point lead before holding off a late San Antonio charge to pick up the win. Michael Finley scored 17 points for the Mavericks, who had their lead cut to 92-90 with 18 seconds left. Rick Nash added 12 points one game after his first career triple-double. Tim Duncan led the fourth quarter charge for the Spurs and wound up with 30 points and 17 rebounds. Rasho Nesterovic had 18 points for the Spurs, who were playing in Dallas for the first time since winning Game Six of the Western Conference finals last season.

■ Soccer
Chinese player hits snag
English champions Manchester United may have to settle for a loan deal if they want to snap up highly-rated Chinese striker Dong Fangzhou. United have offered ?1 million for the 18-year-old Dalian Shide player but the wealthy Chinese club are worried that Dong could end up being shipped out to the Reds' Belgian feeder club, Royal Antwerp.

■ Soccer
Dundee on the brink
Debt-ridden Dundee are on the brink of bankruptcy but have told their fans they are doing all they can to ensure the club's future. Dundee's financial position worsened last week after a Scottish Premier League tribunal decision blocked them receiving any money from Rangers for Georgia international Zura Khizanishvili. Announcing the decision to follow fellow SPL side Motherwell into administration a spokesman for the club insisted: "Every possible effort is being made to safeguard the future of Dundee Football Club. There is presently a great deal of work in discussion taking place to that end. As soon as we are able to say more, we will keep the fans informed."

■ Golf
Garcia leads in Phoenix
Spain's Sergio Garcia fired a 6-under-par 65 yesterday to take a one-stroke lead at the US$1.8 million Dunlop Phoenix golf tournament. Garcia, who was tied for the lead after the first round, knocked down eight birdies against a pair of bogeys at the 6,917-yard, par-71 Phoenix Country Club for a 36-hole total of 11-under 131. "I'm really happy with the way I've been playing," said Garcia. "Not only the last couple of days, but the last three months. At the start of the week, if you'd have given me 11-under I would have thought I'd be leading by more."

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