■ Fans
FIFA wants more big screens
The 300 big screen areas set up across Germany to watch World Cup games have been so overrun by massive crowds that FIFA wants them expanded. Berlin's 2km-long fan zone, the country's biggest with dozens of screens, was closed off on Wednesday after 500,000 jammed inside to watch Germany beat Poland 1-0. The story has been similar across the country. "If that many people keep coming, they are just too full," FIFA spokesman Markus Siegler said. Cities with World Cup stadiums have been overwhelmed as the 3 million visitors to Germany and locals from surrounding areas pour in for the all-day parties on game days.
■ Fans
Chavez silenced by Brazil
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who spends hours talking every Sunday on his Hello President television program, kept quiet this weekend -- at least in part for Brazil's World Cup game. The soccer squad for Venezuela, a major baseball nation, failed to make it to the 2006 World Cup in Germany despite some strong games in the qualifying South American group rounds. Chavez routinely talks for up to six hours on his Sunday television show. "[Yesterday was] Father's Day and also Brazil [were] playing. For these reasons the president, as director of the program, has decided not to broadcast Hello President," Information Minister Willian Lara said.
■ England
Lampard knocks critics
Frank Lampard has lashed out at ex-international players who have criticized England's start to the World Cup. The Chelsea midfielder expressed disappointment that several former players now working in the media, have had harsh words about England's performances. Though Lampard did not name names, it is clear that his rebuke was directed at former skipper Alan Shearer, now working as a pundit for the BBC. "We are fortunate enough to get English TV and we see it," Lampard said. "There's nothing worse than seeing an ex-player who has played in the pressure cooker situation of a World Cup come out and give negative remarks," Lampard added.
■ Indonesia
Dictator's daughter quits TV
Former dictator Suharto's second daughter, who surprised millions of Indonesians by anchoring TV coverage of the World Cup's opening matches, has said she will not be appearing again after her performances were widely panned. "I have never been a presenter, I have always been a housewife so of course I was nervous," Titiek Suharto told the Kompas daily. "Please understand if I wasn't that good. I was worried about making mistakes." Soccer fans were surprised to see Titiek anchoring the coverage on privately owned SCTV station when the tournament kicked off last week.
■ FIFA
Disgraced official sent home
A Botswanan member of the FIFA Executive Committee has admitted selling tickets for a World Cup match involving England for three times their face value, the governing body said on Saturday. Ismail Bhamjee said he had sold 12 Category One tickets for last Thursday's England versus Trinidad and Tobago match for 300 euros (US$380 dollars) each. Their face value was 100 euros. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he was "very disappointed" by Bhamjee's conduct, which emerged thanks to an investigation by a British newspaper.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but