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■ TENNIS

Mirza to skip Bangalore

Sania Mirza, Asia's top-ranked women's player, plans to skip the Bangalore Open tennis tournament next month to avoid possible controversies in her home country. Mirza, ranked 29th, said she was advised by her management to skip the US$600,000 tournament, which is billed as the richest in India. "Every time I play in India there is a problem. Considering all that, I thought it would be better not to play in Bangalore," Mirza was quoted as saying yesterday in the Times of India.



■ JUDO

Tani has `brain revolution'

Japan's double Olympic judo gold medalist Ryoko Tani has hit upon an unusual idea to prepare for this year's Beijing Games -- a neurological kick-start. Busy being a mother since winning her second successive gold in Athens four years ago, Tani has turned to scientific methods to help sharpen up for an attempt on an Olympic treble. The pint-sized judoka will spend three days listening to lectures from brain specialists in Paris, Japanese media reported yesterday, some under the headline "Tani's Brain Revolution!"



■ RUGBY UNION

England call up three players

England coach Brian Ashton called up three players to his Six Nations squad on Monday, two days after its shock loss to Wales in the Six Nations. Ashton brought in uncapped scrumhalf Lee Dickson, promoted Shane Geraghty from the second-tier England Saxons team and recalled Magnus Lund, who was cut from England's initial World Cup squad. England plays Italy in Rome on Sunday. England relinquished a 19-6 lead to lose 26-19 at home to Wales on Saturday. During the game, England lost winger David Strettle, back rows Lewis Moody and Tom Rees and center Mike Tindall with injuries. All four are almost certainly ruled out for Italy, while Tindall could be out for the tournament after checking into the hospital Sunday with bruising to his liver.



■ FIELD HOCKEY

Argentina remain unbeaten

Brothers Lucas and Rodrigo Vila scored a goal apiece to help Argentina remain unbeaten after the third round of a six-nation men's field hockey Olympic qualifying tournament yesterday. Argentina, ranked No. 7 in the world, rallied to beat France 4-2 and to move closer to a place in Sunday's final, the winner of which qualifies for the Beijing Olympics. New Zealand maintained its unbeaten record and stayed on track to meet Argentina in the final when it beat the US 4-0, while Ireland downed Trinidad and Tobago 7-2.



■ SKIING

Palander cuts season short

Slalom specialist Kalle Palander of Finland has cut his season short to undergo surgery on a stress fracture of his shin. Palander, who has 14 World Cup victories to his name -- the latest coming as recently as last December's giant slalom in the Italian resort of Alta Badia, underwent the operation in Helsinki on Monday. "It's not a major operation, but the timing's not great. His season is over. The fracture was bad and the pain recurring," Finnish ski federation spokeswoman Soili Hirvonen said. The 31-year-old Palander, who was crowned world slalom champion in 1999 and 2003 World Cup champion in the discipline, still intends to compete in his fourth winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010, Hirvonen said.
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