WINNIPEG : American tennis player Alexandra Stevenson relaxes as Erin Britton of the Essentique Spa Salon in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, gives her a pedicure on Wednesday, July 28, 1999. Stevenson and teammate Lilia Osterloh went to the salon to have their nails painted red, white and blue in preparation for their competition in the Pan Am games.— AP/PTI

Moin Khan likely to succeed Akram ISLAMABAD, July 30 — With Wasim Akram suspended in the wake of betting and match-fixing allegations, wicketkeeper Moin Khan is tipped to succeed him as Pakistan’s cricket captain for forthcoming matches. Prasad causes a flutter BIEL, July 30 — Grandmaster Yehudo Grunfeld of Israel will clash with Swiss GM Vadim Milov in the final of the Biel International Open chess Tournament here. Stevenson working on being No 1 WINNIPEG, July 30 — The first woman to reach the semifinals of Wimbledon as a qualifier has been described as a cross between Andre Agassi and a typical American teenager. It’s easy to see why.

Agassi, Venus Williams in last 8; Ivanisevic falls
LOS ANGELES, July 30 — Top-seeded and defending champion Andre Agassi thrived but Goran Ivanisevic failed to survive in the second round of the $ 350,000 Mercedes Benz Cup yesterday.

Mexico, Saudi Arabia in semis
MEXICO CITY, July 30 — Mexico squeaked by Bolivia and Saudi Arabia crushed Egypt yesterday, sending the victorious sides into the semifinals of soccer’s Confederations Cup.

Two Cubans seek asylum
WINNIPEG, July 30 — Two more Cubans — a shooter and a softball coach — have sought asylum in Canada, sources close to the Cuban team told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Canada upset Cuba in baseball
WINNIPEG (Manitoba), July 30 — Cuba’s once mighty baseball team lost for the second day in a row at the Pan American Games yesterday, raising doubts about their ability to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games.

Matthaus refuses job offer
GUADALAJARA (Mexico), July 30 — Germany veteran Lothar Matthaus has revealed that he has refused a job with the German Football Federation.

New Wembley to feature masts
LONDON, July 30 — Wembley’s famous old twin towers will be replaced by four 137 metre-high masts under plans for the new national sports stadium revealed yesterday.

Indian v’ball team announced
BANGALORE, July 30 — The Volleyball Federation of India has named an 18-member team for three forthcoming tournaments abroad.

• Moya enters last 8 of Croatia Open

• Ronaldo to visit Kosovo

I wasn’t mentally ready: Tendulkar

MUMBAI, July 30 (PTI) — Newly-appointed Indian cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar said today he was not mentally prepared to take up the high-profile job and had told board officials and selection committee chairman Ajit Wadekar of his view prior to being named to lead the team at Nagpur on Wednesday.

“I was not mentally prepared for taking up captaincy as it is the practice for the vice-captain to be named the next captain. I was not the vice-captain of the team since losing my captaincy (in January 1998)”, the master batsman told a packed Press conference here today, his first since being named for his second stint at the team’s helm.

“I was concentrating on how to win matches for India and how to better myself as I did not get many runs in the World Cup. Two days before the meeting I told Raj Singh Dungarpur (board president), Jaywant Lele (board secretary) and the chairman that I was not mentally prepared”, he said.

“I went out of Mumbai for a few days and returned home last night. I am definitely proud to lead the country. It is a great honour. Now I have to mentally start preparing myself for the job. I hope things will all fall into the right place”, the world’s premier batsman said.

Ajay Jadeja was the deputy to Mohammed Azharuddin during the last World Cup. Azhar has been replaced by Tendulkar for India’s campaign in three limited overs tournaments in Sri Lanka, Singapore and Nairobi in August-September.

The Mumbai ace also said he had no qualms about leading a side with his predecessor Azhar in it.

“I will have to go and speak to the selectors. He has played under me before and I, too, have played under him after being replaced as captain”, Tendulkar said when asked on reports that he had reservations leading a side with Azhar part of it.

Tendulkar also made it clear he would like to open in one-day internationals and wanted to have a say in team selections in consultation with the selectors.

Queried whether he was mentally prepared for the job when it was offered to him for the first time in August 1996, the champion batsman said “yes”.

“I was the vice-captain for three years or so prior to being appointed as skipper. Though I did not expect it then I was sort of preparing myself (to take on the mantle whenever it was offered)”, Tendulkar said.

“Now (that) I have been named captain I would give it my best try”, he said and added he came to know of his appointment through some phone calls and after seeing the news on television when he was out of Mumbai.

Queried whether he felt he could improve upon his previous stint as captain, Tendulkar said even as a batsman he felt there was a lot of scope for betterment. “I think as a batsman also I can perform better”, he said in an ominous sign for the bowlers the world over.

Tendulkar also said he believed in the captain telling his players what to do at times when they go wrong just as the captain himself is not above committing mistakes.

“The captain is there to tell players what to do. Sometimes the captain also makes mistakes and has to be told. Then what is wrong in telling the players what to do”, he countered.

Tendulkar said he believed in learning lessons from the mistakes he had committed in his previous tenure as captain and improve.

He was also hoping for dame luck to be more favourable to him in his second stint of captaincy after the side was robbed of some sure wins in his first innings.

“I hope so”, he said and pointed out the instance of the third Test at Johannesburg which was drawn due to rain and bad light when India were pressing for victory on their last tour to South Africa in 1996-97.

“It was not raining near the the team hotel just 2 kms away from the ground”, he remembered wistfully.

Tendulkar said the team was a very good one with talented youngsters and established stars and picked Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid for special praise for their performance.

The ace batsman said it was not right to say India put up a dismal show in the World Cup.

“I don’t think so. The crucial match was the opening Super Six match against Australia which we lost. Whatever happened in the league phase earlier had become history. We had a chance in the Super Six stage too”, he pointed out when asked whether he agreed with the common belief.

Asked whether he had set any goals for himself as captain, Tendulkar said he wanted to fulfil his own expectations.

Tendulkar insisted that the Indian players should be able to perform as a team.

“It is very important we play as a team. It doesn’t really matter if there is no outstanding individual performance. But as a team we should learn to perform. Each and every individual’s job is going to differ from the other and it is important that one realises this”, he said.

Tendulkar had an indirect dig at the national selection committee which axed him from captaincy in January 1998 while expressing his happiness at being rated as the world’s top test batsman by Wisden cricket monthly in its August issue.

“I am very happy about it. I would like to continue in the same manner. In spite of what people had thought, 1997 was a good year for me”, he said after being reinstalled at the top of the team’s hierarchy by the current panel of selectors.

The five selectors headed by the late Ramakant Desai had removed Tendulkar from the job at the end of the Sri Lankan tour in December, 1997 by saying the burdens of captaincy was affecting his batting and reinstated Mohammed Azharuddin in the hot seat.

Tendulkar replaced Sri Lanka’s Aravinda de Silva at the top of the latest test rankings of Wisden which gave him the pride of place for his superb average of 67.83 during the two-year period starting from May 1, 1997.

The batting maestro, described as the “prince of batsmen” by the monthly, amassed 1560 runs in 15 Tests and 25 innings.

Tendulkar not for Sahara Cup

MUMBAI, July 30 (PTI) — Indian cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar today said he stood by what he had stated a few days earlier — supporting former skipper Kapil Dev’s stand of snapping cricketing ties with Pakistan over the Kargil issue — about playing against Pakistan in the annual five-match series at Toronto in September.

Asked his opinion on the sensitive issue, Tendulkar, who was renamed national captain two days back said: “We were...the two countries were fighting against each other. A number of jawans had died. It is a very sad thing. Even today, in fact every day, there is news (about it) on the front page. I stick to my opinion”.

The ace batsman had supported former India skipper Kapil Dev’s stand of snapping cricketing ties with Pakistan at the height of the Kargil crisis.

The sponsors of the series, Sahara India Pariwar, then pulled out of the event throwing it into doubt.

Later Kapil Dev changed his stand and said the ties can be resumed now that the Pakistani intruders have been driven out of Kargil.

The International Cricket Council’s President and the Cricket Association of Bengal’s chief, Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, has also expressed his opinion that the series can be held in the current scenario.

The board Secretary Jaywant Lele said recently at Nagpur that it was awaiting permission from the government for undertaking the visit to Toronto but has reportedly expressed his doubts about the tour coming off.

Sachin Tendulkar had a direct dig at Pakistan’s World Cup skipper Wasim Akram for his opinion about who should captain India prior to the national selectors’ meeting at Nagpur on Wednesday.

“I don’t have to think about what Wasim Akram says (on the Indian captaincy issue). They don’t ask us about what they should be doing. They don’t ask who should be the Pakistan captain”, he fumed.

Asked further whether he would like to say now who should lead Pakistan after being named skipper, Tendulkar retorted, “No. Not really. If he says something it does not mean I have to say (anything in reply). I have to think about India”, he added.

Akram had been quoted as saying recently that he felt Mohammed Azharuddin should continue to lead India and Rahul Dravid should be groomed for the job by the selectors.

Moin Khan likely to succeed Akram

ISLAMABAD, July 30 (PTI) — With Wasim Akram suspended in the wake of betting and match-fixing allegations, wicketkeeper Moin Khan is tipped to succeed him as Pakistan’s cricket captain for forthcoming matches.

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) ad hoc committee chairman Mujeebur Rehman had decided to appoint the present vice-captain and wicketkeeper to lead the country, according to a top cricketing source.

“Moin is a popular player of the team. Every member likes him and there is no denying the fact he is a fighter and has a good head on his shoulders,” sources close to Rehman said.

According to reports, Rehman, who is currently in Karachi, has confirmed that a new skipper has been selected but the official announcement will be made next week once the fate of the Sahara Cup series becomes clear.

The PCB chief had imposed temporary suspension on three leading Pakistani cricketers — Akram, Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmed — after they were named in the PCB probe panel report on betting and match-fixing that was made public by the anti-corruption Ehtesab (accountability) Bureau.

The trio have been told they would not be considered for selection to the national team will they cleared their names of the charges.

The sources said Akram had been informed of the decision to replace him and he has reportedly promised to extend full support to the new captain if he (Akram) returns to the team after proving his innocence.

Moin Khan, who was deputy to Akram in the World Cup, has apparently received the nod of the PCB interim chief after he and his teammates apprised Rehman of what happened during the tournament and also gave their opinion about the skipper.

The gutsy stumper along with Inzamam-ul Haq, Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed were reportedly given a clean chit by Rehman, who had asked them to mentally prepare themselves for the coming season. The PCB chief is yet to meet off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who is busy playing in the English county.

The 28-year-old Moin Khan, known for his vocal support to his teammates and hard-hitting batting apart from his prowess with the gloves, has had two stints as captain.

He led his country in the 1995 Asia Cup in Sharjah and then in one test against Zimbabwe last year when Aamir Sohail suddenly walked out of the team following differences with other senior players.

Media reports here said former Pakistan left-hander Wasim Raja had been approached to take over as cricket manager while the PCB is looking for a good coach from Australia apart from retaining South African Richard Pybus as trainer.

PCB sources, however, felt things were in a fluid state and were expected to settle down only in a week or 10 days.

Prasad causes a flutter

BIEL, July 30 (PTI) — Grandmaster Yehudo Grunfeld of Israel will clash with Swiss GM Vadim Milov in the final of the Biel International Open chess Tournament here.

GM Milov accounted for Rufat Bagirov of Azerbijan in the first semifinal last night while Grunfeld toppled Russian GM Rashkovsky in the other to reach the summit clash of the 11-round tournament.

Milov, Bagirov, Grunfeld and Rashkvosky - the top four players after Wednesday’s ninth round - had made it to the last four stage as per the new format of play being used here.

Meanwhile, India’s former national champion D.V. Prasad caused a mild flutter by holding third seeded Russian GM Andrej Shariazdanov while IM K Sasikiran prevailed over Josef Jurek of the Czech Republic after a hard fought battle in the 10th and penultimate round of the tournament.

GM norm holder Prasad moved to six points the same as fellow GM norm holder Sasikiran.

In an interesting duel arising from the Sicilian pelikan variation, Shariazdanov, playing with black pieces, unleashed a novelty with a bishop move. But Prasad found the right continuation by sacrificing a pawn for brisk counter play.

Shariazdanov returned the material and swapped pieces, resulting in a dead locked bishop ending.

Double GM norm holder Abhijit Kunte defended an inferior position against Russian IM Raetsky. Raetsky closed all the files and Kunte sealed his opponents’s winning chances with a closed formation before the players signed peace treaty. Kunte had six points after the round.

India’s junior national champion S. Kidambi also reached six points with a lucky draw against 12-year-old Azerbijani youngster Radjabov.

Kidambi, youngest member of the seven-member Indian contingent, was forced to give up an exchange in white side of Dutch defence. But the inexperienced Radjabov let Kidambi off the hook by mishandling the middle game.

GM Vladimir Tukmakov of Ukraine outplayed IM V. Saravanan with fine positional play while IWM Anupama Gokhale drew with Walter of Switzerland.

Saravanan chose the king’s Indian defence and Tukmakov wrested the initiative in the middle game owing to space advantage. He transformed the position into a favourable knight ending when it was hopeless for Saravanan.

GM Pravin Thipsay reached 5.5 points after accounting for Ermeni of Switzerland. Ermeni played the middle game poorly and Thipsay won a couple of pawns on the queen’s flank to draw curtains on his opponent’s chances.

Stevenson working on being No 1

WINNIPEG, July 30 (AP) — The first woman to reach the semifinals of Wimbledon as a qualifier has been described as a cross between Andre Agassi and a typical American teenager. It’s easy to see why.

Tennis star Alexandra Stevenson loves to talk — about boys, black cocktail dresses, Julia Roberts and dancing until dawn. Things aren’t good, they are “awesome.” She is only 18, after all.

There are some subjects, though, that aren’t discussed, most notably the attention that surrounded the revelation she was the out-of-wedlock daughter of Hall of Fame basketball player Julius Erving, nicknamed “Dr. J.”

The news broke in the midst of her Wimbledon success and trailed her to the Pan American Games, her first tournament since then “it’s all old news,” she said.

The games are sort of a debutante ball for the teenager who is now ranked No. 37 in the world, a way to glide back into tennis before the overwhelming scrutiny she will face from the US Media when she appears at the US Open in New York later this summer.

Safely in Canada, Stevenson can be herself and not just the daughter of someone famous. It’s a different sort of tournament than the pros normally take on. The prize is a gold medal, no cash added.

For Stevenson, it also provides a chance to move on. Her first press conference here in Winnipeg showed off the strategy.

The questions, given the subject, were polite. She easily deflected hapless efforts to dig out a response to the “Dr. J. Question with an almost cheerful “no comment.”

A teenager clearly unafraid of attention instead pointed out to reporters that it wasn’t fair her teammates were being ignored. She gushed about how much fun she was having on the Canadian prairie in a big international event.

“I’m very excited to be here, to represent my country is a great honour,” she said. “I can’t wait to start playing and hope to see you there.”

Stevenson’s presence should direct attention to the US team, which otherwise lacks stars. That’s good for everyone, says US Coach Lynne Rolley — even if Stevenson gets most of the attention.

The US coach, who has known Stevenson for years, sees her coming into her own, taking her game to a new level. Wimbledon was only the first step.

“Everyone in sports is building for that moment when they make a breakthrough, and everyone recognises that,” Rolley said. “It feels good. That’s why we’re in sports.”

On Wednesday, the day before her 6-2, 6-0 victory against Miriam D’Agostini, the No. 2 ranked player in Brazil, Stevenson and teammate Lilia Osterloh, got busy getting into the spirit of the event.

After practice, the two athletes sped off to a beauty salon to have their nails done in red, white and blue. Stevenson’s toes still had Wimbledon’s chipped shades of green and purple and it was definitely coming off.

“This is very serious,” she told Osterloh while laughing.

As a somewhat stunned manicurist took on a pair of famous feet, Stevenson talked about plans to equal the accomplishments of heroes like Margaret Court while becoming a crowd-pleaser like Agassi.

“Tennis is entertainment. You buy a ticket, right? Andre realises that,” she said, pointing out he and other showmen Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe have an affinity to play to a crowd. “That’s what I want to do.”

While she became a sensation at Wimbledon, she was disappointed, because her goal was to win. She paid no attention to the fury set off when a newspaper retrieved her birth certificate.

“I was in my own bubble,” she said. “I ignored everyone.”

Though she also eventually wants to act, dance and sing, Stevenson is working right now on being No. 1 in tennis. In the Pan Ams, she’s focusing on winning a gold medal, having fun, and dismissing the dad issue.

Ok, he’s her dad. So what?

“I’m still the same,” she said. “Nothing has changed.”

Agassi, Venus Williams in last 8; Ivanisevic falls

LOS ANGELES, July 30 (Reuters) — Top-seeded and defending champion Andre Agassi thrived but Goran Ivanisevic failed to survive in the second round of the $ 350,000 Mercedes Benz Cup yesterday.

Agassi steamrolled past qualifier Eric Taino 6-2, 6-3 while Australian Andrew Ilie surprised sixth-seeded Ivanisevic 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals.

Ilie joined two other Australians who advanced earlier: seventh-seeded Lleyton Hewitt, who beat German qualifier Axel Pretzsch 6-3, 6-1, and qualifier James Sekulov, who had upset fifth-seeded Swede Thomas Enqvist some 24 hours earlier.

French qualifier Anthony Dupuis also advanced when Magnus Larsson of Sweden withdrew due to tendinitis in both forearms.

“I played good today,’’ said Ilie, who notched his first win over Ivanisevic after dropping two career three-setters.

“Once Goran gets going it’s easy for him to hold serve. But today, I was trying to concentrate, to keep moving, and not let him run away with the first set. I wanted to win the first set and get a good start. It worked.’’

Agassi blended his unrelenting ground game with eight aces to get by Taino, a left-hander ranked 644th on the ATP tour computer.

“It feels good,’’ said Agassi, who dropped from world No1 to No3 this week despite winning 15 of the last 16 matches.

“What a great time of the year to do it because there’s been so many transitions with the surfaces. If you can somehow maintain the high level, it feels you’re getting a jump on the field going into each season.’’

Though Agassi has lost the top ranking this week to Patrick Rafter, he looks near invincible.

“I always feel senses of where I can improve but I can’t complain about any part of my game right now,’’ he said. ‘’But I’m getting better, stronger by the week, I can assure you of that. I’m motivated, that’s for sure.’’

Though many are expecting Agassi to face second-seeded Pete Samrpras in the final, he must first get by the pesky Hewitt, who beat him in the semifinals in Adelaide in 1998.

“I’m looking forward to playing him. This guy has been playing well this year and underestimating him would be a really dumb thing to do,’’ Agassi said.

The 22-year-old Ilie was excited after knocking off the three-time Wimbledon runner-up.

“Being so close to winning a match against someone you always wanted to win against, especially a high-quality player like Goran, you put a little pressure on yourself,’’ said Ilie, who next faces Dupuis.

Ilie lost the battle of aces 3-10, to the hard-serving Ivanisevic but the world’s 61st-ranked player electrified the UCLA centre-court crowd with an arsenal of booming groundstrokes that kept his opponent off-balance.

“All the way through I stayed solid, stayed calm, played well-calculated, didn’t get too emotional or burn out,’’ Ilie added. “I tried really hard to make him play and succeeded a little bit.’’ Dupuis moved into his first career ATP tour quarterfinal at the expense of Larsson. “It’s unfortunate since I was hitting the ball well,’’ said Larsson, who will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging test. “I’ve had this problem since Monday and it was getting more and more painful. Today, when I practised, I had no energy in my arms and no power in my muscles.’’

“It’s bad for him but I’m lucky today,’’ Dupuis said. “It’s the first time something like this has happened to me. I’ll do my best to try to reach the semifinals.’’

PALO ALTO, California, (Reuters): Teen terrors Venus Williams and Anna Kournikova locked up their much anticipated quarterfinal showdown at the $ 500,000 Bank of the West Classic by posting impressive second round victories.

The second-seeded Williams on Wednesday scored a 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) victory over promising 18-year-old Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia, bearing down and ripping winners in the tie-breaker. Williams, who took an 11-hour flight on Monday after leading the US Federation Cup team to victory, is still fighting a bit of jet lag.

Kournikova despatched American veteran Mary Joe Fernandez 6-4, 6-4. In overcoming the 27-year-old Fernandez, the 18-year-old Kournikova controlled the centre of the court with blistering groundstrokes.

“Mary Joe isn’t a player you can get upset and excited against,’’ said Kournikova, the sixth seed. “You have to be really calm and relaxed in order to beat her.’’

The wily Fernandez, who is engaged to be married and rumoured to be retiring at the end of this year, didn’t produce enough firepower to tire the fleet footed Kournikova.

Williams and Kournikova last played at Wimbledon in the fourth round, with the American playing a more aggressive and gutsy match in winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. The super-athletic Williams is 3-0 against her glamorous foe. Williams said her weapons have proved too much for Kournikova in the past.

“I have a large serve, I have a lot of power and a lot of speed,’’ Williams said. “Those are a lot of things to go up against. You have to hit shot after shot after shot, that can be tough at times.’’

Eighth seed Sandrine Testud of France also moved into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder. Testud will face fourth seed Amanda Coetzer of South Africa.

American Corina Morariu, ranked 42nd, also advanced to the quarterfinals, whipping forehands past compatriot Jennifer Capriati 7-5, 6-2.

“I tried to stay aggressive because that’s when I play my best,’’ said Morariu, who will play her doubles partner, world No 1 Lindsay Davenport, in the quarterfinals. “I tried to take the first ball away from her because she doesn’t play as well when she’s on the defensive.”

Capriati was disappointed. “It was a winnable match,” she said. “I lost to her here last year and I thought I had improved a lot, but I guess she has, too.”

Mexico, Saudi Arabia in semis

MEXICO CITY, July 30 (Reuters) — Mexico squeaked by Bolivia and Saudi Arabia crushed Egypt yesterday, sending the victorious sides into the semifinals of soccer’s Confederations Cup.

With yesterday’s results, Mexico won group A in the eight-nation FIFA tournament, gaining the right to remain in Mexico City and face the winner of today’s showdown between Germany and the USA on Sunday.

“They’re both very strong,” Mexico coach Manuel Lapuente said when asked which team he preferred to play. “I don’t like to choose rivals.”

The Saudi’s have the unenviable task of travelling to Guadalajara for Sunday’s other semifinal to face Brazil, which clinched group B on Wednesday.

The remaining squads — New Zealand, Egypt and Bolivia — have been eliminated.

A second-half goal from beleaguered midfielder Francisco Palencia was all Mexico could muster in their 1-0 win over Bolivia in front of a demanding crowd of 50,000 in Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium.

In an earlier match Saudi Arabia, fuelled by a four-goal outburst from striker Marzouk Al Otaibi, thrashed Egypt 5-1 in a match that saw three Egyptians sent off by Paraguyan referee Ubaldo Aquino.

After being booed off the pitch on Tuesday following a 2-2 draw with Egypt, the Mexicans appeared to suffer from jitters in a first half marred by misdirected passes and few clear scoring chances.

Palencia, the object of much of the crowd’s scorn, gained some vindication by heading into an open net after Bolivian goalkeeper Jose Carlo Fernandez misplayed a corner kick at the 52nd minute.

“There was a bit of pressure,” Palencia said after the game. “But we managed it well and were able to gather strength as the match progressed.”

Egypt, Meanwhile, had its dreams of qualifying for Sunday’s semifinal crushed by a surprising Saudi side, which was humbled in a 5-1 loss to Mexico on Sunday.

Al Otaibi began the Saudi onslaught in the eighth minute, lunging to boot home a rebound of his own shot off the post.

But a nine-minute first-half nightmare for the Egyptians quickly put the game out of hand.

Aquino sent off Egypt’s Abdelsatar Sabry at the 28th minute for levelling a Saudi defender with an elbow.

Al Otaibi struck again at the 34th minute with a first-timed left-footed shot off a low cross from Nawaf Al Temyat.

Then at the 37th minute Egypt’s Hazem Emam was ejected after collecting his second yellow card from Aquino.

After the break, the Saudis poured it on. Ibrahim Al Shahrani tapped in at the 64th minute after Egyptian keeper Essam El Hadary failed to clear a Fahad Al Subaie shot.

Al Otaibi collected his third goal at the 78th minute, shedding two defenders and easily beating El Hadary. He struck again at the 85th minute with a low, left-footed shot.

Samir Ibrahim scored a consolation goal for Egypt at the 70th minute from the penalty spot. But he was sent off 10 minutes later for a rough tackle on Al Shahrani.

Two Cubans seek asylum

WINNIPEG, July 30 (AP) — Two more Cubans — a shooter and a softball coach — have sought asylum in Canada, sources close to the Cuban team told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

The two members of the Cuban delegation to the Pan American Games left the team earlier this week, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The sources would not provide the names of the Cubans, who would be the third and fourth members of the delegation to seek asylum at the Games.

The two went to the Royal Canadian Mountain Police seeking to defect and were turned over to Canadian immigration officials.

Cuban sports federation officials repeatedly have denied anyone has defected. However, Canadian immigration authorities have said three persons have, indeed, sought asylum since July 20, although by law, they can’t release any details. There was no immediate word from immigration about the fourth asylum-seeker.

Before the games began, pistol shooter Abel Juncosa Reyes asked for asylum. Reporter Lisette Cepero of Radio Rebelde also has sought to defect.

Members of the Cuban delegation deny that a second shooter defected, claiming he didn’t come to Canada with the team. But the sources said the shooter did, indeed, accompany the Cubans to Canada, then disappeared.

The Cubans have been livid about what they perceive as media attempts to “incite desertion.”

Cuba President Fidel Castro said in a speech Monday: “We have never seen so many tricks, so much filth in the Pan American games. We are competing in enemy territory.”

Last week, Cuban officials complained about stories in the Winnipeg Sun, contending the newspaper was encouraging Cubans to defect. Yesterday, the Sun, saying it bore no hard feelings started a “count the defectors contest.” The tabloid printed an entry form for readers to guess the number of defectors during the Pan American games, with the winner to receive a one-week trip for two — to Cuba.

The promotion ran on page 3, right below an article recounting criticism by Castro and other Cubans of media coverage of defections.

A Cuban spokesman would not comment on the Sun’s contest.

Canada upset Cuba in baseball

WINNIPEG (Manitoba), July 30 (Reuters) — Cuba’s once mighty baseball team lost for the second day in a row at the Pan American Games yesterday, raising doubts about their ability to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games.

Mexico completed their domination in the walks when Joel Sanchez won the 50 kilometre event in sapping heat and three Guatemalans were banned for the rest of the soccer tournament as the Central Americans paid for losing their heads in a 2-1 defeat by Canada.

Cuba’s baseball team, believed to be the main targets of scouts who have prowled around the athletes’ village hoping to lure them abroad, were hammered 8-1 by Canada less than 24 hours after losing to the USA.

With eight of the nine teams in the first round progressing to tomorrow’s quarterfinals, the results itself meant little but was a serious blow to the team’s morale.

Cuba have won the last nine Pan Am baseball tournaments and their hammering by Canada, who had 14 hits to Cuba’s four, was a massive upset.

The competition is being used as a qualifier for the 2000 Olympics and with two teams qualifying for Sydney, Sunday’s semifinals, in which Cuba and Canada could meet again, will be the decisive games.

Brazil’s team of Japanese descendants were the only team knocked out in the first round, losing all their games. But they went out with dignity, losing only 3-2 to the USA’s professionals.

Matthaus refuses job offer

GUADALAJARA (Mexico), July 30 (AFP) — Germany veteran Lothar Matthaus has revealed that he has refused a job with the German Football Federation (DFB).

The 38-year-old Matthaus, competing for his country here in the Confederations Cup, revealed he did not believe he could combine the proposed new management role with his playing career.

The Bayern Munich star scored and made one in the 2-0 Confederations Cup win over New Zealand on Wednesday night and clearly believes he still has a lot to offer as a player.

Matthaus, who with Mexico’s Antonio Carbajal holds the achievement of having played in five World Cups, said: “It is always good to keep your distance from players. If I were to accept a job with the federation now there would not have been enough distance between my playing role and my direction role.

“Today I see players as friends and it will be difficult afterwards to have to socialise with them. For example at this time I drink a beer with them and then the next day I would have to tell them not to drink. It’s comical.”

“Once I have retired I think I will be busy in the USA. Perhaps I will one day work for the German federation but it will be after 2004.”

Matthaus has suggested in previous interviews he may quit the national team after next summer’s European Championships in Holland and Belgium but has not ruled out a role in his country’s World Cup qualifying campaign for the 2002 tournament.

New Wembley to feature masts

LONDON, July 30 (AFP) — Wembley’s famous old twin towers will be replaced by four 137 metre-high masts under plans for the new national sports stadium revealed yesterday.

But despite the glitzy launch of the blueprint for the £ 320 million (about Rs 2064 crore), 90,000-seater arena, the row over whether the famous white structures overlooking the Wembley pitch should have been retained seems set to rumble on.

Architect Sir Norman Foster said it would have cost at least £ 20 million to keep the towers, which date back to 1923 and are recognised as a symbol of Wembley worldwide.

That was a price not worth paying, Sir Norman said.

“They are suspended up there on fresh air. They are shells, they’re not blocks of stone and masonry, you can’t take them down,” he said.

“Nothing is impossible, you can put a man on the moon, so you could save those towers but at a price — about £ 20 million. I think it’s more.”

“You’ve got to have a pretty good justification for doing it but I, for one, can’t think of any justification.”

“They were an emblem of their time but that was in 1923, a long time ago.”

In place of the twin towers will be four slender masts stretching 137 metres skywards, some 100 metres higher than the twin towers.

The giant new structure, which will also feature a raised athletics track, is due for completion in 2003, with building starting after next year’s FA Cup final in May.

The arena, which will be rotated 90 degrees from its current position, will host major football matches, as well as major international athletics showpieces such as the world and European championships, and music concerts.

In order to allow fans to be as close to the action as possible, the athletics track and field would be installed, when needed, at a height 6.5 metres above the football surface. The roof would be retracted to allow as much light as possible onto the turf, enhancing the quality of the surface. The masts and a 1,000 metres ‘halo’ would hold the roof in place.

Total investment in the new complex will top £ 475 million, according to Mr Bob Stubbs, the Chief Executive of the Wembley National Stadium Limited (WNSL), an autonomous company wholly-owned by the English Football Association.

The Organisers of England’s bid to host the 2006 World Cup say the new stadium will be vital as they try to beat off bids from principal rivals South Africa and Germany.

“Everybody knows how tough the competition is to host the 2006 World Cup but none of our rivals has anything to match this new Wembley,” said Campaign Director Alec McGivan.

Indian v’ball team announced

BANGALORE, July 30 (UNI) — The Volleyball Federation of India has named an 18-member team for three forthcoming tournaments abroad.

The team will be playing in the invitation tournament in Vienna, the Asian Volleyball Championships in Iran and the South Asian Federation Games in Nepal.

It was named on Tuesday after selection trials held at the Sports Authority of India (southern centre) here. The players were selected based on past and present performances.

The selection committee comprised former national coach Ramana Rao, SAI nominee Cyril Valloor and coach GE Sreedharan.

The team will be leaving India on August 7 for the Austrian tournament to be held between August 9 and 14.

The team: Roy Joseph, Amir Singh, Manoj Kumar, Surjit Singh (all Punjab), Rajesh, Ravikanth Reddy (both Railways), Subba Rao, Abhijeeth Bhattacharya (both UP), Kumaran, Manjunath, Haroon Khan (all TN), Joby Joseph, Tom Joseph, Kapil Dev (all Kerala), Jayaprakash, Tulasi Reddy (both AP), Shankar Ganesh and Anand Kurup (both Central Excise).

Moya enters last 8 of Croatia Open

UMAG (Croatia), July 30 (AP) — Top-seeded Carlos Moya of Spain advanced to the quarterfinals of Croatia Open Tennis Tournament beating Finland’s Ville Liukko 6-4, 6-4.Moya, the 1997 champion here, will play Sweden’s eighth seed Magnus Norman, who beat Argentina’s Guillermo Canas 6-4, 6-3.

Spain’s Albert Portas, 87th in the ATP tour rankings, upset second-seeded countryman Felix Mantilla 6-4, 6-4 to set up a quarterfinal match against Agustin Calleri of Argentina. Calleri routed Borut Urh of Slovenia 6-0, 6-1.

Ronaldo to visit Kosovo

ROME, July 30 (Reuters) — Brazilian striker Ronaldo has pledged himself to a United Nations campaign for peace in Kosovo and will visit the Serbian province in August, Gazzetta Dello sport newspaper reported yesterday.

It said Ronaldo made the announcement in Rio De Janeiro, where he is relaxing before returning to Inter Milan for the start of the Italian Championship.