Koubek out with injury

Vienna: Stefan Koubek?s hopes of playing for Austria in next week?s Davis Cup first round tie in Australia have been ended by a knee injury.

Koubek was banned for three months in December after failing a drugs test. He had appealed and had been hoping for the ban to be lifted by the International Tennis Federation in time for him to play in the March 4-6 tie.

The 28-year-old had been training in anticipation of a late call-up.

However, he said on his website that he had damaged his right knee and would be out of action for at least 10 days.

London marathon

London: New York marathon champion Hendrik Ramaala will compete in the London event on April 17. The 33-year-old South African is a former soccer player who took up running 13 years ago. ?This is great news for us,? said race director David Bedford on Thursday.

?Hendrik has started to fulfil his promise at the marathon and we?ve got just the field to test him.?

A spokeswoman for the London marathon organisers said American Khalid Khannouchi, who set a world record in the 2002 event, had withdrawn because he did not think he would be race fit.

Boost for WI eves

Port-of-Spain: Trinidad and Tobago?s government and businesses donated $80,800 to help pay for the West Indies? trip to next month?s women?s World Cup in South Africa.

The team needed $500,000 in total to prepare for and play in the World Cup, and it was awaiting an announcement of funding from the West Indies Women?s Cricket Federation.

No other regional government had pledged funding, said coach Ann Brown-John on Wednesday.

The World Cup is from March 22 to April 10.

Charity tie

Jakarta: Three former South American internationals are to team up with some of Europe?s former stars next week for a friendly against Indonesia to raise funds for tsunami victims, organisers said Thursday.

Former Colombian skipper Carlos Valderrama and Brazilian striker Careca, who played in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, are to play alongside Mexico?s former goalkeeper Jorge Campos.

The match is scheduled for Tuesday at the 110,000-seat Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

FA bans Reyes

London: Arsenal?s Spanish striker Jose Antonio Reyes has been banned for three games after an FA disciplinary commission found him guilty of violent conduct on Thursday. Reyes was charged following an incident during Arsenal's FA Cup fifth round tie on Saturday when he was seen to push Sheffield United's Danny Cullip in the face.

The 35th minute incident also resulted in Arsenal striker Dennis Bergkamp being sent off ? the Dutchman also receiving a three-match ban.

Ex-boxer dead

Philadelphia: Former heavyweight boxer Jimmy Young, who beat George Foreman and fought Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton in the 1970s before his life took a downward turn, has died.

Young, 56, died on Sunday of a heart disease at Hahnemann University Hospital, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday. Young compiled a 35-18-3 record with 12 knockouts during a career that spanned from 1969 to 1990. He was a quick, stylish fighter, but lacked a knockout punch.

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