Spanish rider gets 2-year ban

Madrid: Spanish rider Santiago Perez was banned for two years by the Spanish cycling federation on Tuesday after testing positive for a blood transfusion in last September?s Tour of Spain. Perez, who finished second on the tour, gave an irregular blood test after the race that indicated he had undergone a transfusion.

The 27-year-old, riding for Phonak at the time, denied any wrongdoing, and may still appeal against the decision.

Perez?s former teammate at Phonak, American Tyler Hamilton, also tested positive for blood transfusions after the Olympics and the Tour of Spain. He was cleared by the IOC, but a final decision over his case has yet to be made.

Els? economy drive

Dubai: World No. 3 Ernie Els was forced to fly economy for the first time in more than a decade to make sure he arrived in Dubai in time for this week?s European Tour event.

The big South African, who is chasing an unprecedented third victory at the Dubai Desert Classic, was forced to trade places with one of his brother?s friends for the eight-hour flight from Johannesburg to Dubai.

?(I) checked my luggage through. There was a rugby game going on and we were watching that game and I gave myself half an hour to get a boarding pass. But when I got to the check-in desk, it was closed. I thought they had given my seat away but thankfully we were able to make a plan,? he said.

Pro-Am meet from Friday

New Delhi: The country?s top corporate honchos will team up with professionals to vie for honours in the fourth and final round of the Pro-Am of Champions 2005 to be held in Gurgaon on Friday and Saturday.

As many as 100 corporate personnel, bureaucrats and celebrities will play alongside some of the top golfers in the country in the only stand-alone Pro-Am event recognised by the PGAI.

The pro golfers likely to feature in the event include Ashok Kumar, Ali Sher, Digvijay Singh and Mukesh Kumar.

Legends win tsunami tie

Jakarta: Mark Walters of England scored a hattrick to lead the football Legends team to a 4-3 victory over the Indonesian All-Stars in a charity match to raise funds for Acehnese children orphaned by the December 26 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

Brazilian striker Careca gave the football legends an early lead in the first half before Walters started his stunning attacks, scoring a goal in the first half and two others in the second. His last goal came from a penalty kick after he was fouled.

Goals for the host team were scored by Samsul Bahri, Widodo Cahyonoputra and Piyapong Pue-On.

Fifa signs 8-year deal

Geneva: Fifa has signed an eight-year sponsorship agreement with South Korea?s Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, to run from 2007.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Hyundai chief executive Kim Dong-jin signed the contract during the annual Geneva international motor show, Fifa said on Tuesday in a statement.

Liberia coach

Monrovia: Joseph Sayon has been appointed coach of Liberia just three weeks before their World Cup qualifier in Senegal.

Sayon takes over from Kadalah Kromah, who was dismissed after Liberia were beaten 0-3 by Senegal in their last African Zone Group One qualifier in Monrovia in October.

The defeat sparked off riots across the capital, leading to attacks on UN peacekeepers.

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