Soccer coach under probe

Sydney: Australia soccer coach Frank Farina is being investigated by police and the sport?s national body over an alleged assault following his team?s 2-1 win over Iraq on Saturday.

A local TV journalist with the SBS network filed a complaint against Farina following an incident in the players? tunnel immediately after the friendly match.

State police said detectives were investigating the allegation but no charges had been laid. The sport?s national body said it was also looking into the case.

Farina told another television network on Sunday that he had clashed with the reporter but had done nothing wrong. He said he had filed his own complaint with Football Australia.

Kaiser confirms

Berlin: Franz Beckenbauer has confirmed his interest in standing for the 2006 Uefa presidency.

?It?s clear that I?m interested. It?s a task and challenge that is attractive,? Beckenbauer, head of the organising committee for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, told a German television channel.

Germany?s 1974 World Cup winner said, however, that he will not offer his candidacy if the current president, Swede Lennart Johansson went for a second mandate.

Johansson is set to announce during Uefa?s next meeting in Estonia if he will stand again. The congress will also decide if the election of the president will take place in 2006 or 2007.

German fear

Berlin: Fan violence before, during and after a friendly international match in Slovenia on Saturday left Germans fearing a revival of football hooliganism as the country prepares to host the 2006 World Cup.

The German football association (DFB) moved quickly to apologise to Slovenia after German fans smashed windows of cars and restaurants while shouting racist slogans in the Slovenian city of Celje several hours before the evening match.

There was further violence at the Stadium where German fans hurled flares onto the pitch and clashed with local police. There was also fighting between German and Slovenians outside the stadium after the match ended, German officials said.

Annika steps towards history

California: Sweden?s Annika Sorenstam took a major step in her quest for a Grand Slam sweep and a piece of LPGA history, seizing a five-stroke lead at the Kraft Nabisco championship here.

Top-ranked Sorenstam took command of the year?s first major tournament with a six-under-par 66 third round to finish 54 holes at 11-under par 205, leaving only three rivals nearer than 10 strokes at the $1.8 million event.

Sorenstam seeks her fifth victory in as many starts, a feat that would match Nancy Lopez?s 27-year-old LPGA record win streak, and her ninth major title, including six in the past four years.

The title, with a $ 270,000 top prize, will also lift Sorenstam, who won here in 2001 and 2002, into third place on the all-time career win list with her 59th LPGA crown.

Oxford pip Cambridge

London: Oxford powered to victory in the 151st University Boat Race on the River Thames on Sunday, avenging last year?s controversial defeat to Cambridge.

Cambridge, who won the toss and chose the Middlesex station, had a poor start.

The Dark Blues of Oxford weighed in as the heaviest ever crew, averaging 98.35kg excluding the non-rowing cox and outweighing Cambridge by about 10 kg a man.

Cricket: India vs Pakistan, third Test Day V, live from 10am on DD National and DD Sports
Soccer: WC qualifiers from 8.30 pm on TEN Sports
Formula One: Malaysian GP from 11 pm on STAR Sports