Indianapolis? F1 dilemma

Indianapolis: Two months after the embarrassment of the US Grand Prix, Indianapolis motor Speedway officials apparently aren?t quite ready to forgive ? or forget. Speedway president Joie Chitwood made it clear after Sunday?s Nascar Allstate 400 at the brickyard that he is still debating whether to bring the Formula One race back to Indianapolis for a seventh season.

?It?s important to us because we?ve made a huge investment in the sport by building the road course and adding the buildings to gasoline alley,? Chiwood said. ?But we have to decide what?s in the best interest of our fans, the speedway and the city.?

No inner voice: Zidane

Paris: Zinedine Zidane wants to make something clear: he?s not hearing voices. The French soccer star said on his website that an interview he gave to a football magazine was misinterpreted.

In those comments published this week, Zidane explained that he decided to come out of international retirement after a mysterious conversation in the dead of night. ?One night at three in the morning, I suddenly woke up and spoke to someone,? Zidane said. ?What happened to me is quite mystical and even escapes me a bit.?

But on his website, Zidane said the person speaking to him was his brother. ?I?m clearly speaking about a person, not about religion, nor about something mystical,? he said. ?I didn?t want to say who that person was. But since it was misinterpreted... I say that this person was my brother,? said Zidane. ?There is nothing religious, nothing mystical, about it.?

Sacchi optimistic

Madrid: Real Madrid are hoping unsettled England striker Michael Owen will stay at the club, director of football Arrigo Sacchi said. ?I hope he remains here and if he does he will have the respect of the whole club because he is a magnificent lad,? the former AC Milan and Italy coach told a sports daily on Wednesday.

Owen has admitted speaking to three or four Premier League sides about a possible move following Real's decision to sign Brazilian forwards Robinho and Julio Baptista. Real have said that Newcastle United and another English club have shown ?a serious interest in the player?.

Hyypia?s new deal with Reds

London: Finnish defender Sami Hyypia has agreed to a new deal to stay at European champions Liverpool until 2008, the English Premier League club said on Wednesday. ?We have been talking for a few weeks and I had no hesitation in committing my future to Rafael Benitez,? the 31-year-old told Liverpool?s website.

?Everybody wants to play for Liverpool at the moment and it?s an honour to say that I will be here for at least another three years.?

Jail term

Oslo: A jail term for speeding will keep midfielder Ardian Gashi out of the return leg of Valerenga Oslo?s Champions League qualifying tie against Club Bruges. The 24-year-old was stopped by police last year for driving at 136 kph (84.5 mph) in an 80 kmph zone.

Hewitt out

Montreal: Australia?s Lleyton Hewitt withdrew from the Montreal Masters on Tuesday when a stomach upset forced the world No. 3 to retire from his first-round match against Frenchman Florent Serra.

?I?ve had some kind of stomach virus for the last few days,? said Hewitt. ?It just got worse and worse. I haven?t been able to eat anything the last three or four days as well which just really hit me.?

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