Rider regains Athens bronze

London: Colombian rider Maria-Luisa Calle has regained the bronze medal she lost at last year?s Athens Olympics after testing positive for a banned stimulant. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday overturned the International Olympic Committee?s decision to strip her of the Women?s Points Race medal because she had not ingested the substance.

?The presence of heptaminol in Calle?s urine sample was not due to her having ingested that substance but was the result of the ingestion of neo-saldina containing isometheptene, which transforms into heptaminol during laboratory tests,? CAS said.

Hewitt taken to court

Sydney: Lleyton Hewitt?s attempt to show fans his softer side in a documentary has ended up with the world?s No.4 player facing legal action in Australia brought by his former best friend. Hewitt has included footage of himself and Australian rules football player Andrew McLeod visiting aboriginal sacred sites together last year in a DVD entitled ?Lleyton Hewitt: The Other Side?.

But lawyers for McLeod told the federal court in Melbourne on Thursday that Hewitt had not sought his permission or that of traditional landowners in the Kakadu region before including culturally sensitive footage.

Jordan confession

New York: Michael Jordan admitted being ?stupid? in his gambling, but claimed he never jeopardised his livelihood or his family, during an interview to be televised in CBS on Sunday.

?Yeah, I?ve gotten myself into (gambling) situations where I would not walk away and I?ve pushed the envelope. It?s very embarrassing... One of the things you totally regret. So you look at yourself in the mirror and say, ?I was stupid,?? he explained.

Indian rowers on song

Hyderabad: Indians have performed well in three categories (heats) of the 11th Asian Rowing Championship at Hussainsagar Lake here and are expected to win medals in the finals beginning Friday. India excelled in light weight men?s eights, light weight men?s single sculls, light weight women?s coxless fours and men?s singles sculls.

Referee arrested

Hanoi: Another soccer referee has been arrested on bribery charges as part of a widening investigation into match fixing in Vietnam, a senior police official said on Thursday. Referee Le Van Tu was arrested yesterday, deputy national police chief Cao Ngoc Oanh said.

Police have also launched investigations of six other people, including Tran Manh Cuong, assistant coach of the East Asia-Pomina Steel Team, for alleged involvement in the scandal, Oanh said

Beijing profit

Beijing: Beijing, host of the 24th Olympic Games in 2008, has raised funds exceeding the goal set at the time of bidding and the and the target profit of $16 million is certain to be achieved, a senior official has said.

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