Washington: The United States is concerned thousands of women may be forced to travel to Germany and work as prostitutes during the World Cup, a senior US official said.

The US has written to the government and raised its fears in meetings with officials in Germany, where prostitution is legal, said John Miller, the state department official responsible for the publication on Monday of an annual report on human trafficking world-wide.

“There are reports of thousands of women being transported to Germany for sex during the World Cup,” he told reporters. “All the research and evidence available shows that when you have large flows of women for sexual purposes, there is going to be trafficking. There is a link between prostitution and sex trafficking.”

French hooligan victim invited

Frankfurt: French police officer Daniel Nivel, who was beaten by German hooligans eight years ago, was invited to attend Germany’s World Cup match against Poland on June 14. During the 1998 World Cup in France, German thugs wielding metal bars beat Nivel into a life-threatening coma in Lens. Four were later convicted.

Petkovic jr ‘missing’

Muenster: The son of the Serbia and Montenegro coach Ilija Petkovic, at the centre of a row over nepotism, failed to arrive in Germany with the rest of the team on Tuesday.

“Dusan Petkovic did not arrive with the team,” said spokesman Aleksandar Boskovic. The defender was a controversial late addition to the squad amid suggestions in local media of favouritism by his father.

Togo dispute

Wangen: Togo’s soccer officials have reached an agreement with their players in a dispute over World Cup pay that stops short of the team’s initial demands, a spokesman for the team said on Tuesday. “We have reached an agreement. The players will get their money,” Messan Attolou said, but added that the deal did not include $200,200 each that the players had demanded to play in the tournament at all. Exact details will be released on Wednesday.

Cech honour

Prague: Chelsea ’keeper Petr Cech won the Golden Ball award as the Czech Republic’s player of the season for the second time in a row, beating five-time winner Pavel Nedved of Juventus.

N. Korea stamp

Seoul: North Korea issued commemorative postage stamps to mark the upcoming World Cup finals, its media reported Tuesday.