China
Events

Alfredo Goyeneche, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, says the Olympic Games will not return to Europe until 2016.

World heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman is prohibited from fighting anyone else for the next 18 months unless he gives former title holder Lennox Lewis an immediate rematch, a U.S. District Court judge ruled yesterday.
Business

Beijing officials defended China's human rights record on Wednesday but conceded it faced a challenge persuading world opinion that the Chinese capital should stage the 2008 Olympic Games.
Events

US sports broadcaster ESPN is launching an Asian version of its flagship news show SportsCenter on its network in the region, ESPN Star Sports (ESS).

The Thailand Football Association has written to FIFA to request a change of venue for their Asian World Cup qualifying match scheduled for Baghdad on Friday, a Thai official said on Tuesday.

China’s growing basketball fervour turned to fury in Beijing over the weekend when police blocked an appearance by American NBA player Kobe Bryant after a large crowd turned out to see him.
Media

A Chinese-led consortium has won the contract to build a new stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam, as the venue for the 2003 Southeast Asia Games.
Business

Heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson, who claims that a back injury forced him to pull out of his September 8 fight against Denmark’s Brian Nielson, is thought to be in talks with Don King about a new partnership.