NO TENNIS IN THE DARK AT SAA OPEN

The power crisis in South Africa will in no way affect the forthcoming SAA Tennis Open to be played in East London from 11-17 February. In fact the tournament organisers have decided to heed the call by Eskom and the Government to cut down on electricity usage by not scheduling night matches.

Tournament Director and CEO of the South African Tennis Association (SATA), Ian Smith said that if every household, business and sporting event in the country worked together and cut down on their electricity usage, we may well be able to go a long way in lessening the current crisis that has hit the country.

“Night sessions at tournaments are always exciting and allow the working public a chance to see their stars in action. But large volumes of power are required to illuminate courts to international specifications and in the interests of the crisis that has hit our country we have decided on day sessions for the tournament” said Smith.

However Smith did admit that the Association had taken the extra precautions against possible power cuts during the tournament by installing generators that would give limited power if required to the important tournament office, player and medical areas and media centre so that the tournament would continue to be run smoothly and professionally. “We have a host international players and administrators visiting the tournament and we don’t want power cuts to disrupt proceedings in any way and create a negative perception for major sporting events hosted by South Africa.”

The tournaments first round will be played on Monday 11^th, Tuesday 12^th and Wednesday 13^th of February. The reason for three days being allocated to the first round is due to the fact that some international players are committed to playing Davis Cup for their respective countries the weekend prior to the tournament. “Davis Cup is played from a Friday to Sunday so some of our top players may only be able to jet into the country late Monday or Tuesday” said Smith.

The second round is scheduled for Thursday 14^th, the quarter finals for Friday 15^th, the semi finals for Saturday 16^th with the tournament finals on Sunday 17^th.

Tickets for each day are R20 for adults and R5 for scholars and are available at Selborne Park Stadium daily. There is also an option of a season ticket at R60. Tickets can also be purchased at the following outlets in East London; Sportslife (Devereux Centre – Vincent), Sportsmans Warehouse (Retail Park – Beacon Bay) and Classic Eyes (Vincent Park Centre).

Corporate hospitality packages are available at very affordable prices. Interested parties need to contact Bob Norris of the Border Tennis Association on 082 554 4016 for booking arrangements and enquiries.

The price of success for Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton will have to pay €228 000 for his licence to race in Formula One this year after forking out just €1 725 in his 2007 rookie season.

Only Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen, the Finn who beat the McLaren driver to the title by a single point in the final race, will pay more.

International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley confirmed on Monday that the governing body had decided to make Formula One superlicences far more expensive than in the past.

"We spend a fortune on safety and most of it is for the benefit of the drivers," Mosley told reporters at a lunch.

"A lot of the people who have otherwise been meeting the bill said 'Hang on a minute, these drivers are all earning megabucks and we are spending a fortune to try and make sure they are safe.' So hence the increase."

The FIA said the mandatory superlicence, which cost a basic fee of €1 725 last year with €456 added on for each point scored in the previous year's championship, would go up to €10 000 with €2 000 extra per point scored.

Hamilton won four races and scored 109 points last season to Räikkönen's 110. However, the cost of his superlicence is likely to be less than a week's wages for the 23-year-old Briton who this month agreed a revised five-year contract keeping him at McLaren to the end of 2012.

Newspapers have estimated that Formula One's first 'black' driver, who recently moved to Switzerland for tax reasons, will earn at least ten million pounds a year with significant additional sums in bonuses and from sponsorship.

Mosley said some drivers had written to him pointing out that they, and not the teams, paid for their licences. His response was that he had never imagined anyone else had picked up the tab.

"The thing is, if someone is earning 30 million or whatever some of them earn, it's not so bad," he said. "If you are down the back end, if you haven't got a point, it's €10 000. To people earning their kind of money, it's not a drama. I'd settle for that, if someone said you can have 20 million if you pay 250 000 for a licence."

Mosley said the extra money raised would go "into the FIA coffers" but the governing body would also be spending far more on safety than in the past.

He also moved to reassure Hamilton after the youngster suggested last year, when he was chasing the title with a team already fined US$100 million for a spying controversy, that he might be driven out of the sport by all of the 'politics'.

"I think Lewis and everybody else has to recognise that it is a complex sport," said Mosley. "We do our best but... there's probably between 50 and 100 modifications to each car between each pair of races and we are trying to keep on top of this and make sure nobody does something unfair. My advice to Lewis would be put your money in the bank, don't worry too much about it. As long as he keeps driving quickly, he'll be all right."

WITH SOUTH AFRICA FACING EXIT, PARREIRA LOOKS TO FUTURE

South Africa's African Nations Cup fate is out of their hands after Sunday's crushing 3-1 loss to Tunisia, prompting coach Carlos Alberto Parreira to look to the future.

South Africa came to Ghana intent on showing the world and their continental neighbours they could put up a stout showing when the World Cup comes to town in 2010.

But after an opening 1-1 draw with Angola, South Africa, brutally exposed at the back against the Tunisians, seem destined to make a third consecutive first-round exit.

Bafana Bafana's only hopes of continuing their stay in Ghana rests on their Group D rivals - if Tunisia and Angola draw on Thursday they will both go through at the expense of South Africa and Senegal.

Parreira, who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994, reflected: "There's still a mathematical possibility that we can qualify even if a draw between Tunisia and Angola means they go through.

"But we just have to get down to work and try to win our next match."

Parreira, appointed on a 250,000 dollars a month salary, stressed that his side's experience at this African Nations Cup would stand them in good stead as they build up to the World Cup in two years time.

"My players are young and what's important is what they are going to do in the future.

"There is hope for this team."

IFP, Sport and Politics

Personally, I hate the fact that politicians jump on the sports bandwagon and win cheap politcal points using the talented individuals who play sport. But I must say that I agree with the IFP this time around.

This was sent to us this afternoon, let me know what you think....

Following Bafana Bafana's crushing 3-1 loss to Tunisia in the African Cup of Nations last night, the Inkatha Freedom Party believes that it is time for the government to start acknowledging that they are not doing enough to promote and develop sport at school level.

Bafana Bafana is a national asset and the IFP believes that the Department of Education and the Department of Sport and Recreation should take responsibility for the dismal state of youth sports development in this country.

Sports development is not a priority at school level anymore and we believe that the Department of Education should reinstate school sport as part of the curriculum, as it was previously done.

At the moment sport at school has become only for the elite, with parents who can afford to, enrolling their kids into sport academies. We believe quality sport training should be available to all children if they chose to participate.

Furthermore, we want to call upon educators who are sports fans to take the time to nurture and develop sport talent at school level.

We also believe that the Department of Sport and Recreation should make sure that provincial sports academies are not just one desk, one office and one person institutions, but that they are proper functioning institutions dedicated to sports development in all provinces.

Lastly, the IFP would like to call on government to increase funding for school sports in South Africa. Currently we only allocate approximately 41c per child for school sports, which is a national disgrace.

The IFP believes that if we want all our national sport teams to do well in future we must now start by developing school talent into the next Lucas Radebe and Benni McCarthys.

SOLER JOINS BARLOWORLD TEAM MATES IN TUSCANY

Mauricio Soler has finally arrived at the Team Barloworld training camp in Tuscany, where he caught up with his old and new team mates as they get ready for the 2008 season. Soler was delayed by visa problems in Colombia but is now ready to work hard for the new season.

“I’ve had a busy but fruitful winter. I recharged my batteries but also worked hard to resolve several minor physical problems that affected my racing last year. I’m optimistic and full of enthusiasm for the new season. There’s a great atmosphere in the Barloworld team and at the training camp,” the Tour de France best polka-dot jersey winner said.

All the Team Barloworld riders are now training hard in Tuscany except for Augustyn who has stayed in South Africa after his serious injury he suffered in 2007.

Despite the arrival of several new riders, team manager Claudio Corti and Directeur Sportifs Alberto Volpi, Valerio Tebaldi and Flavio Miozzo have already created the same team spirit that inspired the team in 2007 and helped them achieve so much.

Chris Fisher, the Head of Corporate Marketing at Barloworld further motivated the riders during several important meetings and presentations, with special attention given to how the riders represent the team’s sponsors and how they deal with the media.

“We’ve already created a good team spirit and I’m pleased to see that the new riders are quickly feeling an integral part of the team,” Corti said. “Barloworld is a good team with an excellent team spirit. It’s an important factor in professional racing because it’s the foundation for the results we’ve achieved so far and for those we want to achieve in the future.”

Indian board rakes in millions from IPL franchise sale

Companies paid millions of dollars on Thursday to buy the eight franchises of the Indian cricket board's Twenty20 Indian Premier league (IPL).

India's most valuable company, Reliance Industries Ltd, successfully bid $111.9 million for the Mumbai team, the Indian board announced after bids for franchises were opened.

United Breweries Ltd, owned by Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya, who last year bought into Formula One team Spyker and renamed it Force India, snapped up Bangalore for $111.6 million.

The base price for owing a team for 10 years was set at $50 million. The inaugural event will be held in April.

The league, expected to feature many of the game's top players, is an effort to counter an unofficial Indian Twenty20 league which began late last year.

"I'm delighted that UB group has got it," Mallya told reporters. "United Spirits will now use this as an active promotional platform for all our brands," added Mallya, who lost the Mumbai bid to Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance.

Eleven companies --- some a consortium of individuals --- were in the race to own teams from a choice of 12 cities where the franchises would be based.

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was part of the consortium that clinched Kolkata for $75.09 million, while infrastructure company GMR Holdings won the Delhi franchise for $84 million.

Mohali went for $76 million to a syndicate that included Bollywood actress Preity Zinta while media group Deccan Chronicle won Hyderabad for $107.01 million.
MONEY-SPINNER

"To date we (the Indian Premier League) have made $1.749 billion," board vice-president Lalit Modi told a news conference. "We are looking to build on it going forward."

The companies will pay 10 percent of the bid price to the board every year, a board official said.

Organisers announced last week they had secured a 10-year rights contract worth more than $1 billion for the league. Television rights were worth $918 million, with another $100 million for the league's promotion.

India Cements won the Chennai franchise for $91 million while Jaipur was snapped up for $67 million by UK-based company Emerging India.

The 44-day IPL starts on April. 18 and will feature eight franchises with 16-man squads in its inaugural season.

Teams will play home and away games leading up to a grand final. The first year will feature 59 matches played in late afternoon for prime-time television.

India, where cricketers are feted like pop stars, has the largest global cricket audience and multi-million-dollar sponsorship deals.

The IPL has the patronage of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport's governing body, and is intended to be part of a soccer-style Champions League, involving teams from several countries.

HODGSON TAKES HEART IN BULLARD'S RETURN DESPITE FA CUP LOSS

Roy Hodgson's miserable start as Fulham boss continued after League One outfit Bristol Rovers beat them 5-3 on penalties in an FA Cup 3rd round replay.

Despite the defeat taking Fulham's run of games without a win to 13, Hodgson said that he had taken "enormous comfort" from the return to the pitch of Jimmy Bullard after a long-term injury.

Bullard had his spot-kick saved by Rovers goalkeeper Steve Phillips to allow substitute Craig Disley to seal a memorable victory for Paul Trollope's side, who now travel to Barnet in the fourth round on Saturday.

But Hodgson did not blame Bullard, especially as the former Wigan man was making his first start since suffering a serious knee injury in September 2006.

Hodgson said: "Jimmy Bullard's performance was an enormous comfort. To play as well as he did after 14 months out in such a difficult game was a big comfort and the determination and aggression we showed to match Bristol Rovers was also a positive.

"I was surprised Jimmy lasted so long. We had Steve Davis on the bench and foremost in my mind was that at some stage in the game I would have to take Jimmy off but he was doing so well poor Steve never got a chance to come on.

"And I don't put his penalty miss down to tiredness - it was a good save. Their penalties were outstandingly good too. We only missed the one but never got a chance to get back in."

Hodgson has been busy in the transfer market with former Liverpool forward Jari Litmanen, now 36, arriving on trial, midfielder Leon Andreasen having signed from Werder Bremen and Rangers striker Daniel Cousin poised to join them for 3million pounds after a bid was rejected by Groningen for ex-Manchester United forward Erik Nevland.

Disley's moment of glory had only been made possible by an early injury to centre-back Steve Elliott, who was carried off on a stretcher after denying Clint Dempsey with a last-gasp tackle.

He said: "We hadn't been practising during the week. We never really thought it might go to penalties. But we won our last penalty shootout and showed confidence to win this one."

GOLF DIGEST’S TOP 100 SOUTH AFRICAN COURSES REVEALED IN THE FEBRUARY ISSUE

South Africa’s Top 10 golf courses were announced during the SA Open in December 2007 at the annual BMW Golf Digest Awards, and now the February issue is on sale with the full Top 100 list revealed.

Leopard Creek retained their number one position for the fourth consecutive year,

but now find out which Joburg course dropped out of the top 10 for the first time, where the high-profile new entries of Simola and Oubaai (both in the Southern Cape) finished, and which remote North West venue climbed 11 places, while what Eastern Cape course dropped 13 spots?

Also ranked are the Top 30 Best Conditioned courses in the country.

The Gary Player Country Club at Sun City came in a very close second, with The Links at Fancourt third. The top three places on the Golf Digest rankings are always keenly contested, as well as being hotly debated by golfers in South Africa as to which is the premier layout between them. All three have hosted major tournaments which challenge and sometimes embarrass the best golfers in the world.

The latest rankings highlight the rising popularity of lesser-known and almost forgotten golf courses in remoter parts of the country, courses which provide good value and design variety such as Tzaneen, Mogol and Kameeldoring all in the Limpopo Province.

“When it comes to Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses, the older courses are certainly under assault from the new creations which are stealing the attention of both golfing tourists and the many newcomers to the game,” says Stuart McLean, Editor of Golf Digest. “It’s important therefore that they seek upgrades and renovations not only to look and play better, but to keep up with the challenges of modern technology. East London, Glendower and Durban Country Club are all investing in makeovers this year.”

For more information on Golf Digest’s Top 100, including a history on each course in the rankings since its inception in 1998, and free course wallpapers, please visit www.golfdigest.co.za

Stepney refuses to take blame for F1 spy saga

Nigel Stepney, the former Ferrari engineer at the heart of last year's Formula One spying controversy, has said he takes no blame for what happened to McLaren.

The Mercedes-powered team were fined $100 million and stripped of all their 2007 constructors' points for having Ferrari information, leaked by Stepney to McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan.

Stepney, who remains the subject of a criminal investigation in Italy, was dismissed by Ferrari while McLaren suspended Coughlan.

"I don't feel responsible in any way at all for what happened at McLaren," Stepney told Sky Sports' World Motorsports programme in excerpts made available before being broadcast later on Monday.

"My original (plan), or my ideas were to make contact with somebody but not to benefit, it was to talk about and see what I could do somewhere else with a group of people," he added.

Stepney, who had approached Honda with former colleague Coughlan to enquire about job opportunities, said he had intended to leave Ferrari and put a group of people together to work elsewhere.

He claimed he never expected any information to be used by McLaren.

"Obviously it got a bit sensitive and somebody used information more than I actually thought it was, or not more than it should have been, it should never have been used in that, to that extreme," he said.

Formula One's governing body, the International Automobile Federation, last month drew a line under the spy saga after McLaren recognised that the data had penetrated deeper into the team than had been thought.

However, despite the FIA raising doubts, the team have denied incorporating any of the Ferrari data into either last year's car or this year's.

The FIA also said in July that Stepney and Coughlan would both be invited "to show reason why they should not be banned from international motor sport for a lengthy period."

Stepney told Sky that he was thinking about getting out anyway and did not expect to be back in Formula One in the medium term.

"I don't think so. I think I've got a lot of other more interesting opportunities and going back into...the grass roots of motor racing," he said.

"Formula One I've worked in for many years, I've enjoyed it, I've made a living out of it, it's been a very good experience in life but I think I've got, prefer to go into a sort of a grass roots racing again."

Women's World Cup of Golf - Day 1 Afternoon (weather)

Play has been delayed by one hour, officially. LIghtning is not a golfer's friend.

France and South Korea lead, Canada is 2nd with South Africa currently 3rd last.

Yesterday during the Pro-Am, the round was cancelled due to bad weather.

The weather system here at Sun City is suppurb and they can predict the end of a thunderstorm to wihin minutes, so when they say that there is a one hour delay, then it will be an hour.

Women's World Cup of Golf - Day 1 Afternoon

The sun is coming out every so often but the weather is still the talking point here at Sun City today. France and South Korea are the early leaders of the tournament, with a one stroke lead over Canada. Yes, that's right, Canada!!!

The course is playing very long because of all the rain that has been falling at Sun City and the rough is just intense. Add in the swealtering humidity and the sun that is coming out from behind the black clouds and playing the Gary Player Country Club is going to be a tough challenge for these great women golf players.

As I type this, the lightning siren seems to have been blown but it seemes a little short to be the true siren. Delays are going to be plentiful this weekend.

Women's World Cup of Golf - Morning Day 1

This tournament takes a long time.

It all started officially on Wednesday evening with the opening ceremony being held in the Superbowl of the Sun City resort. Wonderfully decked out in flowing white material, flashing lights galore and celebrities, members of government and players dresses in thier best to impress. I even saw a couple of journalists there for some wine and food.

Mango Groove were the star performers of the evening, doing the classics and a couple of new songs. Thier new album should be a good one after hearing the music. Claire Johnston is still a star performer and the band is tight and well rehearsed.

The golfers took up thier spots on the stage after a legnthy speech by one of the members of the Executive Council of the North West Province. All looking very good and all looking very happy to be at the City of the Sun for a week at the beginning of thier season.

Thursday was the washed out pro-am with the morning field missing a few holes due to lightning and rain and the afternoon field also being cut down to allow the weather to pass. Sadly, the WWCoG will be all about the weather. Rain and just plain yuck has been predicted for the whole weekend and if you do not have your rain shoes on, don't even try to walk the course. The temperature is still warm, so be ready for a little sauna.

Play has got underway and I will bring updates as they come along.

TEAM BARLOWORLD HEAD FOR 2008 PRE-SEASON TRAINING

Team Barloworld are heading off to Italy from Thursday 17 - Saturday 26 January to prepare for what is planned to be a busy and hopefully successful season of racing. Already set up at the Hotel Marinetta at Marina di Bibbona on the Tuscan coast, are Robert Hunter, Chris Froome and Daryl Impey- eagerly awaiting the arrival of the remaining riders.

Team manager Claudio Corti and Directeur Sportifs Alberto Volpi and Valerio Tebaldi have planned a busy nine days for the riders, with fitness assessments, medical checks, meetings with new riders (10 out of a total of 20 in the team) and the programming of the team’s race schedule and season objectives. The full squad will also go through team building exercises as well as a full Barloworld induction.

“It was the success of the 2007 season training camp that determined which individual team objectives were set, negotiated and agreed upon- which ultimately culminated in Team Barloworld receiving an invitation to the Tour de France and lead to the success of our sponsorship objectives.

Led by team manager, Claudio Corti, we are aiming for the same success for 2008 and the team will have to work hard in order to achieve this and many other goals that will be set. In addition, the team’s success has secured this year’s sponsorships with Bianchi, Barloworld Automotive, Barloworld Equipment, Hyster and Cycle Lab,” says Chris Fisher, Head of Corporate Marketing at Barloworld.

In combining Team Barloworld’s culture of teamwork and individual excellence with its brand personality, a decision was made by Barloworld to invite two under 23 riders from the newly formed Toyota Supercycling Academy to attend training camp with the 2008 team.

The two riders that will fly out to Italy are David Maree and Ruan Benson- both chosen from an impressive young team based on their experience and of course, talent.

Maree achieved best climber in his age category during 2007 and plans to ride his way to the Giro del Capo this year. Benson’s cycling career began at the age of 10 and in 2007; he came second in the Best Young Riders category. Benson achieved five victories and nine podiums last year and aims to become a professional rider by 2011.

“Barloworld is committed to developing local talent and we thought this as the ideal opportunity for the team to inspire and motivate this new talent and for them to be able to observe, share in the team’s preparations for 2008. We also hope that this experience will help them in reaching their own personal and professional goals” concludes Fisher.

Team Barloworld will be competing in their first race of the season which takes place in South Africa at the Intaka Tech Worlds View Challenge, in Pietermaritzburg, between the 2^nd and 7^th of February 2008. Here, Team Barloworld will be competing with Pro-Tour teams Liquigas and Milram.

Finally, some justice for the little master.

An Italian man was convicted on Monday in the cocaine death of former Tour de France champion Marco Pantani and sentenced to four and a half years in prison, the Italian news agency ANSA said.

Four people were arrested for allegedly selling drugs to the 34-year-old Italian cyclist, who died in February 2004 in a hotel room in the Adriatic resort town of Rimini.

Three of the four had entered plea bargains in the case and have already served their sentences. Fabio Carlino was convicted in a separate trial of unintentionally causing death as a consequence of drug dealing, ANSA reported late on Monday.

The court was closed, and officials could not immediately be contacted for comment.

Police have said that the defendants were identified by monitoring telephone conversations and through numbers stored on Pantani's mobile phone.

A coroner has found that the cyclist died from cocaine poisoning that appeared to be accidental.

Pantani, Italy's most popular cyclist, won the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia in 1998. But he was suspended the next year from the Giro after failing a random blood test, and his career was damaged by several doping investigations.

PARREIRA'S TRICKY BAFANA POSERS

Apart from an unsolicited avalanche of advice from unqualified sources, Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira finds himself faced with two delicate posers following the 2-0 African Nations Cup warm-up victory over Mozambique at Durban's Chatsworth Stadium on Sunday.

The first issue relates to Perraira's unexpected decision to switch captain Aaron Mokoena from his entrenched Bafana position as a central defender against Mozambique to that of the line-up's holding midfielder.

Although Bafana's Brazilian coach gave no notice of his intentions in this respect and yanked Mokoena from his usual role like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, Parreira's innovation was backed by a calculated and even logical explanation.

Mokoena invariably fills the role of a defensive midfielder when selected by manager Mark Hughes for the Blackburn Rovers' first-team line-up and the switch to the central defence when he plays for Bafana has meant he is filling an unfamiliar role.

At the same time, Mamelodi Sundowns' Benson Mhlongo, who invariably plays as a central defender for his club, has found himself filling out in midfield for Bafana.

Switching the two players to what are currently more familiar roles for their clubs could have beneficial effects for both, is the Bafana coach's assesment.

But Parreira stressed after the Mozambican game that these positional switches were no more than an experiment at this stage - and a final decision as to whether to implement them in the African Nations Cup would only be made after the South African squad lands in Ghana.

More likely than not, however, Parreira will decide to continue with the experiment in Wednesday's second warm-up game against Botswana in view of the fact that no definite conclusions were formed from the Mozambican game.

The second intriguing poser facing the Bafana coach is whether to persist with what he clearly believes to be his best tactical ploy and persist with a 4-5-1 formation that utilises a single striker.

Many of the arm-chair critics have been clamouring for Parreira to switch to a 4-4-2 formation and the team demonstrated more purpose in the second-half against Mozambique when the Bafana coach brought on Katlego Mphela to join Sibusiso Zuma as twin strikers.

Bafana's tepid attacks in the first half, however, were more due to the continued disturbing lack of form of Surprise Moriri since the Sundowns ballplayer underwent surgery to his leg in November.

And as Parreira stresses, both 4-5-1 and 4-4-2 formations have their advantages and disadvantages - "and it all depends on the players you have at your disposal and the strength of the opposition in order to implement what is best."

Oscar get a Strong, NO!!!

The IAAF ruled Monday that double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius is ineligible to compete in the Beijing Olympics because his prosthetic racing blades give him a clear competitive advantage.

The International Association of Athletics Federations had twice postponed the ruling, but the executive Council said the South African runner's curved, prosthetic "Cheetah" blades were considered a technical aid in violation of the rules.

"As a result, Oscar Pistorius is ineligible to compete in competitions organized under IAAF Rules," the IAAF said in a statement.

Danielle hopes to Master the Gary Player in Taylor’s absence

England’s Women’s World Cup of Golf challenge has suffered a setback with the late withdrawal of Kirsty Taylor due to illness.

Taylor has been forced to withdraw from this week’s tournament at the Gary Player Country Club due to illness. She will be replaced by 24-year-old former Curtis Cup player Danielle Masters.

Taylor, the 2002 Ladies European Tour (LET) Rookie of the Year, was expected to form a very competitive duo with veteran Trish Johnson.

“I’d rather Kirsty be going than me, really,” said a sympathetic Masters. “It’s a great opportunity for me, but it is not what I wanted my first World Cup entrance to be based on. It would have been nice to have got in playing well.

“I have such mixed emotions. I’m really excited to be going to the tournament but I’m really upset about Kirsty. It is not going to be a bundle of laughs.”

Johnson, who boasts over a hundred top-10 finishes on the LET, was reportedly in two minds on whether to still come to South Africa, but decided to continue in Taylor’s absence.

“Trish and I get on really well,” said Masters. “I love playing with Trish. With all her experience she’s a really confident player. We get on really well so I’m hoping that luck will be on our side and we’ll click straight away.

“We are lucky that we know each other well and it will be fun once we’re out there. I think the golf will be fun.”

Masters had a consistent season on the LET, finishing 43^rd on the New Star Money List with earnings of just over 50 000 euros. The highlight of her season was a runner-up finish at the De Vere Ladies Scottish Open, and she never finished outside the top 25 in any of the nine events that she played.

Masters is not expecting too much from herself at Sun City, having not prepared as adequately as she would have had she been in the initial line-up.

“I don’t feel that I’ve prepared how I would have liked leading up to the World Cup, but we’ll give it our best shot,” she said. “I’ve been seeing my coach and going to the gym a lot. I came back from India and Dubai and had that time off until New Year. I went to a Pro-Am in Spain with Trish (Johnson), Becky (Brewerton) and Kirsty (Taylor) last week.”

The Women’s World Cup of Golf, which includes teams from 20 different countries, begins on Friday with 18 holes of Betterball followed by 18 holes of Foursomes on Saturday and another 18 holes of Betterball on Sunday. www.womensworldcupofgolf.com

IAAF TO DECIDE ON OLYMPIC ELIGIBILITY OF AMPUTEE SPRINTER PISTORIUS ON MONDAY

The IAAF postponed until Monday its ruling on whether double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius is eligible to race in the Beijing Olympics or whether his curved, prosthetic racing blades give him an unfair edge.

It was the second postponement in a week, granting the 21-year-old South African more time to react to the findings of German professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann, who conducted tests on the prosthetic limbs and said they give him a clear competitive advantage over able-bodied runners.

The ruling by the International Association of Athletics Federations, which is widely expected to go against Pistorius, was first expected on Thursday.

"The IAAF has now received a letter from the athlete Oscar Pistorius," the federation said in a statement. "The IAAF will not make any announcement on this case until Monday."

Pistorius or his representatives were expected to make a statement on the issue later Friday in Pretoria, South Africa.

Pistorius worked with Brueggemann in Cologne over two days of testing in November to see to what extent the j-shaped carbon-fiber "Cheetah" extensions to his amputated legs differed from the legs of fully-abled runners.

Brueggemann told Die Welt newspaper last month that, based on his research, Pistorius "has considerable advantages over athletes without prosthetic limbs who were tested by us."

"It was more than just a few percentage points. I did not expect it to be so clear," he added.

Brueggemann and his scientists tested Pistorius' energy consumption and compared it with data of able-bodied 400-meter runners of the same speed.

The IAAF adopted a rule last summer prohibiting the use of any "technical aids" deemed to give an athlete an advantage over another.

Ossur, the Icelandic company which is a leader in the production of prosthetics, braces and supports and also made Pistorius' blades, has said the blades do not provide an edge over able-bodied athletes.

Pistorius has set world records in the 100, 200 and 400 in Paralympic events. To make the Olympics in Beijing, Pistorius would still need to qualify for the South African team and make the qualifying times.

Pistorius was born without fibulas - the long, thin outer bone between the knee and ankle - and was 11 months old when his legs were amputated below the knee.

He began running five years ago to treat a rugby injury, and nine months later won the 200 meters at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens.

Pistorius - nicknamed the "Blade Runner" - competed in the 400 at two international-level able-bodied meets in 2007. He finished second in a "B" race in 46.90 seconds at the Golden League meet in Rome on July 13 and, two days later, was disqualified for running out of his lane in Sheffield, England.

Heyneke Meyer back to the Bulls?

The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Limited would love to have Heyneke Meyer back in the Bull kraal - and they've issued a statement to that effect.

In fact, talks with Meyer about his future at the Blue Bulls have been conducted in the period leading up to his application for the position as national rugby coach, according to the statement.

And although it would be conjecture at a time where little is being said and Meyer is not available for comment, there has for some time been speculation that former Bulls coach Meyer would be employed as a director of coaching by the Blue Bulls, should he lose out on the Springbok coaching job.

Nothing formal in this regard has, however, been said - not even now after he was overlooked by the President's Council, who opted for Peter de Villiers as Jake White's successor.

That the Blue Bulls Company (BBC) would dearly love to have Meyer back should not come as news to the most successful coach the Blue Bulls/Bulls have had after the discussions the BBC have had with him.

The BBC statement, issued on Wednesday night, reads as follows:

"The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd was in various discussions with Heyneke Meyer in the period leading up to his application for the position as Springbok coach.

"His engagement with the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd came to an end and he is currently not contracted by the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd.

"Consequently Frans Ludeke was appointed as the head coach of the Vodacom Bulls and the Blue Bulls after Meyer informed the Board that he is not prepared to continue as the Vodacom Bulls Super 14 coach in 2008.

"However, the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd has always had an extremely high regard for Meyer's proven abilities with the Vodacom Bulls and Blue Bulls, and should he indicate his willingness to take part in any future structures of the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd, such a request will be considered by the Board." The ball is thus in Meyer's court - and for the sake of the Bulls and South Africa, it must be hoped that this successful coach can be retained before he starts contemplating overseas offers. It is known he rejected some lucrative offers as he pursued the Springbok appointment.

URBAN SPRAWL, WARMING CLIMATE LEAD TO CHANGE FOR DOG SLED RACE START

The modern challenges of a growing population are catching up with the world's most famous sled dog race.

Citing a warming climate and sprawling development, officials with Alaska's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race said Wednesday they were making permanent the changes that in recent years have become the norm for the March event.

The March 1 ceremonial start in Anchorage will go 11 miles (18 kilometers), seven (11 kilometers) shorter than the traditional route. The actual competitive start of the 1,100-mile (1770-kilometer) race the following day will move 30 miles (48 kilometers) north to Willow from the traditional site in Wasilla, Iditarod headquarters and part of the fastest growing region of the state.

"A lot of development in the area makes it less desirable, and there have been less-than-winter conditions," said Stan Hooley, executive director of the Iditarod Trail Committee. "It just doesn't make sense to us to make choices that are not in the best interest of both the two- and four-legged competitors."

Long gone are the early days of the race begun in 1973 to commemorate the 1925 delivery by sled dogs of lifesaving diphtheria serum to Nome.

Because of lack of snow, the competitive launch - called the restart -has not taken place in Wasilla since 2002. The following year, conditions were so dismal along some stretches of the race trail north of Willow that race managers made the unprecedented decision to hold the restart in Fairbanks, more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) from Wasilla.

Since then, Willow has been the site where mushers and their dog teams begin the trek to Nome.

For the ceremonial start, snow is trucked along the route that begins in downtown Anchorage. That's not a solution for the actual competition, officials said.

Willow also has become the preferred site for its rural setting, officials said. Mushers take off from the frozen Willow River and soon vanish into the wilderness.

Wasilla, on the other hand, has seen tremendous development and growth over the years. Now houses and businesses line the Knik-Goose Bay Road parallel to the Wasilla race route leading to the checkpoint in the community of Knik, home of the late Joe Redington Sr., father of the Iditarod. Under the route changes, Knik also will be bypassed.

"No matter how many resources we have available, conditions will never be as race-ready as Willow," Hooley said. "No matter what the weather conditions would be, there's a lot of asphalt and other things that don't mix well with competitive racing. To be around that is stressful for the dogs."

CRICKET MUST COME FIRST -- SMITH

The use of more technology in umpiring decisions should be introduced with great caution, Proteas captain Graeme Smith said on Wednesday.

Smith was commenting on calls for more decisions to be referred to the third umpire to prevent the kind of poor decisions that created bad blood between Australia and India during the second Test in Sydney last week.

"If they do introduce challenges, like in tennis, there are all sorts of things to be taken into consideration - how much time it's going to take, how challenges would be structured," said Smith.

"It's harder in cricket than in rugby - unequal boundaries, camera positions, that sort of thing. If you're going to bring more technology into the game, it's got to be 100 per cent correct. You can't have it 50/50 or even 80/20.

"It's very important that it should be for the benefit of the game. We want to see the game moving forward - moving with the times, yes, but keeping certain traditions and what makes cricket good.

"It's the same thing in our environment. When decisions are made between administrators, media, players, whatever - the game of cricket must be the priority. It's what is best for cricket that counts."

Regarding calls for 'sledging' to be banned, Smith said on-field exchanges had their place, but there were lines that should not be crossed.

"The competitiveness needs to be there. I don't think anyone wants to rock up and watch a Sunday league game," said Smith. "People want to see two competitive international teams. But there certainly are lines that must be drawn.

"We know that you can't be swearing at other people, we know that you can't make stupid remarks at other people. But the banter and competitiveness need to be there.

"We know the barriers. We sit down with the match referee before every series and he tells the captains what to watch out for. I think it's having umpires who manage things on the field, and the captains must take responsibility for their players. As international sportsmen, we've got to know our boundaries."

Who is running world cricket?

How depressing that the poisonous shenanigans in Australia have upstaged the exciting series between South Africa and the West Indies that will reach a climax in Durban this weekend.

No one comes out of the Sydney mess unstained. The Aussies have behaved boorishly, pressuring the umpires unmercifully on the final day, and their celebrations were insensitive, to say the least.

The Indians, on the other hand, reacted hysterically to the defeat and the bad decisions that went against them and, secure in their status as the richest nation in world cricket, they are becoming cynical in their exercise of this power as revealed in their board's decision to suspend the tour.

The powder keg was ignited, of course, by Harbhajan Singh's three-match ban for racist abuse, allegedly calling Aussie all-rounder Andrew Symonds a monkey.

Match referee Mike Procter didn't cover himself in glory either. If the neutral umpires didn't hear Harbhajan uttering the crucial word, one has to assume that Procter went on the say-so of Symonds who reported the matter to his captain, Ricky Ponting, who then approached the umpires with the complaint.

Procter has denied that he took the word of an Australian over that of an Indian. And yet, in the absence of further elucidation, what other conclusion are we to draw? Justice must be done, but it must also be seen to be done.

When Dwayne Bravo filed a complaint against Graeme Smith for supposedly uttering a racist epithet in the fourth Test in Antigua three years ago, the case was not proved because nothing was picked up by the stump mikes or heard by the umpires. That left Bravo's accusation against Smith's denial. Result? No case to answer.

Why, then, wasn't the result the same in this case? In the absence of further information, one can sympathise with Indian outrage at the way the hearing was handled.

Poor Proccie. It appears that manure is clinging to him at present. In the past year he has been forced to handle two explosive incidents, the first being the England- Pakistan Test at the Oval last August, which resulted in England being awarded the match because their opponents refused to continue after umpire Darryl Hair had penalised them for ball tampering.

Hair was then unconstitutionally fired from the board of elite umpires, largely through Pakistan's conniving.

Umpire Steve Bucknor, who stood in that ill-starred match in Sydney, has also been shabbily treated. Initially, the ICC backed him to stand in the next Test in Perth after the Indian cricket board filed a complaint against him.

On Tuesday, they changed their minds and cravenly agreed that he be stood down.

This begs the question: who is running world cricket? The ICC or the BCCI?

CEO Malcolm Speed's statement on Tuesday indicates that his organisation has all the backbone of an earthworm.

Aussie bowler Hogg to face charge

Australia's Brad Hogg has been charged with making an offensive remark to India's Anil Kumble and Mahendra Dhoni as the Sydney Test fallout continues.

India's Harbhajan Singh has appealed against his three-match ban for making a racist comment to Andrew Symonds.

Now Hogg has been charged with an offence which also falls into category three in the players' code of conduct.

If found guilty at the 14 January hearing, he faces a ban of two to four Tests or four to eight one-day games.

The 36-year-old was charged after a complaint by India manager Chetan Chauhan.

Paragraph 3.3 of the ICC's code of conduct refers to players "using language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, gender, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin".

Hogg's charge is the latest development in the controversy which has followed the second Test.

India have suspended their tour until Harbhajan's appeal is held.

They were furious following the 122-run defeat in Sydney, accusing the hosts of lacking sportsmanship and criticising the umpiring of Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson.

West Indian umpire Bucknor has been replaced for the third Test, which begins on 16 January in Perth, by New Zealander Billy Bowden, although the International Cricket Council insisted the change was not made at India's request.

The 2008 Ferrari F1 Car is beautiful

Check this out!!!

It is really pretty and hopefully will win another World Championship!!

WWCoG (Women's World Cup of Golf)

HEY!!! I got confirmation today that I will be going to the Women's World Cup of Golf to be held next weekend at Sun City. I will be bringing you pictures, stories and behind-the-scenes news of the event live from Sun City. There will be regular updates and info on the WWCoG so stay close. I will also be playing in the Pro-Am and make a complete fool of myself in front of some of the best women golfers in the world, but do I care? NO!!! I will be playing on the legendary Gary Player Country Club with the best women golfers ever, so I wil be in heaven!!

UMPIRE BUCKNOR REMOVED FROM INDIA-AUSTRALIA TEST

The International Cricket Council on Tuesday bowed to India's demand to remove controversial umpire Steve Bucknor from the ongoing Test series against Australia.

The ICC said the Jamaican will be replaced by New Zealand's Billy Bowden for the third Test starting in Perth on January 16, ICC media official Sami-ul Hasan told AFP from Dubai.

"I can confirm that Bucknor will not stand in Perth," Hasan said. "Bowden will partner Asad Rauf of Pakistan in the match."

India had demanded Bucknor's removal following umpiring errors in the second Test in Sydney which Australia won by 122 runs on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

The ICC's chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle of Sri Lanka will also be flown to Perth to "help the two captains in re-establishing an atmosphere of goodwill and mutual respect between the two teams," Hasan added.

Madugalle will assist his colleague Mike Procter of South Africa, who has angered the Indians for banning spinner Harbhajan Singh for three matches following racial charges laid by the Australians.

The Indian cricket board is meeting later on Tuesday to decide if the tour should continue following Harbhajan's ban.

Piquet talk to BBJSportGuy

When he met the Brazilian President in Brazil, Nelson Piquet Jr gave me his feelings following the 2008 ING Renault F1 Team driver line up.

Nelsinho, what are your feelings following the announcement you will be an F1 driver with the ING Renault F1 Team in 2008?
It's hard to put into words. People don't see that behind every young driver, there are a lot of years of hard work, dedication and focus to make it to Formula 1. I have dreamed of competing in Formula 1 since I was small, and I have finally made it. It is the start of a new phase, and I can't wait for the season to begin.

How important has your father been in your getting this drive?
It would be unfair to all the people who have supported me throughout my career to say that my success is down to one person. My father has been, and will be, a great reference point for me and his support was crucial to the early stages of my career, all the way to GP2 Series. But to get into Formula 1, you need much more than a famous surname. Renault have given me the chance to race for them, and that is because I have the talent and potential to do so. The team knows how we perform in the tests, what configuration the car is in, and our character. That is what counts in Formula 1.

Your father is a three-time world champion. How will you handle the inevitable comparisons?
Ever since I started racing, I have felt the pressure of being Nelson Piquet's son. My father is a legend in the sport, and that makes me very proud, just like it does for his many fans around the world. If I am here today, it is because I have the talent and have worked hard, with the right motivation, to become an F1 driver. Now, I hope to give people plenty of reasons to be proud of me.

Is it a good opportunity for you to start your F1 career with ING Renault F1 Team?
Probably the best one! ING Renault F1 Team is a top team, they won two world championships and are determined to get back on top. After one year with the team as a third driver, I know everybody and feel very comfortable in the team, I know the way they work and it's probably the best way for me to start racing in Formula One.

What can we expect from your first season as an F1 driver?
Throughout my career, I have been very focused on achieving the best possible results – and that's how I intend to approach Formula 1 as well. I am confident that I can reward the faith Renault has placed in me by being clear-headed about the car's potential at each race, and working hard. I go to every race aiming for the best possible result, but with my feet firmly on the ground.

THE BIGGEST CHANGE OF THE NEW YEAR: SABBATINI GOES SILENT

By DOUG FERGUSON

A new year on the U.S. PGA Tour always brings about some degree of change. Some players have new equipment deals. Others have pledged to get into better shape.

Perhaps the biggest change at Kapalua is Rory Sabbatini.

He's gone silent.

Sabbatini is a spunky South African with tons of firepower in his game who is coming off his best season on the U.S. PGA Tour. He won at Colonial, played in the final group in two other events, was the only player to finish in the top 10 at all four autumn playoff events, wound up fourth in the FedEx Cup and played on his first Presidents Cup team.

That's not what made his year so memorable to the public, however, and it ended on a sour note.

Sabbatini is never bashful about saying whatever is on his mind, which is why he didn't blush when stating that Woods looked "beatable as ever" after losing a final-round lead to him at the Wachovia Championship.

Actions proved far more powerful than words, however. His peers roundly criticized him - some publicly, most privately - when he withdrew last month from the final round of the Target World Challenge, pocketing last-place money of $170,000 (ñ115,400).

This wasn't directed at Woods, the tournament host who arranged for sponsorship of a $5.5 million (ñ3.7 million) purse at a tournament that raises money to educate children. But it was different from a WD at a regular U.S. PGA Tour event because a.) the size of the last-place check, b.) it was guaranteed money in the silly season and c.) his bold challenge to Woods.

More than anything, in the words of Mark Calcavecchia, it was "Rory being Rory."

Sabbatini's agent later said he withdrew because of shin splints, that he went home the Saturday night to get them worked on, but there was no improvement and Sabbatini didn't want to risk it. This rang hollow, however, because locker room attendants said he packed up that Saturday afternoon and gave away all his gear - sweaters, shoes, balls.

Tournament officials had no idea what happened to his courtesy car until late Sunday night or early Monday morning. Turns out his caddie had it, presumably giving the boss a ride to the airport.

So what really happened?

Asked last Tuesday if he had a few minutes, Sabbatini politely said he was in a rush to leave, and when asked if the next day would be better, he kept walking. After his pro-am on Wednesday, he again said he didn't have time.

"I'm done talking to you guys," he said.

Approached a few minutes later at his locker, Sabbatini said, "I have nothing to say."

Not even about his change in golf equipment?

"I'll let my clubs do the talking," he said.

There is word of a personal tragedy Sabbatini was going through, although that can't be confirmed because he won't talk.

Sabbatini wasn't the least bit rude in declining to speak. He appears to be in good spirits, and he has spent a half-hour or so after his rounds to sign autographs, exchanging pleasantries with the gallery.

How long Sabbatini will be on mute remains to be seen, and it probably won't matter unless he plays well. Considering how his last year went, not speaking might not be the worst idea.

Sabbatini feels as though he was taken out of context, and there's some truth to that.

His basic message is that he wants to go head-to-head with Woods at every turn, which usually means he would be in contention. Woods is the best, and that's where Sabbatini wants to be. Every player should have such aspirations.

What caused pens to run out of ink were his comments after losing to Woods at Wachovia last May.

"No, the funny thing is after watching him play on Sunday, I think he's more beatable than ever," Sabbatini said. "I think there was a few fortuitous occasions out there that really changed the round for him. And realizing that gives me even more confidence to go in and play with him on Sunday again."

Woods was the first to concede he wasn't always hitting it where he was aiming at Quail Hollow. What made him respond was when Sabbatini said Woods was "scary" in full control of his game, and he liked the "new Tiger" better. Woods is sensitive toward criticism of his new swing, especially after it had brought him four of the last nine majors at that point.

Sabbatini never backed down because that's not his nature.

He signed up for the first tee time on Wednesday at Oakmont before the U.S. Open, with Woods' name already on the list. Sabbatini played alone that day, and when someone jokingly asked Sabbatini if Woods was ducking him, he chirped, "I don't know. I'll go find out."

He walked across the putting green and began chatting to Woods, who rarely looked up, but smiled when he finally did. Sabbatini laughed, came back to a group of reporters and shared his information.

"He said he stopped playing on Wednesday at the majors a couple of years ago, and it's worked out OK for him," Sabbatini said.

Over the next few months, Sabbatini said he wanted to play Woods in the Presidents Cup because he would either win and give his team a lift or lose and be a sacrificial lamb. They were in the final group at Firestone, and Woods beat him by nine and the field by eight.

By then, they were linked as adversaries, and pulling out of the Target made the headlines even larger.

"Obviously, Rory is full of confidence," Woods said at Firestone. "He believes in what he can do, and there's a lot to be said for that."

But right now, you won't hear it from Sabbatini.