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Al-Ahram Weekly 13 - 19 January 2000 Issue No. 464 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 13 - 19 January 2000 Issue No. 464
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Heritage Special Books Profile Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Troublesome twins
IT SEEMS that the problems of Egyptian football's famous twins, Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan, with their club Ahli will not end this season. The brothers' problems with Ahli's German coach Reiner Tsobil were renewed after Tsobil decided to bench Ibrahim in a friendly match against a Hungarian team in which Ahli won 4-0. Ibrahim refused to sit on the bench and was thus excluded from the team's squad.Following this, Hossam dropped a bombshell when he said in a press statement that this was the last season for him and his brother in Ahli and that next season he could play for any club, even Zamalek, Ahli's arch-rival.
China's golden haul
CHINA's emerging swimming talent dominated the World Cup short course meeting that ended last Sunday in Hong Kong winning a total of 11 gold medals.China, having won six golds on the first day, added five more, with up-and-coming Xie Xufeng leading the way. Xie, who won gold in the men's 100 metres and 400-metre medley, completed a triple success when he grabbed the 200m in one minute 59.60 seconds. Compatriot Yang Yu also scored a golden hat trick when she won the 100m freestyle in 55.26. She beat fellow Chinese Li Jin and third-placed Sun Dan.
Canada finished second in the overall medal tally, taking home seven golds, and was followed by Germany, the United States and Australia, each with three golds.
First race in 2000
SPANIARD Johann Muhlegg won the first men's Nordic Skiing World Cup race of the century in Krylatskoye, Russia, last Sunday. "It was my second victory in the World Cup and I want to dedicate it to King Juan Carlos and the Spanish people," said the 29-year-old former German, who two years ago changed his nationality.Take two!
LAST Sunday, Australian teenage tennis player Lleyton Hewitt made a comeback, beating Thomas Enqvist of Sweden to win the Australian men's hardcourt championship for the second time in three years."To beat the number four player in the world when he's obviously hitting the ball well -- all week he hasn't really struggled -- gives me a lot of confidence going into this month's Australian Open," sixth-seeded Hewitt said after his 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory.
Volunteers needed
THE AUSTRALIAN Institute of Sports (AIS) is seeking volunteers to take the banned performance-enhancing drug erythropoietin (EPO) as it tries to develop tests for it ahead of the Sidney Olympics. In collaboration with the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory, the AIS is calling for 120 fit and sport-playing men and women between 18 and 35 to take EPO for 14 weeks during which they will be monitored to determine the effects of the synthetic hormone.Tyson is back
SHELLY Finkel, adviser to ex-heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson, has said that the latter could fight Shannon Briggs in March in New Jersey, but that he first has to beat British heavyweight champion Julius Francis on 29 January in Manchester and get a New Jersey boxing licence. Finkel added that Tyson's chances of being licensed in New Jersey are good because he has been reinstated by the Nevada State Athletics Commission. The commission had revoked his licence after he was disqualified for biting Evander Holyfield's ear in 1997.Blow to boxing
US FORMER boxing champion Tommy Morrison faces trial on 10 February following his Thanksgiving Day arrest on charges of public intoxication and possession of marijuana.Attorney Rusty Hudson this week entered innocent pleas on Morrison's behalf in municipal court to the misdemeanour charges.
Piacenza sacks coach
ITALIAN first division club Piacenza has sacked coach Luigi Simoni and placed assistant coach Maurizio Braghin in temporary charge of the side. In a brief statement, the club said they had reached the decision in "common accord" with Simoni.Piacenza is next to bottom of Serie A with just two wins from 16 games and has scored only nine goals all season. Simoni's departure was prompted by a 3-0 defeat to bottom-of-the-league Cagliari on Sunday.
Sixty-one-year-old Simoni joined Piacenza near the close of the season. He was named Italy's coach of the year in 1998 and was previously in charge at Inter Milan, Napoli and Genoa.
EuroLeague revamp
SPORTS marketing and media company ISL Worldwide has signed an agreement with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) making it marketing and television partner for a revamped EuroLeague competition.The deal covers promotional and commercial activities for the next four seasons until 2004. Revenue generated from marketing will be distributed among the 24 EuroLeague sides according to a FIBA formula that takes into account teams' results and television rights income in individual markets.
The EuroLeague's new look, to be unveiled at the Final Four championships in Greece in April, aims to boost the image of the sport throughout Europe.
