Still in the UAE

THE FIFA World Youth Football Championship will be played in the United Arab Emirates after all.

The three-week championship was originally scheduled to kick off on 25 March but was put off because of the war in Iraq. It will now be played from 27 November to 19 December of this year.

The new date squashed speculation that FIFA was intending to shift the event to another country far from the region.

Altogether 24 teams divided into six groups of four teams each will take part in the event. Group A consists of the UAE, Slovakia, Panama and Burkina Faso. Group B includes Argentina, Spain, Uzbekistan and Mali. Group C comprises Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic and Australia.

Egypt will play in Group D with Colombia, Japan and England.

Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Mexico, and Cote D'Ivoire make up Group E while Paraguay, the US, South Korea and Germany will play in Group F. Matches will be held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Al-Ain.

FIFA decided to suspend the championship even before the war broke out after several competing countries expressed concern about travelling to the United Arab Emirates which is about 1,450 kilometres (900 miles) from Iraq.

Weir wins

MIKE Weir beat Len Mattiace at the first hole of a sudden- death play-off to win the green jacket at Augusta on Sunday. The 32-year-old Weir becomes the first Canadian to win a Major and the first left-hander to take the US Masters.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," said Weir as he was presented with his green jacket by defending champion Tiger Woods. "It's something I've dreamt about for a long time and worked very hard for it. It's a thrill and tough for me to put into words because I wouldn't do it justice."

Tied at seven under par after 72 holes of enthralling golf, Weir and Mattiace went back to the par-four 10th hole to settle the first Major of the year. Both players found the fairway but Mattiace pulled his approach shot into the trees to the left of the green. Weir then found the putting surface with his second shot, 40 feet short of the pin. Mattiace chipped well past the hole but was given hope when Weir ran his first putt eight feet past. But Mattiace pushed his putt 15ft past the hole and missed the return, leaving Weir two putts to win the title.

Weir, the first left-hander to win a Major since New Zealand's Bob Charles triumphed at the 1963 Open, carded a 68 in Sunday's final group, while Mattiace posted a seven- under-par 65, the low round of the day.

The 35-year-old American, a journeyman for most of his career until two wins last year, had reached eight under par only to bogey the 18th. It was still a remarkable effort from the New Yorker, who had made only one previous appearance at Augusta, missing the cut in 1988 as an amateur.

While Mattiace was struggling with his nerves on the final hole, Weir played a stunning chip shot to the par-five 15th to set up a birdie that took him to seven under. Weir then had to hole a six-foot putt at the last to force the play- off. But it was no surprise when he did so, as his putting was excellent throughout the tournament.

Phil Mickelson, after a 68, finished third at Augusta for the third year running while Woods, who had been chasing an unprecedented third straight Masters, could only manage a 75 and a share of 15th at two-over 290.

Serena streak ends

BELGIUM's Justine Henin-Hardenne has inflicted the first defeat of the year on Serena Williams with a 6-3, 6-3 victory in the final of the Family Circle Cup.

Williams raced into a 3-0 lead against a player who had beaten her only once before and looked good for her 22nd consecutive win of the year. But the Belgian second seed reeled off six games in a row to take the first set and then won three in a row in the second to lead 4-3.

Williams' big serve brought her level at 4-4 but after Henin-Hardenne moved to 5-4, the American went two match points down on her following serve. The world No 1 saved the first when Henin-Hardenne hit wide, but on the next point Williams netted feebly to end her unbeaten run.

Williams had won 21 straight times this year and holds all four of the Grand Slam titles -- Australian, French, Wimbledon and US.

Sunday's defeat is the first time Williams has lost since going down to Kim Clijsters in the final of the WTA Tour Championships in Los Angeles in November.

"I kept believing in my chances," said Henin-Hardenne after winning her second title of the year. "I gave 100 per cent and it worked."

Williams said: "She played really excellent today. She had a good plan going out there and it all worked. She was on today and she was really fighting. But sometimes you need to lose."

Top players take off

THE TOP two players in the men's game, Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi, have decided to take a break from action next week.

Women's No 1 Serena Williams and sister Venus will also be having a rest.

So Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya will be the favourites to win in Monte Carlo, the latest stop on the ATP Tour.

And Justine Henin-Hardenne, Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport will all fancy their chances at the Bausch and Lomb Championships in Amelia Island.

Racist charge

EUROPEAN soccer's ruling body has charged England's Football Association (FA) with racist abuse by English fans at a Euro 2004 qualifier against Turkey last week.

UEFA had already opened an investigation into pitch invasions by fans and improper conduct by England officials after the match in Sunderland which England won 2-0.

Last week's fresh set of disciplinary proceedings from UEFA followed a complaint by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF).

The TFF will also be investigated over allegations of improper conduct by their players in the tunnel after the Group Seven game on 2 April , UEFA said.

The charges will be dealt with on 1 May at a meeting of the UEFA's disciplinary committee. Police made around 100 arrests before and during the match as trouble flared among fans.

Slovakia was forced to play its next home qualifier behind closed doors after its fans chanted racist abuse at England players on 12 October. The English FA was fined after supporters charged riot police at the same game in Bratislava.

England's next qualifier is against Slovakia on 11 June at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium, about 50 kilometres from Sunderland.

UEFA spokesman Mike Lee said in a statement: "Having reviewed the match England vs Turkey of 2 April, the UEFA has decided to widen the case against the FA to include racist abuse by supporters. They have until 21 April to submit their response.

"Detailed evidence will now be supplied to our Control and Disciplinary Body for their meeting on 1 May and all issues relating to this match will be dealt with at that meeting."

UEFA's charge comes despite efforts by English soccer officials, helped by campaigns such as "Kick It Out", to combat racism in the national game in recent years.

The events in Sunderland came less than a month after the FA hosted a ground-breaking UEFA anti-racism conference in London and days after England fans ran amok and battled police in Zurich ahead of their qualifier in Liechtenstein.

Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 17 - 23 April 2003 (Issue No. 634)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/634/sp1.htm