Sport Line News

Kevin Keegan quit as Newcastle United manager for a second time following a dispute over player transfers, a day after Alan Curbishley resigned from English Premier League soccer rival West Ham for the same reason.

Keegan, who also quit Newcastle in 1997, received a letter yesterday from managing director Derek Llambias that failed to resolve the issues, the League Managers Association said in a statement. Keegan held the job for less than eight months and said he had ``worked desperately'' to resolve his differences.

"It's my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want," Keegan said in the statement. "I have been left with no choice other than to leave."

Newcastle said in a statement it was ``disappointed'' after spending several days in talks and putting forward "a set of practical suggestions for how to move forward."

Keegan disagreed over the sale of winger James Milner to Aston Villa last week and was upset that billionaire owner Mike Ashley wanted to sell striker Michael Owen, according to U.K. media reports. Keegan's loyalty to Joey Barton was another sticking point with Ashley, who wanted to get rid of the player who recently was released from prison, the Daily Mail reported.

News Courtsey: bloomberg.com

Cara Black of Zimbabwe and Leander Paes of India won their first U.S. Open mixed doubles title by beating Liezel Huber of the United States and Jamie Murray of Britain 7-6 (6), 6-4 in the final Thursday.

Paes has won four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, and Black has won three — but this was the first for each at Flushing Meadows and the first for them as a team.

They were seeded fifth at the U.S. Open. Huber and Murray were unseeded.

Image Courtsey: Daijiworld.com

The silver and bronze medalists in the men's hammer throw at the Beijing Olympics are being investigated for doping offenses by International Olympic Committee.

Belarusians Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan tested positive for traces of testosterone after the hammer final on Aug. 17, the Russian news agency Allsport said yesterday.

An IOC disciplinary commission will meet at the end of the month to hear the case, IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau told the Associated Press in an e-mail message.

The Belarus Athletics Federation said it had received no documents or confirmation of any positive tests by its athletes.

"How can we comment on what we do not have?" spokeswoman Anastasiya Marinina told the AP in a telephone interview. "Devyatovskiy and Tsikhan deny all the accusations. Every person can have different level of testosterone in his body."

If the two are found guilty of doping, they would be disqualified and stripped of their medals.

Devyatovskiy's silver would go to Krisztian Pars of Hungary, while Tsikhan's bronze would go to Koji Murofushi of Japan. Primoz Kozmus of Slovenia won the gold medal.

News Courtsey: Washingtonpost.com

It seems that lady luck is not on the side of Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. The controversial fast bowler, who flew to London on Wednesday to play county cricket, was told by the authorities at the Heathrow Airport that a working visa was needed to play professional cricket in England and his tourist visa was not sufficient. Although the Pakistan Cricket Board had given Akhtar a No Objection Certificate (NOC), clearing the way for him to play in Surrey’s last three County Championship matches, the visa problems mean that the plan has been put on hold. Akhtar, who arrived back home on Thursday, is likely to complete his documents in two days and fly to London on Sunday or Monday.

Surrey look set for relegation from Division One as they are bottom of the County Championship table with 18 points with three matches to go. They recruited Akhtar for their last three matches. Akhtar is very disappointed after the incident. He was scheduled to play his first match for Surrey against Kent in Canterbury. “I was eagerly looking forward to play for Surrey and will now try again to go to London if the required documents are complete,” he told reporters on Thursday.

French midfielder Franck Ribéry took part in full training with Bayern Munich on Thursday for the first time since his Euro 2008 ankle injury and expects to play again by the end of September.

Having torn ankle ligaments in June, Ribery, 25, trained with his team-mates under new Bayern coach Jurgen Klinsmann in Munich watched by more than a thousand fans.

"He is working day after day with more energy, Franck is getting more and more confidence," said Klinsmann.

The Bayern boss expects Ribery to return for the German giants on September 27 for the Bundesliga match against Hanover.

The Frenchman damaged his ankle playing for his country in the 2-0 defeat at the hands of Italy on Tuesday June 17 during the Euro 2008 group stages and underwent surgery two days later.

Alan Curbishley's turbulent spell as West Ham manager came to an abrupt end on Wednesday when he quit, saying the club had sold players against his wishes.

Curbishley saved the east London club from relegation in the 2006-07 season but has had a lean time since. He becomes the first English Premier League manager to leave his job this season after the Hammers sold defender George McCartney to Sunderland.

Before the sacking, West Ham released a statement justifying the sale of McCartney and Anton Ferdinand.

But Curbishley responded with a televised interview in which he said McCartney had been sold to Sunderland despite him telling chief executive Scott Duxbury that he needed the full-back to cover injuries.

"It was the transfer of George McCartney which I was vehemently against," Curbishley said.

"Not just because he is such a good player — I happen to think he's one of the best full-backs in the Premier League — but the situation we found ourselves in with injuries to other players."

A club statement said: "We can confrim that we have accepted Alan Curbishley's resignation as we feel it is in the best interests of both parties. We wish Alan all the success in the future. A shortlist of candidates is being drawn up and an announcement will be made in due course about the new West Ham United manager."

West Ham put reserve team coach Kevin Keen in charge but Croatia manager Slaven Bilic is tipped for the permanent job.

News Courtsey: AP

Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski has admitted it was a mistake to move to the Bundesliga champions two years ago.

The Germany international joined Bayern from Cologne in 2006.

Podolski has not managed to hold down a regular starting berth in the Bayern first team over the past two years and, despite impressing in pre-season, does not seem set to do so this season either.

"Obviously, it is not so much fun at Bayern right now," he said.

"If things go on like this then I will have to consider my options.

"I would be a bad footballer if I were to be happy with a place on the bench. I am not moaning, I am just angry not to be starting games."

Podolski's affection for Cologne remains strong, though, and should they be able to accumulate enough funds to buy him in January, the Germany striker would not think twice.

"Cologne would always be an option for me and everybody knows that," he added.

"If I were to receive offers, it would be negligent of me not to consider them.

Bayern's next game is against Cologne and, should Podolski score, he has promised not to celebrate - like when he scored against Poland, his family's home country, at Euro 2008.

News Courtsey: Sportinglife.com

Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Mick McCarthy has been named the Championship manager of the month for August. Mick McCarthy has been recognised for Wolves’ great start to the season.

Alan Irvine of Preston, Birmingham's Alex McLeish and Bristol City chief Gary Johnson were all in contention for the first managerial award of the new campaign.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were held to a 2-2 draw by Plymouth Argyle on opening day, but have won all three subsequent games and currently sit top of the table.

LA Galaxy and England star David Beckham has started wearing mystical hippy beads to pep up his sex life.

The England midfield ace, 33, has turned to oddball gems and crystals to score more in the bedroom with wife Victoria, 34.

"David's a happy bunny,” the Daily Star quoted a pal, as saying.

"The gems were bought as a bit of a laugh but David and Victoria have certainly been smiling a lot since," the pal added.

Becks has even started his own fashion style. He was pictured wearing a necklace during the opening of Gordon Ramsay’s new restaurant in LA – on his wrist.

The jewellery, made by US firm Energy Muse, comes with a scroll promising the wearer will have better sex, health and work success ... if they chant every day.

Former Australian cricket test captain Greg Chappell has been appointed as the new head coach of Australian cricket's Centre of Excellence.

Chappell will oversee the development of Australia's next generation of players after being hired to replace Tim Nielsen who has taken over as coach of the Australian national side.

Chappell, who also served a two-year stint as India coach, signed a three-year deal with Cricket Australia in what is regarded as one of the most important cricket jobs in the country.

Manchester City signed Brazil forward Robinho for what reports said was a British record fee after Thaksin Shinawatra agreed to sell the Premier League soccer team to an Abu Dhabi investment company on transfer deadline day.

Robinho, 24, joined on a four-year contract, City said on its Web site without disclosing the fee, a day after he held a press conference stating his desire to join Chelsea. City paid Real Madrid 42 million euros ($61.2 million) for Robinho, who will receive 6 million euros a year after tax, Sky Sports said.

``In order to compete with the best teams in the Premier League we have to be in the market for players of this caliber, and Robinho is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world,'' City manager Mark Hughes told his club's Web site.

City's prospective owners -- Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment -- fulfilled their promise of purchasing a ``high profile'' player minutes before the trade period closed yesterday at midnight London time. City had earlier agreed to a fee for Dimitar Berbatov before the Tottenham striker instead joined cross-town rival Manchester United.

The Premier League champion will pay 30.75 million pounds ($55 million) for Berbatov, Tottenham said on its Web site.

News Courtsey: bloomberg.com

Serena Williams will face sister Venus Williams at the US Open quarterfinals after she brought down Severine Bremond's run to a halt with a 6-2, 6-2 victory.

Serena and Venus have met 16 times previously with both winning eight matches, but this will be the first time they have met in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament.

Venus Williams, who eliminated Polish Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 6-3 on Monday, said life on the court would be easier if she didn't have a superstar sister.

In the other women's fourth-round matches Monday, Russian sixth seed Dinara Safina beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld 7-5, 6-0 and Flavia Pennetta of Italy trounced France's Amelie Mauresmo 6-3, 6-0.

Wednesday's US Open quarterfinal match will be a repeat of this year's Wimbledon final, which Venus won 7-5, 6-4.