TEHRAN, Dec. 25--Iran’s football captain, Mehdi Mahdavikia, said the team can fight back if officials end delays.
“We have to start working as soon as possible while our rivals are already working on their programs. Iran’s National Football Team should have a head coach soon and stop wasting time,“ Mahdavikia told Mehr News Agency. He declared his satisfaction over Persepolis’ table-topping in Iran’s Football Premier League.
“The club’s official should take care and continue their unbeaten run. Persepolis endured a five-season title draught and deserve the championship.
Asked about his situation in Eintracht Frankfurt, Mahdavikia said, “I am a warrior and will prove my potentials for being in the starting eleven.“

HAMEDAN, Dec. 25--The defeat of Persepolis football club in the Hazfi Cup has brought material and spiritual rewards for the victorious Pas of Hamedan.
Pas officials have promised team members with a Haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, after their victory over the Tehran giant, Mehr News Agency reported.
Hamedan’s governor general and mayor went to the dressing room after the match and handed over a cash prize of one million rials to each Pas member.
Pas won 3-0 over Persepolis in the Hazfi Cup’s eighth round at Hamedan’s Qods Stadium on Monday.

TEHRAN, Dec. 25--Iran’s Tennis Table Federation announced the names of team members for the World Cup scheduled for late February in China.
Nine athletes will attend the Table Tennis World Cup during February 24-March 2, 2008 in both men’s and women’s categories, Mehr News Agency reported.
Noshad Alemian, Afshin Norouzi, Mohammad Reza Akhlaq-Pasand, Mehran Ahadi, Farhad Zaman-Molla (men) and Neda Shahsavari, Elena Titarenko, Parisa Samadi and Mahjoubeh Omrani (women) have been named as team members.

LONDON, Dec. 25--Gareth Turnbull will be favorite in the Greencastle 5 mile road race in county Tyrone on Boxing Day.
According to BBC, Turnbull set the course record of 24 minutes and 24 seconds two years ago and with Joe McAllister set to run, another fast time is on the cards.
Maria McCambridge leads the entries in the women’s race.
Another high-class Boxing Day race is the Finn Valley St Stephen’s Day 5K run where Kenyan star Vivian Cheruiyot will be in the field.
Cheruiyot is the second fastest ever woman over 5,000m on the track and her participation is a major coup for the Finn Valley club.
This year’s World Championship 5,000m silver medalist is coached by Finn Valley member and athletics agent Ricky Simms.

CHICAGO, USA,
Dec. 25--The Chicago Bulls, struggling near the bottom of the NBA’s Eastern Conference after losing three of their last four games, fired coach Scott Skiles on Monday.
“This was a difficult decision to make but one that was necessary at this time. Scott helped us in many ways during his time with the Bulls--most importantly, he helped this franchise get back to respectability,“ Bulls Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson said in a statement posted on the Chicago Bulls’ Web site.
The Bulls were considered among the teams likely to contend for the Eastern Conference championship this season but got off to a miserable start and struggled to a 9-16 record--third-worst in the conference and putting them last in the Central Division. The latest loss came at home on Saturday, a crushing 116-98 defeat by the Houston Rockets, as boos rained down from the United Center crowd, many of whom left early.

BEIJING, Dec. 25--In a continued effort to improve Beijing’s network of barrier-free facilities to a level that meets the demands of the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, the city has spent 380 million yuan on related efforts this year.
A recent inspection found that the new Paralympic venues meet the standards of accessibility set by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The inspection also showed progress in the construction of accessible facilities in Beijing’s transport system, hospitals, shopping centers, tourist spots and other public places, according to Ding Xiangyang, vice-mayor of Beijing, the Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games wrote.
Ding told those at a Monday meeting concerning the topic that since 2005, the city has renovated or constructed up to 1,000 such facilities. These endeavors will go on to make Beijing an advanced city at the national-level in the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010) in the area of accessibility.
“We need to make these facilities a legacy of the Olympic Games and let them not only serve people with a disability but also the elderly, young and other people,“ said Ding.

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 25-- LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown when the San Diego Chargers rolled to their fifth consecutive victory with a 23-3 home win over the Denver Broncos on Monday.
According to Reuters, Quarterback Philip Rivers threw one touchdown pass and Nate Kaeding kicked three field goals as the AFC West champion Chargers improved to 10-5.
Jason Elam kicked a 23-yard field goal for Denver (6-9).

HEPCO Novin Handball Club won the recent National Clubs League Championship.
The tournament was held in Mahshahr, Khuzestan province, with 10 participating teams.
HEPCO Novin ranked first in the third group after defeating teams from Zanjan, Bushehr, Kurdestan, Abadan and Ardebil.
Iraj Rezaei, the head of HEPCO Company’s Public Relations Office, congratulated Soleimani and Kolahdouz brothers on their appointment as referees in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

MADRID, Spain, Dec. 25--Barcelona’s Frank Rijkaard and Ronaldinho were in the media’s crosshairs after Real Madrid’s psychologically crushing 1-0 victory at the Nou Camp on Sunday sent them seven points clear in the Primera Liga.
According to Reuters, Brazilian international Julio Baptista scored the game’s only goal after 36 minutes as the Spanish champions out-fought and out-thought a Barca side short on confidence and ideas.
After keeping Ronaldinho on the bench for the 3-0 win at Valencia the previous weekend, Rijkaard surprised many by playing the Brazilian from the start.
A further change saw Deco, only recently returned from injury, preferred to Eidur Gudjohnsen in midfield despite impressive performances from the Icelander in recent games.
Rijkaard’s reliance on two players who had helped the side to consecutive league titles in 2005 and 2006 regardless of form drew criticism as they failed to make an impact.
“Rijkaard’s insistence on always turning to his big name players burdened Barca for the ’clasico’,“ said sports daily AS.