TEHRAN, Jan. 27--Iran’s National Basketball Team has received invitations from Germany, Slovenia, New Zealand, Taiwan and China to take part in a number of international tournaments.
Announcing this, Mohammad Reza Mashhoon, head of Iran’s National Basketball Organization, told IRNA that the German Basketball Federation has invited Iran to participate in a warm-up game on June 28 as well as a four-team tournament slated for July 4-8.
“We have announced our readiness to attend the events which are scheduled ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games,“ he said.
Germany, Iran, Puerto Rico, as well as one of the two countries of Australia or New Zealand, are to compete in the tourney.
Mashhoon also announced that the team has been invited to preparatory events in Slovenia to be held from July 8-12.
Turning to invitations from New Zealand, Taiwan and China, Mashhoon said that officials are considering them.

Saba Battery's US player Garf Joseph (r) aims for the basket in the International Basketball Tournament in Dubai on Friday.

DUBAI, UAE, Jan. 27--Saba Battery basketball team ended the Dubai International Basketball Tournament on Saturday night by clinching the third slot.
Iran’s representative won 89-77 over Al Jala of Syria in the match to decide the third and fourth places, IRNA wrote. Earlier Saba was beaten by Lebanon’s Al Riyadi 95-87 in the semifinal.
Al Riyadi topped the tournament after defeating Fast Link of Jordan 77-75 in the finals.
The nine-day tournament brought together the best basketball teams of the Middle East. Mahram and Saba Battery of Iran, Lebanon’s Al Riyadi and Al Hikman, Ittihad and Al Jala of Syria, Fast Link of Jordan and Al Jazeira of Egypt participated in the tournament.

MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 27--Novak Djokovic took the expected barrage from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first set, then gave back some of his own to make the Australian Open his first Grand Slam title.
No. 3-ranked Djokovic fended off Muhammad Ali lookalike Tsonga 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (2) in the final on Sunday night, ending a sequence of 11 straight majors won by either Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal since Marat Safin’s triumph here in 2005, AP wrote.
The 20-year-old Djokovic had not lost a set in six matches leading into the final, including his semifinal win over two-time defending champion Federer.
But with unseeded Tsonga coming out swinging like he did in his straight-sets upset over No. 2 Nadal in the semifinals and three other top 14 players, that streak came to a sudden end.
The 20-year-old Djokovic rebounded in the second and third sets and after saving a crucial breakpoint in the fourth, dominated the tiebreaker to clinch his first major at his 13th attempt.
“You feel the expectations and pressure, so I’m very happy with the way I dealt with the pressure,“ Djokovic said. “Coming on against a player with nothing to lose -- he was going for the shots and he was very dangerous, especially in the first set -- I was pretty nervous.“
Djokovic was the youngest player since Stefan Edberg defeated Mats Wilander in 1985 to win the Australian title and the first man from Serbia to win a major.
Tsonga, who had been so aggressive earlier in the tournament, seemed more content to rally from the baseline, especially after getting passed several times.
“He was very dangerous,“ Djokovic said. “I was aware of that fact, but I was trying to stay with him because I knew sooner or later, with my style of game, I could get in control of the match, which I did in the middle of the second set.“
As well as Tsonga, he had to overcome cramps.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Jan. 27--Namibia players have claimed they were approached to fix their final group match at the Africa Cup of Nations, BBC wrote.
They say they were offered $30,000 per player to throw their game against Guinea in Sekondi on Monday. Namibia Football Association president John Muinjo said his players spoke to him and he informed the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
The incident follows an alleged approach to Benin coach Reinhard Fabisch before the tournament. Fabisch said the man claimed to represent a company based in Singapore that was be able to fix football matches across Africa.
Although Namibia have only a slim mathematical chance of progressing at the tournament, Muinjo said that the players did not consider taking the money.
“My players were approached by a man saying he represented a syndicate and offered them money to lose the game,“ he said. “The players came to me immediately to tell me and we’ve informed CAF of what has happened.
“The players were offered up to $30,000 to lose the game.
They were offered half in advance but told they had to be able during the game to manipulate the score on the instructions of the syndicate.“
Muinjo said he had immediately called a meeting with the squad, warning them of the dangers of bribery.
“I’m very proud that my players came to see me straight away. I warned them about the impact accepting these sorts of offers could have on their careers.
They are a team who believe in fair play.“
CAF officials say that an investigation into the matter has been started.

Havant and Waterlooville's Richard Paquette (r) is challenged by Liverpool's Sami Hyppia (l) during an FA Cup match at Anfield, in Liverpool. Liverpool won 5-2.

LIVERPOOL, UK,
Jan. 27--Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has paid tribute to the non-league players of Havant and Waterlooville after his team’s 5-2 victory took them through to the fifth round of the FA Cup at Anfield.
According to AFP, the team from the Conference South twice took the lead in an incredible first half with goals from Richard Pacquette and Alfie Potter.
In between, Brazilian Lucas equalized and Yossi Benyoun scored an important second equalizer just before half-time before going on to complete a 15-minute hat-trick after the restart.
Peter Crouch’s 90th minute tap-in gave the scoreline a harsh appearance for a team 123 places below Liverpool in the Football League pyramid.
Benitez claimed he had never feared an embarrassing exit from the competition, which would have severely tested the truce that has emerged between him and the club’s American owners in the last few days.
Meanwhile, Pacquette--a truant officer by trade--will long remember scoring in front of The Kop and the day his team almost pulled off the most incredible upset in FA Cup history.
Pacquette said, “It was an amazing feeling to score in front of the Kop. Even going out there, I was emotional. When I heard all the noise I started to fill up.
“I knew I had a good performance in me and it’s happened. Our club photographer said he had a dream in which I scored, and I did! Not many clubs come here and take the lead twice so it’s a proud day for us all.“

Meseret Defar

BOSTON, USA, Jan. 27--Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar shattered the world indoor record for the women’s two-mile race at the Boston Indoor Games on Saturday, while Australian Craig Mottram clocked the fastest 3,000m time in the United States.
According to Reuters, Defar, the 5,000m Olympic and world champion and outdoor world record holder, clocked 9:10.50 to blitz the previous two-mile mark of 9:23.38 by American Regina Jacobs here in 2002.
New Zealander Kim Smith, who trains in nearby Rhode Island, finished second in 9:13.94.
Defar, the 2007 IAAF female athlete of the year, said there was still room for improvement.
Mottram, aiming to make up for the disappointment of last year’s world championships, cruised to an impressive 7:34.50 in the men’s 3,000m--the fastest time recorded over the distance in the United States, indoors or out, and an Australian national record.
Mottram bettered Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie’s 2004 indoor US all-comers record of 7:35.24 and topped the outdoor best of 7:35.44 run in 2005 by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge. He also eclipsed his national record of 7:39.24 set at the same meet last year.
Markos Geneti of Ethiopia was a distant second in 7:41.81. World 10,000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia shook off recurring cramp to win the women’s 3,000m with a 2008 world-leading time of 8:33.37. Her sister, Ejegayehu Dibaba, was second in 8:36.59.
There was disappointment for Olympic and world heptathlon gold medalist Carolina Kluft of Sweden, who could finish no better than third in the long jump with a best of 6.34m.

SYDNEY, Australia, Jan. 27--Australia wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket.
The 36-year-old will retire from Tests after the current match against India, and will quit one-day internationals at the end of the season, BBC wrote.
“It’s with great pride that I make the decision to retire,“ said Gilchrist, who broke the record for the most test dismissals by a glove man. “I came to this decision after much discussion with those important to me.“
Since Australia’s 5-0 Ashes whitewash in 2006-7, Australia have lost experienced stars Damien Martyn, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer to international retirement and Gilchrist’s departure has robbed them of another stellar talent.
Cricket Australia are expected to give 30-year-old Brad Haddin the chance to replace Gilchrist in the side as their next wicket-keeper/batsman.

ST. PAUL, USA,
Jan. 27--Mirai Nagasu, 14, solidified her arrival in the senior ranks Saturday, lifting the ladies’ title at the 2008 US Figure Skating Championships, reported AFP.
The diminutive Californian, who had stunningly taken the lead after the short program, shrugged off a fall on the first jump of her free skate to seal the victory.
“I am very excited and speechless,“ said Nagasu, whose victory mirrored her unexpected junior title last year over the better known Caroline Zhang.
Nagasu won with a total of 190.41 points. Another youngster, 15-year-old Rachel Flatt, was second - winning the free skate - with a total of 188.73 points, and 16-year-old Ashley Wagner was third (188.56).
Kimmie Meissner, the defending champion was seventh, continuing a disappointing season.
The victory of Nagasu will leave US Figure Skating officials with decisions to make regarding the US team for the World Championships, since she is too young to compete there. Flatt is also too young.
US Figure Skating officials will name the team this weekend.
The young duo of Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker, leading after the short programme, also topped the pairs free skate to seize their first national senior title.
With a total of 190.74 points, McLaughlin and Brubaker finished ahead of veterans Rena Inoue and John Baldwin, who were second with 183.17 points.
Brooke Castile and Ben Okolski were third with 175.07. Despite their runner-up finish Inoue
and Baldwin were
celebrating.

MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 27--Fifth seeds Sun Tiantian of China and Serbia’s Nenad Zimonjic overcame feisty Indians Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza 7-6 6-4 to win their first Australian Open mixed doubles title on Sunday.
It was the second time Zimonjic has won the trophy after combining with Elena Bovina to lift it in 2004, Reuters wrote.
He also won the French Open mixed doubles title with Katarina Srebotnik in 2006. Sun and Zimonjic led 3-1 in the first set before the Indian pair fought back, reeling off three successive games until Mirza, who had her left thigh heavily strapped, lost her serve.
Both pairs held serve to force the tiebreak, with Bhupathi and Mirza jumping out to a 3-0 lead before Sun and Zimonjic dragged themselves back and took it 7-4.
Sun and Zimojnic broke Bhupathi in the first game of the second set and threatened to break Mirza again in the seventh before they held championship points on Bhupathi’s serve in the ninth, which the Indians managed to fight off. Zimonjic, however, sealed victory in the next game at the second opportunity when a Bhupathi volley sailed wide.

NEWCASTLE, England, Jan. 27--Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan says he does not expect to sign Jonathan Woodgate - despite agreeing a fee for the defender with Middlesbrough.
Tottenham, who have also been given permission to talk to Woodgate, 28, are now favourites to sign him, BBC said.
Keegan said: “At this moment I don’t think he’s going to come to Newcastle.
“I’m almost certain he’s going to move somewhere else - it looks like we’ve lost him and I’m very disappointed. It doesn’t look like he’s going to come.“
Newcastle had agreed a fee in the region of £8m with Boro for Woodgate, who joined the Teessiders from Real Madrid.
Woodgate had previously spent 19 months on Newcastle’s books between January 2003 and August 2004, making 28 Premier League appearances.
Boro boss Gareth Southgate said: “The latest is that we have given him permission to speak to Newcastle and to Tottenham. I think a fee is agreed with Newcastle, but I don’t know if a fee is agreed with Tottenham.