Algeria's volleyball player A. Kerboua (r) spikes the ball during the semifinal match against Iran at the first Islamic Solidarity Games in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, Monday. (AFP Photo)

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, April 19--Iran was crowned at the goalball event of the Islamic States’ Solidarity Games here Monday.
The powerful Iranian side overcame Algeria 7-3 in the final in King Abdul Aziz University hall.
Bronze went to Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
The Iranian team included Javad Jalali, Mohsen Jalilvand, Behzad Jahangiri, Reza Chakhaei, Seyed Rahmatollah Hosseini-Moqaddam, and Mehdi Siahi.
Iran’s football team was eliminated in semifinals after conceding a 4-3 defeat to Morocco. It lost the game Monday night after a mistake in the penalty shootout. Both teams played a superb game finishing with a 1-1 draw. Morocco, the winner, qualified for the final after beating Iran in the penalty kicks, reported IRNA.
Iran’s volleyball team hammered Algeria in three continuous games in Jeddah and qualified for the finals. Iran beat its opponent 25-18 in the first round, 25-21 in the second and 25-19 in third. In another semifinal Egypt beat Saudi Arabia 3-2, and will face Iran in final.
Iran stood fourth in water polo with two losses, one win and one draw. Iran beat Azerbaijan 12-6 in its last game Monday in Jeddah. Earlier it lost the game to Kazakhstan and Egypt but beat Kuwait and drew with S. Arabia. Egypt, the winner of the tournament, grabbed gold, followed by Kazakhstan (silver) and Saudi Arabia (bronze) in the second and third place respectively. Iran, S. Arabia, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Kuwait and Azerbaijan played against each other in the tournament.

HOUSTON, USA,
April 19--Sixth seed Sebastien Grosjean and No. 7 Jurgen Melzer advanced to the second round of the US Clay Court Championships here Monday, while second-seeded Andre Agassi warmed up for singles action with a rare doubles appearance, AFP reported.
France’s Grosjean defeated Bjorn Phau of Germany 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, while Austria’s Melzer beat Argentina’s Mariano Puerta 6-3, 6-3.
Puerta was the only player in the field with a clay court title this season.
They were the only seeds in singles action on the opening day of the 380,000-dollar tournament in which Andy Roddick is the top seed.
Roddick faced a qualifier in his first-round match on Tuesday, while Agassi played Czech Michal Tabara in his opener.
But fans got a glimpse of Agassi in action Monday as he teamed with his former rival, Jim Courier, in doubles.
The pair fell 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to Argentina’s Martin Garcia and Peru’s Luis Horna.
“It was a bumpy start from me, having not been out there for a few years, but I had a good partner with me all along and once I started holding up my deal we got into the meat of the match,“ Courier said.
Agassi added: “We grew up together, competed with each other.
We’ve helped each other’s career. We were Davis Cup teammates. We’ve run the full spectrum. To get out here and team up at this stage in our lives is a great opportunity to have an excuse to spend a little time together.“
Roddick, the top seed, won here in 2001 and 2002 and was the runner-up each of the past two years. Agassi claimed the crown in 2003 - 15 years after his first championship here.
German Tommy Haas, the defending champion, is seeded third and Chilean Nicolas Massu is number four.
Haas opens his title defense against Belgium’s Kristof Vliegen, who is coming off a finals appearance in a challenger event in Bermuda.
In other matches on Monday, Spain’s Alex Calatrava kept wild card Donald Young winless, dropping the 15-year-old American to 0-5 on the ATP Tour with a 6-1, 6-4 triumph, and Robby Ginepri defeated fellow American Mardy Fish 6-1, 6-4.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson (l) shoots in front of the Milwaukee Bucks forward Desmond Mason (24) as the 76ers forward Andre Iguodala follows the play during first quarter NBA action in Philadelphia, Monday. (Reuters Photo)

TORONTO, April 19--Allen Iverson poured in 39 points, dished out 12 assists and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 122-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday and back into the playoffs after missing out last year, Reuters reported.
It was another tireless effort by Iverson but the NBA’s leading scorer got plenty of support, with Kyle Korver contributing 19 points, Chris Webber 18 points and Andre Iguodala adding 15 as the 76ers delighted the home crowd by extending their season.
With a playoff spot secure, the 76ers could even finish as high as sixth in the Eastern Conference when the regular season ends on Wednesday.
Dan Gadzuric had 21 points and a career-high 20 rebounds for the Bucks.
In Memphis, Mike Miller had 28 points to guide the Grizzlies to a 94-92 win over the Spurs, ending San Antonio’s bid to finish top of the Western Conference standings.
San Antonio’s loss guarantees top seeding for the Phoenix in the West and home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
Pau Gasol had 20 points for Memphis, while Stromile Swift added 16.
Glenn Robinson led the Spurs with 23 points while Tim Duncan continued his return to form after missing nearly a month with a sprained ankle, scoring 17 points.
In Phoenix, Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson each scored 26 points as the Suns scorched the Denver Nuggets 128-114 to clinch first place in the Western Conference standings.
In Salt Lake City, Matt Harpring had 24 points and 13 rebounds and Mehmet Okur also had a double-double as the Jazz eased to 92-82 win over the Sacramento Kings.
In Houston, Yao Ming poured in 24 points and Tracy McGrady added 16 points and 10 assists as the Rockets blasted the Los Angeles Clippers 115-90 for their sixth straight win.
In Orlando, Steve Francis nailed 24 and DeShawn Stevenson added 18 as the Magic halted a seven-game losing skid with a 92-88 win over the Indiana Pacers.
In New Orleans, Wally Szczerbiak scored 18 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to help the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 102-99 comeback win over the Hornets.
In Oakland, Mickael Pietrus had 25 points and Baron Davis 24 as the Golden State Warriors stomped the Los Angeles Lakers 126-99.

TORONTO, April 19--Olympic time trial gold medalist Tyler Hamilton has been banned for two years after testing positive for a blood transfusion, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced on Monday, Reuters reported.
Hamilton, who received the maximum ban for a first-time doping offense, has 20 days in which to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The American cyclist tested positive at the Tour of Spain last September and all his results since then are forfeited.
It is the first time USADA has suspended an athlete for the presence of transfused blood.
Hamilton had been under a cloud of doping suspicion since the Athens Olympics, where he tested positive for a blood transfusion on August 18.
However, Hamilton was allowed to keep his gold medal when a second, or ’B’, test was “non-conclusive“ because it had been destroyed by being deep-frozen.
Following the Olympics, Hamilton again found himself at the centre of a doping storm when he gave a positive test for a blood transfusion after his Tour of Spain time trial victory.
Blood transfusions are considered a form of blood-doping under the World Anti-Doping Code because it allows an athlete to increase their oxygen rich red blood cells, increasing their aerobic power and endurance.
Hamilton has always denied ever using any form of performance-enhancing drugs.

Hailu Negussie of Ethiopia raises his arms as he crosses the finish line to win the 109th running of the Boston Marathon, Monday. (AFP Photo)

BOSTON, USA,
April 19--Hailu Negussie of Ethiopia ended Kenya’s dominance of the Boston marathon on Monday by winning the 109th running of the world’s oldest annually contested marathon, Reuters reported.
Negussie finished in an unofficial time of two hours, 11 minutes and 44 seconds. The course record of 2:07:15 was set by Cosmas Ndeti of Kenya in 1994.
The Ethiopian, fifth in last year’s race, put distance between him and a pack of Kenyan runners, including defending champion Timothy Cherigat, after the infamous Heartbreak Hill, the steepest climb of the course.
Kenyans had won 13 of the previous 14 men’s Boston marathons.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, April 19--Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has included 13 uncapped players for next week’s friendly at home to Guatemala and recalled 39-year-old Romario for a farewell appearance, Reuters reported.
“He will start the game and play for at least the first few minutes,“ said Parreira. “It’s a tribute to one of Brazilian football’s great players.“
Romario, who scored five goals as Brazil won the 1994 World Cup with a team also coached by Parreira, last played for his country in a World Cup qualifier away to Uruguay in 2001.
He currently plays for Rio de Janeiro’s Vasco da Gama, the club where he began his career.
Parreira was forced to pick only home-based players for the game, which is not being played on a FIFA international date and has been arranged to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a Brazilian television station.
Despite not being able to call on any of Brazil’s top players, such as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Adriano, Parreira said he was spoilt for choice when picking the side.
“There wasn’t room for everyone,“ he said. “It was difficult to get it down to 22. That shows how strong Brazilian football is.“
The newcomers are Cicinho, Gabriel, Fabiano Eller, Anderson, Leonardo, Glauber, Marcinho, Fernandinho, Josue, Carlos Alberto, Fernandao, Grafite and Fred.
Brazil face the Central Americans at Sao Paulo’s Pacaembu stadium on April 27. The teams drew 1-1 in their only previous meeting at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1998.

PARIS, April 19--French soccer rebel Nicolas Anelka says he has no chance of an international return under coach Raymond Domenech, Reuters reported.
“I don’t think I’m going to play for ’Les Bleus’ again as long as Domenech is in charge,“ Anelka was quoted as saying by weekly magazine France Football. “Even when there are dozens of guys injured, Domenech doesn’t pick me.
“I’d rather he be honest with me and tell me that he doesn’t feel he can rely on me.“
The former PSG and Arsenal striker moved from English premier league side Manchester City to Turkish side Fenerbahce during the winter.
Anelka, 26, has not played for France since he rejected a late call-up from former coach Jacques Santini for a friendly against Yugoslavia in Paris in November 2002.
The player later apologized to Santini but the French coach refused to forgive him and ruled him out of the national squad for the 2004 European championship.
Anelka also missed the 2002 World Cup when Roger Lemerre was in charge.
“People around me told me that I would make my comeback. I told them to wait and see because I didn’t feel that would happen,“ Anelka added.
“I scored many goals when I was playing with City and it didn’t change a thing. However, I know I can play for France.“ Asked about the reasons of his feud with Domenech, the striker said it started in 1998 when he was only 19.
“I was a first-choice player at Arsenal then, and he left me out of the Under-21 team. So in 1998, I went straight from the Under-20s to the A team. It’s a feat not many guys achieved.“
France have failed to impress during their 2006 World Cup qualifiers despite heading the European Zone Group 4 table and have yet to win a home match since Domenech took over last July.

BERLIN, April 19--FIFA is confident that stringent stadium controls and police checks will ensure the 2006 World Cup in Germany is not spoiled by the sort of fan violence affecting Italy, Reuters
reported.
“I’m not worried about hooliganism at the World Cup,“ FIFA president Sepp Blatter told reporters at the Sport Accord conference in Berlin on Monday.
“I have absolute confidence in the people organizing the matches. Things have happened in Italy because they do not have any controls when entering the stadiums.
“These things would never be allowed to happen in Germany.
It’s impossible because when you go into the stadium you are controlled.“
Inter Milan’s Champions League game against AC Milan was abandoned last week when flares were thrown onto the pitch and was the latest example of a problem that could seriously damage Italy’s bid to host the 2012 European Championship.
Fears that the World Cup could be hit by violence increased last month when 200 German hooligans smashed windows in the streets of Celje before a friendly against Slovenia, while other fans damaged seats and clashed with police during the game.
“I don’t think what happened in Slovenia can happen here in Germany,“ Blatter said.
“There is an excellent relationship between the police and security forces in different countries and now they know who these hooligans are, where they are going and when they leave.“