JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, April 20--Iranian volleyballers stole the glittering gold from Egyptians in a pulsating final showdown in the first Islamic States’ Solidarity Games here Tuesday, IRNA reported.
The title-thirsty Iran extracted a 25-23 win in the opening set in a packed Emir Abdullah hall, but the powerful Egyptian side secured the parity, winning the second set 25-14.
Powered by national regulars, Iran punished the struggling rival with a spirit-raising 25-17 lead.
Not to be outdone, Egypt managed to make it 2-2 in a nail-biting set it won 28-26.
But Iran had the last laugh as it emerged victorious in the deciding fifth set with a 15-10 win, grabbing the coveted gold in the mouth-watering final.
Earlier in the day, Algeria whitewashed the home team Saudi Arabia on straight sets, bagging bronze.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan beat Algeria in the final and Iran got the better of Tunisia in the third-place clash of basketball tournament of the first Islamic States’ Solidarity Games in Medina, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday.
Azerbaijan, which beat the Iranian team 68-67 in the semifinal, handed Algeria an 82-69 defeat in the title tussle.
Fighting for bronze medal, Iran overcame the Tunisians 75-66. The Solidarity Games started in the holy city of Mecca on April 8 in an Olympics-style tournament aimed at showing Muslim athletic prowess, with over 6,000 sportsmen from 55 countries.
Four Saudi cities, Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, and Taif, are hosting competitors, bringing together members of sports unions affiliated to the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

TEHRAN, April 20--Soheil Vahedi from Iran’s under-21 snooker team defeated his Singaporean rival in the Asian event in the Thai capital city Bangkok Tuesday, IRNA reported.
Debutant Vahedi had lost in his opening match.
According to Iran’s Bowling and Billiard Federation (IBBF), Iran plays Thailand, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, India, Iraq, Malaysia, and South Korea.
Bangkok is hosting 14 countries, which have pitted 39 teams in the Asian competitions.
Iran team comprises of Amir Sarkhosh, Soheil Vahedi, Mehdi Rasekhi, and Ehsan Shafahian, coach Kamran Shahla, and head Saeid Mohtasham.
IBBF President Gholam-Reza Mehr-Abdollahi is accompanying the team.
The participating teams were divided into seven five-team and one four-team groups. The top two sides will book berths to the second round.
With five more players, the home team Thailand has the highest share.
The event runs through April 25.

Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero returns a ball to compatriot Albert Montanes during a first-round tennis match at the Barcelona Open in Spain, Tuesday. (Reuters Photo)

BARCELONA, Spain, April 20--Former French Open champions Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya had to dig deep to clinch victories at the Barcelona Open on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
Ferrero was pushed all the way by fellow countryman Albert Montanes before eventually winning through 6-3 3-6 7-5 in his first round match.
Moya, like Ferrero a past winner at Barcelona, also had a tough time of it in his second round match against Jarkko Nieminen, eventually triumphing 7-5 5-7 6-2 over the Finnish qualifier.
Serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set, Montanes looked on course to record his first victory over Ferrero.
But the 24-year-old had to take a mid-game break to receive treatment on his legs after losing a marathon point in the blazing Barcelona sunshine.
It was Ferrero who retained his focus after the 10-minute interval and broke serve with a perfectly executed back-hand drop shot that left Montanes scrambling helplessly on the clay.
Montanes lost his temper as the opportunity slipped from his grasp and Ferrero took advantage to hold serve to love and then break to take the final set after two hours, 45 minutes.
Ferrero has another all-Spanish clash in the second round, against Feliciano Lopez.
Moya, seeded three in this year’s tournament, also stepped up a gear in the decisive set against Nieminen, breaking in the fifth and seventh games before serving out to win 6-2 in two hours 21 minutes.
Spain’s Alberto Martin earned himself a second-round match against defending champion and compatriot Tommy Robredo after an efficient 6-4 6-3 win over Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui.
Martin, who lost to finalist Guillermo Coria in the third round at last week’s Monte Carlo Masters Series, broke serve in the ninth game to lead 5-4 and then saved five break points to take the first set.
He stretched the rangy Moroccan with some pin-point backhand passes and deft drop shots to ease his way into a 5-3 lead in the second before breaking serve once more to win the match.
Juan Ignacio Chela won 6-4 7-6 against Spanish qualifier and former finalist Albert Portas and will meet fellow Argentine Agustin Calleri, who edged a 7-6 7-6 thriller against French teenager Gael Monfils.

BERLIN, April 20--The International Olympic Committee is examining whether financial incentives offered by London and New York violate the bidding rules for the 2012 Summer Games, Reuters reported.
Their rivals, Madrid, Moscow and Paris, will also meet with the Ethics Commission on Tuesday as the IOC seeks to clarify what is permissible under bidding rules.
“The Ethics Commission is looking into this as we speak,“ IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. “There are no conclusive developments but I can tell you the Ethics Commission is taking a look so we can have matters clarified.“
The issue surfaced when London and New York announced major financial assistance to the 28 Olympic sports federations.
London’s 2012 bid was pitched at the pockets of sports federations as the bid team unveiled a host of cash subsidies.
The city promised to give a $50,000 credit to each National Olympic Committee (NOC) towards the cost of using British training camps, a bill of around $10 million, as well as air fares for team members and discount cards for restaurants, shops and theatres.
The initiatives also include free accommodation and living expenses for technical delegates from each International Sporting Federation to stay in London for up to a year to oversee preparations.
New York, meanwhile, offered federations a chance to gain a foothold in the lucrative U.S. market as part of their pitch to win the race.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said New York would work with each international sports federation to help increase its appeal.
“We will use the seven years before the Games to work with every single Olympic sports federation to strengthen each sport and bring it to a new level of visibility, participation and fans in New York and throughout the country by the opening of the Games,“ he promised.
IOC ethics rules have been tightened since the Salt Lake City bid scandal, which led to 10 IOC members resigning or being expelled after being accused of accepting inducements.
Cities are not allowed to announce schemes not included in their official bid documents submitted last November. Both London and New York say they have broken no rules and that schemes are accounted for.

HOUSTON, USA, April 20--Andy Roddick cruised past qualifier Matias Boeker 6-2, 6-3 in a first round matchup at the 380,000 dollar US Clay Court Championships on Tuesday, AFP reported.
Roddick, the top seed, won here in 2001 and 2002 and was the runner-up each of the past two years. He books a second round date with Robby Ginepri, who posted a 6-1, 6-4 triumph over fellow American Mardy Fish on Monday.
Also victorious Tuesday was second-seeded American Andre Agassi, who defeated Czech Michal Tabara 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).
Agassi--who claimed the crown in 2003, 15 years after his first championship here--will oppose Alex Calatrava in the second round.
The Spaniard routed 15-year-old American wild card Donald Young on Monday 6-1, 6-4.
Third seed and defending champion Tommy Haas of Germany moved into the second round with a 6-3, 7-5 triumph over Belgian Kristof Vliegen, but fourth seed Nicolas Massu of Chile was not as fortunate, easily falling to Antony Dupuis, of France, 6-4, 6-0.

Boston Celtics' Ricky Davis goes up for a shot against Cleveland Cavaliers' Sasha Pavlovic (3) from Serbia-Montenegro and Zydrunas Ilgauskas (11) from Lithuania, in the fourth quarter of their match in Cleveland, Tuesday. (AP Photo)

TORONTO, April 20--LeBron James had 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists as he powered the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-86 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, keeping their post-season hopes alive, Reuters reported.
The Cavaliers’ dreams of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1998 will now hinge on the final games of the season on Wednesday where they must beat the Toronto Raptors and have the New Jersey Nets fall to the Celtics.
The Cavaliers and Nets are tied for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff berth but New Jersey advance on the tiebreak.
In their final home appearance of the regular season, the Cavaliers played with a sense of purpose lacking down the stretch, Robert Traylor coming off the bench to score a career-high 22 points and Eric Snow adding six points and a season-high 13 assists.
Having already secured their playoff spot, the Celtics rested many of their top players, Antoine Walker scoring 22 for Boston but did not see the floor in the final quarter.
In East Rutherford, Jason Kidd came up big with a season-high 35 points and Vince Carter added 26 as the New Jersey Nets eased past the Washington Wizards 109-101, to inch closer to a playoff berth.
In Miami, with Shaquille O’Neal sidelined for the final two games of the regular season and Dwyane Wade seeing limited action, Rasual Butler took centre stage, scoring a career-high 25 points as the Heat tamed the Charlotte Bobcats 99-80 in their final regular season home game.
In Chicago, rookie Ben Gordon nailed 16 points, including the game-winner with 5.8 seconds to play, as the Bulls edged the New York Knicks 92-91, to clinch home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
In Atlanta, Tayshaun Prince scored 20 points and Ben Wallace added 15 points and 17 rebounds as the NBA champion Detroit Pistons continued to build momentum as they head towards the playoff, crushing the Atlanta Hawks 95-68 for their 11th straight win.
In Denver, Carmelo Anthony notched 36 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Earl Boykins chipped in with 24 points and 12 assists as the Nuggets closed out the regular season with a 119-115 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
In Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki scored 21 points as the Mavericks downed the Seattle SuperSonics 101-96, sending them towards the playoffs riding an eight-game winning run.
In Milwaukee, Jalen Rose notched 29 points, Morris Peterson had 24 and Rafer Alston added 22 as the Toronto Raptors ended the Bucks’ season with a crushing 127-109 defeat.

LONDON, April 20--The 2006 Champions League final will be played at the Stade de France in Paris while the Olympic Stadium in Athens will host the 2007 showpiece, UEFA said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
The 2006 UEFA Cup final will be held at the Philips Stadium in Eindhoven, with the venue changing its name for the event. The 2007 version will be at Glasgow’s Hampden Park, which hosted the 2002 Champions League final.

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany, April 20--Schalke 04 goalkeeper Frank Rost shot his side into the German Cup final on Tuesday converting the winning penalty as his side defeated holders Werder Bremen 5-4 on penalties after the match finished 2-2 after extra-time, AFP reported.
In a thrilling penalty shootout former Bremen star Rost beat his opposite number Andreas Reinke as Schalke reached the cup final for the third time in five seasons.
“I had faith in myself and I am captain so I sent Mike Hanke away,“ explained match hero Rost.
“This was an amazing match and it is a shame it had to end in penalties.“
Schalke keep their season alive by progressing to the cup final, last year’s double winners Bremen will finish the season empty-handed after penalty misses from Fabian Ernst - who is joining Schalke at the end of the season - Canadian Paul Stalteri and Tim Borowski.
“That was an amazing game,“ enthused Schalke coach Ralf Ragnick.
“I hope that drives us on now for the rest of the season.“ With four minutes left in normal time Schalke led 1-0 through a 64th minute goal from Danish striker Ebbe Sand but Frenchman Valerien Ismael equalised for Bremen to take the game into extra-time.
The momentum was with Bremen and German international Borowski -who scored twice in the final last season - netted four minutes into extra-time but former Bremen favourite Ailton levelled two minutes later to make it all square.
Both Ailton and Borowski missed spot-kicks in a crazy penalty shoot-out but Rost took the plaudits following his three saves before stepping up to score the winning spot-kick.

BERLIN, April 20--FIFA President Sepp Blatter is ready to seek re-election when his current term expires, Reuters reported.
“I’ll make myself available again in 2007, if I’m fit and I’m wanted,“ Blatter was quoted as saying in German newspapers on Tuesday.
Blatter was elected as head of world soccer’s governing body in 1998 in succession to Joao Havelange and won another term in 2002.

BEIJING, April 20--Ernie Els on Wednesday predicted one or two bumps at this week’s Johnnie Walker Classic in China following his worst finish at the US Masters, Reuters reported.
The world number three finished 47th in Augusta after suffering the effects of a viral infection and has been working on minor changes to his game since. “I wasn’t myself at the Masters,“ said Els. “I had a couple of technical faults. My posture was not too good. I’ve spoken to David Leadbetter since then and this week I’ll test them.
“What I’m working on might be a little bit uncomfortable but I’ve got to do them. When it gets comfortable it will be all systems go again.“
Els played down his chances of winning an unprecedented third Johnnie Walker Classic title at Beijing’s Pine Valley Golf Resort and Country Club. “I’ve got to take it day by day,“ shrugged the 35-year-old South African. “It’s small changes I’m making but in golf an inch here and there feels huge so we’ll see where it goes.
“I’m hopeful I should get (low) scores but I’ve got some work ahead of me.“ Els won the Johnnie Walker Classic in 1997 and 2003 and claimed back-to-back wins on the European Tour in the Middle East last month. But he faces a strong challenge in China this week in a tournament which is jointly sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian tours.
Compatriot and world number five Retief Goosen is also playing, along with Australia’s Adam Scott and European Ryder Cup members Sergio Garcia, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Thomas Bjorn, Colin Montgomerie, Paul Casey and Luke Donald. Gale-force winds disrupted practice on Tuesday, preventing Els from getting his first look at the Pine Valley course.
I’ve never been to Beijing so it’s a first experience for me,“ he said. “Hopefully the weather gets better so we can hit s ome balls. It’s difficult to practice when it’s blowing like th is.“
More strong winds are forecast for Thursday’s first round at the $2.3 million tournament, one of five being staged in China on the 2005 European Tour.