Iran's Paykan volleyball team celebrate the win over Saudi Al Hilal at the Asian Men's Volleyball Clubs Championships in Bahrain on Friday.

TEHRAN, June 9--Iran’s Paykan has defeated the Saudi Al Hilal to claim the Asian Men’s Volleyball Clubs Championships for the second consecutive year.
According to PressTV, during Friday night’s final held in the Bahrain capital of Manama, Paykan beat its Saudi opponent in three straight sets, scoring 25-14, 25-22 and 25-17.
This is the third year the Iranian club takes home the title following two previous championship victories in 2002 and 2006.
Before the final, United Arab Emirates’ Al Ahli and Bahrain’s Al Najma battled it out for the third spot in the games with the UAE team, emerging as victors in three sets.

Mehdi Mahdavikia

TEHRAN, June 9--The captain of Iran’s national football team and former Hamburg player Mehdi Mahdavikia has signed a three-year contract with Eintracht Frankfurt, reported PressTV, quoting ISNA.
The Iranian national player and the club reached the agreement that keeps Mahdavikia in the German Bundesliga after ’long negotiations’.
The Iranian press reported earlier this week that he had also received lucrative offers from the Spanish League, including from Real Mallorca and Deportivo La Coruna, but he had hoped to stay in Germany to keep his daughter in the same school.
The 29-year-old will travel to Tehran next week to train with the Iranian national team, which will compete next month in the Asian championships.
Mahdavikia is considered one of the greatest ever Iranian players because of his impressive longevity in playing top-flight football, and regular contributions to both his club and national team.

LILLE, France,
June 9--Mehdi Baala of France won the men’s 2,000 meters at the Lille Metropole outdoor track meet Friday, said AP.
Baala, who won his second consecutive European title in the men’s 1,500 at the European Championships last August, won in 4 minutes, 56.56 seconds. He finished well clear of Tarek Boukensa of Algeria, who clocked 4:57.20. Limo Remmy Ndiwa of Kenya was third in 5:00.74.
Dayron Robles of Cuba won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.27 seconds. Serhiy Demydyuk of Ukraine placed second in 13.63 and Masato Naito of Japan was third in 13.72.
The men’s 300-meter race was won by Greg Nixon of United States in 32.35 seconds, and Leslie Djhone of France was second in 32.90.
Javier Fernandez Francisco of Spain won the 5,000-meter walk in 18:27.34. In women’s events, Yuliya Golubchikova of Russia won the pole vault by clearing 4.50 meters (14 feet, 9 inches), and Adrianna Lamalle of France won the 100-meter hurdles in 13.07 seconds.
Lamalle held off Danielle Carruthers of United States and Anay Tejeda of Cuba. Carruthers ran a 13.15, and Tejeda crossed in 13.48.
Ibtissam Lakhouad of Morocco took the women’s 1,500 in 4:07.91, and Kenya’s Eunice Chepkorir won the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 9:30.45. She finished ahead of Frenchwomen Julie Coulaud and Sophie Duarte.
Coulaud finished second in 9:32.08, and Duarte was third in 9:38.73.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 9--The line-up for the AFC Final Round Qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was completed on a thrilling final day of second stage qualifiers with Australia, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Syria, Bahrain and Qatar confirming their spots on Wednesday, reported AFC.
The six teams join Japan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, DPR Korea, Iraq and Korea Republic for the AFC Final Round Qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games draw which will be held here at AFC House on June 13.
The 12 teams will be split into three groups of four each and the final round will run through August 22 till November 21, with only the group toppers representing Asia at the Beijing Olympic Games next year. Hosts China qualify automatically.
Qatar carried out a merciless 7-0 demolition of Pakistan in Doha to advance to the final round by pushing Kuwait into third position on goal difference.
Majed Mohamed (37), Yousef Ahmed (39, 64), Ali Hassan (41), Adel Lami (43), Talal Al Beloushi (69) and Waleed Jassim (73) hit the net for the Qataris.
Qatar finished level on 11 points with Kuwait, who lost to Bahrain 2-1 in their final crunch outing, and the seven goals scored on the day carried them through on the basis of a superior goal difference.
In Manama, Jesin John’s 90th minute strike settled the encounter against Kuwait in favor of Bahrain 2-1.
Fati Baba Tonde put Bahrain in the driver’s seat with his 23rd minute opening goal but Kuwait hit back through Abdullah Masheleh’s penalty. It was left to Jesin to break the deadlock and put Bahrain in the final round with his late winner.
Bahrain, who began the day in second position, finished with 12 points.
Final standings for Group A: 1. Bahrain-12, 2. Qatar-11, 3. Kuwait-11, 4. Pakistan-0
Final standings for Group B: 1. Japan-18, 2. Syria-10, 3. Malaysia-4, 4. Hong Kong-3
Final standings for Group C: 1. Vietnam-12, 2. Lebanon-12, 3. Oman-6, 4. Indonesia-3
Final standings for Group D: 1. Saudi Arabia-15, 2. Australia-11, 3. Iran-5, 4. Jordan-2
Final standings for Group E: 1. Iraq-12, 2. DPR Korea-11, 3. Thailand-8, 4. India-1
Final standings for Group F: 1. Korea Republic-15, 2. Uzbekistan-12, 3. UAE-6, 4. Yemen-3

MANCHESTER, UK, June 9--England paceman Stephen Harmison delivered the occasional gem amidst a flurry of wide deliveries to help leave West Indies 153 for three in reply to England’s 370, a deficit of 217, at tea on the second day of the third Test at Old Trafford here on Friday.
According to AFP, Devon Smith was 40 not out and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, West Indies’ most experienced batsman who’d missed their record-breaking innings and 283-run defeat in the second Test at Headingley with a knee injury, 15 not out.
Harmison had figures of two for 39 from eight overs but the inclusion of eight wides gave a clue to his waywardness.
England, 1-0 up in the four-match series, saw Harmison’s first over began with a wide. Two dot balls were then followed by four byes and another wide, the Durham quick looking as wayward as he’s been earlier in the series.
But, with new England bowling advisor Allan Donald, the former South Africa quick, watching on, Harmison then pitched one straight to have West Indies captain Daren Ganga, leading the team in place of the injured Ramnaresh Sarwan, plumb lbw for five.
However, Harmison should have been stopped from bowling until 30 minutes into West Indies’ reply under Cricket’s Law 17.1 after breaking the rule which prevents players practicing on the square when the match is in progress, during the break between innings.
At lunch, West Indies were 17 for one. Afterwards, Gayle moved on to 23 when, trying to drive Liam Plunkett--who’d been practicing with Harmison during the innings break--he lost control and was caught in the gully by Alastair Cook.
Plunkett bowled with great control than Harmison and at tea had figures of one for 18 from seven overs.
Meanwhile Harmison, who last year in the first innings at Old Trafford took six for 19 against Pakistan, remained wildly off target.
Nevertheless, he eventually ended a third-wicket stand of 67 when Runako Morton, on 35 which included a six off left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, edged a rising straight delivery to Andrew Strauss at first slip.
Earlier, England’s Ian Bell just missed out on what would have been a seventh Test hundred. Bell, who came in with England wobbling at 132 for four, made a patient 97 in nearly five hours at the crease before being caught behind.

PARIS, June 9--Defending champion Rafael Nadal powered past Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinals and will play world number one Roger Federer in Sunday’s final, said AFP.
Nadal, 21, won a pulsating encounter against 20-year-old Djokovic, finally seeing off the Serb 7-5 6-4 6-2.
The Spaniard remains unbeaten in three visits to Roland Garros and will go for a hat-trick of titles against Federer, who earlier beat Nikolay Davydenko.
“The final should be a great match,“ said Nadal.
“Any time you have the number one and number two in the world playing each other it is something special.
“He is playing well and has dropped just the one set in the tournament so I will have to be at my very best to be able to beat Roger. I will do all I can to achieve that.“
Nadal and Djokovic started their semifinal at a fierce pace and the Spaniard took control with a break in game five.
Djokovic came roaring back from 5-2 down to level but could not maintain that standard. Nadal broke back and served out the set before getting the only break in game seven of the second.
By the start of the third set the physical punishment of facing Nadal had taken its toll on Djokovic and the match slipped away in two hours and 28 minutes.
“He’s the best player in the world on this surface,“ Djokovic said of Nadal. “He’s physically stronger than any other player on the tour.
“Today was my first semifinal of a Grand Slam ever in my career, and I think I played really well. I have time, I’m only 20. I’m really happy with my performance.“

Vodavone McLaren Mercedes driver, Fernando Alonso of Spain takes turn one during the first practice session of the Formula One Grand Prix of Canada on Friday.

MONTREAL, June 9--McLaren’s Fernando Alonso was fastest in both of Friday’s practice sessions for the Canadian Grand Prix, reported AFP.
He was half a second quicker than the rest in the second session, posting a time of one minute 16.550 seconds.
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was second quickest in 1:17.090 while Lewis Hamilton, who was second in the first session, was relegated to third.
David Coulthard ended 11th, two places ahead of Jenson Button, while Anthony Davidson was 15th fastest.
Massa, who lies third in the driver’s championship, rescued the session for Ferrari in the final few minutes with his lap to split the McLarens.
His teammate Kimi Raikkonen also moved up from eighth to fourth just before the chequered flag brought proceedings to a halt.
But it was still an ominous statement of intent from Alonso, who always looked in command as he seeks to build on his victory in Monaco and claim a third win of the season.
“That was a good start to our weekend at a challenging circuit,“ said Alonso, who won from pole position in Canada as a Renault driver last season.
“I don’t think we will dominate like we did at the last race in Monaco, and the track conditions here mean it is very hard to estimate where our competition is, but so far so good.“
Hamilton, runner-up in his last four races, was reasonably pleased with his first outing on the demanding circuit.
“I think we have made some good steps forward today,“ said the Briton.
“I have to say it is an extremely tough circuit, it’s heavy braking, slowly building up to the pace, there are quite a lot of walls that you can easily hit and it is very, very slippery.“
It was also a positive second session for German duo Nick Heidfeld, of Sauber, and Nico Rosberg, of Williams, who finished fifth and sixth respectively.
Mark Webber had headed the times for the first half-hour of the session but the Australian Red Bull driver, without a championship point to his name this year, could not maintain his pace and slipped back to finish ninth.
Grip was a problem all morning on the rarely-used Gilles Villeneuve circuit and the problems were still evident as the day wore on.

LONDON, June 9--Colin Lynes claimed the British light-welterweight belt from champion Barry Morrison with a points victory in front of the Scot’s hometown fans on Friday.
The 29-year-old Londoner, the former IBO world champion, won on all three judges’ cards--116-113, 117-111 and 116-112--at Motherwell’s Civic Center.
Morrison was making his first defense since taking the title from Lenny Daws on a split decision in January, according to AFP.
But over 12 enthralling rounds, Lynes was superior in technique and guile. Morrison took a series of left jabs from the challenger in the first couple of rounds and it was evident that a tough fight lay ahead.
Lynes, sharp and incisive, was marking Morrison’s face early in the encounter as he accumulated the points.
The Scotsman stepped up the pace in the third round but the Hornchurch fighter was proving elusive while continuing to trouble with his lightening left hand.
Morrison tried hard to channel his obvious frustration in a positive way but Lynes looked classier, his movement sharper and defense stronger.
By round five the champion was trying to fluster the Englishman with sheer aggression and for the first time in the fight he began to find a way through.
Morrison, with a tighter defense and unleashing some powerful left hands, was looking less vulnerable by the halfway point.
Both fighters took something of a breather in round seven but while Lynes’ left jab had clearly lost some of its earlier potence, his slickness remained.