BELGRADE, Serbia. Nov. 6--A sports team from Iran won the first place in the sixth international taekwondo championship competitions held here for three days, IRNA reported.
In the final day of the contests on Sunday, two Iranian athletes managed to surpass their rivals from Bulgaria and Serbia. In the Sunday evening contests, Mehran Asgari snatched gold medal with a stunning “knock-out“ victory over his Serbian rival in the first minute of the first round.
With two gold medals gained on the final day of the three-day competitions, the Iranian team comprised of young sportsmen from the Iranian Azad University ranked first with seven gold, four silver and four bronze medals.
Some 650 taekwondo players grouped in 72 teams from 18 countries participated in the tournaments.

Manchester United's manager Sir Alex Ferguson

LONDON, Nov. 6--Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he wants to see more homegrown players at English clubs.
Ferguson agrees with FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s plans to get a quota on foreign players, an opinion which is set to rile both Arsenal and Liverpool, AFP reported.
“For the good of the game in England, it would be good to see more home-based players at the top clubs,“ he said. “I totally agree with Blatter, but there would be opposition from clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal.“
He added in Inside United magazine: “It’s certainly not wrong that clubs should be seen to have a proportion of home-based players. You want to protect your own, and there is nothing wrong with that and that’s why Arsenal will protest the loudest. United’s critics would say ’It’s all right for you, you already have English players in your side’. But I think if you asked a neutral, they would rather see more home-based players.“
Blatter wants clubs to be limited to five foreigners in their starting XI to allow homegrown talent to flourish. The Premier League says under EU law it would not be possible, but Ferguson, who celebrates 21 years as United boss on Tuesday, believes there is a way around the legal system.

India's Yuvraj Singh plays a shot as Pakistan's wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal watches during their first one-day international cricket match in Guwahati, Monday.

GUWAHATI, India, Nov. 6--Mahendra Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh hit half-centuries to inspire India to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in their opening one-day match in Guwahati, BBC wrote.
They put on 105, the aggressive Dhoni hitting eight fours in his 63, while Yuvraj fired six fours and a six in 58. Both fell near the end but India got to their 240 target with 18 balls left.
Salman Butt gave Pakistan a good start with 50 from 57 balls and Mohammad Yousuf, dropped on nine, hit eight fours in a battling unbeaten 83. The victory gave the hosts a vital early edge in the five-match series, which continues in Mohali on Thursday.
Pakistan’s total of 239-7 having opted to bat first did not look sufficient, despite a slow pitch that made shot-making difficult. After Sachin Tendulkar was lbw to a Shoaib Akhtar slower ball in the third over, it appeared that an Indian victory would not be straightforward.
Gambhir (44) twice edged Shoaib between keeper and slip to the boundary early in his innings. But he and fellow left-hander Sourav Ganguly (39) slowly came to terms with the surface with a third-wicket stand of 82 spanning 14 overs.
They were progressing serenely until Ganguly beaten by a throw from Butt at backward square-leg. Four overs later Gambhir missed a straight one from Shahid Afridi that bowled him around his legs with 127 still needed.
But Dhoni, the man of the match, signaled his intentions by flashing at his first ball, which fizzed off the outside edge to the boundary, and the batting side were soon firmly in command again.
Yuvraj, who survived a confident lbw appeal from spinner Abdur Rehman on 35, wafted the next ball effortlessly over mid-wicket for six to keep his team well ahead of the rate.
He was first of the pair to 50, from 66 balls, Dhoni following suit in the next over, and the searing boundaries continued as the 100 stand came up in 129 balls.
With 22 needed from 42 balls, Yuvraj top-edged a sweep to fine-leg and the requirement was 15 from 35 when Dhoni was smartly caught behind off the persistent Shoaib.
There were a couple more moments of anxiety before Robin Uthappa thumped Shoaib down the ground for four and advanced down the pitch to slice the winning boundary through third man. When Shoaib Malik elected to have first use of the pitch, Butt played some fluent strokes with the field up for the powerplay overs.
Kamran Akmal was not able to score as freely and succumbed playing an ungainly stroke across the line. However replays suggested that English umpire Ian Gould - resplendent in old school colonial-style panama hat--was incorrect as the ball pitched outside leg-stump.
Pakistan were looking good but an unnecessary run out just after the drinks break forced them to rebuild. Having reached 50 from 56 balls, Butt miscued to mid-off but set off for a perfectly realistic single, only to find Younus Khan rooted to the non-striker’s end.

Ehsan Hajysafi of Sepahan (l) fights for the ball with Mohamed Al Shehhi of United Arab EmiratesÕ Al Wahda during their Asian Champions League semifinal soccer match in Abu Dhabi, October 24.

ISFAHAN, Nov. 6--Opening leg of the AFC Champions League final will kick offÊbetween Iran’s Sepahan and Japan’s Urawa Reds at 16:00 hours on Wednesday at Isfahan’s Foolad Shahr Stadium. Ê
Sepahan of Isfahan is set to beat the Urawa Reds as many goals as it can for increasing its chance to win the AFC Champions League in the away game that will be played at Saitama on Nov. 14.Ê
Iranian team has strongly defeated Al-Wahda of Emirates in the semifinal stage to advance to final round while Urawa knocked out the South Korea’s Seongnam Ilhwa in penalty shootout. Ê
Urawa traveled to Isfahan yesterday after 4-day training camp in Dubai, as the nearest city to the country, with 400 fans who accompanied the Japanese team in the vital game. Urawa has no captain Nobuhisa Yamada in the first leg due to injury and defender Tulio could miss the match because of similar problem. Ê
On the contrary, Sepahan will have the key players in the game, including captain Moharram Navidkia and skipper Mahmoud Karimi, who considered as the best scorer of the team. Sepahan also will be supported by the cheering fans.Ê
Asking Navidkia about the final game, he said: “Naturally, I am very happy to have the chance to play in the final because every player would love the opportunity to get to the highest level of any competition.“Ê
“It is a great achievement to have got so far and while I cannot speak for all Iranian football fans, it is an important success for our club and for our fans,“ he added.Ê
Croatian coach Luka Bonacic will be hoping also his top striker Seyed Salehi can make an impact following his recent return from knee surgery, according to Reuters.Ê
“It’s a huge match for Iranian football,“ said Bonacic.Ê
“In my country they say that if you go to Rome, you can see the pope. We’re in the final so anything is possible.“Ê
Sepahan and Urawa Reds are experiencing the AFC Champions League final for the first time. Ê
Sepahan try being the first Iranian team to win a continental title since Pas captured the Asian Club Championship in 1993.ÊÊ
Meanwhile, Iran’s Sepahan team ranked 91 in the IFFHS list.
According to Press TV, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) has ranked Iran’s Sepahan among the world’s top 100 teams.
The rankings produced by IFFHS have placed two Asian soccer outfits in the list; Japan’s Urawa FC Red Diamonds and Iranian Sepahan.
The Japanese club ranked 70 with 133.5 points while the Iranian side stood at 91st place with 123 points.
Sepahan has to face Urawa Red this Wednesday in the AFC Championships League finals.
Spain’s Sevilla retained its position on the top of the 350 clubs on the list with 302 points for the 14th consecutive month.
The federation takes into account performances of the teams against continental opposition rather than any league results to rank them.

Top 10 Teams:
Sevilla: 302
Chelsea: 274
Manchester United: 272
Santos: 258
Boca Juniors: 250
Inter: 247
AC Milan: 244
AS Roma: 240
ColoColo: 231.5
FCBarcelona: 229

NEW YORK, Nov. 6--Paula Radcliffe says she hopes to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London at the age of 38.
According to AP, Radcliffe won the New York Marathon on Sunday just 10 months after giving birth to her first child.
And Radcliffe said she now saw the prospect of prolonging her career until 2012 as a realistic ambition.
“I’m a long way from wanting to step back and I really do want to continue through 2012 if I can.“
After the birth of daughter Isla, Radcliffe had to overcome a back injury.
But the marathon world record holder showed no signs of a problem as she held off great rival Gete Wami to win by 23 seconds in New York. And she said that the enforced break actually did her good.
“I think the time away from the sport because of the breaks and then the injury has really refreshed me,“ she said. “I came here to win the race and I won the race and I got myself back into racing, which is what I love doing at the end of the day.“

LOS ANGELES,
Nov. 6-- Former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre took formal control of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, calling the experience “surreal“.
Torre quit the Yankees last month after 12 years with baseball’s most storied franchise, saying he was unwilling to accept a one-year contract with incentives he found insulting, Reuters reported.
But the 67-year-old manager appeared relaxed and re-energized at a light-hearted news conference in center field of Dodger Stadium.
“This is surreal for me,“ he said. “It’s been an emotional roller-coaster for my family over the last couple of weeks.“
The Dodgers started well last season before sliding to a third-place finish in the National League West.
Torre said that while he had “a wonderful run“ with the Yankees, where he took his teams to the playoffs each year and won the World Series four times, he left with no regrets.
“The opportunity to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers, this is one of a handful of organizations you automatically say ’yes’ to,“ said Torre, who grew up with the team in Brooklyn before they moved to Los Angeles 50 years ago.
“I didn’t sleep last night,“ he said. “I didn’t know where to start. It’s a great feeling to be here. I get choked up.“
Torre said he would bring two of his coaches, Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa, with him to Los Angeles.
He deflected most questions on his 2008 roster, saying he had not yet held meaningful discussions with general manager Ned Colletti.
Torre said the Dodgers would have an eye on the free-agent market but added it was too early to tell if the team would pursue his former third baseman Alex Rodriguez, considered baseball’s best player.
Rodriguez, who opted out of his contract with the Yankees after the 2007 season, is the most expensive free agent on the market and would give the Dodgers a much-needed boost.

LONDON, Nov. 6--Manchester City maintained their 100 percent Premier League home record and climbed to third in the table with a rocket of a volley from Stephen Ireland.
According to BBC, Ireland lit up an otherwise poor match when he made a cracking connection with Darius Vassell’s cross from the left. It was a cruel blow for Sunderland, who played the better for much of the game.
But Danny Collins and Anthony Stokes failed to find the target with flashing first-half headers and Kenwyne Jones could not turn in a left-wing cross. The game lacked the fireworks normally associated with Bonfire Night until Ireland struck.
Martin Petrov switched play from right to left where Elano and Vassell linked before the latter, a half-time substitute, swung in an inviting ball to the back post where Ireland fizzed a shot between Craig Gordon’s legs.
He then pulled down his shorts to reveal a pair of underpants bearing the Superman logo. The match caught fire in that moment, with the tempo increasing and Sunderland pushing for what would have been a deserved equalizer.
Their best chances came from the left where Ross Wallace swung in crosses for Grant Leadbitter and Jones. But Leadbitter’s side-footed effort back into the box was cleared by Richard Dunne and Jones could only get a toe to another delivery to the back post.
With 10 minutes remaining City shored up their defensive ranks with Michael Ball replacing Elano and the reinforced rearguard ensured Sunderland’s hopes of a come back went up in smoke. The struggling Black Cats were left to rue their inability to make their hosts pay for a shockingly lacklustre start.
Collins and Stokes missed the target with headers when they should have at least tested Joe Hart in the home goal. And Leadbitter dragged a tame shot wide after Sun Jihai, who had a torrid evening, slipped on halfway to gift the breaking Stokes the ball.
By then City had at least been roused from their torpor. The muted home support, who entertained themselves by roundly booing visiting boss and former Manchester United stalwart Roy Keane, had to wait 26 minutes before seeing Gordon tested with a bobbler from Elano.
That seemed to ignite the hosts with Elano to the fore and Emile Mpenza twice firing on goal, once on target and once wide. But the match soon fizzled back to a turgid, one-paced affair littered with misplaced passes and little sparkle.

LONDON, Nov. 6-- Around 1,500 Everton fans have had their tickets cancelled for Thursday’s UEFA Cup game against Nuremberg in Germany because of fears over hooliganism, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.
UEFA classified the match as high-risk after it emerged that Nuremberg had sold some 1,500 tickets direct to Everton fans, who would have been sitting among home supporters. European football’s governing body advised that the tickets be withdrawn, Reuters reported.
Everton were allocated fewer than 3,000 tickets for the ground, which holds 47,000, and said they had received requests for five times that number.

MILAN, Italy, Nov. 6--AS Roma captain Francesco Totti will miss Wednesday’s Champions League Group F clash at Sporting Lisbon after failing to recover from an ankle injury he sustained during the 2-1 win over the Portuguese side two weeks ago.
According to Reuters, Injured right back Christian Panucci and midfielder Alberto Aquilani are also out of the squad for the Lisbon game, the Serie A club said on their Web site (www.asroma.it).
Roma are second in Group F with six points, three behind leaders Manchester United and three ahead of third-placed Sporting.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan’s Luis Figo fractured his shin in Sunday’s 1-1 Serie A draw at Juventus, tests showed on Monday.
“The midfielder has fractured the fibula in his right leg,“ the Serie A champions told their Web site.
The former Real Madrid and Portugal player came off in the second half after a foul by Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved, who was booked.
Inter, who entertain CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday, did not say how long Figo would be out.
The 34-year-old joins the club’s long list of injured midfielders.
France captain Patrick Vieira is expected to be sidelined until the end of the year with a calf problem, Serbia’s Dejan Stankovic is missing with an ankle strain and Chilean Luis Jimenez is also out because of a thigh injury.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Nov. 6--Iran’s beach soccer team failed to advance to next round in Beach Soccer World Cup, despite winning the giant Spain 5-4 on Tuesday.
Plucky Iran have already lost to Portugal and USA in the preliminary round, however winning the Spaniard showed the potentiality of Iranians who experienced the sport as a novice in the country.
Iran was beaten by Portugal in the penalty shootout after ending in a 3-3 stalemate in beginning of the World Cup. The team also could be a winner against USA but lost 7-6 and failed to reach the knock out stage surprisingly.