San'at Naft players celebrate after defeating Esteqlal in the 17th week of Iran's Professional League at the Azadi Stadium on Friday.

TEHRAN, Dec. 15--After its victory over Esteqlal in the 17th week of Iran’s Professional League (IPL), San’at Naft Abadan’s players have been awarded 10 million rials each by the club.
“Our players did a great job against Esteqlal and succeeded in earning three important points. Hopefully, the victories would continue. Each player has been granted 10 million rials due to the victory,“ IRNA quoted Hafez Ali Asnavandi, manager of San’at Naft club, as saying.
San’at Naft struggled to defeat Tehran’s popular team Esteqlal 3-2 on Friday at the Azadi Stadium before 40,000 fans as the Blues marked their sixth loss of the season.

TEHRAN, Dec. 15-- Hossein Rezazadeh will travel to Damascus on Monday to attend the Asian Club Weightlifting Championship.
The two times Olympic gold medalist will participate in the tourney as a member of Manateq-e Naftkhiz (Oil-Rich Regions), Iran Weightlifting Federation’s website wrote.
Rezazadeh will take part in the heavyweight category, if his main rivals participate.
The world’s most powerful man has not yet appeared in a tournament after a car accident in late August.

TEHRAN, Dec. 15--Iran’s Handball Federation has announced that the city of Isfahan in Iran will host the Asian Handball Championships in 2008.
Asian Handball Federation (AHF) has accepted Iran’s request to host the games, which will bring together teams from Iran, South Korea, Japan, China, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE, Presstv wrote.
“Iran’s Handball Federation had announced its willingness to host the competitions earlier. After studying the proposal, the AHF accepted it,“ said Jalal Barzegar, deputy head of the Iranian federation.
Barzegar added that the top three teams will qualify for the World Handball Cup.
The event runs from February 16 to 24.

GLASGOW, UK,
Dec. 15-- Andy Murray has defended his decision to employ a team of coaches following his split from Brad Gilbert last month.
Former players such as Michael Stich and Greg Rusedski feel Murray would be better off working with one main coach, BBC wrote.
But Murray said: “I know what it’s like being on the road all the time with one person and it gets quite stressful.“
The British number one says he only wants “a couple of coaches, a couple of trainers and a couple of physios“ to work with him during the coming season.
The 20-year-old Scot also insisted the team would not be hired to simply agree with his views.
“If people are thinking that, they don’t know me. I don’t want people saying, ’You’re right’. I want to get better,“ he told the Daily Telegraph.
“I’m a very good tennis player, I’m 11th in the world and I can do most things well.
“But there are a lot of little things that I can do much better and that’s going to be the difference between being ranked 11th and being in the top five - or three - in the world.“

NYON, Switzerland, Dec. 15--UEFA have announced that both Lazio and Anderlecht have been hit with 18,000 euro (£12,857) fines due to the “improper conduct“ of their fans at recent European fixtures.
According to UEFA, Serie A outfit Lazio were fined for the “racist conduct“ of fans at the Champions League Group C tie at Werder Bremen on October 24.
Belgian champions Anderlecht were punished after their supporters threw missiles at Tottenham players during their UEFA Cup Group G clash in Brussels on December 6.
Both clubs will have three days to appeal after receiving written explanations regarding the fines from UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body.

Carlo Ancelotti

YOKOHAMA, Japan, Dec. 15 -- Fabio Capello is the right man to turn England’s fortunes around, AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday.
Capello was appointed England coach on Friday and Ancelotti believes his fellow Italian had the pedigree to turn a team of perennial underachievers into serial winners, Reuters said.
“He has inherited an England team with extremely high potential,“ Ancelotti told reporters on the eve of Milan’s Club World Cup final against Boca Juniors in Japan.
“Organizing that talent and playing a system that can bring the best out of them will be very important. I hope Capello does well and I’m sure he can.“
Capello succeeds Steve McClaren, who was fired after England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008. Capello becomes the country’s second foreign coach after Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson (2001-06).
England’s appointment of Capello received a lukewarm reception from FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who alluded to Capello’s limited grasp of English.
“It is important that the coach can communicate directly to his players and not through an interpreter,“ Blatter told a news conference in Tokyo following FIFA’s executive board meeting.
“England had already broken that principle (of not hiring from overseas) when they had a Swedish coach. But the personality of a coach is also important.
“I don’t mind foreign coaches,“ Blatter added. “But if my memory isn’t failing me I have never seen Spain, Italy or Germany hire a foreign coach for their national side.“

MIAMI, USA,
Dec. 15-- The Texas Rangers have signed Japanese pitcher Kazuo Fukumori on two-year, $3 million contract, the Major League Baseball team said on Friday.
According to Reuters, the 31-year-old right-hander joins from Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Pacific League despite having an injury-plagued season in his home country.
“Kaz is a guy who has a chance to really help our ’pen,“ Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told the team’s Web site.
“He’s got the right makeup for it and is very motivated to prove himself here in the States.“
The Rangers opted this week not to offer a contract to Japanese pitcher Akinori Otsuka, who started last season as the team’s closer but was unable to pitch after July 1 because of a right forearm injury.

BOSTON, USA, Dec. 15-- The Boston Celtics registered a 12th straight home victory with a 104-82 thrashing of the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, Paul Pierce leading the way with a game-high 32 points.
According to Reuters, Rajon Rondo added 17 and Kevin Garnett 15 as the Celtics (19-2) matched a franchise record with their 12-0 home start.
“I wanted to be more aggressive than I have been, especially with Ray Allen out, just to pick up more slack,“ Pierce told reporters after hitting five three-pointers and going nine of 22 from the field.
“But regardless of what the offense does, we are going to turn games around because of our defense,“ Pierce added. “I thought we made a great defensive run in the third quarter. That’s what opened up the game.
Allen missed the game with a sore ankle but the Celtics did not need him as they scored 12 consecutive points in the third period to move 60-49 ahead before a 10-0 spurt later in the quarter gave them a 31-point advantage.
They finished the period with a 78-59 lead, outscoring the Bucks 32-15 for the quarter on their way to an eighth straight victory overall. Mo Williams led Milwaukee with 14 points, Bobby Simmons had 11 and Yi Jianlian 10.

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands,
Dec. 15-- Sunday’s clash between Dutch league leaders Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven has been postponed after a Dutch court allowed police to stage a strike this weekend.
Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen told Dutch radio on Saturday the absence of police would create unacceptable risks for public security, Reuters said.
“We simply can not guarantee that all will go well,“ Cohen said.
Third-placed Feyenoord’s game with AZ Alkmaar has also been postponed.
Ajax top the standings with 31 points after 14 matches, one point ahead of PSV with Feyenoord a further point behind.

MUMBAI, India,
Dec. 15-- A quintet of India’s golden generation of cricketers have a final tilt at glory in Australia when the team embark on a difficult tour next week.
The four-match series could be the last test tour of Australia for batting greats Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and Vangipurappu Laxman, as well as leg spinner Anil Kumble, and they are intent on clinching their country’s first series win on the game’s toughest terrain.
India have come close to winning a series on the testing pitches of Australia twice--in 1986, when the series ended 0-0, and a remarkable one-all draw in 2003-04 when they went 1-0 up in Adelaide.
“The last time out we won a test match but were not able to win the series...the last match (Sydney) was a draw,“ Laxman told Reuters.
“This time we all are keen to go out there with the single-minded ambition of winning the series.
“Doing well in Australia is the most satisfying moment for any cricketer...the ultimate one.

Liverpool's Steven Gerrard takes a penalty against Olympique Marseille during their Champions League group A match at the Velodrome Stadium in Marseille on December 11.

LONDON, Dec. 15-- Arsenal and Liverpool, who lost their unbeaten league records last week, host Chelsea and Manchester United respectively on Sunday as England’s four European pilgrims return to domestic duties with a bang.
According to Reuters, the four, who have all reached the last 16 of the Champions League, will line up on a “super Sunday“ that should be an early Christmas treat for fans and armchair viewers alike.
The all-star double-bill comes relatively early in the season but could have a major impact on the title, particularly if United maintain their recent dominance of their north west rivals.
Tuesday’s impressive 4-0 victory at Olympique Marseille may have rekindled Liverpool’s European dream but if they lose on Sunday they will find themselves nine points behind United and possibly 10 adrift of Arsenal with any chance of a first league title since 1990 looking shot.
Manager Rafael Benitez, ever keen to shuffle his troops, will find it difficult to make too many changes after a midweek performance he described as “almost perfect.“
Alex Ferguson rested most of his first team for Wednesday’s Champions League dead rubber at AS Roma as he seeks to extend United’s remarkable run of four wins and a draw from their last five league visits to the former fortress.
Chelsea’s record at Arsenal is not quite as impressive but Arsene Wenger’s team still have to go back four years for their last home league win.

NEW YORK,
Dec. 15-- Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas has been suspended for one game for fighting during the game against the Indiana Pacers.
Thomas was cited for hitting Indiana forward Troy Murphy in the face late in the second period of Wednesday’s 117-102 defeat by the Pacers, Reuters wrote.
Murphy was fined $10,000 for “escalating the incident“ by shoving Thomas, the league said in a statement.
Thomas, who averages six points and five rebounds, was set to serve his suspension later on Friday when the Bulls host the New York Knicks.

Tiger Woods

THOUSAND OAKS, USA,
Dec. 15-- Tiger Woods left his rivals trailing in his wake at the Target World Challenge on Friday and is odds-on favorite to clinch the title for the fourth time.
The world number one spread-eagled the field by firing a spectacular 10-under-par 62 in the second round, setting a course record on the undulating layout at Sherwood Country Club, Reuters said.
“If the guy who’s leading keeps playing the way he is playing, he can’t be caught,“ British Open champion Padraig Harrington told reporters after climbing into fourth place with a 67.
“There’s no question I know this golf course well,“ added the Irishman, who won the tournament in 2002. “It’s good to have a bit of local knowledge.
“But I’m struggling to manage my complete game so I’m not about to start worrying about the other guys.
“I’m not anywhere near close to my best. I will try my hardest over the next two days but I need to be more match-fit, let’s just say.“
Masters champion Zach Johnson, who ended a calm day in third place after shooting a 67, was not at all surprised that Woods was four shots clear at the tournament’s halfway point.
“He never surprises me,“ Johnson said after posting an eight-under total of 136.