Four held over volleyball match-fixing in SKorea

South Korean prosecutors have arrested four people over alleged match-fixing in professional volleyball, officials said Wednesday. A former player with the KEPCO45 team allegedly took bribes from a gambling broker in return for trying to rig the results of games last year, an official at the prosecution office at the southeastern city of Daegu said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because an investigation was under way. Two other former and incumbent KEPCO45 players have also been arrested for their alleged involvement, the official said. A KEPCO45 official confirmed the arrests, saying his team "feels sorry" for the fans. He wished to remain anonymous citing department rules. The detained broker placed bets on an illegal online gambling website after the results were arranged, the prosecution official said. The outcome of at least four volleyball games last year were rigged, he said. The four people were separately arrested in late January and early February and prosecutors plan to indict them later this month, the official said. The official refused to disclose further details but Yonhap news agency cited the Daegu prosecution office as saying the arrested players told investigators that more players were involved in match-fixing schemes. Last year, South Korea s football league was also hit by a massive match-fixing scandal last year, with nearly 80 footballers and brokers convicted. 

Suarez return fails to inspire Liverpool

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez returned after a nine-match absence but failed to inspire Liverpool to victory in a cagey 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Monday. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, who hoped to fly to the match after the end of the day’s court proceedings in his tax evasion trial, missed the game because of a technical fault that prevented his plane from taking off. He did not miss a great deal of action but his team defended resolutely to leave Anfield with a point after failing to score in the league for the first time for 23 matches. Spurs stayed third on 50 points, seven behind leaders Manchester City and five adrift of champions Manchester United. They also remained seven clear of fourth-placed Chelsea following their London rivals’ 3-3 draw with United on Sunday. Liverpool, who remain unbeaten in the League at Anfield but have drawn eight of their 12 home matches, remained seventh on 39 points, one behind Arsenal. Liverpool enjoyed more possession than Spurs but failed to seriously trouble the visitors, though manager Kenny Dalkglish was happy with the performance. “I’m really pleased with the way the team played. We kept them under a lot of pressure. We just needed the bounce of the ball to go our way and if we’d have got one, I think we would have won it,” he told Sky Sports. Tottenham assistant manager Kevin Bond, in charge at Anfield in Redknapp’s absence, told the BBC: “We had to work really hard and defend for our lives at the end. “We didn’t create many chances but we had the best chance of the match five minutes before the end, and it just was not meant to be. For Gareth Bale’s chance, the goalkeeper stood up well and it was a big moment for us, but a point was a good result for us.” Liverpool striker Andy Carroll had a good opportunity to score after 74 minutes but skied a half-volley over the bar while Suarez headed straight at former Liverpool keeper Brad Friedel from a free kick with his only real chance. Suarez came on after 66 minutes following the end of his suspension which included an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra in October and one game for giving Fulham fans the finger in early December. Spurs’ best chance fell to Bale five minutes from time, but the Welsh midfielder hurried his shot and fired straight at Pepe Reina, one of the few attempts the Liverpool goalie had to deal with. There were few real chances at either end and one of the highlights of the first half was when a cat ran on to the pitch and caused a short delay.

Defeated England 'quarrels with Ajmal's action'

In keeping with the tradition of faulting foreign players after English defeat, the British media twisted a quote from the Pakistani spinner s interview in which he referred to his earlier clearance by the ICC. Saeed Ajmal, the 34-year-old off-spinner who took 24 wickets in the 3-0 Test series whitewash of England, was quoted by the British and other western media as that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has allowed him extra leniency, up to 23.5 degrees to bend his arm. "I don t know about my bowling action, but somebody was telling me your action is bad. ICC has allowed me 23.5 because my arm is not good because of an accident, that is why a problem," BBC television showed Ajmal as saying on Monday after being declared man-of-the-series. "Otherwise no problem, straightaway cleared by ICC." Pakistan won the third and final Test here by 71 runs. His bowling action, reported by match officials during a one-day series against Australia in 2009 before it was cleared after remedial work by experts, once again came under suspicions following his career-best 7-55 in the first Test, also played in Dubai. Former England paceman Bob Willis raised suspicions over his  doosra  (second one) -- a ball which turns the other way than a normal off-break -- while England coach Andy Flower said he has his own opinion and left the matter to the ICC. But after Ajmal s claim on relaxation, Flower on Tuesday showed surprise. "If that s the degree, then there s a problem, said Flower when asked about Ajmal s claim of special dispensation. "That s ridiculous." "That is an ICC issue, though. They are there to police the game, and make sure that it is played within the rules, so they ve got to scrutinise his action. "We ve all got our own views, but our job is to combat whoever is put against us, and part of it is also to play the game in the right spirit." Pakistan cricket team management said Ajmal was cleared by the ICC within the permissible limits and they will issue a further clarification shortly. An ICC spokesman said that the game s governing body was looking into Ajmal s comments and that no player has been given permission to allow bending arms beyond 15 degrees.  A Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman meanwhile said that Ajmal is not a native English speaker, and his comments could have taken in the wrong context.   

FIFA pays $250K to families of Egypt riot victims

FIFA is giving $250,000 in aid to the families of victims of the Egyptian football stadium disaster last week. FIFA says it will pay the money into a charitable account opened by the Al-Ahly club. Fans of the Cairo club were among more than 70 people who died in a violent rampage and stampede after a league match between Al-Masry and Al-Ahly in Port Said. FIFA President Sepp Blatter says "many of the victims were so young. They were also a crucial support for their families, who now need help." Police have been accused of failing to protect Al-Ahly fans, who helped lead protests last year against the regime of ousted president Hosni Mubarak. The stadium tragedy fueled renewed protests against Egypt s military rulers.

PCB chairman wants Amir return

PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf has said that Mohammad Amir, the Pakistan fast bowler who was released from custody in the UK on Wednesday, will be welcomed back to the national team once he has served his ICC ban. Ashraf added that Amir would be given financial support while undergoing rehabilitation.

The 19-year-old Amir was released from Portland Young Offenders Institution in Dorset after serving half of a six-month sentence for his part in a spot-fixing scam. He is currently in London where he will meet his lawyers to draw up an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the five-year ban imposed on him by the ICC for the same offence.

"Once he serves the ban, then he could come into the team," Ashraf said. "He is a young Pakistani, he committed a mistake and it was a case of a huge talent lost.

"We will have to see how his appeal goes in the CAS. After serving the ban he can come back in the team, but the final decision will be down to the selectors who will judge his fitness.

"I want to see Amir back, but only after considering the legality of the case and only after he serves the ban. We can do the rehab programme while he is serving his ban. We can do the rehab programme and also use him in lectures to other players so that he can be financially helped."

An ICC tribunal banned Amir for five years in February 2011. His team-mate Mohammad Asif was given a seven-year ban - with two years suspended - and the former Pakistan captain Salman Butt was banned for ten years, five suspended. Shortly after the decision Amir announced his intention to appeal the decision to the CAS, an arbitration body set up to settle legal disputes relating to sport.

Amir and his two team-mates were give custodial sentences in November 2011 after being convicted at Southwark Crown Court of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat at gambling. A plot to bowl deliberate no-balls in a Test against England in 2010 was uncovered in a News of the World sting operation. Amir and Butt lost an appeal against the sentence in November in the Court of Appeal in London.

The judge, Mr Justice Cooke, ruled at Southwark Crown Court that the affair was "so serious that only imprisonment will suffice". Butt was sentenced to two-and-a-half years, Asif was jailed for one year, and Amir for six months. Mazhar Majeed, the players' agent, received a sentence of two years eight months. Majeed had boasted to undercover reporters that he could arrange for Pakistan cricketers to rig elements of games for money and was surreptitiously filmed accepting £150,000 in cash from a journalist.

Ashraf blamed Majeed for the players' involvement in spot-fixing and reiterated that Pakistan cricket would not give up on Amir.

"Definitely we will rehabilitate Amir through an education programme," he said. "Whatever has happened we are sad, not only me but also most of the Pakistani people are sad for this young boy who, with the other players, was trapped by Majeed."

Djokovic, Barcelona win at 2012 Laureus awards

The dominant forces in tennis and football were honored on Monday, with Novak Djokovic winning the top individual prize and Barcelona capturing the team trophy at the 2012 Laureus Sports Awards. The top-ranked Djokovic won sportsman of the year at the ceremony in London, one week afterthe Serbian triumphed at the Australian Open to become the fifth man in the Open Era to win three Grand Slam titles in a row.

He's already targeting a fourth at the French Open in Paris in June.

"I have to stay optimistic, believe in what I can do, believe in my abilities and believe that I can win on all surfaces," Djokovic said. "I have proven on numerous occasions that I can really be one of the candidates to win every Grand Slam on every surface. I need to keep that up. Roland Garros is the one to win this year."

Barcelona was recognized as the best team after a stellar 2011 in which Pep Guardiola's players won the Spanish league and Champions League.

Kenyan distance runner Vivian Cheruiyot, who won the 5,000- and 10,000-meter titles at the world championships last year, took the sportswoman's award.

Darren Clarke was honored with the comeback of the year award. The 43-year-old Northern Irishman won his first golf major by capturing the British Open at Royal St. George's last year.

Compatriot Rory McIlroy won the breakthrough of the year award for the 22-year-old's eight-shot win at the U.S. Open at Congressional, becoming the second-youngest player to win a major since 1934.

"It was a great year to win my first major and to get into the top three in the world rankings," McIlroy said. "I think 2012 is going to be a really exciting year. I'd love to back up my US Open win with another major this year, and hopefully try and get to No. 1."

Bobby Charlton was supposed to attend to receive the lifetime achievement award 54 years to the day after surviving the Munich air disaster that killed eight members of his Manchester United team.

But the 74-year-old Charlton, who won the 1966 World Cup with England and the European Cup two years later with United, fell ill on Sunday and returned to Manchester on Monday for unspecified minor surgery, Laureus said.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson accepted the award on Charlton's behalf.

"Sir Bobby is fine, but it was felt he should go back to Manchester” he is very annoyed not to be here to receive this award," Ferguson said.

Double amputee Oscar Pistorius won the disability award. The South African 400-meter specialist won a silver medal in the relay at the able-bodied world championships last year in Daegu, South Korea.

The winners were chosen by 47 sports stars who make up the Laureus sports academy.

Pakistan vs England Media gallery by HH sport views

Valiant Pakistan whitewash No. 1 Test side

Set a daunting 324-run target, England were bowled out for 252 with paceman Umar Gul taking 4-61 and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (4-67) to help Pakistan achieve a first-ever Test clean sweep against their opponents. With the ball turning again it was always a difficult task for England s batsmen, who have been unable to play the Pakistani spinners throughout the series, on a weary fourth day pitch at Dubai Stadium. Pakistan won the first Test here by ten wickets and the second by 72 runs in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan have also become the first team to win a Test after being bowled out for under 100 since 1907 when England, shot out for 76, beat South Africa at Leeds. It was England s seventh series whitewash, their first at the hands of Pakistan. Pakistan have now recorded five series whitewashes, their last coming in a 3-0 win over Bangladesh in 2003. England s last series whitewash came in 2007 when they were routed by Australia 5-0. So dominating have been Pakistanis spinners that Ajmal finished the series with 24 and Rehman with 19. England, 89-2 at lunch, were still in with a chance with Alastair Cook (49) and Kevin Pietersen (18) batting well but they lost four wickets in the space of 84 runs. They went to tea at 173-6. Pietersen, who struggled for runs in the series, hit Abdul Rehman for a boundary and then hoisted him for a six to post England s 100. But Ajmal struck from the other end. The off-spinner produced a beautiful delivery to bowl Pietersen through the gate for 18. He had a mere 67 runs for the series during which he was out to spinners on five occasions. In his next over, Ajmal produced another sharp turning delivery which caught the edge of Cook s bat and was smartly held by a diving Younis Khan in the lone slip. Ian Bell (10) and Eoin Morgan (31) added 37 for the fifth wicket but again failed to produce a big score in the series as Gul dismissed them in the space of just three runs. Pakistan took the second new ball at 196-6 and the first ball saw Gul dismissing Stuart Broad (18) and then Graeme Swann on one. Matt Prior remained not out at 49 when Monty Panesar was dismissed by Rehman for nine. England had looked for big partnerships after resuming at 36-0 but that never transpired. Pakistan could have wrapped the match earlier had they not dropped two crucial catches, the first off Strauss on 26 when wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal grassed a simple chance off Gul. But that didn t hurt Pakistan as Rehman trapped England captain in the very next over. Strauss challenged the decision by Australian umpire Steve Davis but his review failed. Gul then let off Cook at 24 when he failed to hold a top-edge sweep off Rehman. Cook had also benefited from a dropped catch on Saturday when Taufiq Umar let him off in the third slip off a miscued drive off Gul when he was four. Ajmal then broke a dangerous looking 37-run stand between Cook and Jonathan Trott (18) by forcing a top-edge sweep which was smartly snapped up by Rehman at square-leg. The teams will now play four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals.