BIRMINGHAM: Former British shot put champion Paul Edwards was banned for life today for a second positive drugs test.

A British Athletic Federation (BAF) disciplinary panel found Edwards guilty of a positive finding in an out-of-competition test last June following a previous offence in 1994.

Chinese athletes punished for doping

BEIJING: Twenty-four Chinese athletes including 18 women were caught for drug offence in 1997 official news agency Xinhua reported. "All these 24 athletes and their coaches have been punished according to the international and domestic rules," the news agency said yesterday quoting a statement from the Chinese Olympic Committee's anti-doping commission.

Thirteen of those caught were from track and field, seven were weightlifters and the others from wrestling, boxing, cycling and boating, the report said. The agency said 3,540 drug tests, including 1,893 out of competition, were conducted last year, of which 21turned out positive. Two other athletes reportedly were caught trying to cheat on doping tests, and another was found giving banned drugs to others.

Ex-cycling champ killed in car crash

BRUSSELS: Belgium's Rudy Dhaenens, the 1990 World Cycling champion died of injuries sustained in a weekend car crash. He was 36.

Dhaenens' car slammed into an power pylon on Sunday en route to the tour of Flanders, where he was scheduled to provide broadcast analysis. He died last night at a hospital. He is survived by his wife and two children.

No Easter release for Graf's father

ULM (GERMANY): Former world women's tennis number one Steffi Graf's father has failed in an appeal for an early release from prison where he is serving a three-year term for fraud.

A court turned down the 59-year-old Graf's application.

He was sentenced to three years and nine months for failing to pay 12 million marks (7.5 $ million) in tax from his daughter's earning in January 1997. As he had already been held on16 months remand he has been able to leave prison since December and return to his cell at night.

Bichel rejects Hampshire contract

BRISBANE: Australian paceman Andrew Bichel said today he had rejected a $ 65,000 offer to replace Queensland teammate Michael Kasprowicz as the overseas player for English county Hampshire this year.

Bichel, left out of the Australian squad currently in India rejected Hampshire's approach so he could devote himself to winning a regular place in the Test team for next season's home Ashes series against England. Bichel was the 1996-97 Sheffield Shield player of the year after capturing 25 wickets in just three games at 16.56.

"The Scud" comes under fire

SYDNEY: Australia's shock Davis Cup defeat by Zimbabwe has caused a split in the team with Mark Woodforde attacking Mark Philippoussis refusing to play and then turning up as a spectator.

Woodforde said relations between Philippoussis and the rest of the team would take a long time to heal.

Philippoussishad refused to play in the tie because of a public feud with team captain John Newcombe. But Philippoussis arrived as a spectator for the tie at late notice and apparently uninvited to cheer on the team. Zimbabwe achieved the country's greatest Davis Cup result when brothers Wayne and Byron Black won the reverse singles on Sunday to seal a 3-2 away win. Philippoussis had accused Newcombe of failing to help him during a form slump last year while his father was battling cancer. Newcombe responded by saying he had nothing to apologise for and told the player to grow up.