MONTE CARLO: Karl-Heinz Becker, the father of German tennis star Boris Becker, died last evening, the ATP Tour said today.

The three-times Wimbledon champion has now pulled out of the Monte Carlo Open in which he had beaten Frenchman Cedric Pioline in the first round yesterday.

Ray of hope for Ben Johnson

TORONTO: A Canadian adjudicator has ruled that disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson should be reinstated in Canada and allowed to appeal a lifetime ban imposed by International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) in 1993.

But Graham Mews, an adjudicator appointed by Canada's amateur sports authorities, said in a decision released yesterday that Johnson was the victim of procedural errors during the handling of the 1993 lifetime ban.

The ruling, however, does not mean Johnson will be competing on an organised level in Canada or abroad just yet. It also does not vindicate the athlete as to the issue of the drug test in Montreal.

Athletics Canada, the country'snational track body, said it would support Johnson's appeal to the IAAF.

Players fight in `peace match'

RIO DE JANEIRO: Two players were sent off for fighting yesterday in a Rio de Janeiro State Championship clash hailed as a `peace match'.

Vasco da Gama's Ze Maria and Flamengo's Luis Alberto were sent off in the second half of their Carioca (Rio State) Championship match for fighting on the field.

Flamengo won the Guanabara Cup, which is awarded after the first round of the Championship, with a 2-1 victory thanks to goals by Athirson and Romario in the 5th and 19th minutes respectively.

Romario paraded in front of 97,000 spectators and delirious Flamengo fans in Rio de Janeiro's packed Maracana stadium, displaying a T-shirt with the slogan: ``No war. Peace in the world''.

Scottish footballer hooked on drugs for 12 years

GLASGOW: A Scottish football player has admitted that he has managed to avoid being tested for drugs despite being an addict for most of his professionalcareer.

Martin Neil, 29, who plays for third division Berwick Rangers, confessed in a newspaper interview yesterday that he has binged on cocaine, LSD and Ecstacy for 12 years, but has never been given a drugs test.

Neil could now face severe punishment from the Scottish FA, who banned French striker Stephane Paille in 1997 after he tested positive for drugs while playing with hearts.

BCCSL court case extended

COLOMBO: A Sri Lanka court today extended by a week an order barring the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) president from carrying out his duties over allegations of intimidation during last month's election to the body.

The court issued the order two weeks ago restraining president Thilanga Sumathipala and other board officials from functioning as office-bearers after losing candidate Clifford Ratwatte alleged that gun-toting intruders had prevented free and fair elections.

The order was initially issued until Monday, but after hearing lawyers from both sidesyesterday and today the judge extended it to April 26 when the case would be heard again.

Chebet, Roba triumph

BOSTON: Joseph Chebet continued Kenya's dominance of the Boston Marathon yesterday, while Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia maintained her personal hold on the women's race.

Chebet, who was overtaken at the finish last year by compatriot Moses Tanui, won the 103rd edition of the marathon in an unofficial time of two hours, nine minutes, 52 seconds. The victory was the 28-year-old Chebet's first in Boston, and the ninth in a row for a Kenyan.

Silvio Guerra, 30, of Ecuador finished second on the 26.2 mile course in an unofficial 2:10.18, while Frank Pooe of South Africa was third in 2:11:37.

Roba, 27, won in the women's division for the third year in a row in an unofficial time of 2:23.25. Switzerland's Franziska Rochat-Moser, the 1997 New York City Marathon champion, finished second among the women in 2:25:51, ahead of Yuko Arimori of Japan in 2:26.39.