WHITE PLAINS (NEW YORK): Prize money at the US Open Tennis Championships will be boosted to a record $14.5 million (about Rs 60.9 crore), a $500,000 increase, the United States Tennis Association announced yesterday.

The Open continues to be the only Grand Slam tournament to give equal prize money to both the men and women, a tradition that began in 1973.

Men's and Women's singles champions will each earn $750,000 (about Rs 3.15 crore) at this year's tournament, which starts August 30, while the singles runners-up will collect $420,000. Last year, the champions received $700,000 and runners-up took $400,000.

``We are very proud that the US Open has offered equal prize money for 27 consecutive years,'' said USTA president Judy Levering, who also serves as tournament chairman of the open.

Aussie sport hit by another drugs case

SYDNEY: Australian sport was hit by another drugs case today but Olympic sprinter Paul Henderson claimed hisinnocence after testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid.

The New South Wales Institute of Sport has been informed a former scholar had tested positive to an undisclosed drug, believed to be the steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).

Henderson, a member of the Australian 4x100-metre relay squad for the World Athletics Championships in August, told the Daily Telegraph he was innocent and would appeal the positive test, as the procedures were not carried out correctly.

Three top cyclists were suspended yesterday for taking unapproved medication, although the Australian Institute of Sport insisted they did not take banned substances.

The suspended riders were Tim Lyons, Tim O'Shannessey and Josh Kersten. Lyons won gold and Kersten a bronze medal at last year's Commonwealth Games, while O'Shannessey was a member of the 1995 World Champion team pursuit squad.

Yorke named player of year

LONDON: Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke was named player of the year by English PremierLeague sponsors Carling today.

The Trinidad and Tobago international finished the season as joint-top scorer in the league with 18 goals.

He has also scored eight European Cup goals and three in the F A Cup and can add to both tallies when champions United contest the FA Cup final on Saturday and the European Cup final on Wednesday that could end in a treble for the club.

FIFA says World Cup offer to North Korea still on

SEOUL: Football's world governing body FIFA is continuing to offer North Korea the opportunity of taking part in the hosting of the 2002 World Cup, FIFA president Joseph Blatter said today.

``FIFA is always open to any solution,'' blatter said during a visit to Seoul. He now awaited action from the communist state.

The 2002 World Cup is being hosted by South Korea and Japan, but FIFA said it would consider a few of the games being held in North Korea.

Blatter said he would have the opportunity of speaking again to North Korean officials at the next FIFA congress, in LosAngeles on July 9.