BERLIN: The decision by Michael Schumacher to return to Formula one action for the last two races of the 1999 season came under fire from an unexpected quarter yesterday. The German's manager Willi Weber claimed the dual world champion's return from injury carried with it enormous risks.

Schumacher announced last Friday that he would be back behind the wheel of his Ferrari for the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday and the last leg of the season in Japan on October 31 in a bid to boost teammate Eddie Irvine's title chances.

No girlfriends for Michael Chang!

SINGAPORE: Michael Chang is very much single and his father is on the lookout for potential girlfriends for the down-to-earth tennis superstar.

``Actually, I want him to find a good girlfriend first,'' said Joe Chang, when asked at a news briefing if he wanted his son to marry soon, The Straits Times reported today.

``You know, we travel around so much. Everywhere we go, I'malways on the lookout for Michael. You could say I'm his talent scout,'' said his father, who is here with the tennis star and the rest of the Chang clan for the Singapore Open tournament.

The 27 year-old Chang, the 1989 French Open champion, admitted he did not have ``anyone special in my life right now.''

German fan admits to assaulting French cop

ESSEN, GERMANY: A German football fan accused of assaulting a policeman during the 1998 World Cup in France has said that he carried out the attack while drunk and upset by the death of his grandmother. ``I hit him once around the chest or arms,'' Zawacki, 28, told the court in a statement read by his lawyer Wolfgang Weckmuller.

The prosecution accuses Zawacki of hitting the policeman Daniel Nivel, repeatedly with the butt of grenade launcher, but the defendant claimed he always believed he had used a bottle. Three other fans also face charges over the assault which grabbed international headlines at the time.

Zawacki said he was `totally drunk'at the time of the assault. He had been `horrified' to see press pictures showing him bent over the policeman and brandishing the grenade launcher in his victim's face.

``I am not a hooligan, I am a supporter of the Schalke 04 club,'' said Zawacki. ``I am making this statement because I am horrified and still do not know today what happened.''

Pybus appointed Pak cricket coach

ISLAMABAD: South African-based Richard Pybus has been appointed Pakistan cricket coach and will take over for a tour of Australia starting later this month, local media reported today.

The News said British-born Pybus would begin his job after a tri-nation limited overs tournament between Pakistan, Sri Lanka and West Indies in Sharjah starting tomorrow.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced earlier this month that current coach and former Test batsman Wasim Raja would step down after the Sharjah tournament to continue his career as a teacher in Britain.

``Yes, I am being appointed initially for a period ofone year, and if the board thinks I have done enough to satisfy them, they could increase my tenure as coach,'' Pybus was quoted as saying.

Bangaldesh, Kenya for mini World Cup

DHAKA: Bangladesh and Kenya will participate in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Mini World Cup to be held in Nairobi next year. ``The ICC at a meeting in Dubai on October 9-10 decided to allow Bangladesh and Kenya to participate in the tournament,'' Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Saber Hossain Chowdhury told Reuters on Tuesday after attending the meeting.

He said the number of teams taking part in the one-day international cricket tournament had risen to 11, including all nine Test-playing nations. The tournament runs from October 5 to 15, 2000.

The BCB chief said Bangladesh's participation in the Nairobi tournament would advance its chances of achieving Test status.

Four `drunk' Russian officials suspended

MOSCOW: Four Russian soccer officials were suspended for the rest of the seasonyesterday by the national soccer association following allegations that they got drunk before a Uefa match in Israel

The four -- Sergei Khusainov, Sergei Martynov, Pavel Ginzburg and Feizudin Erzimanov -- reportedly drank heavily before a match last month between Hapoel Haifa, Israel and FC Brugge, Belgium.

The four were barred by local soccer officials from refereeing the match, which Hapoel Haifa won 3-1.

The decision to suspend them for the rest of the season was made by the executive committee of the Russian Football Union, but is subject to review, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.