The Hindu : Sports Digest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 13, 2002

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

Sports Digest

FOOTBALL: BRUSSELS: Feyenoord Rotterdam hung on Thursday to a 2-2 draw against Internazionale in their UEFA Cup semifinal second leg, eliminating the Italian powerhouse on a 3-2 aggregate and advancing to its first European cup final in 28 years. On May 8, the modest Dutch side will face Germany's Borussia Dortmund, which went down to AC Milan 3-1 but still comfortably advanced after humiliating their opponents 4-0 at home last week. Feyenoord, which won the UEFA Cup in 1974 in its only final appearance, will have the home advantage in the championship game, to be played at its own De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam.

LONDON: Arsenal is closing in on the League-F.A. Cup double. The Gunners can clinch a spot in the F.A. Cup final this weekend and, without playing a league match, are guaranteed of remaining in first place no matter what happens. Atop the league with 72 points and, with No. 2 Manchester United (70) having the weekend off, Arsenal will have its eye on Liverpool. Knocked out of the Champions Cup this week by Leverkusen, third-place Liverpool (68 points) plays at relegation-threatened Sunderland. Chelsea (61) holds fourth place — the last for a Champions League spot — with Newcastle on the same point total but with two games in hand. Leeds follows with 57.

TENNIS:MONTE CARLO: World number one Lleyton Hewitt needs to fight off an Armada of title-hungry Spaniards next week as he heads to Monte Carlo looking to plunder the principality's $ 2.95 million prize money at the Masters. While Hewitt looks to make his mark on European clay, no less than eight Iberian baseliners are already in the main draw with more almost certain to join them from qualifying at the weekend. Monaco will mark Hewitt's fourth tournament this year after he suffered chickenpox at Christmas.

GENERAL:LONDON: Illegal drug use in both professional and amateur sports is much more widespread and entrenched than doctors and most people realise, according to a report. Up to 60,000 bodybuilders, athletes and fitness enthusiasts in London and as many as 150,000 across Britain are using anabolic steroids at dangerous dosages to enhance their physique and improve performance. The long-term effects of the substances are still unknown but doctors fear they could cause mini epidemics of heart-disease, strokes and liver tumours in the coming decades. ``It is a deeply entrenched and complex phenomenon,'' Dr Ivan Waddington, of Leicester University, told a news conference on Thursday.

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