SPORTS WATCH

Published: May 17, 2002 (Issue # 769)

Hingis Hanging Up?

ZURICH (Reuters) - Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis may be forced to quit tennis due to a serious foot injury, the doctor treating her indicated on Wednesday.

"We have to see how far the inflammation in the joints has already led to arthrosis," Dr Heinz Buhlmann told the private Swiss station Radio 24.

"We cannot yet say how sensible it would be for her to continue her career or whether to end it would be advisable on medical grounds."

Arthrosis is another name for osteoarthritis.

Buhlmann, who is treating 21-year-old Hingis in a Zurich clinic, said she is suffering from pain in the joints of her left foot, left knee and left hip.

Buhlmann, who has yet to make a firm diagnosis, warned that long term inflammation could have led to joint damage, which would force Hingis to end her career.

Melanie Molitor, Hingis' mother, confirmed that her daughter is undergoing tests in Zurich and speculated that any joint damage may have been caused by the shoes she wore from the age of 11 until three years ago.

Hingis is still involved in an ongoing legal battle with shoe manufacturers Sergio Tacchini after alleging that their shoes damaged her feet.

Late Coach Honored

KIEV (Reuters) - Dinamo Kiev coach Valery Lobanovsky has been posthumously awarded the country's highest honour - the Hero of Ukraine - by President Leonid Kuchma.

The much-loved Lobanovsky, who had a history of poor health, died on Monday after suffering a stroke and undergoing brain surgery.

He was one of soccer's most illustrious figures in the former Soviet Union after taking Dinamo Kiev to two European Cup Winners' Cups and guiding the Soviet team to second place at the 1988 European Championships.

"The title was granted after Lobanovsky's death for his years of service to the state, to the development of soccer and for his successful coaching," the presidential press service said in a statement.

Lobanovsky, who was given a state funeral on Thursday, helped make Dinamo Kiev, for generations Ukraine's most popular club, a potent national symbol for many with little else to cheer about in the impoverished ex-Soviet state.

Lobanovsky returned to Kiev from abroad after a six-year absence in November 1996 to begin his third coaching spell with Dinamo. His return paid immediate dividends for the Kiev side, as it won five consecutive league titles from 1997 to 2001.

In 1999, he was appointed Ukraine coach and guided his Kiev side to the semifinals of the Champions League.

Dogged by ill-health, Lobanovsky lost his Ukraine post following the 5-2 defeat to Germany in the two-legged World Cup play-off last November.

Pena Gets New Staff

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - The Kansas City Royals named former major-league catcher Tony Pena as the team's new manager on Wednesday, hoping his experience handling pitchers will help the struggling ballclub.

"His success at understanding pitching was a key factor [in hiring Pena]," Royals General Manager Allard Baird said.

John Mizerock, who took over as interim manager after Tony Muser was fired on April 29, had posted a 5-8 record.

The 44-year-old Pena promised changes on a team that is fourth in the American League Central with a 13-23 record, but said he will not make any hasty decisions.

"I need to see what I've got before I can do anything," Pena said. "Anytime you go into a house you need to find out what is wrong and then go from there."

They're at the Post

BALTIMORE, Maryland (Reuters) - Buoyed by a strong finish in the Kentucky Derby, Medaglia d'Oro drew the No. 5 post position and was installed as the early favorite, at 5-2, to win Saturday's 127th running of the Preakness Stakes.

Derby winner War Emblem is the second favorite at 3-1 after landing the favoured No. 8 post at Wednesday's draw.

"We really weren't sure of six, seven, eight or outside," said War Emblem trainer Bob Baffert. "We figured a lot of speed horses would be outside of us.

Following Taffic Rules?

LONDON (Reuters) - Formula One's ruling body has summoned Ferrari and the team's drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello to explain their conduct at Sunday's controversial Austrian Grand Prix.

Brazilian Barrichello led the race from the start but, after being ordered to move over by Ferrari, slowed in the final few meters to allow world-champion Schumacher, who leads this season's standings, to take the checkered flag.

Ferrari was pilloried by rival teams and spectators at the track for manipulating the sixth race of the season.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA), which has in the past been unclear about whether "team orders" are allowed, said in a statement that Ferrari had been summoned to appear before their World Motor Sports Council in Paris on June 26.

The Italian team will be asked to explain what the FIA termed the "incident" on the last lap and also incidents during the winner's ceremony.

"It is perfectly legitimate for a team to decide that one of its drivers is its championship contender and that the other will support him," the FIA said in a reminder dated August 26, 1999.

"What is not acceptable, in the World Council's view, is any arrangement which interferes with a race and cannot be justified by the relevant team's interest in the championship.

Too Happy To Win

MADRID (Reuters) - Riot police clashed with stone-throwing Real Madrid fans as hundreds of thousands of people packed the center of the Spanish capital to celebrate the team's European Cup triumph on Wednesday.

Police charged fans who rained bottles on them near the Cibeles fountain in central Madrid, where Real supporters traditionally celebrate the team's successes, witnesses said.

A spokesperson for the ambulance service said two fans and one police officer had suffered facial injuries.

"The police officer was hit with a stone when a group of people threw stones and bottles at the police," the spokesperson said.

Fans were determined to celebrate the feast day of San Isidro, Madrid's patron saint, with car horns blaring throughout the city and firework displays lighting up the night sky.