Sports News: General

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) _ Roger Vanderfield, a former chairman of the International Rugby Board, has died at the age of 80, New South Wales Rugby said in a statement Sunday.

MOTEGI, Japan (AP) _ Italy's Valentino Rossi stormed to victory at the Grand Prix of Japan of Sunday, claiming his sixth MotoGP world championship.

MOTEGI, Japan (AP) _ Pole sitter Marco Simoncelli of Italy won the 250cc race at the Grand Prix of Japan on Sunday, increasing his overall lead in the world championship standings.

MOTEGI, Japan (AP) _ Germany's Stefan Bradl won the 125cc race at the Grand Prix of Japan on Sunday, edging pole sitter Mike Di Meglio of France for his second career victory.

ODAFE OKOLIE did not go shopping for a gift for his son Odafe Junior, who turns one year on Sunday. Instead the Nigerian striker went in search of goals when his club Churchill Brothers locked horns with Mahindra United in a grudge match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Fartoda on Saturday.

Looking more surefooted than the hosts, Mumbai FC punctured Mohun Bagan?s well-drilled team game in a manner few at the Barasat Stadium expected on Saturday.

People have played it among themselves, they have played the game against super computers and they have played it in cyberspace. Now it's time for chess to take to the outer space for weightless chess.

There's a joke about Singapore that says it's a 'fine country'. Whoever came up with that did so because he/she couldn't pun on tax. In Singapore, people are taxed for everything, even for domestic help. And F1 has brought along its own taxes.

SINGAPORE (AP) _ Two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Renault looked like he was going to turn around his lackluster season in Singapore until his car gave up on him without warning. After finishing first in two practice sessions, Fernando was doing well early in Saturday's qualifying.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) _ Larry Birleffi, a television and radio broadcaster known for more than 50 years as the "Voice of the Wyoming Cowboys," died Saturday.

SINGAPORE (AP) _ Lewis Hamilton may be one point ahead in Formula One's championship standings, but his title rival Felipe Massa is critically one place ahead on the grid for Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix.

SINGAPORE (AP) _ Ferrari's Felipe Massa edged title rival Lewis Hamilton of McLaren to snatch pole position for Sunday's Singapore Formula One Grand Prix.

MOTEGI, Japan (AP) _ Spain's Jorge Lorenzo edged defending MotoGP champion Casey Stoner of Australia in qualifying Saturday to claim pole position for Sunday's Grand Prix of Japan.

SINGAPORE (AP) _ Renault's Fernando Alonso has set the fastest time in the final practice session ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) _ Melbourne has qualified for Australia's National Rugby League grand final, but the team has been hit with a record fine for criticizing the league over captain Cameron Smith's suspension.

BEIJING (AP) _ Top-seeded Jelena Jankovic and unheralded Dudi Sela advanced to the finals of the China Open on Saturday.

MUMBAI, India (AP) _ Former test captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth on Friday was appointed head of India's new selection panel, whose first task will be to pick the test squad for the upcoming series against Australia.