Sporting briefs...

Hijab ban: Canadian Muslims may launch a human rights complaint against FIFA after a Quebec referee ordered an 11-year-old girl to quit a tournament for refusing to remove her hijab. The Canadian Council on American-Islam Relations said FIFA was sending a mixed message on its rules, given that its own website includes pictures of women wearing the hijab, a scarf that covers the head and neck. The girl, Asmahan Mansour, was ordered off the field by a Muslim referee during an indoor tournament.

Landmark ruling: The Argentina Football Association and first division Lanus have been ordered to pay compensation to a man who lost his sight in a riot outside a stadium in what has been hailed as a landmark ruling. Argentina's Supreme Court, in a case brought by the victim, Hugo Mosca, said Lanus and the AFA were responsible for the violence which followed the team's home match against Independiente in November 1996. Mosca, a driver working for the Argentine newspaper Clarin, had taken two reporters to the match and was waiting in his car in the street when the incident happened.

QPR-China brawl: Queens Park Rangers have admitted an FA charge relating to a brawl during a friendly against China's Olympic side at their training ground last month. The FA charged the London club with failing to control their players and officials after the match on Feb. 7 flared into a fight in which Chinese player Zheng Tao was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken jaw.

Grows in stature: Brazilian Elton Jose Xavier Gomes appears to have grown in stature since arriving in Romania to sign a four-year contract with Steaua Bucharest. His former club Corinthians had recorded Elton's height as 1.56 metres (5 ft 1ins) but during his medical in Bucharest he was measured at 1.58 (5ft 2ins). Steaua want Elton to deputise for long-term injury victim playmaker Nicolae Dica, but local media have criticised the signing of the Brazilian. "Don't worry," former international Gheorghe Popescu told reporters. "If a small Elton plays as a genuine Brazilian, you'll consider him as being 1.80 metres tall."

Fraud charge: A group of managers of FIFA's former sports marketing agency ISL have been charged with embezzlement and fraud. Swiss state prosecutors said yesterday they had filed charges with a regional criminal court in Zug, where ISL was based. No date has yet been set for a hearing, and the prosecutors said they would not reveal the names of the managers, or say how many were charged. The International Sport and Leisure (ISL) agency collapsed in May 2001, with estimated debts of at least $300 million.

Australia coach: Leading international coaches are interested in taking charge of Australia following their success in last year's World Cup, according to Football Federation Australia chief Ben Buckley. Australia reached the second round in their first appearance in the World Cup finals for 32 years in Germany, losing to a last-minute penalty against eventual champions Italy. Dutchman Guus Hiddink stood down after their exit and interim coach Graham Arnold is expected to move on after guiding Australia through their Asian Cup finals debut in July. Lyon coach Gerard Houllier and Jurgen Klinsmann have been linked with the post.

Foreign players: A Ukrainian court has thrown out a complaint by a Georgian player that restrictions on the number of non-Ukrainians on top-level teams constitute an infringement of human rights. A district court in Kiev said there was no case to answer in the complaint submitted by Georgiy Demetradze of premier league side Metallurg Donetsk. Demetradze had argued that restrictions allowing clubs to field only eight foreign players at any time during a match was an infringement of fundamental human rights and labour laws.

In England: League One - Chesterfield vs Bristol City 1-3.