Italian fencer Andrea Baldini can return to competition after being given a six-month ban for doping offences which he has already served while provisionally suspended. The foil fencing gold medal favourite said he was framed after being excluded from last year's Beijing Olympics for testing positive for furosemide at the European Championships in Kiev. The International Fencing Federation said it had not given the maximum two-year ban in part because Baldini had never tested positive before.

Hockey

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) could take away next year's World Cup in New Delhi unless India forms a single national federation for the men's and women's game, its president Leandro Negre said. "We need to have a unique body to run the game in India before we start the World Cup," Negre said. He said Malaysia was the standby venue but he was confident India would resolve the matter in time. The Indian Olympic Association suspended the national federation in April 2008 on corruption charges.

Rugby

All Blacks lock Brad Thorn re-signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union and Canterbury Crusaders until 2011. The former rugby league player joined a growing list of top New Zealand players, including captain Richie McCaw, goalkicking flyhalf Dan Carter and backrower Rodney So'oialo, to pledge the allegiances through to the next World Cup.

Horse Racing

Dubai's ruler and the chairman of conglomerate Dubai World have been suspended from horse racing after their horses tested positive for banned substances, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) said. The office of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, also Prime Minister of the UAE, said that traces of banned substances had been found in two of his horses which took part in endurance racing. Dubai World chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said he was "totally unaware that his horse had been given the substance and unreservedly condemns administration of such drugs".