Robben: Arjen Robben was yesterday voted the Bundesliga's best player during the 2009-2010 season in a German footballers' poll. The attacking midfielder, widely regarded as one of the top players in last Sunday's World Cup final, scooped 72 per cent of the votes in the survey conducted by the German Professional Footballers Association (VDV).
McCarthy: Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is confident midfielder Dave Jones will sign a new contract sooner rather than later. Jones has been linked with a move to a trio of Premier League clubs in newly promoted Newcastle, Bolton and Blackburn. But McCarthy is optimistic Jones will put pen to paper on the new deal offered to him at the end of last season.
Redknapp: Harry Redknapp signed a new contract with Tottenham yesterday tying him to the London club until 2013. Redknapp steered the side clear of relegation before guiding them to their best Premier League finish of fourth last season and Champions League football for the first time. Redknapp's deal was due to expire next year, but Spurs have now exercised the option of lengthening his stay at White Hart Lane by a further two seasons.
Iraq: The Iraq FA yesterday announced they have agreed terms with Wolfgang Sidka to coach the reigning AFC Asian Cup holders. The 65-year-old German has extensive experience in the region, having coached Bahrain's national team in 2000 before moving three years later to neighbouring Qatar to manage Al Arabi.
Bentley: Tottenham midfielder David Bentley has been forced to miss the club's tour of the United States after suffering an ankle injury. The 25-year-old was forced off during Spurs' 4-0 win in the pre-season friendly at Bournemouth on Saturday and scans yesterday revealed Bentley had damaged right ankle ligaments.
Golf: Malaysia's Danny Chia has an old score to settle as he attempts to make it third time lucky at the British Open which starts tomorrow. The 37-year-old made a bittersweet debut in the world's oldest major in 2005, missing the weekend cut by two shots and subsequently enduring another disappointing campaign two years ago. Those experiences have fired him up for this week's challenge as he bids to become the first Malaysian to play in all four rounds. "I'm happy to be here although there is a bit of pressure," said Chia.
Delhi Games: Heavy rains in New Delhi killed 11 people and flooded construction sites for the Commonwealth Games as the Indian capital races to be ready for the October event, officials said. With barely 80 days to go before the opening of the Games, Delhi resembles a giant construction site, with mounds of debris surrounding dug-up roads and walkways across the city. The storm turned the project sites - many of which are way behind schedule - into mud baths, flooded construction ditches and caused serious subsidence on several key roads.
Basket, NBA: Despite calls from Dallas owner Mark Cuban to investigate how three high-profile free agents ended up on Miami, the NBA said no formal complaints have been filed with the league. Speaking from Las Vegas, where the league's owners met on Monday, NBA commissioner David Stern said he wished LeBron James had notified Cleveland earlier than he did about his decision to join Miami. James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all decided to play together in Miami after talking each other through the free agent process last week.
2020 Games: South Africa is to make an official bid for the 2020 Olympic Games after the country hosted a successful World Cup, governing Olympic body chief Tubby Reddy announced yesterday. A bid for the Olympics is regarded as a way of maintaining South Africa's new international profile and of maximising the investment it gained for hosting the World Cup. "We have decided that the way forward would be to engage government and key stakeholders on the way forward, but our intention is to provide a world-class city capable of hosting Africa's first Olympic Games in 2020," Reddy said.