Sports round-up

Basketball: A Greek official was banned from the Eurobasket tournament in Lithuania and fined €15,000 after he was found to have contacted three referees of matches involving his country. FibaEurope said Stavros Ellianidis behaved in an unsportsmanlike manner in attempting to contact the referees, who reported his approaches.

Cycling: French cycling veteran Jeannie Longo faces a potential suspension for an alleged violation of the whereabouts rule regarding making herself available for random testing. L’Equipe reported that Longo, still racing at 52, had received three warnings from the French Anti-Doping Agency over the past 18 months and now might miss the world championships in Copenhagen from September 19-25 as she heads for a disciplinary hearing.

Rallying: Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen seized control of Rally Australia yesterday on a dramatic rain-affected day which saw the two leading drivers both crash out in treacherous conditions. Hirvonen claimed an 11.3 second lead over countryman and fellow Ford Fiesta driver Jari-Matti Latvala after French pair Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier blew their chances with crashes on different stages.

Boxing: World boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has announced he wants to retire from the sport and run for vice-president of the Philippines in five years’ time. “In 2016, I plan to run for vice-president. By that time there will be no more boxing for me,” the 32-year-old said. The high-school dropout is already a member of the Philippine parliament and has long been touted as a potential leader of his country.