IOC urges India to bar Kalmadi

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP):

The IOC has told India's Olympic committee that its president Suresh Kalmadi and two other officials linked to a 2010 Commonwealth Games corruption scandal should not be allowed to stand as candidates in elections next month.

The IOC says its ethics committee wrote to Indian officials recommending that they suspend Kalmadi, Lalit Bhanot and V. K. Verma until court proceedings are completed.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games hosted in New Delhi were marred by corruption allegations, construction delays and a spiralling budget.

Kalmadi chaired the local organising committee and spent nine months in jail facing corruption charges. He was released on bail.

The Indian Olympic Association met an IOC deadline last month to call elections to choose new leaders in the wake of the scandal. The poll is scheduled for November 25.

FIFA strips Sudan's WCup win

ZURICH (AP):

FIFA has stripped Sudan of their 2-0 win against Zambia in a 2014 World Cup Qualifier because one of their scorers was ineligible to play.

FIFA says its disciplinary committee ruled that Saif Ali shouldn't have played in the June 2 match in Khartoum and is therefore "lost by forfeit by Sudan", awarding Zambia a 3-0 victory. FIFA also fined the Sudan football association 6,000 Swiss francs (US$6,430).

Zambia now lead Group D with six points from two matches and Sudan fell to third place with one point. Ghana have three points and last-place Lesotho has one.

Zambia protested that Ali played despite receiving yellow cards in previous competitive matches, including when Zambia beat Sudan in an African Cup of Nations quarter-final in February. African qualifying matches resume in March.

S Africa denies its players provoked Pietersen

JOHANNESBURG (AP):

South Africa's cricket body has "dismissed with contempt" allegations by the head of their English counterparts that South African players provoked Kevin Pietersen in the text message saga that saw him excluded from England's team.

Cricket South Africa's acting chief executive Jacques Faul said on Monday it was "absolute rubbish" that the South Africans instigated the exchange, where Pietersen made derogatory comments about his then-captain Andrew Strauss in messages to the tourists.

In a strongly worded CSA statement, Faul said it was "particularly disappointing" that England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier didn't raise his allegations when they met during the third Test at Lord's. Pietersen was dropped for that match and the World Twenty20 following the controversy during the second Test at Headingley.

Pietersen will be slowly reintegrated into England's team after settling his differences with management.