-- TEHRAN TIMES "Iran to Compete in World Women's Athletics Event" National women's disabled athletics team of Iran will leave here for New Zealand Friday to take part in the world event. Iranian manager Vida Maz'har said the athletes have trained well and will win medals in the world track-and-field contests, which are the qualifiers for 2004 Athens Paralympic Games if they can repeat the records they set in the camp. Iran is to compete in the discus, shot-put, and javelin and each athlete is allowed to participate in two events.

-- KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL "Athens to Get Priority in Drug Fight -- IOC" Olympics organizers vowed on Friday to conduct the toughest doping tests of any Games in Athens next year. They said the latest techniques for catching drug cheats would be transferred to Athens as a priority. With the sporting world rocked this week by the identification of a previously undetectable drug, Athens organizers (ATHOC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said there would be no compromises in the drug fight, even if it meant leaving sport's biggest event next August without top athletes.

-- IRAN NEWS "Safin Pulls Out of Paris Masters" Title-holder Marat Safin of Russia has pulled out of next week's Paris Masters, organizers said on Thursday. No reason was given for the withdrawal of the Russian former world number one, who returned from injury last month in Moscow and has not won a match on the ATP Tour since April.

-- IRAN DAILY "Federer Upset by Ljubicic" Home favorite and second seed Roger Federer was dumped out of the Swiss Indoors on Thursday in a 7-6 6-7 6-4 second round defeat to Croatian Ivan Ljubicic. The Wimbledon champion failed to secure the victory as his home crowd at Basel's St. Jakobshalle wanted as world number 47 Ljubicic took a surprise, but deserved, win.

-- IRAN "Uzbeks Hand Malavan First Defeat in Afro-Asian Football Event" Iran's representative in the first Afro-Asian football event, Malavan, lost its first match against Uzbekistan in Hyderabad, India, Friday. Bekmov Marat scored the sole goal of the match after the interval, giving the Uzbek side a 1-0 victory over the northerners of Bandar Anzali, Gilan province. The much-postponed Afro-Asian Games officially kicked off in Hyderabad in the southern Indian State of Andhra Pradesh Friday.

-- AFARINESH "Iraq, Bahrain Storm Into Asian Cup Finals" Iraq and Bahrain cruised into the finals of 2004 Asian Cup as the two Group F football teams won their preliminary matches Wednesday night. Playing in the Bahraini capital Manama, Iraq defeated Myanmar 3-1 and the host side Bahrain saw off the Malaysian side 3-1.

-- ENTEKHAB "Iran Squeezes into Asian Youth Football Finals" Iran grabbed two wins in the preliminary round to storm into the finals of the Asian Youth Football Championships as the Group G leader Thursday. The Iranian side, which had already overcame Tajikistan 2-1 handed Afghanistan a 6-0 humiliating defeat on Oct 23. Malaysia is to host the Asian finals in late May 2004.

-- NASSIM-E SABA "Iran Through to World U-21 Kumite Final" Iran booked a berth in the final of world under-21 kumite event in Marseille as it defeated the host France Friday. Iran managed to overcome the French side 2-0 in the semifinal, setting up Saturday's final with Belarus, which beat the Netherlands in other semi. Clashing against their French opponents, Iranian karateka Jassem Vishgahi won 7-1, his teammate Saeid Farrokhi added another victory with a 2-0 win, and the two others Moslem Zeinoddin and Mehdi Ja'far-Qolizadeh shared the points.

-- HAMBASTEGI "Bruges Stun Champions Milan With Win at San Siro" Champions League holders AC Milan suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home by Belgium's Club Bruges in Group H on Wednesday. The Italians dominated but a superb strike from Peruvian Andres Mendoza in the 33rd minute was enough to give Bruges a famous victory and throw the group wide open. The result means Milan is second in the group alongside Bruges on four points with Ajax Amsterdam leading on six.