NEWSWIRE

Robert Lee Sr., president of the International Boxing Federation, has taken a leave of absence to defend himself against charges that he took bribes to rig boxing rankings.

Lee offered to stay on leave until the charges are resolved. A trial is scheduled Jan. 11.

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Jose Sulaiman, World Boxing Council president, has decided to strip Naseem Hamed of the WBC featherweight title because Hamed will not relinquish his World Boxing Organization crown.

Sulaiman said Hamed had agreed before his fight in Detroit last October with then-WBC champion Cesar Soto that the winner would have 15 days to decide which title to keep. Hamed won by unanimous decision.

College Football

Wide receiver Peter Warrick and kicker Sebastian Janikowski led four Florida State players selected to the Associated Press’ All-American team, a squad which also features Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne of Wisconsin.

Noseguard Corey Simon and offensive guard Jason Whitaker were the other Florida State players chosen. Penn State put three defensive stars on the team--linebackers LaVar Arrington and Brandon Short, and end Courtney Brown.

The Big Ten was the top conference with seven players on the team. The Atlantic Coast Conference was next with six players.

Tom Cable, an offensive coordinator for Colorado, was hired by his alma mater, Idaho, as head coach. . . . Vic Koenning, who had been defensive coordinator, was named head coach at Wyoming.

Winter Sports

Norway’s Finn-Christian Jagge won a World Cup slalom at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, beating Austrians Benjamin Raich and Thomas Stangassinger.

Austrian figure skater Angelika Fuehring underwent surgery for serious head injuries she suffered Sunday while posing for photographers with ice dancing partner Bruno Ellinger at Linz, Austria. The injuries are not considered life threatening.

Miscellany

Upland High administrators and football Coach Tim Salter met with Southern Section officials, seeking a share of the Division II football title they claim was lost when a game official mistakenly awarded a fifth down to Diamond Bar in the Division II final last Friday.

The mistake occurred during Diamond Bar’s game-winning drive after Upland had declined a holding penalty. The error helped Diamond Bar earn a 17-14 victory.

“They have some legitimate concerns,” said Bill Clark, an assistant commissioner for the section. “The official made a mistake.

“The commissioner is taking it under advisement.”

Qualifying for soccer’s 2002 World Cup will start March 4 when the Netherlands Antilles plays at Trinidad and Tobago.

The U.S. has a bye in the early rounds and plays its first game Sept. 2 or 3, when the regional semifinals begin.

Players on the U.S. women’s soccer team, which won the World Cup in July, were named sportswomen of the year by Sports Illustrated. The only other team so honored by the magazine was the gold-medal 1980 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team.