NEWSWIRE

Miscellany

In a setback for Brazil’s bid to hold soccer’s 2006 World Cup, former FIFA president Joao Havelange withdrew support for his home country and said Brazil should back South Africa’s candidacy. Havelange said Brazil’s poor infrastructure hurts its chances of being selected. . . . Midfielder Chris Armas scored the deciding goal in a 4-3 shootout as the Chicago Fire defeated the Tampa Bay Mutiny, 2-1, in a Major League Soccer game before 15,114 in Chicago.

Cuba, brushing aside exhortations from the International Amateur Athletics Federation, said it considered high jumper Javier Sotomayor innocent of doping charges and would not ban him.

“The IAAF can take whatever decisions it likes,” Alberto Juantorena, head of the Cuban Athletics Federation, said in comments quoted by the official Communist Party newspaper Granma.

Newport Beach’s Vincent Fotre won the men’s 75 singles title at the Pacific Southwest Tennis Championships by defeating Newport Beach’s John Jensen, 7-6, 1-6, 6-0, in Newport Beach. In the 65s, Fountain Valley’s Roger Hing defeated San Diego’s Saul Snyder, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4, in the final, and Orange’s Jacques Hunter won the 70s title, defeating Robert Stanford of Apple Valley, 6-1, 7-6. John Hillebrand of San Pedro took the 60s title with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over John Fleiss of Los Angeles.