SPORTS DIGEST: AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Drew Brees cut the Giants down to size with four airborne touchdowns and one on the ground as the New Orleans Saints romped to a 49-24 triumph on Monday that further damaged New York's NFC play-off hopes.
Brees tossed a trio of early scores that allowed New Orleans to take a commanding 21-3 lead into half-time and the home team continued to rack up the points in a high-scoring second half.
The Giants (6-5) have now lost three straight to fall out of the NFC East Division lead and one game behind the Dallas Cowboys.
The Saints (8-3) maintained their one-game edge over Atlanta, who beat Minnesota 24-14 on Sunday, in the battle for the NFC South crown.
Minister moves to quell India fears
OLYMPIC GAMES: India's Olympics team will attend next year's London Games.
Britain’s Olympics minister Hugh Robertson moved to quell fears the country’s athletes would boycott the summer showpiece over the controversial involvement of a chemical firm linked to a tragedy in Bhopal, central India which killed 15,000 people.
Robertson told MPs: “I am told they are not planning a boycott or anything like it, but clearly that is a matter for the Indian government and their Olympic committee.”
The row centres on Dow Chemical Company’s involvement with the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, east London.
Raikkonen makes F1 comeback with Lotus
MOTOR SPORT:Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will make an eagerly-anticipated comeback to Formula One next season after signing a two-year contract with Lotus, the team currently known as Renault. The 32-year-old Finn won his title with Ferrari in 2007 but quit Formula One two years later and switched to rallying.
“I’m looking forward to playing an important role,” said Raikkonen, who also had discussions with former champions William.
The team, no longer owned by Renault, will race under the name of their title sponsor Lotus from next season. They did not say who Raikkonen’s team-mate would be, although Russian Vitaly Petrov has a contract for 2012. France’s Romain Grosjean, this year’s GP2 champion, had been widely expected to take the second seat.
Sharma steers India to victory
CRICKET:Rohit Sharma's match-winning innings of 72 helped India to a narrow one-wicket win over the West Indies as the first one-day international in Cuttack ended in tense fashion. Sharma fell with 11 runs still needed but India tailenders Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav held their nerve at the crease in a tense finale to seal the win, Yadav scoring the winning runs with a driven four.
Sharma set up the win with a confident innings when he came to the crease with India on 47 for three following the Windies’ 211 for nine.
West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach did the early damage with the ball in the Indian innings, claiming the wickets of opening batsman Parthiv Patel, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli before Andre Russell cheaply snapped up stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag as well as Suresh Raina.
Gatland facing secondrow crisis
RUGBY:Wales coach Warren Gatland is facing a secondrow injury crisis ahead of the Six Nations Championships after revealing his first-choice pairing of Alun Wyn Jones and Luke Charteris could miss the entire tournament.
Ospreys lock Jones and Newport Gwent Dragons giant Charteris proved an outstanding combination during Wales’ run to the World Cup semi-finals, but they are absent from Saturday’s Test against
Australia at the Millennium Stadium due to respective toe and wrist problems that could have long-term implications ahead of Wales’ visit to Dublin on Sunday, February 5th.
Jones’ Ospreys partner Ian Evans will win his 17th cap as a result but the 27-year-old has been bedevilled by problems since suffering a knee injury against New Zealand three years ago.
Haye offered chance to fight Vitali
BOXING:Britain's David Haye, who announced his retirement last month, has been offered the chance to fight WBC world heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko next year.
“Team Klitschko is in negotiations with Haye and has made him an offer,” a management official for the Ukrainian brothers said yesterday. “Now the ball is in Haye’s court.
Haye, who lost his WBA world title to Vladimir Klitschko in Hamburg in July, quit boxing on his 31st birthday in October.
The British boxer blamed his defeat on a broken toe and told the BBC a fight with Vitali was possible. “I haven’t seen a contract but there are definitely talks going on,” he said, adding a date in March was likely.
Vladimir, who holds the WBO, IBF, IBO and WBA belts, will look to clinch his 50th knockout from 60 professional bouts when he takes on former world cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeckon in Duesseldorf on December 10th.
