SPORTS DIGEST/Athletics: World athletics chiefs yesterday formally charged Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou with missing drugs tests on the eve of the Olympic Games.
The International Association of Athletics Federations had been considering the cases of both athletes in the three months since the Games.
They now believe there is sufficient evidence to go ahead with charging the pair with doping offences.
A statement from the IAAF confirmed the pair would have to answer the claims that they committed "whereabouts information violations" by missing tests not only in Athens, but also in Tel Aviv and Chicago.
Athletes are obliged to inform their national authorities of their whereabouts at all times.
Christos Tzekos, the one-time coach of Kenteris who has been retained by Thanou, has also been accused of "distributing prohibited substances, assisting in the use of prohibited substances and tampering with the doping control process".
The trio have until December 16th to respond and if Kenteris and Thanou do not answer the charges, or their explanations are rejected, they will be provisionally suspended from competition.
They will then face a hearing in front of the Greek federation, which will ultimately determine their fate.
Under IAAF rules, the athletes could receive a maximum one-year suspension.
ATHLETICS: BALCO founder Victor Conte has vowed to "tell the truth" about drugs in sport in an American television interview today.
Speaking after a judge refused to dismiss criminal charges against him and three other men, Conte told www.usatoday.com: "The world does not know the truth about performance-enhancing drugs in sports.
"I will tell the truth because I know it." A grand-jury indictment this year accused Bay Area Laboratories Co-Operative founder Conte, BALCO executive James Valente, track coach Remi Korchemny and Barry Bonds' trainer Greg Anderson of conspiring to distribute steroids and other charges.
Since the scandal broke last year, some of the biggest stars in sport - from San Francisco Giants baseball star Bonds to Olympic sprint champion Marion Jones - have been accused of using illegal steroids. Both have denied the allegations.
CRICKET: India claimed a 1-0 series victory over South Africa yesterday with a comprehensive eight-wicket win in the second Test in Kolkata.
The tourists failed to add a significant score to their overnight total of 172 for five, and were dismissed for 222, with Anil Kumble equalling Kapil Dev's Indian Test record of 434 wickets with the final South African wicket. Harbhajan Singh also claimed magnificent figures of seven for 87 as the hosts were set a target of 117 to win both the match and the series.
