Teeing with Italy AIN AL-SUKHNA hosted an Italian golf final at the Stella Di Mare golf course. Golf Italiano.it Cup is an amateur golf event played in eight different courses in Italy. Three hundred Italian players participated in the qualifications. The finals were scheduled for Tuscany, but this year the tournament director, Donato Ala, took the 25 finalists outside the country to promote a new destination for Italian golfers and guarantee a final with no threat of rain. "The weather is fine in Egypt, it's not far from Italy and the courses are superb," said Ala. "Egypt will be a promising destination for golf tourism. They will threaten tourism in countries like Morocco, Tunisia and Spain." The decision was made early this year after Ala visited Egypt several times and the choice was Stella Di Mare's course court and resort in Ein El-Soukhna. "It was a challenge to have a number of players reaching 25 in the Italian Cup and 72 in the friendly cup between Egypt and Italy," said Calle Carlsson, director of Stella Di Mare golf course. "The competition was great and the course had been tried. Things went well. Europeans like golf, but due to the bad weather they only play it seven months a year. Egypt has a great civilisation, a history in the game and has amazing international golf courses nowadays. Their future in the market is definitely promising. Such a competition will reveal this." In the first category of 0 to 12 handicap, Luca Gianola won the cup with a score of 75 shots and a gain of 38 points. On the sidelines of the event, Egyptian players played a friendly tournament with their Italian counterparts in the Graziella Cup. "Golf has been here 100 years ago," said Karim Sabea, Egyptian player and co-ordinator of the tournament. "The potentials are very high in Egypt. More courses have been established and more people are interested." The Italians came with family and friends. They enjoyed the golf, and tried different courses which in a few cases proved better than theirs. They also met Egyptian rivals, had a swim in the Gulf of Suez, and toured Cairo. Streak ends SOUTH Korean Yang Yong-Eun beat world number one Tiger Woods by two strokes, to win the Champions tournament. The American fired a five-under par final round in Shanghai to battle into contention but Yang, second overnight, kept him at bay with a three under. Yang's win ended a run of six consecutive strokeplay victories for Woods, who took a five-week break in the run-up to this event. South African Retief Goosen tied for third with Michael Campbell. Woods, who was two shots off the lead at the halfway point after a second-round 64, said his wayward 73 in windy conditions on Saturday had cost him his chance of victory. Campbell, who was 19th overnight, equalled the course record hit by Woods and Henrik Stenson on Friday to rise up the leaderboard. Diouf bailed PREMIERSHIP footballer El Hadji Diouf has been bailed a second time over allegations that he hit his wife at their home in Bolton. The 25-year-old, who plays for Bolton Wanderers, was held by police after reports of an assault on his wife Valerie in the early hours of Sunday. The Senegal international was bailed and is to attend a police hearing today. Diouf joined the club from Liverpool for an undisclosed fee in June 2005. The striker was initially brought to England by former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier, who signed him from French club Lens for �10m in 2002. Number one JUSTINE Henin-Hardenne confirmed her status as the new world number one with her victory over the deposed Amelie Mauresmo at the WTA Championships. The Belgian, who guaranteed the top ranking with her semi-final win over Maria Sharapova, beat Mauresmo 6-4 6-3. She took the first set with a rasping backhand winner and clinched victory with four breaks in the second set. The victory in Madrid is reward for a year that has seen Henin-Hardenne reach all four Grand Slam finals, but only take the title at the French Open. Henin-Hardenne, 24, came into the tournament having missed nearly two months. It was against Mauresmo that she lost at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and the Frenchwoman also won their round-robin encounter in Shanghai on Friday. Up the ladder NAMIBIA climbed a staggering 35 places, moving from 139th to 104th following their Nations Cup qualifying victory over Ethiopia. Burkina Faso also moved up a number of places, from 97th to 64th, while Cape Verde went up 30 spots, moving up to 83rd in the rankings. Mali went up 19 places to move to 41st, the first time the Eagles have been in the top 50 for some time. The Egyptian national team is still in 25th spot. Nigeria are still Africa's best-rated team, ranked 11th in the world, according to FIFA's latest world rankings.
