TOKYO: Japan's leading football official has expressed surprise that former Fifa president Joao Havelange should say it was a mistake to award the 2002 World Cup jointly to Japan and South Korea.

``Mr Havelange proposed it, so co-hosting was decided,'' said Okano, who was a member of the Japanese delegation bidding against the Koreans.

``Today, maybe he (Havelange) says no, he was wrong; but, as a matter of fact, he proposed it and the executive board unanimously agreed. Those are the facts,'' Okana said in a weekend interview.

McEnroe sees prettier picture in women's game

MELBOURNE: Men's tennis faces a major challenge to try to stay ahead of the women's game in popularity, according to triple Wimbledon champion John McEnroe.

The men's game is in danger of losing more fans as the women attract increasing interest, he said after winning the champions senior tournament at Melbourne park where he defeated South African-born Johan Kriek 7-5,6-3 for his second title in succession.

``There is more interest in the personalities and rivalries in a sense with the women and you've got to give them credit for that,'' McEnroe said.

``You have the Williams sisters, who are cocky, Martina Hingis, Steffi Graf trying to come back and, of course, Anna Kournikova.

The 39-year-old American maintains he still wants to play Davis Cup doubles for the US and perhaps doubles at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Australian Minister backs aboriginal flag at Sydney games

SYDNEY: The Australian government is backing moves to fly the aboriginal flag at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, reconciliation Minister Philip Ruddock said Monday.

The flag was recognised as being Australian and he would support a push by aboriginal leaders to have their flag at the games, Ruddock said on National television, adding he had not specifically discussed flying the flag at the Games.

``Obviously if people believe that will be helpful I am sure it's a matter that in discussionscan be progressed,'' Ruddock added.

Sydney organising committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) National indigenous advisory committee chairman Lowitja O'Donoghue welcomed the move but admitted international Olympic committee rules barred an aboriginal flag.

Governments warned on Olympic gouging

SYDNEY: A leading tourism spokesman has warned that the industry would be hurt if Australian governments gouged Olympic Games visitors with increased taxes.

Tourism Task Force (TTF) Chief executive officer Chris Brown said the Federal government's plan to introduce a goods and services tax in time to slug Games visitors and the New south Wales government's bed tax showed they were leading the way in gouging.

Brown said,`` it was kind of obscene that governments are the first ones to start price-gouging the Olympics.''

``It's just not appropriate that the Olympic Games be a cash cow for the treasury,'' Brown said today.

The TTF is the National lobby group representing larger interests in the tourism,tourism transport and leisure communities.