Peru players banned

LIMA: Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro was among four Peru internationals suspended from the national team for holding a hotel party. Jefferson Farfan of PSV Eindhoven, Andres Mendoza of Ukraine’s Metallurg, and Santiago Acasiete of Spain’s Almeria were also suspended by the Peruvian Football Federation’s commission in charge of the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign. The scandal erupted after Peruvian journalist Jaime Bayly reported on TV programme “The Sharpshooter” that some national players were “drinking with women” in their hotel after a 1-1 draw with Brazil in a World Cup qualifier on November 18 in Lima. — AP

Hackett finishes first

SYDNEY: Grant Hackett stayed on course to win medals in the pool and in open water events at next year’s Beijing Olympics by finishing first in a 10-kilometre race on Saturday. Hackett, who won gold medals over 1,500m at the last two Olympics and is the world record holder over the distance, pulled away from the field with just 2.5km to go to finish in 1 hour, 54 minutes, 39 seconds at the Australian Championships. His former training partner, Ky Hurst, was second, 4.5 seconds behind, on the course at Penrith west of Sydney. — AP