News in brief

Dubai Exiles runners up in Cambodia event
Dubai: The Dubai Exiles Veterans rugby team made their third consecutive appearance in Angkor 10's tournament in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. They finished runners-up in the plate competition. At the tournament dinner Jim Darbyshire presented a cheque for $5,000 to Madame Tan Theany, President, Cambodian Federation of Rugby on behalf of the Dubai Exiles Vets. The gesture was warmly welcomed by tournament special guest Phil Greening the former British Lions player who is currently working in a rugby development capacity in Asia. Greening put things into context when he announced that the IRB only makes $27,000 available annually for rugby development in a total of nine southeast Asian nations.

Future plans top the agenda
Dubai: The UAE Automobile Association held a meeting yesterday and discussed future plans and programmes aimed at advancing the level of automobile sports in the country. The meeting which was presided over by Shaikh Marwas Bin Rashid Al Mualla, president of the association, discussed the 2007-2009 strategy which will be submitted on November 6 to General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare.