Awards shortlist

Sports Digest: Texaco Sports AwardsThe shortlist of sports from which the 10 Texaco sports stars for 2007 will be chosen was announced yesterday.

In all, there are 20 sports on the list and the winners of the awards will be announced on December 5th with the 50th awards banquet in Dublin on December 12th.

The shortlist is: athletics, boxing, camoige, cricket. Cycling, equestrian sports, gaelic football, golf, greyhound racing, hockey, horse racing, hurling, ladies football, motor sport, rowing, rugby, sailing, snooker, soccer and swimming.

Federer takes lead

TENNIS: World number one Roger Federer beat seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras in straight sets in an exhibition match in Seoul yesterday. The 26-year-old Swiss star won 6-4, 6-3 in 61 minutes in the first of three matches between the pair this week. Sampras (36), broke serve first and led 4-2 before Federer found his rhythm.

The pair meet again in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow and Macau on Saturday. The two met only once in competition, with the Swiss winning in five sets in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2001.

Lee leads the way

CRICKET:Australia bowler Brett Lee showed his growing maturity after the paceman bowled the hosts to a 96-run victory over Sri Lanka in the second Test yesterday.

Lee took four wickets in each of the Sri Lankan innings as Australia wrapped up a 2-0 series triumph in Hobart.

Set 507 runs to win, the tourists were up against it and, despite a 192 from Kumar Sangakkara, were dismissed for 410. Sri Lanka's hopes suffered a blow early on when Sanath Jayasuriya edged a Lee delivery to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.

Australia take action

OLYMPIC GAMES:Australia's Olympic medal hopefuls have been promised extra cash incentives in the lead-up to next year's Beijing Games amid fears the country could slip behind Britain on the medals table.

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) have agreed to increase funding for their leading hopes after predictions indicated they might finish seventh on the medals table. Australia were fourth on the table at Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004 but predictions have them slipping behind France, Germany and Britain.