Former two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has extended his contract with Ferrari until the end of the 2016 season, the Italian Formula One stable announced Thursday.

Spaniard Alonso, who won the driver's titles in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, said: "I am very happy to have reached this agreement. I immediately felt comfortable within Ferrari and now it feels to me like a second family.

Bavarian giants Bayern Munich have averted a title-free season by again being voted the best vegetarian-friendly club in the Bundesliga by animal rights group PETA.

For the fourth season running, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has voted Bayern the best team in the German league at serving up tasty meat-free dishes to hungry football fans at their Allianz Arena stadium.

Lebanon is training hard for its third annual Triathlon to be held in the beautiful and ancient town of Tyr next Sunday, 22 May 2011. The event consists of a 750m swim in the sea followed by a 20km bike ride through the city and a 5 km run along the Corniche to the port of Tyr and back.

The race will start at 11.00 sharp on the beach, facing Tyros Restaurant on the Corniche. Over 185 athletes, more than twice as many as last year, will compete as individuals completing all three stages of the triathlon or as teams of three with each individual completing one of the stages. Competitors will be categorized into male and female groups and start times divided into waves for Elite, Amateur and Fun groups. Most of the competitors are Lebanese and foreigners resident in Lebanon but there will also be participants from UK, Columbia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Among the elite athletes competing will be Maxime Chaya, Roy Nasr and Anne Petersen from UAE.

Argentina legend Diego Maradona is to take over as coach next season at Dubai's Al-Wasl, the club announced on Monday

"Al-Wasl Sports Club is proud to announce the appointment of Diego Armando Maradona as head coach of Al-Wasl Football Club, in a momentous development that will see the football legend lead the team for the next two seasons," the club said in a statement.

Japan has cancelled plans to play the Copa America tournament in July, Argentine Football Federation (AFA) president Julio Grondona said Monday.

"We are sorry to inform you that the Japanese team cannot participate in the Copa America 2011 in Argentina. We apologize deeply," said a letter from the Japanese football association disclosed by the AFA.

Rafael Nadal has warned Novak Djokovic that his unbeaten start to 2011 won't last forever.

Djokovic beat Nadal 6-4, 6-4 in the Rome Masters final to deny the Spaniard a sixth title there in seven years and take his winning streak to 37 matches this year.

Letting out shrill cries, several young women in a Montreal taekwondo class kicked their way through the exercises, not a hair out of place as they were demurely covered by an Islamic sports hijab.

Their religion prohibits these female athletes from showing off their firm physiques, or their hair. Yet Western society also frowns on the wearing of traditional Muslim headscarves in sports competitions.

Roberto Mancini has warned Champions League-bound Manchester City not to take the gloss off their European success by messing up in Saturday's FA Cup final.

Mancini immediately set his sights on securing the club major silverware for the first time in 35 years after overcoming Tottenham 1-0 to seal a top-four finish.

Football legends from Diego Maradona to Luis Figo were expected in Russia's restive republic of Chechnya on Wednesday for an exhibition match sponsored by the local strongman leader.

The authorities of Chechnya have poured enormous financial and political capital into the unveiling of a new stadium in Grozny -- a city slowly rebuilding from two wars in the past 15 years.

The U.S. embassy hosted a group of 300 Lebanese boys and girls from the Bekaa valley for a day of basketball, festival games and music at the Saint Coeurs School in downtown Zahle, an embassy statement said.

The students competed in a medley of basketball events to demonstrate the fundamental skills that they have developed through the embassy’s 2010-11 Sports United Youth Basketball Program.