South Africa’s chief envoy to India has sought assurances from Delhi police that cricketer Nicky Boje will not be questioned over a match-fixing scandal when he arrives with the national team next week. However, Indian media reports on Thursday said Delhi Police Commissioner KK Paul did not give any assurance that the cricketer will be spared.

Ernie Els will play in the United States and in China, in England and in Australia, during another season of global golf with the blessing of the American PGA Tour. Els’ dispute with the PGA Tour turned out to be a misunderstanding. Only after a meeting on Tuesday morning at East Lake did the Big Easy realise the tour wasn’t demanding he play any more in the United States than he already does.

Tiger Woods does not play golf with a ring on his finger. That was the answer to the first question about how things might be different in his first tournament as a married man. But the biggest change was more subtle. Woods began his pro-am round at the Tour Championship on the 10th tee. He usually is the first one off on the first tee, a perk he has been afforded the last five years.

When Hugh Bladen takes his seat in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, it will be to handle, for the 118th time, the television commentary for a rugby Test match in which the Springboks are playing. It will also be his seventh Springbok Test in Cardiff. The first was in 1994, when South Africa played against Wales at the old Arms Park.

Chelsea became the first team to assure themselves a berth in the second round of the European Champions League on Tuesday, getting a first-half goal from Arjen Robben for a 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow. The victory gave Chelsea four victories in as many games and 12 points atop group H.

Chelsea and Inter Milan qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday while AC Milan and Barcelona stood on the brink of joining them. Arsenal, by contrast, stumbled again with a 1-1 home tie with Panathinaikos and have drawn three games in a row.

Supersport United hope to become the second club in less than a week to beat Moroka Swallows during their Castle Premiership match at Loftus Stadium on Wednesday, starting at 8pm. The match was initially scheduled for Rand Stadium but was moved to Pretoria after the league decided to close down the Johannesburg venue.

Newport Gwent Dragons second-row Michael Owen has insisted Wales will not fear Tri-Nations champions South Africa come Saturday’s Test match, despite their last meeting with the Springboks ending in a crushing defeat. ”It is not something to be daunted about,” said Owen on Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s Millennium Stadium match.