By Peter Rutherford

(Reuters) – Representatives at the United Nations may think twice about crossing Ban Ki-moon in future after the secretary-general was awarded an honorary 10th degree black belt in the Korean martial art of taekwondo.

While is unclear whether the 68-year-old Ban can break bricks with his bare hands, World Taekwondo Federation president Choue Chung-won said the awarding of the black belt reflected the common goals and values shared by the UN and federation.

By Peter Rutherford

(Reuters) – Representatives at the United Nations may think twice about crossing Ban Ki-moon in future after the secretary-general was awarded an honorary 10th degree black belt in the Korean martial art of taekwondo.

While is unclear whether the 68-year-old Ban can break bricks with his bare hands, World Taekwondo Federation president Choue Chung-won said the awarding of the black belt reflected the common goals and values shared by the UN and federation.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Hong Kong horses swooped to capture the biggest prizes on the Singapore racing calendar on Sunday, Military Attack romping to an easy win in the S$3 million (£1.6 million) SIA Cup and Lucky Nine landing the S$1 million KrisFlyer Sprint.

Military Attack made it four wins on the trot after blowing away a top quality field in the main race at Kranji, jockey Zac Purton needing only to flash the whip to unleash his mount to a three length win.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Lucky Nine trainer remembers the day his feisty galloper almost kicked him. That was the day Lucky Nine the colt became Lucky Nine the gelding.

The Irish-bred six-year-old runs in the Group 1 $1 million KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore on Sunday and while the speedster is a joy to race these days, his high-strung antics saw him offered to seven different trainers in Hong Kong before arriving at Fownes’ stable.

By Peter Rutherford

(Reuters) – Tuesday’s opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange will not only kick off a day of trade on Wall Street, it may also herald the end of an era at Manchester United, who are rumoured to be on the brink of announcing manager Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

Speculation swept English football late on Tuesday that 71-year-old Ferguson, who has managed United for more than 26 years, was set to step aside, though there has been no official comment from the club.

May 8 (Reuters) – Tuesday’s opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange will not only kick off a day of trade on Wall Street, it may also herald the end of an era at Manchester United, who are rumoured to be on the brink of announcing manager Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

Speculation swept English soccer late on Tuesday that 71-year-old Ferguson, who has managed United for more than 26 years, was set to step aside, though there has been no official comment from the club.

By Peter Rutherford

(Reuters) – ONEFC lightweight champion Kotetsu Boku is tired of living in Shinya Aoki’s shadow, watching the Japanese submission specialist steal top billing on fight cards and dominating headlines at mixed martial arts (MMA) events all over Asia.

Boku believes the time is right to change all that.

“Yes Aoki has been the bigger star. Even when I won my lightweight championship he was the main event,” Boku told Reuters in an interview ahead of their ONE Fighting Championship title bout on April 5 in Singapore.

SINGAPORE, March 11 (Reuters) – ONE Fighting Championship, Asia’s biggest mixed martial arts promotion, will return to the Philippines in May with local fighter Honorio Banario slated to defend his featherweight title against South Korean Bae Young-kwon.

A ONE FC official told Reuters on Monday that the event would take place at Manila’s 20,000-seater Mall of Asia Arena on May 31. Bae was expected to sign off on the bout this week, the official added.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – A Singapore court ruled against the Asian Tour in a restraint of trade case on Tuesday and ordered it to repay fines imposed on four golfers.

Australians Terry Pilkadaris and Matthew Griffin, Dutchman Guido van der Valk and Malaysian Anis Helmi Hassan brought the case against the Asian Tour after being suspended for refusal to pay $5,000 (3,120.32 pounds) fines imposed for playing events on the rival OneAsia circuit.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – China lies at the heart of global expansion plans for many of the world’s biggest sports organizations. But whether it’s the search for a new superstar or selling caps to 1.3 billion people, most find cracking the Chinese market a whole new ball game.

Among the heavy hitters of North American sport, only the National Basketball Association seems to be a slam-dunk with Chinese fans so far, thanks in no small part to Shanghai-born Yao Ming’s success with the Houston Rockets.