Trinidadian quarter-miler Ato Stephens has been slapped with a two-year doping ban by track and field's world governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The 30-year-old was one of seven international athletes banned for doping violations, the IAAF announced on its website Friday.

Stephens tested positive for three banned substances - Tamoxifen, Oxandrolone and Stanozolol - at the Ponce Grand Prix, an IAAF and NACAC Area Permit Meeting which took place in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on May 16 this year.

Bellamy escapes

MANCHESTER, England (AP):

Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy has escaped punishment from the Football Association and his club for pushing a fan in the face after he had invaded the field on Sunday in a Premier League match against Man United. The Man United fan ran on to the field at Old Trafford and, while held by stewards, Bellamy pushed him in the face. Bellamy could have been banned for three games if he had been charged and found guilty. The police are still investigating the incident.

Eto'o files suit

BARCELONA (AP):

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o is demanding about €3 million (US$4.4 million) from former club Barcelona as part of the deal under he which was transferred to Inter Milan. Lawyers for both the club and player are to meet in court in the coming weeks to try to reach a settlement, but club officials said yesterday that an agreement was unlikely and the case is expected to go to court.

Henin's back

BRUSSELS (AP):

Former No. 1 Justine Henin announced her return yesterday to competitive tennis for next year. Henin had been retired for just over a year, but at 27 says she has the fire and physical strength to compete for an eighth Grand Slam title.

Her televised announcement capped an about-face that went from her "definitive decision" to retire last year, to weeks of no comment to a smiling admission yesterday that she truly missed the game too much.

England support

LONDON (AP):

England confirmed its backing for a Test cricket world championship, as long as all the teams and organisers can agree on a format. Responding to suggestions that England had opposed the idea, the England and Wales Cricket Board said yesterday it did not like the original proposal by the International Cricket Council of squeezing into a two-year cycle. But ECB chief executive David Collier said it supported the idea of a four-year cycle of matches with the top two teams then facing each other in a playoff.