Sports briefs for March 30, 2004

Tuesday, March 30, 2004 | 9:40 a.m.

Athens Games already over $5.6 billion budget

Preparation costs for the 2004 Olympics have exceeded the $5.6 billion budget, and more projects could be trimmed to reduce spending, a top planner said today in Athens.

"A first inventory shows there are overruns," said Deputy Culture Minister Fani Palli-Petralia. "I cannot give a total estimate this minute."

The Games are set to begin Aug. 13 and run through Aug. 29. The final price tag is a highly important issue in Greece. Some critics have complained that the rush to overcome construction delays has escalated costs and the nation will be saddled with crippling debt for decades.

The former Socialist government, which was knocked from power by the conservative New Democracy party in March 7 elections, had repeatedly promised the budget would not increase. But Palli-Petralia claimed the Socialists "lost control" of spending.

Most of the budget was to build or refurbish sports venues. It also includes more than $800 million for security.

Palli-Petralia also suggested the government could trim back some nonessential projects such as landscaping. Earlier this month, officials canceled a much-delayed plastic roof for the swimming venue. Another delayed work -- the steel-and-glass roof of the main Olympic stadium -- will be ready by a late June deadline set by the IOC.

The entire stadium complex is scheduled to be ready on July 20 -- just three weeks before the games.

Coaches get Naismith

St. Joseph's men's coach Phil Martelli and Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt were named Naismith College Basketball Coaches of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, which last week picked St. Joseph's Jameer Nelson and Connecticut's Diana Taurasi as players of the year.

Thrashers sale OK

The NHL approved the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers to a nine-man group headed by Boston businessman Steve Belkin. The group bought the Trashers, the NBA's Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena for $250 million from Time Warner in September.

Duval to skip Masters

David Duval said today he is withdrawing from the Masters because he needs time to work on his game. He has not played a PGA Tour event since missing the cut at the Las Vegas Invitational in October.

MWC honor for Rebels

Senior UNLV right-hander David Seccombe, a transfer from San Francisco, was named Mountain West Conference pitcher of the week coming off his seven shutout innings Sunday against Air Force.