OLYMPICS

European Olympic body moves meetings out of Israel due to security concerns

The European Olympic Committees are moving their general assembly out of the Israeli resort of Eilat because of the violence between Israel and Hamas.

EOC President Pat Hickey told The Associated Press that the Dec. 7-8 meeting will be relocated to Rome.

Hickey said “many NOCs (national Olympic committees) voiced concerns about safety and security” because of the conflict between Israel and the Hamas group in Gaza. He added “an overwhelmingly amount were not prepared to travel” to Israel for the annual meeting.

The assembly will be held on the same dates in the Italian capital, which serves as the headquarters of the EOC.

The European body represents 49 Olympic committees.

WADA: Drug cheats will be kept out at least one Olympics under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s proposal to increase the suspension for serious violations from two years to four years.

TENNIS

WTA: Former top-ranked doubles player Gisela Dulko of Argentina retired, finishing her career with four singles titles and 17 in doubles. The 27-year-old Dulko said she no longer had “the same drive” and is not willing to make “the sacrifices” to compete on the WTA circuit.

SOCCER

WORLD CUP: A proposal by Croatia Coach Igor Stimac that acquitted generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac take the honorary kickoff at the start of a World Cup qualifier between the two nations on March 22 in Zagreb was greeted with fury by Serbian soccer officials. Serbia Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said his team would boycott the match if the two are allowed on the field.

U.S. SOCCER FEDERATION: Clint Dempsey was voted top male athlete for the second straight year. The Tottenham midfielder also won this honor in 2007. He joined midfielder Landon Donovan and goalkeeper Kasey Keller as the only players to win three times or more.

MSL: David Beckham, 37, isn’t retiring but says the MLS Cup next month will be his final game with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Los Angeles faces Houston on Dec. 1.

NASL: Former MetroStars forward Gio Savarese was hired as coach of the reconstituted New York Cosmos, who start play next year in the second division North American Soccer League.

PREP SCHOOLS

BOYS’ SOCCER: Wilson MacMillan’s goal in the second overtime gave the Hyde School Phoenix a 2-1 victory over MacDuffie School in the Class D New England title match Sunday in Concord, Mass.

Ethan Morrow set up the winning goal, racing downfield with the ball before laying it off to a wide-open MacMillan.

Wondo Shaw buried a Kiefer Cundy corner kick to give the Phoenix a 1-0 lead 10 minutes into the match. MacDuffie tied the score midway through the second half following a penalty awarded when a MacDuffie player went down in the box.

— From staff and news services