NEW DELHI - BOXING Day isn't a day to put up your dukes and get into the ring, Indian boxing officials said on Friday.

Seeking to allay apparent confusion among boxing buffs, the Indian Boxing Federation (IBF) said the day after Christmas was named for the practice of leaving gifts for the underprivileged in poor boxes in churches, not 'the sweet science'.

MOSCOW - A RUSSIAN team has pulled out of the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race as they do not have enough funds to continue, the team owner said.

Team Russia, led by St Petersburg supermarket owner Oleg Zherebtsov, announced it had suspended its operations after arriving in Singapore at the end of Leg Three on Tuesday.

LOS ANGELES - MICHAEL Phelps, who took several months off after the Beijing Olympics, is ready to resume training in early February to get ready for the US national championships in July.