LI CHAO, the man who won the heart of table tennis darling Li Jiawei, made his first public appearance alongside her in Singapore at last night's Singapore Table Tennis Association fund-raising dinner.

They seemed at ease in each other's company throughout the night at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, despite the prying media - all eager to find out more about the man previously known only as a Beijing businessman in his mid-30s who shared her surname.

LONDON - STOKE City signed former England striker James Beattie from Sheffield United on Monday for a fee that could rise to 3.5 million pounds (S$7.7 million).

The 30-year-old former Blackburn Rovers, Southampton and Everton player, who has scored 12 goals this season for Championship (second division) side United, agreed a two and a half year deal with Premier League strugglers Stoke.

MUGELLO (Italy) - FELIPE Massa gave Ferrari's new Formula One car its track debut on Monday and said it felt entirely different to the one he drove to victory six times last year.

Formula One has made major changes for the coming season with new aerodynamic regulations and slick tyres brought in to boost overtaking.