Pound: A third of players may use drugs

The president of the World Anti-Doping Agency said he suspects as many as a third of the NHL's 700 players may take some form of performance-enhancing substances. ''I spoke with [NHL commissioner] Gary Bettman and he said, 'We don't have the problem in hockey,' " Dick Pound told the London (Ont.) Free Press yesterday in an interview for a story to be published today. ''I told him he does. You wouldn't be far wrong if you said a third." Asked if he meant performing-enhancing drugs, the Montreal lawyer replied, ''Yes." NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly took exception to Pound's comments. ''I would respectfully suggest that Mr. Pound's comments have absolutely no basis in fact," Daly told The Canadian Press. The NHL introduced random tests for performance-enhancing drugs in its new collective bargaining agreement. Players are subject to a minimum of two tests a year without warning. A first-time offender gets a 20-game suspension, a second offense calls for a 60-game suspension, and a third offense results in a lifetime ban.

Golf
Wie off to a good start at Casio

Nervous at the start but encouraged by a couple of late birdies, Michelle Wie was five strokes off the lead in a men's tournament and optimistic about making the cut. The 16-year-old Hawaiian was followed by huge galleries during her opening round of 1-over-par 73 at the Casio World Open in Kochi on the Japanese Tour. She had an uneven beginning with three bogeys on the Kochi Kuroshio Country Club course. ''Coming back like that will give me confidence," she said. ''It's good to know I can do that even when I'm not playing that well." Wie, who teed off from the 10th hole, regrouped with birdies on the sixth and seventh holes. Two Japanese players, Toshimitsu Izawa and Yoshiaki Kimura, shared the lead at 68. Wie is making her sixth start in a men's professional tournament. She failed to make the cut in three PGA Tour starts . . . Robert Allenby overcame a hand injury and shot a course-record 9-under 63 for a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Australian Open in Fingal.

Baseball
Mets, Marlins finalize Delgado deal

Carlos Delgado was officially traded to the New York Mets by the cost-cutting Florida Marlins for first baseman Mike Jacobs and two minor leaguers. The Mets will also receive $7 million from the Marlins to help cover the $48 million Delgado is owed over the next three seasons. The minor leaguers going to Florida are pitcher Yusmeiro Petit and infielder Grant Psomas. The teams reached a preliminary agreement on the deal Wednesday, but it needed to be approved by the commissioner's office because more than $1 million is changing hands.

BASKETBALL
Coleman leads Maryland women

Marissa Coleman scored 21 points to lead 10th-ranked Maryland to an 88-50 victory over Gonzaga in the Paradise Jam women's tournament in Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands. Crystal Langhorne added 13 points for the Terrapins (3-0), who had four players reach double figures in scoring . . . Denham Brown hit a turnaround jumper with 1.1 seconds to play to give the No. 3 Connecticut men (4-0) a 65-63 victory over No. 8 Gonzaga (3-0) Wednesday night in the championship game of the Maui Invitational . . . Doug Christie and the Dallas Mavericks were working on a contract settlement a week after he left the team to have his surgically repaired left ankle examined by his personal physician . . . Bucks rookie center Andrew Bogut had successful surgery on his broken nose. The No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft, Bogut was hurt when Allen Iverson's hand hit him in the face during the third quarter of Milwaukee's 108-97 win over the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night.

MISCELLANY
Japan vaults to world gymnastics title

Forget Russia and China, the US has a new rival in men's gymnastics -- Japan. Hiroyuki Tomita became the first Japanese in 31 years to win an all-around title at the world championships. Hisashi Mizutori of Japan took the silver and Denis Savenkov of Belarus was the surprising bronze medalist. The top American was US national champion Todd Thornton in 20th place. Tomita finished with 56.698 points while Mitzutori was at 55.349 and Savenkov at 55.112 . . . Miami Dolphins linebacker Junior Seau is out for the season with a calf injury, but said he plans to return for a 17th season in 2006, even if it's with another team. Seau, a 12-time Pro Bowler, was placed on injured reserve . . . Soccer great George Best's condition has deteriorated and he is unlikely to survive another 24 hours, his doctor said. The 59-year-old former Manchester United star -- who needed a liver transplant three years ago after decades of alcohol abuse -- has been in critical condition in intensive care for a week.