Italian cycling star Riccardo Ricco was jailed on Thursday after being kicked out of the Tour de France for testing positive for the blood-booster EPO, the online edition of the daily L'Equipe reported.

Though Mohammad Asif is widely believed to have tested positive for nandrolone during the inaugural Indian Premier League, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said it has not received any confirmation about the substance from the IPL authorities.

Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson on Thursday said Mohammad Asif's detention in Dubai for allegedly possessing contraband drugs will hamper the pacer's progress to full bowling form after an injury lay-off.

Forensic tests proved Pakistani pacer Mohammad Asif was carrying a small amount of hashish but the authorities may not refer the case to court and deport the player, media reports in Dubai said on Thursday.

Disgraced sprinter Antonio Pettigrew joined his American relay teammate Michael Johnson by planning to hand back the gold medal he won at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.