London, April 11: David Beckham has donated one of his England shirts to help raise 20 million pounds through an online auction for Brit wounded troops.

The football ace will pen his autograph for the winning bidder of the shirt, presently under the hammer for Help for Heroes.

The 33-year-old backed the eBay collaborated Auction for Heroes to help build seven vital Army Convalescence Centres, saying: “They are the real heroes.”

“I was lucky enough to meet men and women from the armed services recently,” the Sun quoted him as saying.

“We are all thankful for their courage and bravery.

London, Apr 11 : Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has privately apologised to motor-racing chief Charlie Whiting for lying to stewards at Australian Grand Prix earlier this month.

FIA director Whiting has revealed what happened at the inquiry immediately after the Australian Grand Prix and the follow-up in Malaysia four days later.

McLaren face the World Motor Sport Council in Paris later this month over false statements, which implied Toyota's Jarno Trulli illegally overtook Hamilton, The Sun reports.

Augusta, Georgia - Chad Campbell was joined by fellow American Kenny Perry at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway point in the Masters on Friday, on a drama-filled day at Augusta. Campbell, who led by one shot after round one, fired a 3-under-par 69 to set the pace on 9-under-par, while Perry joined him late on with a fine bogey-free 67.

The pair were one shot clear of Argentine Angel Cabrera, who fired a second successive 68, while former Open champion Todd Hamilton was two shots further back.

Melbourne, Apr 11: Australia’s cricket coach Tim Nielsen has said that fast bowler Brett Lee won’t be rushed back into one-day cricket too quickly during the Pakistan series starting in Dubai on April 22.

Lee, who broke down in December in the Melbourne Test against South Africa with foot and ankle injuries, is in Port Elizabeth training with his Indian Premier League side Kings XI Punjab ahead of the IPL’s five-week season, which starts in Cape Town on April 18.

Singapore - Japan is to bid for hosting the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups with a proposal to play the matches in 10 Japanese cities as well as Singapore and Hong Kong, according to a report in the Straits Times Saturday. If Japan wins the bid, Singapore would host five matches, the report said.

Japan is to formally submit the proposal to the International Rugby Board (IRB) on May 13 which is expected to announce its decision on July 28, 2009.

Augusta, Georgia - Chad Campbell kept his head to maintain his place at the top of the leaderboard midway through the second round of the Masters on Friday. The American, who led by one shot after the first round on 7- under-par, moved to 9-under after a 70, thanks in no small part to a birdie at the last hole.

His lead could and should have been more after four birdies in the first 10 holes took him to 11-under. But bogeys at 11, 12 and 17 dropped him back before his final-hole birdie took him back to 9- under.