Kiev - The Ukrainian government has dismissed speculation that the country may not be in a position to co-host Euro 2012 alongside Poland.

"We will be ready in 2012, I have no doubt about it," Yuri Pavlenko, Ukraine's minister for sport, youth and family, was quoted Friday by the Interfax news agency as saying in Kiev.

Pavlenko said that Kiev's Olympic stadium would be finished on time and be ready to host the final despite construction hold-ups of more than a year.

Last month UEFA expressed doubts about Ukraine's ability to host the event due to organizational problems and internal political conflicts.

St Moritz, Switzerland - World champion Anja Paerson of Sweden got celebrated once again in St Moritz as she claimed a big super combined ski race win on Friday.

The World Cup leader Lindsey Vonn of the US, by contrast, crashed out.

Paerson, 27, led the way after the downhill portion and also mastered the slalom run well for a combined total of 1 minute 41.87 seconds.

It was the first win of the season and the 39th overall for the three-time world champion from 2007, who 12 months ago won the super-combined and downhill World Cup races in St Moritz.

Val Gardena, Italy - Werner Heel of Italy made the most of favourable wind conditions during his run to win a super-g on Friday in which third-placed Swede Patrick Jaerbyn became the oldest podium finisher in World Cup history.

Heel, 26, clocked 1 minute 35.04 seconds in front of a home crowd to claim his second career win.

Didier Defago of Switzerland was second in 1:35.47 and Jaerbyn, who turns 40 in April, came third on the demanding Saslong piste in 1:35.49.

Nyon, Switzerland - Werder Bremen will face seven-time European champions AC Milan in the UEFA Cup's round of 32 following the draw made in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday.

Holders Zenit St Petersburg also face German opposition in the form of VfB Stuttgart while SV Hamburg have been pitted against Dutch side NEC Nijmegen and VfL Wolfsburg take on Paris St Germain.

Big-spending Manchester City will expect to progress at the expense of FC Copenhagen but Aston Villa face a challenging task against CSKA Moscow. Tottenham Hotspur will also need to be at their best if they want to overcome Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk.

London, Dec 19 : French football player Thierry Henry says had it not been for his parents bringing him up in a strict manner, he would have ended on the streets.

Henry, who has a daughter with his ex-wife Nicole Merry, said that had it not been for his parents stopping him from going out and joining other kids on the streets, he would have landed in jail by now.

"Talking about other things, the city, my roots, what I think, that is how you can get to know a man," the Sun quoted him as saying.

Hamburg - Former German swim star Michael Gross has entered the debate on new suits which have led to a flood of world records by calling on his sport to return to its basic equipment.

"It has become a technology battle which even overshadows the doping debate. That is a wrong turn for the sport," Gross told Deutsche Presse-Angentur dpa.

"Swimming is risking manoeuvring itself on to the sidelines."

Gross called for a return to "swim shorts and suits" or at least for a standard suit to be used by all athletes.