Briefs-Gazidis named new chief executive at Arsenal

Nov 26 (Reuters) - Sports news in brief from around the world:

Soccer - Arsenal have appointed Ivan Gazidis, currently deputy commissioner for Major League Soccer in the United States, as their new chief executive officer, the Premier League club said on their website www.arsenal.com.

The 44-year-old, who has worked in the MLS for 14 years, will start the new job in January.

Arsenal Chairman Peter Hill-Wood said: "It is evident that he has a wealth of business acumen together with a broad knowledge of football that will not only help to maintain Arsenal's pre-eminent standing but enhance our reputation within the football community and international commercial markets."

Soccer - Cameroon's Issa Hayatou will be elected as leader of African soccer again next year, extending his tenure at the head of the continent's most popular sport into a third decade.

The 62-year-old Hayatou was the only nomination received for the Confederation of African Football's next presidential elections to be held at their Lagos congress in February, CAF announced. Hayatou was elected CAF president in 1988.

Tennis - Russia's defending champion Dmitry Tursunov and American Mardy Fish have both signed up to play in the Sydney International in January.

The pair join Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, David Nalbandian, Tomas Berdych and Lleyton Hewitt in the men's singles for the Australian Open warm-up event.

Tennis - China's Zheng Jie is returning to Tasmania in January to launch her Australian Open campaign.  Continued...