BASKETBALL

DIXON SCHEDULED TO APPEAR BEFORE CONGRESS Washington Wizards guard Juan Dixon will testify before a congressional committee looking into steroids in pro sports, the NBA players’ union said yesterday. He’s the only athlete slated to go to Capitol Hill today or tomorrow, when two House panels will hold separate hearings on steroid use and testing.

Dixon was one of five NBA players asked to appear at the House Government Reform Committee hearing tomorrow. NBA commissioner David Stern and players’ union director Billy Hunter have said they will be at the panel’s third hearing on steroids, after Major League Baseball in March and the NFL last month.

Government Reform Committee spokesman Dave Marin said five NBA players invited to that panel’s hearing had yet to agree to show. He said they were asked to testify because they’ve been quoted in media reports as saying the league doesn’t have a steroid problem.

The NBA currently suspends first-time offenders of its steroids policy for five games. Two players are believed to have been suspended for steroid use since the NBA implemented its current policy in 1999. Stern has said he would like to strengthen testing for performance-enhancing drugs in the league’s new collective bargaining agreement.

BASEBALL

SIERRA INJURED IN REHAB GAME Yankees designated hitter Ruben Sierra left an extended spring training game yesterday after feeling discomfort in his left leg. Sierra felt pain in his upper leg as he left the batter’s box during his first at bat. After grounding out to first, Sierra ran and did stretching drills but was removed from the game against Philadelphia minor leaguers.

Sierra is taking part in a rehabilitation program for a partially torn right biceps, which he suffered while swinging at a changeup April 20 against Toronto. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list two days later. Barring a setback, Sierra is hoping to rejoin the Yankees on Friday in time for a weekend series with the Mets.

BOXING

RUIZ REINSTATED AS WBA CHAMPION John Ruiz has come out of his brief retirement to become a heavyweight champion once again – this time without a fight. Ruiz’s camp said yesterday that the World Boxing Association has reinstated him as champion in the wake of James Toney testing positive for steroids after their April 30 title fight in New York.

Under WBA regulations, the former champion gets the title back if the fight is declared a no contest, which it was after Toney’s positive test for the banned steroid Nandrolone. The New York State Athletic Commission also suspended Toney for 90 days and fined him the maximum $10,000.

Ruiz announced his retirement after losing a unanimous decision to Toney, but changed his mind last week just before Toney’s test results were released.

The Toney camp maintains that the positive test result was due to medication prescribed to Toney while he was recovering from a severe left biceps and triceps injury suffered during a fight last fall.

FOOTBALL

GIANTS RELEASE QB MILLER The New York Giants reached an injury settlement with Jim Miller and released the veteran quarterback, the team announced yesterday. Miller, 34, recently had hip surgery and would have missed at least the next three months. He was signed in March to back up Eli Manning, who was the starter for the final seven games last season. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

The Giants were awarded former Washington Redskins quarterback Tim Hasselbeck off waivers last week, and he is expected to compete with Jesse Palmer and Jared Lorenzen for the backup job.

Miller, an 11-year veteran, was a member of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots last season, a year after missing the 2003 season with a shoulder injury. He last played in 2002 for Chicago and has a 15-12 career record as a starter. In 2001, he started 13 games and led the Bears to a 13-3 record and the NFC Central Division title.

Also yesterday, the Giants waived rookie wide receiver Charles Frederick and signed offensive lineman Alex Bell and defensive back Antwain Spain.

TENNIS

WILLIAMS CRUISES INTO QUARTERS IN ISTANBUL Topseeded Venus Williams routed Marta Marrero of Spain 6-0, 6-0 to reach the Istanbul Cup quarterfinals yesterday. Williams, who hasn’t won a title in a year, hasn’t played in two weeks and needed a confidence boost before the French Open, which starts Monday.

Third-seeded Anna Smashnova and no. 5 Anna-Lena Groenefeld won their first-round matches, but no. 6 Meghann Shaughnessy lost 6-3, 7-5 to Bulgarian qualifier Tszvetana Pironkova.

Other winners included Ivana Abramovic, Shahar Peer, and Elena Vesnina.

SOCCER

FIFA DEFENDS DRUG POLICY FIFA president Sepp Blatter said yesterday that his organization’s drug rules are even harsher than WADA’s global anti-doping code.

Blatter said FIFA’s policy of individual case management goes beyond the global minimum requirements for international sports federations.

The World Anti-Doping Agency said Monday that it was giving FIFA until September to comply with its rules, which recommend a mandatory two-year ban for doping offenses. WADA also said soccer’s place in the Olympics would be at stake if FIFA didn’t comply.

“FIFA’s sanctions for doping offenses are, however, harsher in that every infringement, including positive results after out-of-competition tests and so-called designer drugs, carries a minimum suspension of six months,” Blatter said in a statement.

Blatter said FIFA’s policy of six-month suspensions was in compliance with the WADA code, and that his organization has exceeded the recommendations. FIFA approved the world anti-doping code last year, and said WADA already has accepted that its regulations are in line with global standards.

– Associated Press