Inside Lines: Why the Greeks carry the torch for London

Will the nearest London ever gets to a sniff of the Olympic Games be the section of the torch relay that the Greek organisers of the 2004 Games have promised for the capital as the flame makes its way to Athens next year? The gesture, made by the 2004 president Gianna Angelopoulos, may turn out to be rather ironic should the vexed London bid have fizzled out on Tony Blair's back burner. There is an increasing worry that this could be the case as Cabinet approval encounters more delays than Virgin trains. No decision until next week, or maybe next month, we are told. Why? How long does it take to plonk down a rubber stamp, which we are being led to believe is now the case? Crisis or not, sporting life has to go on. It certainly is in the United States where the spat with Saddam does not seem to have bothered New York unduly. Their bid, which looks increasingly formidable, is well up and running, as London's should be by now. Despite the soothing noises, the shilly-shallying is sending out all the wrong signals to the rest of the world. Those who regarded us as a nation of shopkeepers now see us as a land of ditherers. The bid is said to be "already past the post" but is that really the case? Worryingly, someone who still has the ear of Blair is James Purnell, a young, pushy parliamentary freshman who before the last election was the PM's policy adviser on sport at No 10. He professes to be a "sports nut" but admits he is vehemently opposed to the bid, reasoning that the Games are the "wrong priority for London, for British sport and unfair on the rest of the country". The money, he says, should be spent on grass-roots sport and public services. Home James? Not quite, I fear.

Games bid facing a shot in the foot

While the burghers and business folk of Manchester deservedly enjoyed a Governmental pat on the back at a House of Commons reception last week, the sport which was the second most successful for home nations in those memorable Commonwealth Games held its own less auspicious celebration just down the corridor. No Government presence here, save for the ever-supportive Kate Hoey, for these were the shooters, those pistol-packing pariahs. But some big guns were there, among them Sir Jackie Stewart, who said he derived more pleasure from shooting clay pigeons than he did driving in Formula One. There, too, was Mick Gault, the Redgrave of the range, most medalled Commonwealth Games competitor ever, though he remains unhonoured because of political sniffiness towards the sport. Probably just as well that no ministerial heads popped through the door. The shooters were in pot-shot mood following a Home Office missive which informed them that if London do get the 2012 Olympics the requisite warm-up events will not be allowed because of the ban on handguns. This will not go down well with the IOC's strong shooting lobby.

Tories go into bat for Hussain

Not a peep from the sports minister or his bosses over England's now abandoned World Cup fixture in Zimbabwe despite yesterday's developments. But the shadow sports spokesman John Greenway believes they should put up instead of shutting up. "It is our view that the Government should foot the bill for whatever compensation the ECB may have to pay," he says. "Given that the Government asked the players not to go but showed no leadership themselves, they have a responsibility to look at the financial implications. I back Nasser Hussain and the players 100 per cent. The ICC could have moved the fixture but have been bloody-minded."

The Jailhouse Rockers are due on parade (or should it be parole?) in Memphis, Elvis's old stamping ground, on Saturday night. Mike Tyson (four years) and heavyweight opponent Clifford Etienne (served 10 of a 40-year stretch) are billed alongside former ice star Tonya Harding, who spent a fortnight in the slammer after throwing a hubcap at her boyfriend.

Harding makes her official pro boxing debut against Missouri's Samantha Browning. Described as a "bar-room brawler", Browning declares: "She couldn't beat me with a hubcap in her hand." Alas, the public seem to lack conviction about the ring rehabilitation of either Tyson or Tonya. Ticket sales are said to be slow and it could be a hard sell, so to speak, for Sky Box Office, especially since the news last night was that the ever-unpredictable Tyson is suffering from flu and may have to pull out of the bout.

The Football Foundation, steered by Lord Tom Pendry, long-time shadow sports minister before being gazumped by Tony Banks, have set West Ham a task perhaps even trickier than staying in the Premiership.

They have awarded the Hammers a grant of £150,000 to help foster football among east London's Asian community. It will enable a full-time development officer to work on the project, assisted by a "high-profile" West Ham player. And the player they have in mind is Lee Bowyer. No reaction yet from him or the Hammers, but the Foundation reckon certain wounds could be healed if he agrees: "It would send out a very strong message about West Ham's commitment to fighting racism."

insidelines@independent.co.uk

Exit Lines

If we had a foreign coach in charge of Brazil, it would be almost blasphemy. Luis Felipe Scolari advises the nation he led to World Cup victory not to forsake the samba syndrome... He is paying the price for being a little dopey. Former Australian Test colleague Ian Healy's apposite observation on Shane Warne's positive drugs test... If we unfurl the white flag instead of the Olympic flag the game is up for sport in this country. Final warning from Sebastian Coe as the Government announces a further postponement of a decision on a London bid for 2012.