DOHA (Reuters) - From its startling winning bid to host the 2022 soccer World Cup and mediating roles in Middle East and African conflicts to its role leading Arab efforts to isolate Syria, tiny Qatar is aspiring to an ambitious role: global powerbroker.

World badminton number one Lee Chong Wei stayed on course Friday to win his eighth Malaysia Open title when he defeated former world and Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat in straight games.

He has every other major title in the game, but China's Lin "Super" Dan can fill the only gap in his resume at this week's badminton Superseries Finals -- and dethrone his arch-rival in the process.

Indonesian football's second division will open this weekend, an official said Friday, just days after a breakaway league announced its own lower-tier competition.

David Beckham got a mixed reception as a Robbie Keane strike earned the LA Galaxy a 1-0 win over a spirited Indonesian All Stars on Wednesday in front of a disappointing crowd in Jakarta.

Qatar, future host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and past playground of several Arab and Asian games, is reaching for the moon as it eyes the 2020 Olympics despite seemingly insurmountable climate challenges.

David Beckham leads the Los Angeles Galaxy in a friendly against Indonesia Wednesday but some seats in the stadium will be empty to prevent a repeat of a deadly stampede last week, organisers said.

Goal-shy Australia's Olympic qualifying hopes were dealt a blow by their third successive 0-0 draw Sunday as Japan and South Korea both stayed on course with narrow wins.

Australia host Uzbekistan on Sunday under pressure to kick-start their misfiring Olympic qualifying campaign after a pair of unimpressive draws.

Southeast Asian Games champions Malaysia suffered a 2-0 defeat to Syria in Olympic qualifying Wednesday, just two days after clinching the regional crown in a highly charged final in Jakarta.

Asia's football chief Wednesday questioned Indonesia's safety standards after a stadium stampede left two people dead at this week's Southeast Asian Games soccer final.

It started in a shambles and ended in tragedy, but Indonesian organisers of the Southeast Asian Games were adamant Wednesday their much-maligned hosting of the competition can be counted a success.

It started in a shambles and ended in tragedy, but Indonesian organisers of the Southeast Asian Games were adamant Wednesday their much-maligned hosting of the competition can be counted a success.

A mesmerising closing ceremony for the Southeast Asian Games Tuesday was unable to lift the pall cast over competition by the deaths of two fans in a stampede at the headline football final.

Two people were killed and a young boy was fighting for his life in a coma after a terrifying stampede when thousands of fans jammed a Jakarta stadium for the Southeast Asian Games football final.

Two people were killed and a young boy was left in a coma, reports said, in a terrifying stampede when thousands of fans jammed Jakarta's biggest stadium for the Southeast Asian Games football final.

Two Indonesian football fans died in a stampede in Jakarta on Monday at the Southeast Asian Games final against Malaysia, according to a victim's brother and a report citing a paramedic.

Two fans died in a stampede at the Southeast Asian Games football final in Jakarta, a report said Tuesday, overshadowing a win on penalties for defending champions Malaysia against hosts Indonesia.

Competition officials tried to cool the temperature Monday ahead of a potential flashpoint football final between bitter rivals Indonesia and Malaysia at the Southeast Asian Games.

A cancer-stricken Singaporean grandmother who postponed chemotherapy to compete in the Southeast Asian Games for the first time took an emotional gold at the weekend, according to a report Monday.