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Public can join Wright fete

ST. PETERSBURG - The public is invited to attend the City Council meeting this morning for ceremonies marking Winky Wright Month.

At 8:30 a.m., Mayor Rick Baker and council members will present the world's junior middleweight champion with a proclamation and key to the city.

Wright, who defeated Shane Mosley March 13 in Las Vegas for the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation championship belts, is the first fighter from the greater St. Petersburg area to hold three such belts.

SENATE OKAYS OVERSEER: The Senate approved legislation that would create a federal agency to oversee professional boxing. Boxing is the only major professional sport without a central regulatory authority. Similar legislation has been introduced in the House.

Tiger Woods is going prime-time with three of the longest hitters in golf this summer in the "Battle at the Bridges." Woods will join John Daly, Phil Mickelson and Hank Kuehne in a better-ball match Aug. 2 at the Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. It will be televised by ABC Sports at 8 p.m. "Each year we try to find something different to appeal to our prime-time audience," said Alastair Johnston, president of promoter IMG. The winners get $500,000 each, the losers $200,000; the pairings have not been decided.

The United States tuned up for World Cup qualifying by beating Poland 1-0 in an exhibition game at Plock, ending the hosts' seven-game winning streak. The United States, which lost to Poland 3-1 in the first round of the 2002 World Cup, opens its road to the 2006 edition against Grenada in Columbus, Ohio, on June 13.

BAGGIO TO RETIRE: Italian star Roberto Baggio will retire at the end of this season. Baggio, 36, led Italy to the 1994 World Cup final in the United States, scoring five goals in three games. But his missed penalty in a shootout in the championship game helped Brazil win. This month, Baggio achieved his career objective of 200 goals in Italy's top soccer league.

EQUESTRIAN: Reigning rider of the year McLain Ward won the $30,000 World Cup Qualifier Jumper Stake in the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center in Tampa. Ward, 29, and his 15-year-old horse Hurricane were penalty free in the last qualifying event for the World Cup Final that starts in Milan, Italy on April 21.

SAILING: Sweden's Gustaf Fresk and Aron Andersson extended their lead on the second of six days of the Disabled Two-person World Sailing Championship on Tampa Bay. Second are John McRoberts and Paul Tingley of British Columbia.

SWIMMING: Australian teenager Libby Lenton set the women's world 100-meter freestyle record, clocking 53.66 seconds in the Olympic trials at the Sydney International Aquatic Center. The previous mark of 53.77 was set by Inge de Bruijn of the Netherlands on Sept. 20, 2000 in the same pool at the Sydney Olympics.