| Regional News Briefs for March 2
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two groups of rowers are being evaluated after being rescued from the Potomac. D.C. fire spokesman Alan Etter says nine people were in one skiff and eight in the other. Mr. Etter says one boat was swamped and the other overturned about 11:30 a.m yesterday. The fire spokesman is warning boaters to stay off the river, where high winds and choppy water are making for dangerous conditions. Mr. Etter says he does not know to which team or club the rowing crews belonged. Officials I.D. children killed in blaze BALTIMORE - Baltimore fire officials have identified three children killed in a blaze Friday. Fire spokesman Kevin Cartwright says five-year-old Siedah Fields and her two brothers, eight-year-old Sadik Fields and 13-year-old Elijah Fields were killed in the blaze.
ITTF mulls restriction of allegiance-switching players
GUANGZHOU, China, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The world of table tennis is being overrun by Chinese and the sport's ruling body is worried. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is going to vote on Wednesday on a controversial scheme to limit the number of loyalty-switching players. Once it passes, Chinese players who want to extend their careers overseas will be hit hard. The proposal, raised by the Swiss table tennis association and backed by ITTF chief Adham Sharara, plans to ban the 21-year-old and older players from changing allegiances in order to play in the Olympic Games and world championships. For the 15-17 year-olds who switch citizenship, they will have to wait for three years before they represent their adopted countries or regions, according to the proposal, which also suggests five years of waiting for 18 to 20 years old.
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