B.C. Lions Fire O'billovich, Staff, Personnel Director

-- FOOTBALL

Coach Bob O'Billovich, six other members of the British Columbia Lions football staff and almost a dozen front-office employees of the Canadian Football League Club received termination notices, effective Jan. 31.

The notices were contained in letters from Vancouver Football Operations Ltd., which technically has owned the CFL team since former owner Murray Pezim defaulted Aug. 26.

New owner Bill Comrie, the B.C. Pavilion Corp., and the CFL have operated the Lions jointly since Comrie bought the club Sept. 23. He will take full control Jan. 1.

Laid off in addition to O'Billovich were Bill Quinter, player-personnel director, and assistant coaches Jeff Reinebold, Joe Paopao, Bob Heffner, Gene Gaines and Mike Roach. Public-relations director Roger Kelly was among the other employees dismissed.

-- Oberlin College, forced to forfeit last weekend's game because injuries had left it with too few players, will try to play the final two games on its schedule. As of yesterday, the Yeomen (0-8) had 27 players available for Saturday's North Coast Athletic Conference game against Kenyon.

-- WRESTLING

Oklahoma State was banned from the next NCAA wrestling tournament because of major rules violations. The NCAA Committee on Infractions also extended the school's probationary period for three years - until January 1996 - and said no new wrestling scholarships could be offered this year or next year.

-- TENNIS

France's Henri Leconte beat No. 2 seed Pete Sampras 6-3, 7-5 in the second round of $2.1 million Paris Open.

Three other seeds lost second-round matches. France's Arnaud Boetsch beat No. 5 Petr Korda of Czechoslovakia 7-5, 6-4. Australia's Wally Masur upset No. 15 Sergi Bruguera of Spain 6-3, 7-5, and Jim Grabb outlasted fellow American MaliVai Washington, the No. 10 seed, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.

-- Eighth-seeded Zina Garrison fought off a match point to defeat Laura Gildemeister 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4) in the first round of the Oakland (Calif.) Classic.

Third-seeded Anke Huber of Germany rebounded from a slow start to beat Latvia's Larisa Savchenko-Neiland 1-6, 6-0, 6-0. Pam Shriver eliminated Rosalyn Fairbank-Nideffer 6-2, 6-2.

-- HOCKEY

The Spokane Chiefs and Medicine Hat Tigers announced an eight-player trade.

Spokane sent center Mike Jickling, left wing Aaron Boh and defensemen Justin Hocking and Jared Bednard to Medicine Hat. In exchange, Medicine Hat sent defensemen Bryan McCabe and Jon Duval, left wing Dana Rieder and right wing Scott Townsend to the Chiefs.

HORSE RACING

English jockey Lester Piggott, 56, who suffered a broken collarbone and two broken ribs when his mount, Mr Brooks, collapsed and rolled onto him during the Breeder's Cup Sprint last Saturday, was released from a hospital in Hollywood, Fla.

-- OLYMPICS

The International Olympic Committee is willing to bend its rules to include golf as a medal sport at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Gilbert Felli, IOC sports director, said in Acapulco, Mexico.

-- BASKETBALL

Steve Rivers, 6-foot-5 senior guard, was kicked off the Tennessee team for an unspecified violation of team rules.

-- BOXING

Carl "The Truth" Williams (27-5) stopped Jimmy Lee Smith (10-3) in the third round of a heavyweight bout in Ledyard, Conn.

-- VOLLEYBALL

Cuba beat the United States 15-12, 15-5, 10-15, 15-10 in Round 2 of the World Super Four women's tournament in Osaka, Japan.

-- BOWLING

Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela won five straight matches in the final round of match play to earn the top-qualifier berth in the PBA Taylor (Mich.) Open.