Names In The News

Former England cricket player PAUL NIXON has given his personal account of his meeting with an Indian businessman, which concluded with an offer of £5M to fix one of Leicestershire's Twenty20 matches. In an exert from his autobiography, "Keeping Quiet," he detailed the moment he was offered the "absurd" amount of money in '10. He included the protracted discussions beforehand and afterward, in addition to his dialogue with the authorities after he reported the approach (SUNDAY TIMES, 7/1). ... Gold medalists basketball player LISA LESLIE, gymnast SHAWN JOHNSON and swimmer DANA VOLLMER, along with medal-hopefuls in track & field FUNMI JIMOH and CHAUNTE HOWARD-LOWE have partnered with Nestlé Crunch to design commemorative patches for an auction to benefit the Girl Scouts of the U.S. (Golin Harris). ... DAVID BECKHAM, who did not make Britain's Olympic football squad, will still play a starring role in the 2012 Games. Carrying the Team GB flag or lighting the Olympic flame "are among the options to be discussed" by LOCOG and the British Olympic Association in the next few days. Whatever part Beckham does play, "it is certain to be more than a token ambassadorial one" (London INDEPENDENT, 7/1).

EURO FINAL: The "three tenors of Spanish sport," RAFA NADAL, PAU GASOL and FERNANDO ALONSO were expected to sit in the front row at the Euro 2012 final. Spanish representatives in the director's box included Prince and Princess of Asturias FELIPE and LETIZIA, as well as Spain President MARIANO RAJOY. Education Minister JOSÉ IGNACIO WERT and Secretary of State for sport MIGUEL CARDENAL were also expected to be present (MARCA, 7/1). ... CRISTIANO RONALDO wore a Spain shirt for the final of Euro 2012. The Portuguese int'l "holds no grudges against La Roja" after being knocked out in the semifinals. Five of Ronaldo's Real Madrid teammates are on the Spain squad -- IKER CASILLAS, SERGIO RAMOS, RAÚL ALBIOL, ÁLVARO ARBELOA and XABI ALONSO -- but none play on the Italian team (MARCA, 6/30).