Lotus F1 Team driver ROMAIN GROSJEAN "has been suspended for the Sunday's Italian F1 Grand Prix after causing a first-corner crash at Belgian F1 race." The 26-year-old French native "also received a €50,000 ($62,850) fine" (DPA, 9/2). ... U.S. swimmer MICHAEL PHELPS "won $100,000 at a poker tournament at the Ceasars Palace" in Las Vegas, Nev (BILD, 9/3). ... RAFAEL NADAL"will not play for another two months" to give his knee time to recuperate. He will miss Spain's semifinal Davis Cup tie against the U.S. (MARCA, 9/3). ... Japan national football team Manager TAKASHI SEKIZUKA, who led the team to fourth place in the London Games, stepped down as his contract ended (JIJI PRESS, 8/31). ... FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke plans to meet with leading Indian industrialists MUKESH AMBANI and PAWAN MUNJAL during a four-day visit to New Delhi from Wednesday as the governing body "looks at India as a major football destination." Ambani's Reliance Industries (RIL) and Munjal's Hero Group are "big spenders in Indian sports." RIL-IMG have the marketing and broadcasting rights of the All India Football Federation, while the Hero Group is one of the main sponsors of the country's cricket and hockey tournaments (IANS, 9/3).
MARKING A MILESTONE: ManU Manager ALEX FERGUSON marked his 1,000th game with the club when his team beat Southampton 3-2 courtesy of a ROBIN VAN PERSIE hat-trick (IBTIMES.com, 9/2). ... F1 CEO BERNIE ECCLESTONE hinted that Mercedes driver MICHAEL SCHUMACHER will "retire at the end of the year." Ecclestone said, "I'm sorry that he's leaving us not being a winner, because he is a winner." Schumacher responded to the remarks saying: "I guess he said: 'If I would leave?', as I told him yesterday I had not made a decision" (BBC, 9/2). ... McLaren F1 Technical Boss PADDY LOWE said LEWIS HAMILTON's decision to reveal confidential team information on Twitter has not done "much damage". On Sunday, Hamilton "posted a picture of data" from his and team-mate JENSON BUTTON's qualifying laps. Lowe said, "The data in there isn't any great use to anyone, so I don't think there is much damage done" (BBC, 9/3). ... Egypt’s state news agency said that former national football team Coach MAHMOUD AL GOUHARI has died. The 74-year-old died of a brain hemorrhage on Monday in Jordan, where he was hospitalized recently after "suffering a stroke and falling into a coma" (AP, 9/3).
FIRST IN LINE : Wales rugby Coach WARREN GATLAND is the "overwhelming favourite" to be named as coach of the British and Irish Lions when officials announce their choice on Tuesday for next year's tour of Australia (NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 9/3). ... Current U.S. Soccer women's national team Coach PIA SUNDHAGE "will take over as coach" of the Swedish women's national team after guiding the U.S. to Olympic Gold in London. The Swedish Football Federation announced that she "would take over as national coach" on Dec. 1, replacing THOMAS DENNERBY, who stood down from the post last month after the Olympics (AFP, 9/2).
