Bundesliga club Greuther Fürth "will welcome a special guest" to its home game against Schalke 04 on Saturday. Former U.S. Secretary of State HENRY KISSINGER will honor his promise and attend the Bundesliga match. Kissinger, who was born in Fürth, has always emphasized that the club is "a matter close to the heart" for him (SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG, 9/4). ... Former NBA player ALLEN IVERSON "expressed willingness to play" in the Chinese Basketball Association following the success of former NBA player STEPHON MARBURY, who the past season led the Beijing Ducks to a national championship. Iverson arrived in China on Tuesday "on a sponsored tour to meet his Chinese fans" (SINA.com, 9/4). ... NBA Asian-American JEREMY LIN on Thursday finished a four-day summer basketball camp in Taipei for more than 100 youth. Lin said at the closing ceremony: "I just saw you guys improve individually, but also most important is improving in terms of playing with your teammates." NBA player DAVID LEE also helped coach at the camp "at Lin's invitation" (WANTCHINATIMES.com, 9/1).
OUT WITH A KNEE: IOC President JACQUES ROGGE will miss the Closing Ceremony of the London Paralympic Games because "he is due to undergo hip surgery" (REUTERS, 9/4). ... A swimming pool at a primary school "is to be named after former pupil" and Gold Medal Paralympian ELEANOR SIMMONDS. Staff at Cooper and Jordan C of E School in Aldridge, England, said that they would ask Ellie to "rededicate the pool after her success at London 2012" (BBC, 9/4). ... The Bangladesh Cricket Board revealed on Tuesday that former int'l SHARIFUL HAQUE has been found guilty of "spot-fixing and banned from cricket indefinitely" (REUTERS, 9/4). ... Georgian President MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI has "laid the foundation" of the new Olympic stadium in Batumi. It will be ready in a year and a half. The stadium, which was designed by Georgian Architect DAVID GOGICHAISHVILI can accommodate 35,000 spectators (TREND.az, 9/3). ... The New Zealand Rugby League Highlanders named two new assistant coaches and a new manager for the 2013 Investec Super Rugby season. Former All Blacks SCOTT MCLEOD, JON PRESTON were added as assistants while GRAHAM PURVIS becomes manager for Head Coach JAMIE JOSEPH (also a former All Black) over the next few weeks and will begin planning for their '13 campaign (Highlanders). ... Cricket Australia appointed DAVID BAILEY as physical performance coach for the men's team. Bailey was the strength and conditioning coordinator at Cricket Victoria for the past six seasons (Cricket Australia).
TRY AND TRY AGAIN: Swiss football club Sion named MICHEL DECASTEL its fifth coach in less than two years. He replaces SÉBASTIEN FOURNIER who quit after four months. Decastel, "who has spent the last decade coaching clubs in Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt," became the 26th coach to take charge of Sion since architect and former goalkeeper CHRISTIAN CONSTANTIN became president of the club in '03 (REUTERS, 9/4). U.S. Ryder Cup team captain DAVIS LOVE III has named STEVE STRICKER, JIM FURYK, DUSTIN JOHNSON and BRANDT SNEDEKER as his wildcard picks for the American team that will "try to win back the Ryder Cup" on September 28-30 at Medinah near Chicago (LONDON TIMES, 9/4).
