The Brazilian federal government "will directly invest in the training of athletes" to guarantee more medals in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The program, which will be launched in the upcoming days, will have an estimated investment of R$1B ($495M) until '16 (FOLHA DE S. PAULO, 9/12). ... England will launch the FA's 150th anniversary celebrations with games against Brazil and Ireland next year. The five times World Cup winners will come to Wembley in February "as part of a two-match arrangement that will see England head to South America for a short tour in June." Shortly before that, the Three Lions will take on Ireland for the "first time since their abandoned fixture" in Dublin 17 years ago (PA, 9/12). ... A Test series between West Indies and Sri Lanka scheduled for April in the Caribbean has been "abandoned to accommodate players' participation" in the Indian Premier League. A One Day Int'l triangular series involving Sri Lanka, West Indies and India has "now replaced the series of two Tests," three ODIs and two Twenty20s, originally planned (CMC, 9/12).
