DIEGO MARADONA is a "likely inclusion" in the Dubai Sports Council squad as the hosts seek a place in the knockout stages of the Over-38 category of the 7Up Dubai Government Entities Football League being held at the Dubai Police Officers Club this Thursday (GULF NEWS, 3/26). ... Olympic Gold Medalist CHRIS HOY was announced as a Glasgow 2018 bid champion (Team GB). ... The Tokyo District Court said that the Japan Sumo Association’s dismissal of former makuuchi division wrestler SOKOKURAI in '11 was invalid because its match-fixing allegations "left room for doubt" (KYODO, 3/26). ... BBC horse racing commentator PETER O'SULLEVAN suffered a mild stroke on Sunday evening (DAILY MIRROR, 3/26). ... Former St. Johnstone boss DEREK MCINNES was Monday night unveiled as new Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen manager -- "but he won't be able to take charge of the squad for a fortnight." McInnes and his assistant TONY DOCHERTY signed two-year deals but they won’t succeed the retiring CRAIG BROWN until after the SPL split on April 8 (DAILY RECORD, 3/26). ... Canadian ice hockey player BROCK RADUNSKE, who has played in Korea for five years, received Korean citizenship Monday, "paving the way for him to represent Korea in the upcoming world championships." He is the first Western athlete with no Korean heritage to become a Korean (JOONGANG DAILY, 3/27).
SPEAKING UP: U.S. sprint and long jump legend CARL LEWIS said that Asians badly needed "heroes" in track and field in their countries to become a world-class force in the high-profile sport. Lewis: "We had heroes (in the United States) when I was growing up. I saw athletes I wanted to emulate. I think that's important. Look how many Asians there are (in the world). You can't get one fast one? There are almost two billion. It defies logic" (AFP, 3/25). ... ... An adviser of Olympique Lyon President JEAN-MICHEL AULAS "has angered the coach of the club's successful women's team by telling a French radio show that he would not discuss soccer with women." During a talk show on RMC on Monday, a female listener called in and criticized France striker KARIM BENZEMA and Aulas' adviser BENARD LACOMBE replied: "I do not discuss football with women, that's how I see it. They should get back to cooking." French women's team Coach PATRICE LAIR said, "He has no right to say that. It's not going to help the development of women football. It's a lack of respect for the president's work and the girls' efforts" (REUTERS, 3/26).
