On Sunday, Argentinian boxing journalist JULIO ERNESTO VILA died at the age of 74. Vila, who covered boxing for KO Mundial, Codex Deportiva and El Grafico for more than three decades, "leaves behind a legacy of quality boxing analysis and commentary" (CLARIN, 4/28). ... Former Australian Football League player DAVID SCHWARZ "has slammed the AFL for being seduced by corporate bookmakers 'grooming' children into gambling." Schwarz: "I believe the AFL is drunk on the revenue they receive from gambling agencies and until that goes, we're in trouble" (HERALD SUN, 4/29). ... National Rugby League North Queensland Cowboys player ALEX ELISALA "is dead after a mystery incident that left him in intensive care." Elisala, 20, "died in Mackay District Hospital on Monday afternoon where he had been on life support" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 4/29). ... Mercedes said that Retired F1 driver and seven-time world champion MICHAEL SCHUMACHER "will drive his old Formula One car again next month in a demonstration run around the daunting Nürburgring Nordschleife track." The German manufacturer said the drive in a '11 car around the old 20km track, before the start of a 24-hour race on May 19, "would be a 'thank you' to his fans for their years of support" (REUTERS, 4/26). ... Birmingham City Football Club owner CARSON YEUNG pleaded "not guilty to money-laundering charges as he went on trial in Hong Kong." Yeung is facing five charges of moving HK$720M ($92.9M) "illicitly through bank accounts controlled by himself and his father." His defence team "moved to have the much-delayed proceedings against him thrown out" (BBC, 4/29). ... Spanish road racing cyclist JUAN JOSE COBO is the headline name in the Movistar team for the Giro d'Italia. The nine-man team also features British time trial champion ALEX DOWSETT. Cobo will be supported by Basque rider BENAT INTXAUSTI, "who won the Vuelta a Asturias and finished 10th overall in the Vuelta a España last year." Spaniards JOSE HERRADA, PABLO LASTRAS and FRAN VENTOSO plus Russia's VLADIMIR KARPETS and Italians EROS CAPECCHI and GIOVANNI VISCONTI "complete the line-up" (EUROSPORT, 4/29). ... Australian field hockey player KARL BERRY has died. Berry, 26, "was at Marrara Hockey Centre in Darwin on Tuesday evening when he picked up a snake, thinking it was a python, and threw it into bushes." The snake bit him on the hand, "but he did not seek medical help." He then went for a two-kilometer run and "collapsed when he returned" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 4/26).
