Women's golf world No. 5 YANI TSENG has signed with IMG worldwide. IMG will oversee management and marketing for Tseng with a focus on North America and Europe, while working in partnership with her current management companies in Asia, Nihao and Tseng Yani Int'l (IMG). ... South African golfer BRANDON STONE has turned pro and will be represented by IMG. Stone will be managed by DUNCAN REID in London with assistance from KATIE GORDINE and JACQUES RETIEF from IMG South Africa (IMG). ... Chinese music website top100.cn, co-founded by retired NBA player YAO MING, "has reportedly been shut down." Top100 co-Founder and CEO GARY CHEN said on his microblog that the site had "faced difficult choices and necessary shifts, since Google had suspended music search services in China in October" (WANT CHINA TIMES, 6/5). ... Chinese swimmer SUN YANG is preparing for the upcoming FINA World Championships in Barcelona by himself, "leaving his future murky following a public row" with coach ZHU ZHIGEN (CHINA DAILY (6/5).
FOOTBALL NAMES: Real Madrid President FLORENTINO PEREZ believes that former French footballer ZINEDINE ZIDANE "could become first-team coach at the club." Perez said that Zidane "had all the attributes a Madrid boss would need." Perez: "He has the qualifications and he is a madridista. We have not yet thought about it because we have been very scrupulous with the steps. But he fulfils all the requirements, for sure" (ESPN, 6/5). ... La Liga Real Valladolid has reportedly offered its vacant manager position to DIEGO MARADONA. Neither the club nor the former World Cup winner "have publicly responded to the report," but Maradona "has been known to frequent Valladolid during times of festivals, so the notion may very well have some momentum" (INSIDE SPANISH FOOTBALL, 6/5). ... Romania coach VICTOR PITURCA "has been handed a suspended one-year prison sentence for aiding and abetting controversial" Romania side Steaua Bucharest Owner GEORGE BECALI in a "high-profile corruption case in the Balkan country" (REUTERS, 6/5).
