Former German national team player ARNE FRIEDRICH "has announced the end of his professional football career." The 34-year-old, who recently played for Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire, said on his website, "After much consideration and consultation with my doctors and physical therapists, I have decided to finish my professional football career. The last couple of weeks and months, I have been suffering from increasing back pain" (BILD, 6/23). ... NBA Memphis Grizzlies player MARC GASOL has announced on Twitter his intention to play for Spain at the Eurobasket 2013 in Slovenia (EL PAIS, 6/22). ... In the absence of a functional head, Pakistan Cricket Board has chosen former Test captain INTIKHAB ALAM "to represent the country" in the Int'l Cricket Council CEOs meeting in London next week (PTI, 6/22). ... British cyclist SIR BRADLEY WIGGINS "is dubious about his future prospects in the Tour de France, raising the possibility that he may not attempt to win the race for a second time, and hinting that the sacrifices winning the race demands of him and his family may prove too much in the future." Wiggins: "For me it was always about winning the Tour. I've done that" (London GUARDIAN, 6/21). ... Former Australia cricket captain RICKY PONTING "will retire from all cricket after playing in the Champions League in October" (REUTERS, 6/20). ... Former Board of Control for Cricket in India President N. SRINIVASAN "was on Sunday elected unopposed as President of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association for the 12th year on the trot" (PTI, 6/23). … Pakistan PM NAWAZ SHARIF on Sunday appointed senior journalist NAJAM SETHI "as the interim chairman" of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PTI, 6/23). … In a "swift move to quell rising fans' anger," the China FA "has shown the door" to national football team head coach JOSE ANTONIO CAMACHO following an "embarrassing 1-5 defeat to Thailand in a friendly last week" (SINA, 6/22).
NOTABLE DEATHS: Danish driver ALLAN SIMONSEN, 34, "has died after crashing his Aston Martin at the Le Mans 24 Hours 2013 race in France." Simonsen, participating for the seventh time, "spun off into the barriers on lap three at Tertre Rouge" 10 minutes after the start of the race. The "cause of the crash is being investigated," but the death is the first in the race since ’86 (LONDON TIMES, 6/22). ... Spanish cycling team Euskaltel-Euskadi assistant RUFINO MURGUÍA died Saturday night due to injuries sustained in a crash while driving the team bus to the Spanish national championships on Thursday (CYCLING NEWS, 6/23). ... Croatian First League side Istria 1961 footballer ALEN PAMIC died on Friday night of a heart attack suffered while playing in a friendly (LA AFICION, 6/22).
