MLB Texas Rangers OF CHOO SHIN-SOO on Monday was "named a goodwill ambassador" for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea’s PyeongChang. Choo joins popular South Korean author LEE OI-SOO, ballerina KANG SUE-JIN and string ensemble Sejong Soloists as goodwill ambassadors (KOREA HERALD, 1/6). ... Nippon Professional Baseball "turned a page" on Monday, when new commissioner KATSUHIKO KUMAZAKI "had his first official day at the office" (KYODO, 1/6). ... French rugby forward SEBASTIEN CHABAL "was handed a three-week suspension" for a punch that knocked out Agen's MARC GIROUD. The former France int'l will miss his club's second division matches against Carcassonne, Narbonne and Albi "before being available again" on Jan. 27 (AFP, 1/4). ... Australian cricketer MITCHELL JOHNSON is set to become Australian cricket's latest A$2M ($1.7M) man on the strength of his Ashes ambush this summer. The top handful of Australian players receive about A$2M, including bonuses from CA, and Johnson's high rankings in all forms of the game "could see him ranked as high as number two on the list" behind captain MICHAEL CLARKE "if he closes the summer with a strong Test tour of South Africa" (NEWS LIMITED, 1/7). ... Czech hockey defenseman KAREL GUT, who also coached Czechoslovakia to two world ice hockey titles and an Olympic Silver Medal, "has died." He was 86. The Czech ice hockey federation said that Gut died Monday "after an unspecified, long-term illness" (AP, 1/6). ... The General Assembly of Kuwait National Olympic Committee named SHEIKH DR. TALAL FAHAD AL-SABAH as chairman for a four-year term and OBAID AL-ENEZI as secretary general on Sunday. Eleven people "were elected as members of board" of NOC representing national sport federations during a general assembly meeting (KUNA, 1/5). ... The Int'l Cricket Council suspended Hong Kong's MONER AHMED for a year after it found his bowling action to be illegal (ICC). ... National Rugby League Newcastle player RUSSELL PACKER has become the second Knights player "to be jailed in recent years" after he was sentenced to a two-year prison term "for a vicious assault in Sydney late last year." Knights coach WAYNE BENNETT admitted that "everyone at the Knights was stunned," not just by the sentence but also magistrate GREG GROGAN's "decision to refuse Packer bail until his appeal is heard in six weeks" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 1/7).
MOTORSPORT NAMES: Erebus Motorsport has finally confirmed WILL DAVIDSON will race one of their Mercedes cars in '14. Davidson joins the Gold Coast-based team after failing to agree to terms with Ford Performance Racing (FOX SPORTS, 1/6). ... French V8 Supercar driver ALEX PREMAT announced Monday that he is leaving Garry Rogers Motorsport, effective immediately. Premat joined GRM in '12, but "struggled to adapt to the series," eventually replaced by GREG RITTER during the season (FOX SPORTS, 1/6).
SCHUMACHER UPDATE: French prosecutor PATRICK QUINCY "has announced a press conference for Wednesday at 11am local time, when investigators will present their findings into the tragic ski accident" of seven-time world champion MICHAEL SCHUMACHER. In addition, the prosecution "has requested a copy of the video that allegedly shows the accident." The video "was made by a 35-year-old German tourist who was also skiing in Méribel at the time of the accident" (FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG, 1/6).
