NBA Cleveland Cavaliers player LUOL DENG has "confirmed he plans to return to play for Great Britain in the EuroBasket qualifiers this summer." Deng's commitment "will be subject to his contract situation in the United States" (BBC, 1/15). ... UAE cricket captain KHURRAM KHAN has been fined and reprimanded for twice breaching the Int'l Cricket Council Code of Conduct during his side's 80 runs victory over Canda on day three of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier New Zealand 2014 (ICC). ... English-Language Learning Institute TutorGroup has signed a partnership agreement with former NBA All-Star YAO MING. Yao "will endorse TutorGroup's suite of English and Chinese language learning products" (REUTERS, 1/15).
DUBAI DUTY FREE LINEUP: Organizers for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship announced the men's lineup on Thursday, "with five of the world's top-10 ranked players headlining the field." World No. 2 NOVAK DJOKOVIC will "return to defend his championship," with world No. 6 ROGER FEDERER the "most highly-decorated competitor in his way." JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO (No. 5), TOMAS BERDYCH (No. 7) and JO-WILFRIED TSONGA (No. 10) "round out the top-10 ranked participants" (THE NATIONAL, 1/16).
GREAT SCOTT: Golfer ADAM SCOTT is hoping that as well as drawing thousands of spectators, the HSBC golf tournament "will also be a great place to showcase the villa he is selling" on Saadiyat Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi. And "to drum up interest," he is "offering to play a round of 18 holes with whoever stumps up the cash to buy the property." Scott said that he is selling the Dh22.9M ($6.2M) villa next to Saadiyat golf course because due to his schedule on the U.S. and Australian PGA circuits, he is not "able to spend enough time in it" (THE NATIONAL, 1/16).
PAPIS JOINS WHELEN SERIES: NASCAR driver MAX PAPIS announced he will field a team in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series for fellow Italian KEVIN GILARDONI, with hopes of developing the 21-year-old driver to compete in the NASCAR ranks in the U.S. soon. Gilardoni is expected to come to the team's North Carolina headquarters in mid-February to get acquainted with the cars and team members before the Euro Series begins April 12 in Spain. Papis plans to have Gilardoni compete in a handful of late model races in the U.S. during down times in the Euro schedule, including races at Germany's Nürburgring and in Valencia, Spain (NASCAR).
