The average annual salary of South Korean professional baseball players has surpassed the 100M won ($93,800) mark in '14 for the first time in history. According to the report released by the Korea Baseball Organization, a total of 477 South Korean players, excluding rookies and foreign players, will receive a record high of 106.4M won ($99,200) on average for the '14 season, up 11.8% from the previous record of 95.17M won last year. The number of players with salaries of 100M won or more "also reached an all-time high" of 136 athletes, or 28.5% of the total (YONHAP, 2/26). ... Australia's Foundation Cup "is all but dead as a pre-season event." A packed off-season schedule including the World Cup in England, the inaugural National Rugby League Nines and the World Club Challenge "meant the fixture was scrapped this season." Roosters CEO Brian Canavan said the Foundation Cup "wasn't off the table" but conceded that "it would be difficult to commit to it due to the increasing demands on his players" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/26). ... India's Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Secretary Ajit M. Sharan on Tuesday said that "there should be a larger role of the private sector in the development of sports in the country." The secretary said that while sports management companies and consulting organizations "are already being increasingly engaged on a continuous basis for promotional activities," he felt their “role will increase in the coming days” (PTI, 2/25). ... National Rugby League club doctors "will crack down on sleeping tablets, including Stilnox, as the code moves a step closer to testing for prescription drugs." Doctors from the 16 clubs "will convene at NRL headquarters on Saturday to discuss several key topics including the prevalence and control of prescription drugs" (NEWS LIMITED, 2/27). ... Mexican Baseball Federation (FEMEBE) President Alonso Pérez and the Telmex Federation -- under the patronage of Carlos Slim -- announced a new Mexican national U15 Telmex League, which will begin in '14. The new league will be open to all FEMEBE-affiliated youth leagues (WBSC).
