The Spanish Basketball League (ACB) on Thursday published its second calendar for the upcoming season, "this time with Bilbao Basket, which was excluded from the first schedule released 10 days ago." Bilbao President Xabier Jon Davalillo visited ACB headquarters on Wednesday to "sign paperwork for his club's readmission" (AS, 8/14). ... Several former Taiwanese professional baseball players convicted of match-fixing "are expected to avoid prison terms by paying fines, after a controversial ruling on one of Taiwan's worst sport scandals." The high court said in a statement late Wednesday that "it had reduced the prison terms of six former players to up to three years in a final ruling." All except Tseng Han-chou -- who was convicted of extortion -- "can pay fines in exchange for imprisonment" (AFP, 8/14). ... National Rugby League side Brisbane Broncos "violated a long-standing Australian tradition of
football clubs being apolitical by making two donations to the
Liberal/National Party." Under “Disclosure Return -- Donor to Registered Political
Party,” the Electoral Commission Queensland lists a donation of A$3,000 to
the Liberal National Party on May 31 last year and A$1,200 to the lord
mayor’s office in Feb. '12 (BRISBANE TIMES, 8/13). ... Int'l Cricket Council Chair N. Srinivasan indicated
that Vizag, the cricketing nerve center of Andhra Cricket Association, "could be accorded Test status if it complied with the
international specifications." Srinivasan: "It is a matter of time before Vizag
hosted a Test" (MUMBAI MIRROR, 8/14). ... Rajasthan Cricket Association Deputy President Mahmoud M. Abdi said that the ad-hoc body set up by the Board of Control for Cricket in India "is illegal and it is only the Registrar of Co-operative Societies that can form a committee under the Rajasthan Sports Act, 2005 to run the affairs of cricket in the state." Abdi said that both the BCCI and RCA "are registered bodies under the Registrar of Co-operative Societies and it is only the registrar who is authorised to form an ad-hoc committee if needed" (IANS, 8/14). ... The 18-month long investigation into the "supplements program" at National Rugby League side Cronulla in '11 is "set to move a step closer to finalisation with players who were at the club three years ago told to be on standby" for a meeting with Australian Sport Anti-Doping Authority investigators next week (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 8/14). ... A German court said that F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone has made the $100M payment "he agreed to last week," meaning the bribery case is "formally closed" (AP, 8/13). ... The Australian Football League Players Association's hierarchy "could be revamped further" in light of acting AFLPA CEO Ian Prendergast's preference to "stay at the organisation and work alongside" incoming AFLPA CEO Paul Marsh, "despite missing out on the CEO's position." There is a "sense within the expanding organisation that a new and senior role focused on stakeholder engagement -- with current and retired players, clubs, coaches, the AFL and the AFLPA’s broader management team -- would be beneficial" (THE AGE, 8/14).
