World No. 6 golfer SERGIO GARCIA "has roped in" former French Open tennis champion JUAN CARLOS FERRERO as his caddie for his title defense at next month's Thailand Golf Championship. Ferrero retired in '12 after 14 years on the men's tour. Garcia: "I've played golf with him many times but he never caddied for me before. We just talked about it and he mentioned about it and we decided to do it. He is excited about it." Garcia's girlfriend KATHARINA BOEHM "was on his bag when he won the title last year" (REUTERS, 11/18). ... Former Yugoslavian goalkeeper ILIJA PANTELIC died late on Monday at the age of 72 (INSERBIA, 11/18). ... KRIS MEEKE "will stay on as a Citroen driver for the 2015 World Rally Championship." He will "contest a full programme" with
co-driver PAUL NAGLE. Meeke's teammate will be announced next week (AUTOSPORT, 11/18). ... British winter paralympian JADE ETHERINGTON "has revealed she decided to retire from competitive skiing due to a lack of support from governing body the British Disabled Ski Team." The 23-year-old, who has 5% vision in both eyes, "became the first British woman to claim a Paralympic skiing medal when she won a silver at the 2014 Games in Sochi." She announced she would "no longer compete earlier this month, claiming a total lack of communication from BDST prompted her decision" after Paralympic head coach TONY MCALLISTER and Performance Dir ANDREW LOCKERBIE both left their positions after the Games (PA, 11/18). ... Former India cricket captain DILIP VENGSARKAR will receive the C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for 2014, a Board of Control for Cricket in India statement said on Tuesday. He will be “handed a citation, trophy and cheque” for Rs. 25 lakh ($40,492) at the eighth annual BCCI Awards Ceremony to be held on Nov. 21 to recognize and reward India’s top performers in the ’13-14 season (THE HINDU, 11/18).
MESSI ADDRESSES FUTURE: Barcelona's LIONEL MESSI discussed the World Cup this summer and his future with Barcelona, among other topics, in a lengthy interview with Argentine newspaper Olé. Messi admitted the "possibility of leaving Barcelona." When asked "if he still plans to spend his career with the club or if sometimes -- due to criticism or a desire to try out another country -- he says to himself, 'Why not leave?,'" he replied, "No, day to day I live in the present. I think about having a great year and winning all the titles that we want at Barcelona. And nothing else. Later, it will be seen. Football takes a lot of turns. ... Though I did always say I would like to stay there forever, sometimes not everything goes how you want" (OLE, 11/18).
IRB HOF: Four-time World Cup-winner and coach of Hong Kong women's sevens
rugby ANNA RICHARDS "made history on Monday by becoming one of the first
female players to be inducted into the International Rugby Board Hall of
Fame." The former New Zealand Black Ferns fly-half was "among six women in a
group of 15 new inductees who were announced at a special ceremony
during the World Rugby Conference and Exhibition in London." The 14 other entrants are: NATHALIE AMIEL (France), GILL BURNS (England), PATTY JERVEY (U.S.), CAROL ISHERWOOD (England), FARAH PALMER (New Zealand), KEITH ROWLANDS (Wales), JIM GREENWOOD (Scotland), JPR WILLIAMS (Wales), MICHAEL LYNAGH (Australia), JO MASO (France), KEITH WOOD (Ireland), IEUAN EVANS (Wales), JASON LEONARD (England) and BILL BEAUMONT (England) (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 11/18).
