The Indian sports ministry appealed to the Amateur Int'l Boxing Association on Wednesday to revoke the suspension imposed on Indian boxer Sarita Devi. Indian Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the Indian government has "sent a letter to the AIBA to reconsider its
decision of suspending Sarita Devi" (TIMES OF INDIA, 12/3). ... An urgent Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority application to secure the testimony of two reluctant witnesses crucial to its doping case against 34 Australian Football League players "has been delayed for a week to give former Essendon sports scientist Stephen Dank more time to respond." ASADA is asking the Victorian Supreme Court to issue subpoenas to compel drug importer Shane Charter and pharmacist Nima Alavi, described by ASADA as “material’’ witnesses, to appear before a specially convened AFL tribunal (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/3). ... The "chaotic situation surrounding Japan basketball seems to only continue to get worse." Japan Basketball Association Acting President Mitsuru Maruo said on Wednesday that all of the JBA’s 25 board members were going to “eventually” leave the board. A week after it received a suspension from FIBA, the JBA "held an irregularly scheduled board meeting, and the 21 members who attended it came to that conclusion to take full responsibility for the disgrace of the FIBA ban" (JAPAN TIMES, 12/3). ... West Indies Test captain Denesh Ramdin "appealed to makers of cricket helmets to improve their product, following the death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, who was hit by a bouncer from Sean Abbott." Ramdin: "The helmets we have need to be improved because when you get a lash
on it, you really feel the pain. It is basically just a piece of
fibreglass and this is not adequate protection" (IANS, 12/3). ... An extended finals series and an unprecedented extra half-round of regular season games "are among the options as the National Basketball League scramble to recover from the inconvenient withdrawals of Waikato and Otago." With the league dropping from 10 to eight teams next year "there are concerns clubs could miss out on budgeted gate takings and sponsorship due to fewer games being played" (DOMINION POST, 12/4). ... The preliminary list of 30 Indian probables for the upcoming cricket World Cup
in Australia and New Zealand is to be finalized in Mumbai on Thursday by the
national selectors, "who may include a few proven but currently
out-of-form cricketers." The meeting of the five-member selection panel headed by Sandeep Patil "is scheduled" for 1pm (PTI, 12/3). ... Two teams will be promoted to the FA Women's Super League from next season "as part of a two-year plan to expand the top flight from eight teams to 10." The addition of a second promotion place, "with only one team relegated to the second division, means nine teams will contest the top flight in 2016" (BBC, 12/2).
