English trackwork rider LIZ RICE "was involved in a serious fall at Caulfield on Monday morning." Rice, who works for the ROBERT SMERDON-led Aquanita stable, "was placed in an induced coma after the fall, which was not seen by anyone." Aquanita CEO PETER OLIVER: "I believe she's had surgery to relieve the pressure on her brain so that's a step forward" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 1/12). ... Premiership Rugby side London Wasps backs coach STEPHEN JONES "is to leave the club at the end of the season to fill the same role at the Scarlets" (PA, 1/12). ... Controversial French striker NICOLAS ANELKA "was on Monday refused permission to join an Algerian club on the grounds that he was too old." The 35-year-old former Arsenal, Chelsea, Juventus and Real Madrid player "was on the verge" of joining Nasr Athletique d`Hussein-Dey (NAHD). But the move "was blocked by the Algerian Football Federation" (AFP, 1/13). ... The Int’l Biathlon Union (IBU) said on Monday that Russian ALEXANDER LOGINOV and Ukrainian SERGEI SEDNEV “are to be suspended for doping.” Loginov, 22, who competed at the Winter Olympics in Sochi last year, “tested positive for an unspecified banned substance.” Sednev, who last month announced his retirement, tested positive for banned substance EPO (REUTERS, 1/12). ... Barcelona’s LIONEL MESSI has teamed up with SERENA WILLIAMS in a “new campaign to help vulnerable children around the world reach their potential through sport and education.” The “1 in 11” campaign, so called because it “represents the number of children worldwide who are unable to attend school, is the result of a collaboration between Unicef, the FC Barcelona Foundation, and Reach Out To Asia” (ASIAN AGE, 1/11). ... ESPN Deportes is adding former Mexican footballer HUGO SÁNCHEZ to its on-air roster. Starting Thursday, Sánchez joins ESPN Deportes as a full-time analyst for “Fútbol Picante” and other network platforms. He will be on the show at least two days a week and will also participate in the network’s coverage of Mexican football and the Mexican national team (ESPN Deportes).
