EPL side Newcastle is "poised to complete" the £8.5M ($13.2M) signing of Belgian club Anderlecht defender CHANCEL MBEMBA -- "but doubts remain about the player's age." Newcastle will sign him "on the understanding he is 20 years old," but it has "long since been reported that Mbemba has four birthdays -- ranging from 1988 to 1995" (London DAILY MAIL, 7/23). ... Former FIFA exec committee member WORAWI MAKUDI was found guilty on
Wednesday of forgery in his '13 re-election to lead the FA of Thailand. A Bangkok criminal court "sentenced Worawi to a suspended jail term of one year and four months." Worawi told local media he will appeal (AP, 7/22). ... Harlequins and former England rugby player JORDAN TURNER-HALL "has retired at the age of 27 because of a hip injury." Turner-Hall, who won two int'l caps in '12, came through the Quins academy and made 181 appearances (BBC, 7/23). ... Boxer MANNY PACQUIAO said that he would promote the Philippines' bid to
host the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He said in a statement, "I'm
going to Tokyo with the Philippine delegation to help in our bid to
host FIBA 2019." FIBA will announce the host in the Japanese capital next month (IANS, 7/23). ... The official documents from the U.S. government requesting the extradition of former FIFA VP JACK WARNER "have been received" by Trinidad and Tobago's Attorney General GARVIN NICHOLAS. Warner, 72, currently on bail, "is wanted in the U.S. on a dozen charges including bribery, corruption and wire fraud conspiracy" (REUTERS, 7/23).
BOLT BACKS FARAH: USAIN BOLT has "pledged his support" for MO FARAH, saying the British athlete should not let "someone else's" problems affect him. Bolt, who is preparing for Friday's Anniversary Games, "expressed sympathy for the double Olympic champion, who has faced increased
scrutiny" after his coach, ALBERTO SALAZAR, was accused of "supplying banned substances to a
number of his athletes" (LONDON TIMES, 7/23).
BLATTER EXPECTED IN RUSSIA: FIFA President SEPP BLATTER was due in Russia on Thursday for his "first overseas trip" since the arrests of fellow FIFA execs in May left him unwilling to leave the "safety of Switzerland." Saturday's qualifying draw for the 2018 World Cup will be the 79-year-old Blatter's "last official event" connected to football's showcase tournament before he "prematurely leaves office in February" (AP, 7/23).
