UK Athletics announced Monday that former sprinter JASON GARDENER will "take over as president" in Dec. for former Olympic Gold Medalist LYNN DAVIES. Gardener is currently a director on the UK Athletics board, "a position he will relinquish when he becomes president" (REUTERS, 9/28). ... FRANCO BALDINI's "checkered spell" as Tottenham sporting director came to an end as the club confirmed a severance package has been agreed upon to pay up the remaining two years of his contract. Baldini's position "came under scrutiny over some of the seven signings he made" in the wake of the £85M ($129M) sale of GARETH BALE, but "the writing was on the wall" following the appointment of PAUL MITCHELL from Southampton as "the head of the recruitment" in November last year. Mitchell worked with Tottenham coach MAURICIO POCHETTINO at Southampton (LONDON TIMES, 9/28). ... Kazakhstan's National Olympic Committee elected TIMUR KULIBAYEV as its new president. The congress also elected the exec committee and officials of the organization (KAZPRAVDA, 9/26). ... New Zealand football High Performance Dir FRED DE JONG quit Monday "after taking responsibility for the administrative error that led to their expulsion from the Olympic qualifying tournament." New Zealand was expelled from the U23 tournament final in July for fielding ineligible South African-born defender DEKLAN WYNNE. New Zealand is still appealing the decision but De Jong "opted to stand down" from the position he has held since '12 (SBS, 9/28). ... The Int'l Boxing Federation announced the nomination of RUIHANG WANG as exec chair of IBF Asia (IBF).
COACHES/MANAGERS: League Championship side Brentford "parted company" with MARINUS DIJKHUIZEN, its head coach, after just eight league games under him. LEE CARSLEY,
the former Everton and Ireland midfielder, "has been promoted from
development squad coach to take charge until the end of the season."
Dijkhuizen was a "controversial appointment" in June, after MARK WARBURTON, the previous manager, departed despite leading Brentford to the playoffs last season (LONDON TIMES, 9/28). ... PAUL SHAW will
step down as England women's head of performance, "after the summer's
Ashes loss to Australia." The England & Wales Cricket Board is now
looking for a head coach, "ideally with first-class or international
playing or coaching experience." Shaw, 48, whose role "will be phased
out at the end of the year," had been in charge since '13 (BBC, 9/28). ... Liga MX side Dorados de Sinaloa and coach CARLOS BUSTOS reached
an agreement for Bustos to leave the club's coaching staff following
its sixth loss in 10 games. The club has lost three consecutive matches (NOTIMEX, 9/27).
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