WAYNE ROONEY hopes to raise £10M ($15.3M) "for children's charities after being granted a testimonial year" by ManU. Football tradition dictates that players are "entitled to a benefit year after spending ten seasons at one club." Rooney has decreed that "he would prefer to raise money for charity." The "beneficiaries will be the NSPCC, of which he is an ambassador, Alder Hey children's hospital, Claire House children's hospice and the Manchester United Foundation, the charitable arm of the club" (LONDON TIMES, 10/27). ... Former world No. 1 LLEYTON HEWITT has "been named captain of Australia's Davis Cup tennis team." The 34-year-old "takes over from interim captain WALLY MASUR, who led Australia in their semi-final defeat by Great Britain in Glasgow last month." Hewitt announced earlier this year that "he will end his playing career after the Australian Open in January" (BBC, 10/27). ... NBA Dallas Mavericks player DIRK NOWITZKI will attend the Heart of Dallas Young Professionals' inaugural Fast Pitch event to accept HODYP's first Community Excellence Award. The award, presented by Bud Light, honors a deserving Dallas athlete for charitable and philanthropic impact on Dallas-Fort Worth (HODYP). ... A Spanish judge has decided to put Barcelona player NEYMAR’s mother, NADINE GONÇALVES DA SILVA SANTOS, on trial in the case that Brazilian company DIS currently has open against Santos FC, Barcelona and the Neymar family (MARCA, 10/27).
