Former Honduran President RAFAEL CALLEJAS "pleaded guilty on Monday to U.S. charges that he participated in bribery schemes that are under investigation" at FIFA.
Callejas, who is also the former president of the Honduran football federation, and an ex-member of FIFA's marketing and television committee, "is scheduled to enter the plea before a federal magistrate judge in Brooklyn, New York" (REUTERS, 3/25). ... VIKTOR CHEGIN, former head coach of the Russian race-walking center in Saransk, "has been banned for life for breaking anti-doping rules."
Russian Athletics said in a statement,
"In accordance with documents received by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), the Russian Olympic Committee looked at material which covered anti-doping rules broken by Viktor Chegin."
RUSADA announced in Jan. '15 that Olympic walk champions OLGA KANISKINA, VALERY BORCHIN, SERGEI KIRDYAPKIN plus '11 world championship gold medalist SERGEI BAKULIN and '11 world runner-up VLADIMIR KANAYKIN "had been banned in doping cases" (REUTERS, 3/25).
HONORING CRUYFF: Barcelona announced that 13,348 people visited the Cruyff Memorial in honor of JOHAN CRUYFF on Monday, bringing the total number of visitors to the memorial over the first three days to 44,622. Tuesday will be the final day of the memorial (Barcelona). Barcelona's board and Cruyff's family will on Tuesday decide on the details of the homage the club will pay to Cruyff on Saturday during the home game against Real Madrid (EL CONFIDENCIAL, 3/28).
