Crystal Palace defender PAPE SOUARÉ "will undergo surgery this week having been airlifted to hospital with leg and jawbone injuries after a serious car crash on the M4 near Heathrow airport." The Senegal int'l was "involved in the road traffic accident on Sunday afternoon, with fire crews forced to cut him out of his Mercedes G63" (London GUARDIAN, 9/12). ... Japanese swimmer TAKESHI MATSUDA announced his retirement on Monday. He said, "I have no regrets." A butterfly and freestyle swimmer, Matsuda "competed in four straight Olympics" starting from the 2004 Athens Games. He racked up two Bronze Medals in the men’s 200m butterfly in Beijing and London, while he also helped Japan win Silver in the men’s 400m medley relay in London and Bronze in the 800m freestyle relay at last month’s Olympics. Matsuda was "known for his exceptionally long-term working relationship with his female coach YUMIKO KUZE," who began instructing the swimmer when he was four years old (JAPAN TIMES, 9/12). ... A player for amateur football club AJ Biguglia died of a heart attack on Sunday during a Coupe de France match against AS Furiani. Former Burkina Faso int’l BEN IDRISSA DERME, 34, “collapsed and was attended to by emergency officials for several minutes before being taken off the pitch” (LE PARISIEN, 9/11). ... Mexican Baseball Federation (FEMEBE) ALONSO PÉREZ GONZÁLEZ died at the age of 72 after suffering a heart attack while attending a minor league game in Monterrey. He led FEMEBE for 30 years (LA AFICIÓN, 9/9).
