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Names In The News

World Rugby Chair BILL BEAUMONT led the tributes after former Japan national team captain and Manager SEIJI HIRAO "passed away Thursday" aged 53. Sources at Top League side Kobe Kobelco Steelers "broke the news of the death of Hirao," who had been recently battling illness. Known throughout his homeland as "Mr. Rugby," Hirao led Fushimi Kogyo, his Kyoto high school, to the national high school title in the '80-81 season. Hirao "spent time in England" playing for Richmond in west London (KYODO, 10/20). ... MARIA SHARAPOVA said that she "wants to play for many more years," at least until '20. The Russian mentioned that she "hoped to retire after having played the 2020 Tokyo Games." Sharapova, a Silver Medalist at the 2012 London Games, was "forced to miss the 2016 Rio Olympics because she was serving a ban for using Meldonium" (TENNIS WORLD USA, 10/20). ... LUIS SUAREZ said that he would "love to retire at Barcelona after being presented with the European Golden Shoe award for the second time in his career." The Uruguay int'l striker was a joint winner with Real Madrid player CRISTIANO RONALDO two years ago, "but he claimed the prize outright this time after scoring 40 league goals last season" as Barcelona won La Liga. Since joining from Liverpool in '14, "he has scored 93 goals in 108 appearances for the Blaugrana" (ESPN.com, 10/20). ... Former Wallabies player TERENCE CURLEY has died, aged 78. Curley made his rugby union debut for Australia as an 18-year-old in '57 and "went on to earn 11 Test caps, before retiring at the age of 20" (AAP, 10/18). ... Eurosport announced TINA MAZE will join the broadcaster on the road to the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games. Maze joins a Eurosport line-up that already boasts triple Olympic Gold Medalist biathlete MICHAEL GREIS and Polish skier ADAM MALYSZ (Eurosport). ... Former Argentina int'l DIEGO MARADONA said that he "owes nothing to anyone," and reiterated that he has no plans to pay the €40M ($44M) the Italian government "claims he owes in back-taxes." The Italian government is "considering legislation that would offer amnesty to individuals implicated in the so-called Equitalia files." But Maradona said that his case "would not be tax amnesty because he alleged that he has already paid his tax burden." He said, "I don't owe anything. They have been hounding me unfairly over the last 25 years for €40 million with €35 million ($38.3M) in fines for an alleged tax violation that every single judge has ruled did not exist" (ESPN.com, 10/19). ... Conservationists have applied for heritage protection for a religious building in Manchester city center earmarked for demolition under plans by football players-turned-developers GARY NEVILLE and RYAN GIGGS (ARCHITECTS' JOURNAL, 10/20).

BACK AGAIN: SAM ALLARDYCE could be set for a "shock return to management with former club Sunderland, if a prospective takeover comes to fruition." A Chinese consortium is believed to be bidding to buy the club and is "desperate to reinstate the former England boss," should it win control. Current Manager DAVID MOYES is "under increasing pressure after failing to deliver a single Premier League win this season" (London INDEPENDENT, 10/20).

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