Golfzon CEO JANG SUNG WON was selected as one of the "Most Powerful People in Golf 2016" in recognition of his leadership in popularizing the sport (Golfzon). ... Japanese Central League club Hiroshima Carps Owner HAJIME MATSUDA said that the team is "set to retire the No. 15 shirt worn" by retired pitcher HIROKI KURODA. Matsuda: "There are two reasons, the first is his record along with the fact that we won the pennant this year. The other is that he showed today’s society that values are not just based on money." Kuroda began his career at Hiroshima and spent 11 years with the club from '97. He rejoined the Carp in '15 "after seven seasons in the major leagues despite much larger offers on table to stay" in the U.S. (KYODO, 10/31). ... Japan's first and only fencing world champion and double Olympic Medalist YUKI OTA will "seek a place" on the exec board of the Int'l Fencing Federation. Ota, 30, was "selected as head of the player's executive committee" in '13. He attended FIE board meetings and "held a right to vote, but was scheduled to finish his term during the middle of next year" (KYODO, 10/31). ... MICHAEL VAN GERWEN won his third consecutive European Championship in darts with a "record-breaking 11-1 demolition of MENSUR SULJOVIC in Belgium." World No. 1 Van Gerwen "averaged 111.62, the highest in a televised ranking final, as he took little over 30 minutes to beat the Austrian" (BBC, 10/31). ... American golfer PATRICK REED has become the "latest high-profile player to withdraw from this week's Turkish Airlines Open." Four-time major winner RORY MCILROY "pulled out of the first event on the European tour's three-tournament," season-ending Final Series, due to be held in Antalya from Nov. 3-6. Earlier this month, the Turkish Open was "thrown into doubt after the European Tour said it was investigating media reports of rocket attacks in Antalya" (REUTERS, 10/31). ... NICK KYRGIOS is "set for a reprieve, with his ATP Tour ban expected to be slashed." Kyrgios was suspended for eight weeks and fined more than A$50,000 ($38,044) for "not giving his best effort" at the Shanghai Masters. The ATP said that it would "reduce the ban to three weeks if the troubled star engaged a sports psychologist" (AAP, 10/31).
'MONEY TALKS': BRADLEY WIGGINS "hinted at extending his career after finishing second in the London Six Day" with MARK CAVENDISH on Sunday. Wiggins and Cavendish, Madison world champions at the Lee Valley VeloPark in March, "finished as runners-up to KENNY DE KETELE and MORENO DE PAUW of Belgium in the exhibition event, which began on Tuesday." Wiggins quipped, "Money talks," when he was asked if he could be persuaded to return in '17. He added, "I've enjoyed it that much, I just don't know at the moment. I'd love to still be part of it in the future. I still love riding my bike, I love racing." For now "at least, the 36-year-old's career finale comes in Ghent, the city of his birth, in the Six Day event" which runs from Nov. 15-20 (London INDEPENDENT, 10/31).
