Fox Networks Group Asia announced the appointment of ITALO ZANZI as exec VP and managing director for its Sports network. The "veteran" sports exec leads the management of the Fox Sports business and team across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Zanzi joins Fox from Italian Serie A side Roma where he was CEO for three-and-a-half years, "overseeing all aspects of the club's operations and business" (ADVANCED TELEVISION, 12/16). ... Nationalist Congress Party President SHARAD PAWAR announced his resignation as Mumbai Cricket Association president on Saturday, "ostensibly due to the sweeping reforms heralded by the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee." The former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Int'l Cricket Council president said that "he had stepped down as he had to adhere to one of the key reforms of the committee, which stipulated an age cap of 70 years on cricket administrators in the country." The 75-year-old's exit "may just put pressure on a few BCCI officials," who have "resisted" the reforms so far, to "follow suit." In his resignation letter, Pawar said he was "hurt" by the court's observation that people stick around in BCCI as it is "lucrative" (TIMES OF INDIA, 12/18). ... VIATCHESLAV EKIMOV will replace IGOR MAKAROV as the president of the Russian Cycling Federation after he unanimously won the vote in Moscow on Wednesday. Makarov stepped down as president earlier this year after "taking up the post" in '10 but becomes the honorary president. Makarov was an "influential backer" of BRIAN COOKSON when he stood for the role of Int'l Cycling Union (UCI) president in '13. Ekimov had been the GM of the Katusha squad, which is owned by Makarov, since '12 but stepped down in October. Ekimov had been up against a Moscow businessman by the name of ALEXANDRE VINOKOUROV (not the Astana team manager). However, Vinokourov "dropped out of the running ahead of the vote" by 53 delegates (CYCLING NEWS, 12/14).
COACHES/MANAGERS: Former Barcelona and Argentina footballer GABRIEL MILITO "has quit as coach" of Primera División side Independiente after Saturday's 1-0 home defeat by Banfield. Milito is the 15th coach to leave a club in Argentina's 30-team championship since the beginning of the season in August (REUTERS, 12/18).
