Bayern Munich captain PHILIPP LAHM will "retire at the end of the season." The 33-year-old, who captained Germany to its 2014 World Cup victory, "announced his decision after Bayern's German Cup last-16 win over Wolfsburg" (BBC, 2/7). ... Italy awarded GIANNI DE BIASI, an Italian who coaches the Albanian national team, "with the Medal of the Star, graded as a Knight, for promoting the country in the sport" (AP, 2/8). ... LEE CHONG WEI on Wednesday "threatened to cut ties with the Badminton Association of Malaysia as relations become strained in the wake" of the world No. 1's latest injury. The 34-year-old will be "out for weeks" after he slipped at the new Academy Badminton Malaysia on Saturday. Lee, a Silver Medalist in the last three Olympics Games, had complained "about the new centre's slippery court mats but said nothing had been done" (AFP, 2/8). ... Former Japan LPGA Chair TAKAKO KIYOMOTO and Taiwan-born seven-time money title winner TU AI-YU were inducted to the Japanese Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday (KYODO, 2/8). … World No. 1 women's golfer LYDIA KO revealed on Wednesday she appointed South African GARY GILCHRIST as her new coach following last year's "high-profile split" from DAVID LEADBETTER. The 19-year-old New Zealander said that she had been working with Gilchrist for "about a month." Ko: "It's been a lot of fun working with him, it’s been great" (GULF NEWS, 2/8). … Ethiopia's GENZEBE DIBABA ran the fastest-ever women's 2,000m at the indoor Miting Internacional in Sabadell, Spain, on Tuesday. Her time of 5 minutes and 23.75 seconds "sliced almost 7 seconds off the previous indoor world record" of 5:30.53 set by Romania's GABRIELA SZABO in '98 (GLOBAL TIMES, 2/8). ... RAFAEL NADAL said that he wants to become president of Real Madrid in the future. The Spaniard is a fan of Real Madrid despite his uncle, MIGUEL ANGEL NADAL, being a former Barcelona defender. He said, "If you ask me if I would like it, of course I would, why not? ... We are very good as we are. We have a great president right now and I don't think Real Madrid need me, but we never know what can happen in the future" (SKY SPORTS, 2/8).
