La Liga side Valencia announced Commercial & Marketing Dir PETER DRAPER will be leaving the club. Valencia said in a statement, "The current commercial and marketing director of Valencia, Peter Draper, will abandon the club for personal reasons at the end of April, after two years with the organization" (SUPERDEPORTE, 4/20). ... Former heptathlete JESSICA ENNIS-HILL was formally "made a dame during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace." She received the honor "for her services to athletics." Ennis-Hill won Gold at the London 2012 Olympics and Silver in Rio (BBC, 4/19). ... NBA Hall of Famer YAO MING will "lead an exhibition match" in Hong Kong this summer through the annual “Yao Foundation Charity Tour” as part of the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the handover. Yao will "hand-pick star players from the NBA and the mainland to feature in the game," scheduled for July 29 at the 12,000-seat Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 4/20). ... Police in Jamaica said that British Olympic high jump Silver Medalist GERMAINE MASON died, aged 34, after a motorcycle crash. The Jamaican-born athlete, who switched to represent Great Britain in '06, won Silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (BBC, 4/20). ... Arsenal controlling shareholder STAN KROENKE donated $1M to DONALD TRUMP's inauguration fund "in the latest link" between the U.S. president and the club. Official disclosures revealed the contribution by the 69-year-old Missouri-based billionaire to the celebrations marking the start of Trump’s Presidency. Arsenal was "one of a number of English football club owners who stumped up for the inauguration in January." ManU Dir JOEL GLAZER contributed $250,000, while Fulham Owner SHAHID KHAN also gave $1M (London EVENING STANDARD, 4/20). ... Former Wales footballer and Manager GARY SPEED has been inducted into the National Football Museum Hall Of Fame. Speed is Wales' most-capped outfield player and was Wales manager from Dec. '10 until his death in '11. Former England midfielders FRANK LAMPARD and STEVEN GERRARD "also make the list selected by a panel." Ex-West Ham player and Manager BILLY BONDS and Arsenal goalkeeper BOB WILSON were also picked for induction (BBC, 4/20).
