French Tennis Federation (FFT) President Bernard Giudicelli indicated on Tuesday that the FFT will “set up an ethics committee to ensure the compliance of rules and avoiding conflicts of interests.” Giudicelli said that the committee will “assure total transparency of the organization.” The creation of the committee will need to be approved by the FFT assembly which meets on Saturday (AFP, 5/9).
The NBA opened its first academy in India on Tuesday, "hoping the facility on the outskirts of Delhi will trigger the game's growth in a country obsessed with cricket." NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said, "We opened our first office in India in 2011 but we had to understand the marketplace." The NBA's plans also include launching a global academy in Canberra. A total of 21 male players "are to receive NBA-level coaching and scholarship at the academy" (REUTERS, 5/9).
Boxer Tyson Fury "hopes to avoid a ban by explaining to an anti-doping hearing that he was suffering from a mental illness when he refused a drugs test last year." Fury and Hughie Fury, his cousin and a fellow heavyweight, gave evidence to a UK Anti-Doping hearing in London on Monday with "both facing a suspension if the charges are proved." Both boxers "face a charge that small traces of nandrolone were found in samples that they gave" in Feb. '15 (LONDON TIMES, 5/9).
The Board of Control for Cricket in India rejected the Pakistan Cricket Board demand for compensation for not honoring the MoU signed between the two bodies, saying that it "was not binding." PCB Chair Shaharyar Khan confirmed that the PCB received a response from the BCCI on the notice sent last week demanding $6.4M "as compensation for not playing with Pakistan in bilateral series as outlined in the MoU" (PTI, 5/9).
The Tennis for Kids campaign "hit its target of 20,000 free lessons," the Lawn Tennis Association announced. The initiative is "aimed to inspire children aged from five to eight to pick up a racquet for the first time." The LTA said that more than half of the 13,290 who took part in '16 "continued to play after completing the course and encouraged friends to sign up" (BBC, 5/8).
