Officials carrying out background checks on FIFA's new chief investigator had "such little time to complete their work" that they wrote to the football governing body's top administrative officer and said that the decision "could be reversed should new facts emerge" about Colombia's MARÍA CLAUDIA ROJAS, according to two people familiar with the situation. The sources said that the appointments "came so quickly that the usual probes into Rojas" could not be "completed in time" (BLOOMBERG, 5/15). ... Eighteen-time major winner ROGER FEDERER will "sit out the French Open and the rest of the clay-court season." The 35-year-old said that he made the decision in an attempt to continue playing on the ATP Tour "for many years to come" (BBC, 5/15). ... Brazilian surfer FILIPE TOLEDO's apology was "not enough to prevent him from being banned and fined by the World Surf League after he attempted to storm the judges' tower following a decision that went against him" at the Oi Rio Pro event in Brazil. Toledo was "slapped with a one-event ban." He will miss the next event on the WSL calendar, the Fiji Pro starting on June 4 (London GUARDIAN, 5/16). ... Retired LPGA golfer PAK SE-RI will "soon begin her new career" as a TV commentator. SBS Golf, a local golf-only cable channel, said on Tuesday that Pak will make her first appearance of the season on June 15 in the first round of the Korea Women's Open Golf Championship (YONHAP, 5/16). ... Japan's JUNN MITSUHASHI has been "banned from tennis for life after being found guilty of match-fixing" offenses. The 27-year-old, who asked players to underperform at Int'l Tennis Federation Futures tournaments in South Africa and Nigeria in '15, was also fined $50,000 (BBC, 5/16). ... Former Sky Sports Managing Dir VIC WAKELING died, aged 73. Wakeling became the managing director of Sky Sports in the autumn of '98 (SKY SPORTS, 5/16).
'NOT PARTISAN': Barcelona President JOSEP MARIA BARTOMEU said that the club is "neither for nor against Catalan independence" and its "only position on the matter is one of fighting for the Catalan population's democratic right to decide its own fate." Recent support for a referendum was criticized by some, but Bartomeu "defended the club's stance" and claimed it would be "absurd for the institution to stay silent." He said, "To be in favor of a referendum is not partisan, rather it's Barcelonian and Catalan" (MARCA, 5/16).
