Thai amateur golfer ATTHAYA THITIKUL "made history on Sunday by winning the Ladies European Tour’s Thailand Championship to become the youngest winner of a professional golf tour event." Thitikul, who turned 14 in February, carded an even-par 72 at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club in Pattaya to finish 5-under for the tournament (THE NATIONAL, 7/9). ... Mexico national football team Manager JUAN CARLOS OSORIO was "handed a six-game ban by FIFA on Friday for an outburst against match officials during the Confederations Cup third-place playoff against Portugal." The suspension starts immediately and "means he will miss this month's CONCACAF Gold Cup" being held in the U.S. (REUTERS, 7/7). ... ROBERT WHITTAKER "overcame a re-aggravated knee injury to claim Australia's first UFC title with a unanimous points win" over Cuba's YOEL ROMERO in Las Vegas. In front of 12,834 fans, Whittaker earned a 48-47 decision on all three judges' cards (AAP, 7/9).
MESSI TO EARN £220M: Barcelona's LIONEL MESSI will "take football salaries to an extraordinary new level" when he formally agrees to a "vastly improved four-year contract" later this month. Messi's gross salary under the agreement announced by Barcelona is worth €62M ($71M) per year, according to a club source. If the contract runs for its full term, Barça is committed to paying him £220M ($283M), before "performance-related bonuses" (SUNDAY TIMES, 7/9). Messi's 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud "has been changed to a fine by the Spanish courts." He must pay €252,000 ($288,000), equating to €400 ($456) for each day of the sentence, the court said in a statement (BBC, 7/7).
