Int'l Equestrian Federation Secretary General SABRINA IBÁÑEZ was elected president of the newly-founded Association of Paralympic Sports Organizations. The vote took place at the founding general assembly of the association in Abu Dhabi. Ibáñez was standing for election alongside MAUREEN ORCHARD, the former president and current secretary general of the Int'l Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IPC). ... Kiwi DUANE KALE was elected VP of the IPC on Friday at the organization's general assembly. Kale is a three-time Paralympic Gold Medalist and Paralympics New Zealand board member (STUFF, 9/11). ... BALINT VÉKÁSSY has been appointed secretary general of the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB) following a recommendation from MOB President KRISZTIÁN KULCSÁR. Vékássy was a two-time world junior champion in kayaking (INSIDE THE GAMES, 9/10). ... TONY SMITH will leave Super League rugby side Warrington Wolves "by mutual consent" at the end of the '17 season, the club announced. The 50-year-old is the "longest-serving coach in Super League history" but the Wolves, one of the preseason favorites for the title, "have struggled this year" (PA, 9/10).
COACHES/MANAGERS: FRANK DE BOER was sacked as Premier League side Crystal Palace manager after "five games and 77 days in charge." Former England Manager ROY HODGSON will reportedly replace him. Crystal Palace is 19th in the EPL after losing 1-0 at Burnley on Sunday -- and failed to score in its four league matches under De Boer (BBC, 9/11). ... Former Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion Manager GUS POYET resigned as manager of Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua. Poyet, 49, made the decision after a 2-1 loss to Henan Jianye on Sunday left Shanghai 12th in the CSL (BBC, 9/11). ... ULI STIELIKE has been named manager of CSL side Tianjin Teda, three months after he was axed as coach of the South Korea national team. The German has been "tasked with saving" the club from relegation (STRAITS TIMES, 9/11). ... J.League side Tokyo dismissed Manager YOSHIYUKI SHINODA "on grounds of the team's poor performance with immediate effect." Assistant TAKAYOSHI ANMA, who has been with the club since '15, was named caretaker (JAPAN TIMES, 9/10).
