Channel Nine's former head of National Rugby League, MATT CALLANDER, died on Sunday, aged 46. The father of four, who helped raise A$2M for cancer research earlier this year through the NRL's Beanie for Brain Cancer round, "battled the disease for more than a year." Callander was the son of media personality KEN CALLANDER. He worked with Nine for two decades, starting as a producer on the network's "Footy Show" before "facing the other side of the camera as a respected commentator" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 10/30). ... Cricketer JAMES PATTINSON is set to have spinal surgery "in a bid to save his career" after Cricket Australia's medical staff revealed on Tuesday his latest injury was his "eighth stress fracture, the past four of which have been in the same spot." Screws and wires "would be used to bind Pattinson's troublesome vertebrae, which would also be supplemented with bone grafted from his hip" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 11/1). ... Table tennis authorities hit world No. 1 MA LONG and two other Chinese players with $20,000 fines on Tuesday but "stopped short of suspending them after they quit a tournament in protest at their coach's removal." The Int'l Table Tennis Federation said that Ma, FAN ZHENDONG and XU XIN -- the three top-ranked players in the world -- "damaged the reputation of the ITTF" and "let down the global fans at the China Open" (AFP, 10/31). ... Byerley Park horse trainer SHANE HAPETA died on Sunday, aged 47. The "talented horseman" was the son of former jockey BARRY HAPETA (New Zealand Racing). ... Former Sierra Leone FA President ISHA JOHANSEN pleaded not guilty to corruption-related charges in a Freetown high court on Monday. She was in court with former SLFA Secretary General CHRISTOPHER KAMARA, who also pleaded not guilty to the charges brought by Sierra Leone's Anti-Corruption Commission. The court appearance came five days after Johansen and Kamara were set aside from their respective positions at the SLFA (BBC, 10/30). ... Four-time Olympic Gold Medalist MO FARAH decided to split with coach ALBERTO SALAZAR and "head back to train in London under GARY LOUGH, who previously coached and is married to women's marathon world record holder PAULA RADCLIFFE." In six years under Salazar's direction, Farah won Gold Medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Salazar remains under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency "regarding potential rules violations" (SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 10/31). ... , COSTAS TAKKAS a former aide to the president of CONCACAF was sentenced in N.Y. on Tuesday to 15 months in prison, with credit for 10 months already served in Switzerland. The case is "part of a sprawling prosecution that triggered turmoil" at FIFA. Takkas pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in May (AP, 10/31).
