Real Madrid footballer CRISTIANO RONALDO and his agent, JORGE MENDES "have decided to fund" a 9-year-old boy's cancer treatment in a private hospital in Madrid. Nuhazet, from Las Palmas, has had the illness for two years, and one month ago doctors told his parents "there was nothing they could do to cure him." The family flew to Madrid to make one of Nuhazet's dreams come true -- "see a Real Madrid match at the Santiago Bernabéu." The family met Ronaldo and Mendes at the game, and the pair immediately decided to help (AS, 6/19). ... F1 boss BERNIE ECCLESTONE, former F1 drivers NIKI LAUDA, DAMON HILL, JACKIE STEWART and DAVID COULTHARD donated to Red Bull's initiative that has raised €1M ($1.2) for its spinal cord injury charity (JAMESALLENONF1.com, 6/19).
IMG’S OVERSIGHT OF BIKE RACE QUESTIONED: In London, Trevor Ward examined the role of IMG in Britain’s “newest cycling race,” the Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines. In his “Bike Blog,” he wrote that riders signing up for the event “could be forgiven for thinking that part of their entry fee goes direct to a good cause.” Together with its “established big brother north of the border,” the Etape Caledonia, the new race “charges the highest entry fee on the sportive calendar – £61 ($96). Yet none of that goes to the charity.” Ward wrote “all profits” go to IMG, and when he/she sought comment, IMG listed what the entry fee covers, including "medical support" and "comprehensive ecommunications before and after the event making the experience as smooth as possible." IMG added that it also must pay “for the right to host events in some of the most beautiful locations in the country" (GUARDIAN, 6/20).
TIME FOR THE GAMES: Los Angeles Lakers player PAU GASOL "will spearhead Spain's bid to go one better than their silver-medal basketball showing in Beijing," come next month's Olympic Games in London. Gasol is joined by brother Memphis Grizzlies MARC GASOL, and three other NBA players: Toronto Raptors JOSE MANUEL CALDERON, Denver Nuggets RUDY FERNANDEZ and Oklahoma City Thunder SERGE IBAKA (GMA NEWS, 6/20). ... Russia Prime Minister DMITRY MEDVEDEV will be heading the Russian delegation at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics (RUSSIA TODAY, 6/20). ... LOCOG Chair SEBASTIAN COE Wednesday unveiled the "Prestige Pavilion," the official onsite hospitality venue in the Olympic Park. The venue was designed and built by Prestige Ticketing. (Prestige Ticketing). ... The daughter of the jailed Ukrainian opposition leader YULIA TYMOSHENKO has urged British Prime Minister DAVID CAMERON to withdraw Ukraine President VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH's invitation to next month's London Olympics (London GUARDIAN, 6/18).
