F1 team Scuderia Ferrari "has extended its contract with test driver MARC GENE for another year." The 38-year-old Spaniard "has been a Ferrari test driver since '05," although JULES BIANCHI was the Italian team's official test driver in '12 (AUTOBILD, 1/10). ... German hockey player JOCHEN HECHT "is set to return to North America to play for his former team, the NHL Buffalo Sabres." Sabres GM Darcy Regier said, "It remains a possibility. I will talk to Jochen about a possible return." The 35-year-old center, who currently plays for the Adler Mannheim in the German Hockey League (DEL), left Buffalo after 10 years when his contract expired at the end of June (DPA, 1/9). ... Japan's World Baseball Classic Manager KOJI YAMAMOTO said that he "expects his players to dress conservatively while they represent their nation" in the upcoming months (KYODO, 1/10). ... Olympic champions USAIN BOLT and SHELLY-ANN FRASER-PRYCE received top awards from the Jamaican Athletics Administrative Association (AFP, 1/9). ... The BRABHAM family "has won its legal battle to protect the Brabham name through the German High Court." Sportscar racer DAVID BRABHAM, the son of three-time F1 champion and team founder JACK, "had sued MICHAEL TRICK following his refusal to cancel certain registrations within the European Union involving the Brabham name in Germany" (AUTO SPORT, 1/9). ... NHL Detroit Red Wings center PAVEL DATSYUK said that "he will stay in Russia for the KHL All-Star game on Sunday despite an unofficial end to the NHL lockout." Datsyuk said on Twitter: "Going to the Russian KHL All-Star Game in Chelyabinsk" (R-SPORT, 1/10).
SOCIAL MEDIA FAUX PAS: Chinese Basketball Association Qingdao Eagles player and former NBAer TRACY MCGRADY has been suspended by the league for his comments to refs. The refs that he criticized, however, "were also suspended quite harshly." Sportando website reported: "CBA suspended Tracy McGrady one game for criticizing officiating on his Weibo account after the game. The [chief referee] of the game criticized by Tracy McGrady has been suspended for 10 games, while the other two assistant referees have been suspended for five games" (SLAM, 1/10). ... ... Australian former int'l cricketer SHANE WARNE is "in a Twitter spat" with the official account of the Adelaide Strikers after he mocked their Big Bash team selection. He said: "Terrible team Adelaide picked, what were they thinking!" (NEWS LTD. NETWORK, 1/10).
FOOTBALL NOTES: Ligue 1 Paris St. Germain coach CARLO ANCELOTTI has revealed newly signed Brazilian midfielder LUCAS will make his debut with the club against Ajaccio on Friday (GLOBO ESPORTE, 1/10).... Former Liverpool Manager KENNY DALGLISH "could be set" for a return to the club, with the team’s owners "keen to bring him back in an ambassadorial role." Owners JOHN HENRY and TOM WERNER are "ready to backtrack" and offer the Liverpool legend the same role he held at Anfield between '09 and '11, when he replaced ROY HODGSON at the helm (METRO, 1/10).
SAYING GOODBYE: German beach volleyball player JONAS RECKERMANN, who won Gold at the London Games with his partner JULIUS BRINK, "will retire from the sport due to chronic back problems" (SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG, 1/10). Reckermann, the '09 world champion, partnered with Brink "to become the first European men's pair to win Olympic Gold in their sport." Reckermann "also won two European titles in his career." He said in a statement: "This is a difficult decision to take but you cannot buy health and so at the end of the day this is a priority" (REUTERS, 1/10).
