World No. 4 women's tennis player AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA "has been criticised in her Polish homeland after posing naked in a magazine." Pictures from ESPN's "Body Issue," which features "a number of naked athletes," show Radwanska "sitting by a swimming pool full of tennis balls." Although her "modesty remains intact," Radwanska, who has emphasised her Catholic upbringing in the past, "has come under fire" (TELEGRAPH, 7/10). ... Serie A Lazio has released a statement backing captain STEFANO MAURI after it was confirmed that "he will face charges relating to Calcioscommesse." The 33-year-old is "accused of sporting fraud after alleged involvement in fixing matches" between the capital club, Lecce, and Genoa (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 7/11). ... Cricketer SHANE WARNE will be inducted into the Int'l Cricket Council Hall of Fame during the second Ashes Test between England and Australia. Warne represented Australia in 145 Tests between '92 and '07 and was the first bowler to take 700 Test wickets (BBC, 7/11). ... Canadian police "are investigating death threats sent on Twitter" to Major League Soccer side Montreal Impact captain DAVY ARNAUD. Arnaud is "reported to have received threatening tweets after making a mistake that led to his team losing 4-3 at home to the Colorado Rapids in stoppage time" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 7/11). ... Organizers of the Boxmeer Criterium race in the Netherlands have told MARK CAVENDISH that "he is not welcome at their event." The ban is "linked to the end of Tuesday's 10th stage of the Tour de France," which saw Cavendish "collide" with Dutch rider TOM VEELERS during the final sprint for the line (EURO SPORT, 7/11).
CHARITY WORK: A foundation created by Ivory Coast footballer DIDIER DROGBA will invest £2.5M ($3.8M) "building hospitals in the west African nation." The project, the foundation’s biggest since it started in '07, "will lead the construction of at least five health centers for women and children" in the capital city of Yamoussoukro and the cities of Abidjan, San Pedro, Man and Korhogo and Guy Roland Tanoh. The money, 80% of which has already been raised, "will come from charity galas organized in London" (BLOOMBERG, 7/11). ... Barcelona footballer XAVI HERNÁNDEZ and his fiancée, journalist NÚRIA CUNILLERA, have decided to turn their wedding gifts from friends and family members into donations for a new hospital, Sant Joan de Déu Children's Hospital. The donations will go toward the "first stone of the new hospital" (AS, 7/11).
