Brazil Sports Minister ALDO REBELO, one of the key figures behind the delivery of the 2014 World Cup, has "reversed his decision to stand down" in December and is now "set to remain in the post through next year." He has changed his decision to step down following an appeal from Brazil President DILMA ROUSSEFF. A Sports Ministry official said, "There was an appeal and he is giving up the chance to run and will instead stay on at the ministry" (SOCCEREX, 10/18). ... Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary NISHANTHA RANATUNGE "has departed" for the Int'l Cricket Council Board meeting in London instead of Sri Lanka Cricket Chai JAYANTHA DHARMADASA (SRI LANKA MIRROR, 10/19). ... Former Argentina coach DIEGO MARADONA has "reignited his feud" with PELE by claiming his recognition from FIFA is "not worth sh*t." Maradona "has also launched a scathing attack" on FIFA President SEPP BLATTER and its senior delegates, questioning their competency level when they are "so old that they cannot even drive a car" (GOAL, 10/18). ... Chinese distance runner SUN JUAN "has been suspended for two years from competition for doping offence" (XINHUA, 10/18). ... Spanish second division side Deportivo La Coruña President AUGUSTO CÉSAR LENDOIRO has "chosen not to comment on recent criticism" from Deportivo legal adviser GERMÁN RODRÍGUEZ CONCHADO, who will run in the club's upcoming presidential election. Lendoiro: "I am not going to make any comment unless things are so serious that we need to take them to a judge. Our fans and members deserve calm elections and for the new president to win the election because he has gained the most support from members" (EFE, 10/20). ... MOHD AZRAAI KHOR ABDULLAH "is no longer the coach" of Malaysia Super League side Perak. Abdullah, who won the Malaysia Cup with Negri Sembilan in '11, "quit the team on Sunday" after a meeting with Perak FA Deputy President KHAIRUL AZWAN HARUN (THE STAR, 10/20). ... League Championship Birmingham City Owner CARSON YEUNG "finally took the stand in his long-running money-laundering trial to explain how a humble hairdresser could amass a multi-million pound fortune." Faced with five charges relating to £58M between Jan. '01 and Dec. '07, the 53-year-old claimed in the Hong Kong District Court the money was earned largely through gambling on volatile "red-chip" penny stocks, by playing cards in casinos and not "by criminal means" (INDEPENDENT, 10/20). ... Indian cricket player PRADEEP SANGWAN was "slapped with an 18-month ban from cricket after being found guilty of consuming a banned anabolic steroid" by the Board of Control for Cricket in India's Anti-Doping Tribunal. The ban on the 23-year-old Delhi cricketer "has been imposed with retrospective effect from May this year when the IPL took place" (PTI, 10/19).
