The mayor of Manaus, Brazil -- which will host several World Cup matches next summer -- "wants to travel to London to clear the air" after a recent exchange with England national team Manager ROY HODGSON. Hodgson said before the World Cup draw that England "hoped to avoid playing in Manaus." Manaus Mayor ARTHUR VIRGILIO responded by saying, "We would prefer a better football team" (OLE, 12/11). ... The newly renovated Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland "was officially inaugurated on Tuesday night." During the handover ceremony, IOC President THOMAS BACH "officially received the golden key to IOC from his predecessor," former IOC President JACQUES ROGGE (XINHUA, 12/11). ... National Rugby League player MARTIN KENNEDY "is poised to become the next NRL player to receive an infraction notice." The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority is considering against the Broncos prop that is "more advanced than its case file against 14 past and present Sharks players." After the Australian Rugby League Commission board Wednesday "received a detailed briefing of the NRL's internal report into Cronulla's 2011 supplement program," ASADA is "preparing to swoop on Kennedy for alleged possession of banned substances" (SYDNEY DAILY TELEGRAPH, 12/12). ... English footballer BILL FOULKES "will 'stand proud' alongside the footballing greats of Manchester United," former English footballer BOBBY CHARLTON "told mourners at his funeral." Charlton was among former teammates who "attended a requiem mass in thanksgiving for the life of the defender who survived the Munich air disaster in 1958 and went on to lift the European Cup a decade later." Charlton "spoke of Foulkes's heroism in returning to the wreckage of the plane crash to help fellow passengers on the icy runway in Germany as they returned from a European Cup tie." Also in attendance was former Man City player MIKE SUMMERBEE and former ManU player BRYAN ROBSON (London DAILY MAIL, 12/11). ... South Korean Olympic Gold Medal vaulter YANG HAK-SEON has "flipped out at plans by Hanyang University to disband its gymnastics team, fearing it could harm the sport's growth." The university announced on Friday that it would drop gymnastics, judo and track and field from its sports teams in '15 "due to budget shortfalls and bribery scandals surrounding the selection of new students." Yang said, "How would a senior in high school feel if he studied so hard only to find there is nowhere he can apply to? This is so grave an issue that I could not take a back seat" (EUROSPORT, 12/11). ... DIEGO MARADONA will in January present the jersey that Iran will wear during the 2014 World Cup. It has been reported that Maradona will "charge $100,000 for the work" (LA NACION, 12/10).
