ACT Sports Minister Andrew Barr claims crowd figures for Canberra's professional football codes "have been inflated in previous years, leading to lower recorded numbers this year." Attendances at the Brumbies and the Raiders at Canberra Stadium "have come under the spotlight" after the early part of the National Rugby League and Super Rugby seasons (CANBERRA TIMES, 4/7). ... Officials from National Rugby League side Melbourne Storm have written to the NRL "seeking clarification on why St. George Illawarra forward Jack de Belin and Gold Coast hooker Beau Falloon received lighter punishment than that dished out to their emerging forward Jordan McLean as controversy over lifting tackles continues" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 4/7). ... Unrecognized Cricket Association of Bihar Secretary Aditya Verma "stepped up pressure" on Board of Control for Cricket in India interim President for Indian Premier League Sunil Gavaskar "to remove Sundar Raman from the post of IPL COO" (PTI, 4/7). ... Four months after the end of the Southeast Asian Games and the Asean ParaGames, Indonesia's Ministry of Youth and Sports "has made another promise that medalists and their respective coaches will receive bonuses by the end of this month." The ministry "has yet to pay the bonuses" as it adopts a safer way of distributing the money "in an effort to avoid allegations of the misallocation of campaign funds" against Minister Roy Suryo, who is a candidate in the legislative election (JAKARTA GLOBE, 4/7).
