EPL side Chelsea left-back ASHLEY COLE "has retired from international football after being left out of England's World Cup squad." Cole earned 107 caps and played at three World Cups. Southampton left-back LUKE SHAW, 18, was included when England Manager ROY HODGSON "named his 23-man squad, plus seven standby players, on Monday" (BBC, 5/11). ... Former Table Tennis player VLADIMIR SAMSONOV has been re-elected In'tl Table Tennis Federation Athletes' Commission chairman. The following athletes were elected by their peers to join Samsonov on the Athletes' Commission: JEAN-MICHEL SAIVE, ZORAN PRIMORAC, KRISZTINA TOTH, DAVID POWELL (ITTF).
NRL NIGHTCLUB INCIDENT: New South Wales Origin halfback MITCHELL PEARCE "may be banned" by the National Rugby League even if he escapes a police charge "over an incident that led to his arrest at a Kings Cross nightspot on the weekend." Blues officials are "understood to be considering possible replacements for Origin I in case he receives a suspension of more than one match from the NRL, with South Sydney halfback Adam Reynolds the favourite" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 5/12). Pearce "has hired a legal team to deny allegations he acted inappropriately towards a woman at a Kings Cross nightclub." The future of Pearce "remained in the balance" with police "still appealing for the woman at the centre of the incident at the Beach Haus nightclub and other witnesses to come forward" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 5/13).
