Chinese multiple Olympic Gold Medal-winning diver CHEN RUOLIN announced her "shock retirement from the national team -- aged just 23." Team Manager ZHOU JIHONG said that Chen "decided to call it a day after the Rio Games due to a nagging neck injury." Zhou: "She has a neck injury which may cause some problems if she continues with her career" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 10/19). ... NICK KYRGIOS has "pulled out of the Rotterdam Open to play in basketball's NBA All-Star Celebrity Game." Tournament Dir RICHARD KRAJICEK has "released the Australian, 21, from his contract so he can play in the game in New Orleans in February." Kyrgios "represented his country at youth level as a basketball player," and said in an interview in June '15 that he "preferred the sport to tennis" (BBC, 10/19). ... CRISTIANO RONALDO has "appointed the daughter of his agent JORGE MENDEZ" as his publicist. MARISA MENDES, 25, "first made headlines when she was rumoured to be in a relationship" with the Real Madrid player last year. She will now be in charge of "running all of the Portuguese ace's social media accounts" (EMPRESS GIST, 10/19). ... Korean actor KIM BO-SUNG will "debut as a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter as the 50-year-old action film star will have a bout with a Japanese fighter in December." Kim said that he will "give combat sports a try" on Dec. 10, as he will fight Japan's judoka-turned-MMA fighter TETSUO KONDO (KOREA TIMES, 10/19). ... Pakistan Cricket Board Chair SHAHARYAR KHAN will return home from London on Thursday, "finally putting paid to all speculations about his stepping down from the post." The former career diplomat has been in London for the last two months and "underwent a heart surgery." A source said, "Yes, Shaharyar will reach Lahore on Thursday morning and will be taking charge of the PCB affairs as soon as he reaches home" (PTI, 10/19). ... The longtime physical therapist of the German national team, ADOLF KATZENMEIER, "died at the age of 81." Katzenmeier "worked for the German FA (DFB) for 45 years, from '63-08" (SID, 10/19). ... RAFAEL NADAL and ROGER FEDERER reunited on Wednesday "to open the Spaniard's new academy in Mallorca." Federer said, "I know where I'll send my kids if they want to learn how to play tennis." There was "no shortage of mutual appreciation between the pair, who share 31 Grand Slam titles between them and have faced off 34 times" (London DAILY MAIL, 10/19).
