Mercedes Formula 1 team driver LEWIS HAMILTON "could quit" F1 at the end of the season. The triple world champion said that "he might soon join former teammate NICO ROSBERG in retirement." Hamilton: "My destiny is in my own hands. I can decide to stop at the end of this year. Does that mean my legacy is less great than it would be if I stop in five years' time? Who's to say? I don't like to plan for it because I don't know what's around the corner. I don't know what I'm going to do" (AUTOWEEK, 6/21). ... Former golfer GREG NORMAN "called for the sport to introduce biological passports in an effort to eradicate drug cheats." The two-time British Open champion's comments come in the wake of the PGA Tour's announcement on Monday of an "overhaul of its anti-doping program" from the '18 season. Norman said, "The addition of blood testing to the Tour's anti-doping program to comply with WADA is finally a positive move to ensure golf is clean" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 6/23). ... Former FIFA Secretary General JÉRÔME VALCKE will have his appeal over his 10-year ban from football heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Oct. 11. Former FIFA President SEPP BLATTER's "former righthand man" was suspended in Sept. '15 "over the 2014 World Cup tickets scam" and was sentenced by FIFA's ethics committee in Feb. '16 to a 12-year ban from football. The ban was reduced to 10 years on appeal (GLOBAL TIMES, 6/21). ... Former Chelsea midfielder OSCAR was handed an eight-match ban by Chinese football authorities on Thursday for "his role in a brawl that broke out" during Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG's draw with Guangzhou R&F over the weekend. The Brazilian, who moved to China for a record transfer fee in January, was also fined 40,000 yuan ($5,855) by the Chinese FA in the "latest move by the country's authorities to stamp out indiscipline" (REUTERS, 6/22).
STAYING PUT: Former Barclays CEO JOHN VARLEY "will not be standing down" from his position on the Marylebone Cricket Club's finance committee after he was "charged with two charges of conspiracy to commit fraud by the Serious Fraud Office and a further count of unlawful financial assistance over his part in a rescue deal with Qatar" during the '08 global financial crisis. The MCC confirmed Varley had not offered to step down from his role on its finance committee, "nor would the MCC's main committee be asking him to do so." If convicted, Varley faces up to 22 years in prison (LONDON TIMES, 6/22).
