The World Motor Sport Council ratified a 13-round World Rally Championship calendar for the '18 season, with Turkey returning for the first time since '10. The WMSC confirmed that the Marmaris-based Rally Turkey will replace Rally Poland on next year's schedule, and will be held in September. The only other change in next year's schedule involves a switch for the rounds in Britain and Spain, with Rally GB running ahead of Rally Spain (DAILY SABAH, 9/22).
The All-Ireland women's football final between Dublin and Mayo at Croke Park "smashed the record for the highest attended women's sporting event" of '17. Dublin won 4-11 to 0-11 in front of 46,286 fans. It was a record crowd for a Gaelic games ladies decider and "easily surpassed" the next-best women's crowd of 35,271 at May's Women's FA Cup final (RTÉ, 9/24).
Hong Kong will host China and two other teams in the 2019 World Cup basketball qualifiers after FIBA "bowed to the reality that Asia’s so-called events capital cannot provide a stadium" to meet its requirements. The 1,900-seat Southorn Stadium in Wan Chai was originally rejected by FIBA as the home venue "because it failed seating and lighting requirements, but it has been given a reprieve" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 9/25).
Police conducted an anti-terror drill Monday at a sports arena in central Tokyo "based on a scenario of terrorists launching a chemical attack during big sports events such as the Rugby World Cup 2019 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics." About 1,000 people including riot squad personnel "joined the drill" at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, located close to the main stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics (KYODO, 9/25).
