Chelsea Owner ROMAN ABRAMOVICH denied he was "ordered
to explain the origin of his wealth as part of his visa renewal
application." He is at the center of the "latest spat" between Britain
and Russia after it emerged his latest U.K. visa has not yet been
approved. A source insisted that Abramovich's finances "were not being
inspected and the visa renewal was simply taking longer than usual" (London DAILY MAIL, 5/23). ... South Korean Olympic speed skating champion LEE SEUNG-HOON is "facing allegations that he assaulted two teammates on multiple occasions." In announcing the findings of its probe into the Korea Skating Union on Wednesday, the Korean Sports Ministry said, without naming names, that a skater is "believed to have struck two younger teammates during overseas competitions" in '11, '13 and '16 (YONHAP, 5/23). ... EVONNE GOOLAGONG CAWLEY will be presented with the Int'l Tennis Federation's highest accolade, the Philippe Chatrier Award, for contributions to tennis in her on-court career and "dedicated public service after it" (HERALD SUN, 5/23). ... Australian Cricketers' Association CEO ALISTAIR NICHOLSON "could be on the move" to the Australian Football League after emerging as a contender for the Melbourne Demons' top job. He has been "sounded out" by the Demons to replace outgoing CEO PETER JACKSON, who announced earlier this month that he would step down at the end of the year (THE AGE, 5/23). ... Eurosport announced KIM CLIJSTERS will join its team of experts for the network's coverage of the French Open (Eurosport).
INIESTA FINDS 'NEW HOME': ANDRÉS INIESTA reportedly agreed to join J.League club Vissel Kobe on Wednesday. He won four Champions League titles with Barcelona and was a "key part" of Spain's first World Cup title in '10 (KYODO, 5/23).
SHOCK RETIREMENT: South African cricketer A.B. DE VILLIERS announced his "shock retirement" from all forms of int'l cricket with immediate effect. The 34-year-old has been a "titanic figure" in the Proteas' middle order for more than a decade and "will go down as one of their greatest ever batsman." De Villiers starred in the recent test series victory over Australia, but "admitted his efforts have left him fatigued." De Villiers: "I’ve had my turn and, to be honest, I’m tired" (London TELEGRAPH, 5/23).
