Lithuanian artist EDGAR ASKELOVIC came up with "something special" for CONOR MCGREGOR's birthday -- a "hyper-realistic" sculpture valued at £50,000 ($66,060). Askelovic -- better known as Aspencrow -- spent five months handcrafting the 100kg sculpture from photographs (BBC, 7/10). ... Studio Press bought three fiction titles from CASEY STONEY based on the former England women's national football team captain's life "on and off the pitch." Aimed at eight to 12 year-olds, the first as-yet untitled book in the series will be published in paperback by Studio Press on May 16, 2019 (THE BOOKSELLER, 7/11). ... Australian int'l netballer SUSAN PETTITT will retire from the sport at the end of the season, becoming the third Diamonds player this week to "draw the curtain" on her int'l career. But unlike LAURA GEITZ and MADI ROBINSON, who "plan to continue on in Super Netball," Pettitt also "closed the door on a distinguished club career" that has spanned more than 200 games at national league level (THE AGE, 7/12). ... The IOC announced former NBA player RICK FOX will be the moderator for its Esports Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland. Fox founded esports franchise Echo Fox in '15. He is also a founding partner of Vision Venture Partners, a private equity firm with multiple esports properties, including Echo Fox and Twin Galaxies (THE ESPORTS OBSERVERS, 7/11).
