Tottenham and South Korea forward SON HEUNG-MIN received his "last opportunity to earn a military service exemption to extend his career in Europe" after he was named to South Korea's football squad for the 2018 Asian Games. Son made the 20-man roster for the football tournament at the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games as one of the three "wildcard" members. For players like Son, the Asian Games is an "important tournament because they can earn military service exemption by winning a gold medal" (YONHAP, 7/16). ... IAN POULTER finished his Scottish Open with a round of 69 but his day was "overshadowed by a claim" by QUINTIN JARDINE that the English golfer had "sworn at him during Saturday's third round." Jardine, the Scottish crime author who was a volunteer marshal at the event, wrote to tournament officials to complain that, having found Poulter’s ball under a bush after a hooked tee shot, the player arrived in "a shower of expletives" and "behaved aggressively." Poulter was said to have "suggested that he would have had a free drop had Jardine stood on the ball" (LONDON TIMES, 7/16). ... Sri Lanka cricket captain DINESH CHANDIMAL, Manager ASANKA GURUSINHA and coach CHANDIKA HATHURUSINGHE were suspended for two tests and four ODIs. The trio pleaded guilty to "conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game" during last month's St. Lucia test against the West Indies (BBC, 7/16). ... Big Bash League CEO KIM MCCONNIE ruled out the prospect of banned players STEVE SMITH and DAVID WARNER playing during the '18-19 season "amid calls for the pair's punishments to be reconsidered." The "disgraced pair" are barred from playing in the BBL as part of their 12-month bans for their roles in the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal (AAP, 7/17). ... Chelsea Owner ROMAN ABRAMOVICH bought a £30M ($39.7M) penthouse in London "despite being unable to renew his visa." Abramovich reportedly "snapped up" a 6,000-square-foot residence near Stamford Bridge stadium (DEAL MAKERZ, 7/16). ... BENJAMIN DAVIS, the first Singaporean footballer to sign a professional contract with an EPL club, was "denied the chance to defer mandatory military service." Davis, who has a two-year deal with Fulham, applied to defer national service, but authorities said that he did not "meet the criteria for deferment" (BBC, 7/16).
