Georgian football int'l GURAM KASHIA is the inaugural recipient of UEFA's #EqualGame award. The award recognizes players who have "acted as a role model" in "promoting diversity, inclusion and accessibility in European football" (BBC, 8/22). ... Former Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) President JOSÉ MARIA MARIN was sentenced to four years in prison by a U.S. federal court following his conviction for corruption. The 86-year-old was one of seven FIFA officials arrested at a Zurich hotel in May '15. Following a six-week trial, Marin was found guilty in Dec. '17 on six of the seven counts against him of money laundering, wire fraud and conspiratorial racketeering (PA, 8/22). ... IAAF SVP SERGEY BUBKA was "cleared of making a suspicious money transfer." It was reported last year that Bubka transferred funds in '09 to a company linked to then-IAAF Treasurer VALENTIN BALAKHNICHEV, who was later banned from athletics for life "over blackmail and corruption accusations." The Athletics Integrity Unit said that it "concluded, based on the information currently available to it, that there is no prima facie case of a breach of the applicable IAAF rules" (AP, 8/23). ... JOHAN BRUYNEEL was ordered to pay $1.2M to the U.S. government for his part in the doping program that resulted in LANCE ARMSTRONG winning six Tour de France titles while riding for the state-sponsored U.S. Postal Team. The Belgian team manager, who is currently serving a 10-year ban from the sport, "appears unlikely to pay the sum," given he resides outside the U.S. (CYCLING NEWS, 8/23). ... England rugby int'l DANNY CIPRIANI was not sanctioned by the Rugby Football Union following an incident in a Jersey nightclub. After a five-hour hearing, an independent panel upheld the charge that the 30-year-old's actions were "prejudical to the game's interests." But it felt the £2,000 ($2,560) imposed on him by Jersey magistrates and his Premiership Rugby club were "sufficient" (BBC, 8/23). ... ROBERT FERNLEY is no longer associated with the Force India Formula 1 team following the purchase of its assets by a consortium led by LAWRENCE STROLL. Long associated with VIJAY MALLYA, Fernley had held the role of deputy team principal since the team was rebranded under new ownership in '08 (MOTORSPORT, 8/23).
