The man who headed the campaign to take the 2010 Winter Olympics to Vancouver died on Friday, hours after learning that the Olympic flame he dreamed of bringing to Canada had begun its journey. Jack Poole, 76, died in a Vancouver hospital after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Squash

World number one Karim Darwish, of Egypt, will be chasing revenge at the World Open next month. Darwish, 28, who has topped the world rankings since January, is expected to face second seed Gregory Gaultier in the final in Kuwait on November 7. The prospective clash has been given extra spice by the Frenchman being expected to replace the Egyptian at the top of the November rankings which will be announced on the eve of the championship. The World Open boasts a prize-fund of $277,500 dollars.

Rugby Union

Wales suffered a Six Nations setback when scrum-half Mike Phillips was virtually ruled out of the start of the tournament after undergoing surgery to repair his damaged ankle ligaments. The 27-year-old Ospreys and Lions player was already expected to miss the autumn internationals, but is now likely to be out for four months. Wales begin their Six Nations campaign against England in Twickenham on February 6.

Basketball, NBA

Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison is expected to miss at least the first eight games of the regular season with a shoulder injury. Twice All-Star Jamison, 33, partially dislocated his right shoulder during an exhibition game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 14. Jamison, an All-Star in 2005 and 2008, led the Wizards in scoring last season with an average of 22.2 points per game.

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