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RIO DE JANEIRO - Ary Graca, the former head of the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation, says he acted in the best interests of the body despite allegations of corruption and malfeasance.Graca is being investigated by a federal anti-corruption agency, which has cited financial irregularities in a 50-page document and alleges he channeled millions to companies controlled by his friends and relatives.Graca stepped down from his role at the CBV earlier this year but remains president of the Switzerland-based FIVB, the world governing body of the sport. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.The brewing scandal is touching Rio de Janeiros 2016 Olympics.The CBV, which has been threatened with legal action from Graca, said Friday it would not hold a FIBV-sponsored Olympic test event in Rio in July, as scheduled. The test events are seen as crucial to the efficient running of the Olympics, which will open Aug. 5, 2016.Volleyball is probably the second-most popular sport in Brazil, and ties to the Olympics run deep.The head of Rios Olympic organizing committee is Carlos Nuzman, a former president of the CBV who built the sport into a local powerhouse. An International Olympic Committee member, he is not accused of any wrongdoing in the report issued by Brazils Comptroller Generals office, known as the CGU.In a statement Friday, the FIVB said it was aware of the allegations against Graca.The FIVB said it is important to point out that Ary Graca, and others accused, have rigorously and consistently denied any wrongdoing and have openly explained how, at all times, they acted in the best interests of Brazilian volleyball.The statement said Brazilian volleyball had benefited from about 350 million Brazilian reals ($140 million) in commercial services under Gracas leadership.As the president and others from the former CBV management team have mounted legal proceedings against the organizations and individuals for making false accusations, it is not appropriate for the FIVB to comment further on these matters until all investigations and legal action have been completed, the FIVB said.A top player on Brazils mens national volleyball team said players feel betrayed by Graca.Most of the players have the same feeling of betrayal, player Murilo Endres said in an interview Friday with ESPN in Brazil. We have dedicated our time, our sweat, our knees, our shoulders, our ankles to this person and, unfortunately, we were betrayed by him. Indignation and betrayal summarize our feelings. But we will go after this, so it does not go unpunished.It is not clear if Brazils court system will act on the findings of the anti-corruption body.The CGU said the volleyball confederation under Graca misappropriated about $11 million in sponsorship income, channeling it to companies controlled by Gracas friends and relatives. State-run Banco do Brasil said Thursday it was halting sponsorship payments to the confederation.In a statement Thursday, the volleyball confederation said it was under new management and had put in place responsible governance, and above all, ethics. It said it had made its accounts available to supervisory authorities and had set up a permanent internal audit.What we want, what the volleyball community wants, is morality in the sport, coach Bernado Rezende said. The people on the courts are suffering with this. I, myself, had health problems because of all of this that is happening. We are on the courts, playing, fighting, and we see things like this.___Stephen Wade on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP Khalen Saunders Jersey . -- Jake Paterson made 39 saves as the Saginaw Spirit halted the Guelph Storms seven-game win streak with a 6-3 victory on Sunday in Ontario Hockey League action. Derrick Thomas Jersey . "I dont know where we would be without him," McClendon said. "Hes done a tremendous job for us and (Wednesday) was no different." Logan Morrison drove in two runs in Seattles big sixth inning, Young pitched seven strong innings and the Mariners beat the Houston Astros 5-2 to complete a three-game sweep. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Youth...-chiefs-jersey/. At this point, even he isnt sure when it is going to stop. The right-hander dropped his fourth straight decision in Los Angeles 6-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night, leaving his status very much in doubt as the Dodgers prepare for the stretch drive. Joe Montana Jersey . New York City FC introduced Frank Lampard in Brooklyn on Thursday after signing the 36-year-old former Chelsea midfielder to a two-year contract. Patrick Mahomes Chiefs Jersey . Cain departed in the fourth inning of a 10-5 loss to the Pirates on Thursday. X-rays on Cains bruised forearm were negative. He was hit when Sanchez led off the fourth with a groundout.TUKWILA, Wash. - When the collapse began last fall, the Seattle Sounders went from MLS favourites to a crumbling club that obviously needed change. Its the byproduct of having an unrivaled fan base and expectations that anything less than a league title is unacceptable for management. "To be honest it was time. Every couple of years a team is going to have to go through changes to grow and you get a certain amount of time with a certain group of players, and if you dont win you change it," Seattle midfielder Brad Evans said. "Most of the time its your star players you try and change and bring them in with other well-known players around the league and thats just the nature of the game and thats the business part of it. It kind of is what it is and we did lose some big names and some very good players but I think weve brought in some great players to fill in the shoes. And I think the group is a little bit stronger." Seattle will go into the 2014 season with the same belief that anything less than an MLS title is not success. But theyll do it with a completely overhauled roster, the result of the slide at the end of 2013. The question of whether changes were needed stretched from the bottom of the roster all the way up to coach Sigi Schmid. Eventually, general manager Adrian Hanauer and majority owner Joe Roth decided keeping Schmid and remodeling the team was the path Seattle would travel. It wasnt a complete overhaul. Evans is still around. So is Lamar Neagle, Obafemi Martins and rising homegrown star DeAndre Yedlin. Midfielder Osvaldo Alsonso was rewarded with a designated player contract and Seattle is about to get its first full season with Clint Dempsey on the roster. But the names that are gone are notable. U.S. national team striker Eddie Johnson is now with D.C. United. Defensive centre backs Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Patrick Ianni are gone. Midfielder Mauro Rosales is now with Chivas USA. Goalkeeper Michael Gspurning is back in Europe. Its a completely new look for Seattle and only success on the field wwill determine whether the right choices were made.dddddddddddd "Its not really up to me what changes we make on the roster but the new guys have been great and very positive," Yedlin said. "They are good players and Im excited to see what they can bring to the team." The additions made by Seattle arent on the same level as the move last summer to bring Dempsey back from Europe. But they could end up being more important. Up front, Seattle brought in veteran striker Kenny Cooper, along with Chad Barrett and Tristan Bowen. In the midfield, Seattle acquired Marco Pappa through allocation when he decided to return to MLS from Europe. Chad Marshall, who played for Schmid in Columbus, was acquired in a trade to anchor the middle of Seattles defence. And former Toronto goalkeeper Stefan Frei was brought in to compete with 41-year-old Marcus Hahnemann for the starting job. "It is pretty obvious the mentality they are going for," Neagle said. "They want to be more aggressive and a lot more pressure and I think the guys theyve brought in have that same mentality, so its nice. Its easy to get on the same page when you have similar guys on the field." While all the roster changes mean some sort of acclimation period, how Dempsey fits during his second season will be watched closely early in the year. His first few months with Seattle late last season were a disappointment as the American star recorded just one goal and one assist in his nine games. Getting fully entrenched as Seattles leader will be difficult this season as well with Dempsey likely getting called away for U.S. national team duties even before training camp for the World Cup in Brazil starts in May. Dempsey may not even be available for Saturdays opener after being called into national team duty for an exhibition match against Ukraine. "Were still getting to know each other. Were still getting to know what the tendencies are of each player, but I like the spirit of the team, I like their attitude," Schmid said. ' ' '