The Kyrgyz national sports hero Raatbek Sanatbaev was killed early on 9 January outside his home in Bishkek. Police spokeswoman Aida Bakirova reported that the 36-year-old Sanatbaev, a two-time Asian Games wrestling champion, was shot twice in the head by two unknown assailants and died en route to hospital. President Kurmanbek Bakiev decried the killing as \"a great loss to national sport.\" Sanatbaev was a leading candidate to succeed Bayaman Erkinbaev as president of Kyrgyzstan\'s National Olympic Committee. Erkinbaev, a parliamentarian, was himself shot dead in September. (RFE/RL)