Sports Direct chairman stays on thanks to founder's backing

By Paul Sandle LONDON (Reuters) - Sports Direct's embattled chairman Keith Hellawell was re-elected on Thursday after company founder Mike Ashley backed him, ensuring he would stay in the role despite being opposed by a majority of the retailer's independent shareholders. Investors have blamed Hellawell for a string of management and governance failures at the sportswear group, and he only kept his job at the annual meeting in September with the help of Ashley's majority control. "Keith has my f